agitated.
Sam moved to her side and caressed her cheek, a gesture Abby recognized as a sign he was extremely anxious.
“Are you sure about this, baby?”
“He would do it for me,” she said firmly.
“He’s stronger than you, Abby.”
“Not right now, he’s not, Daddy. He needs me. Besides,” she offered him a mischievous grin, “think of all the ways I can use this against him later.”
“He’s going to be mad as hell when he finds out,” Sam warned his daughter.
She shrugged indifferently. “By the time he knows about it, it will be too late.” She stopped talking when a second nurse came into the room and took the first unit of blood away. “Is Mom with Gage?”
“Yes. Jenna and Nick are in the waiting room, and Adam should be here any time. Your mom talked to Scott and said he was able to get a more direct flight and should be here early tomorrow afternoon.”
“What about Maggie?”
Maggie had originally been hired as a cook and maid but after Scott was born, she became more of a grandmother to the Travis children. She was eighty-four years old, but no one would never
ever
know it. Sometimes Abby wondered where the woman got all her energy, but Maggie had always thrived on taking care of the Travis family, and as long as someone needed her, she was in her element.
Sam chuckled. “You know Maggie. She’s at home cooking up a storm. She insists when Gage comes home, he’ll mend faster if he gets home cooked meals. By now she’s probably thrown together a week’s worth of meals and half a dozen cakes.”
“Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting,” she laughed.
Gage never could resist Maggie’s cakes, so she knew her dad wasn’t exaggerating about Maggie baking up a storm. Abby reached out and took her Dad’s hand.
“We’ll all be eating that cake with Gage in a few days.”
“I know, baby.”
Abby had started to feel the effects of losing so much blood several minutes before and hadn’t wanted to upset her Dad by telling him. But now she was beginning to feel faint and was having trouble concentrating on their conversation. She glanced at the bag and saw it was only half full. Be strong , she told herself. Just a few more minutes and Gage would have the blood the needed.
Turning a bright smile on her dad, she said, “Daddy, could you go check on Gage and make sure they’ve started the transfusion? Give Mom a kiss for me and tell her I’ll be done here in no time.”
“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay?”
“Mom needs you now and I’ll be fine. Send Nick over to sit with me if you’re worried.”
“The other two will throw a fit because you asked for Nick.”
Abby smiled. “I know, but it will help keep their minds off of Gage.”
Sam leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You always were ornerier than you let on.”
She watched him leave before letting the smile slip from her face. She felt nauseous and so incredibly weak, as if all the energy had been zapped from her.
“How much longer, nurse?”
“About ten minutes, Miss Travis.”
“Can I get some water? I’m so thirsty…” Her voice trailed off.
The nurse was leaning over to check the heart and blood pressure monitors, a slight frown forming on her face, and that worried Abby. She wanted to assure the woman she was fine and that all she needed was a glass of water, but the nurse had already turned away and picked up the phone. A few minutes later, the doctor hurried in looking very grim as he checked the monitor readings.
“Take the tube out,” he ordered the nurse.
Abby looked at the bag. “It’s not full yet,” she said in a hoarse whisper.
His reply was firm. “It’s all we’re going to take.”
The nurse reached out to unhook the tube but Abby clamped her free hand over the spot where it entered her arm. “It’s not full,” she repeated. “You can take it out when it is.”
The nurse’s eyes turned to the doctor. Abby almost felt
Sam moved to her side and caressed her cheek, a gesture Abby recognized as a sign he was extremely anxious.
“Are you sure about this, baby?”
“He would do it for me,” she said firmly.
“He’s stronger than you, Abby.”
“Not right now, he’s not, Daddy. He needs me. Besides,” she offered him a mischievous grin, “think of all the ways I can use this against him later.”
“He’s going to be mad as hell when he finds out,” Sam warned his daughter.
She shrugged indifferently. “By the time he knows about it, it will be too late.” She stopped talking when a second nurse came into the room and took the first unit of blood away. “Is Mom with Gage?”
“Yes. Jenna and Nick are in the waiting room, and Adam should be here any time. Your mom talked to Scott and said he was able to get a more direct flight and should be here early tomorrow afternoon.”
“What about Maggie?”
Maggie had originally been hired as a cook and maid but after Scott was born, she became more of a grandmother to the Travis children. She was eighty-four years old, but no one would never
ever
know it. Sometimes Abby wondered where the woman got all her energy, but Maggie had always thrived on taking care of the Travis family, and as long as someone needed her, she was in her element.
Sam chuckled. “You know Maggie. She’s at home cooking up a storm. She insists when Gage comes home, he’ll mend faster if he gets home cooked meals. By now she’s probably thrown together a week’s worth of meals and half a dozen cakes.”
“Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting,” she laughed.
Gage never could resist Maggie’s cakes, so she knew her dad wasn’t exaggerating about Maggie baking up a storm. Abby reached out and took her Dad’s hand.
“We’ll all be eating that cake with Gage in a few days.”
“I know, baby.”
Abby had started to feel the effects of losing so much blood several minutes before and hadn’t wanted to upset her Dad by telling him. But now she was beginning to feel faint and was having trouble concentrating on their conversation. She glanced at the bag and saw it was only half full. Be strong , she told herself. Just a few more minutes and Gage would have the blood the needed.
Turning a bright smile on her dad, she said, “Daddy, could you go check on Gage and make sure they’ve started the transfusion? Give Mom a kiss for me and tell her I’ll be done here in no time.”
“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay?”
“Mom needs you now and I’ll be fine. Send Nick over to sit with me if you’re worried.”
“The other two will throw a fit because you asked for Nick.”
Abby smiled. “I know, but it will help keep their minds off of Gage.”
Sam leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You always were ornerier than you let on.”
She watched him leave before letting the smile slip from her face. She felt nauseous and so incredibly weak, as if all the energy had been zapped from her.
“How much longer, nurse?”
“About ten minutes, Miss Travis.”
“Can I get some water? I’m so thirsty…” Her voice trailed off.
The nurse was leaning over to check the heart and blood pressure monitors, a slight frown forming on her face, and that worried Abby. She wanted to assure the woman she was fine and that all she needed was a glass of water, but the nurse had already turned away and picked up the phone. A few minutes later, the doctor hurried in looking very grim as he checked the monitor readings.
“Take the tube out,” he ordered the nurse.
Abby looked at the bag. “It’s not full yet,” she said in a hoarse whisper.
His reply was firm. “It’s all we’re going to take.”
The nurse reached out to unhook the tube but Abby clamped her free hand over the spot where it entered her arm. “It’s not full,” she repeated. “You can take it out when it is.”
The nurse’s eyes turned to the doctor. Abby almost felt
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