the hospital." He paused. "It's the baby."
No. He silently repeated the word again and again as they rushed out of the pub and into the night to find a cab. His brother made sure the cab driver knew which hospital they needed before they climbed into the back seat. Hands clammy and stomach knotted, Sergei had never felt so nervous or sick in his life. He hadn't been this panicked even before that first cage match, back when he still feared pain and blood. Now, so many years and opponents later, he didn't even bat an eye at either. The burst of pain and the coppery flash of blood on his tongue was nothing to him.
With his heart thundering in his throat, Sergei jumped out the cab before it had even fully stopped. Vladimir stayed behind to settle the tab but was hot on his heels a moment later. Their evening of carousing and good beer seemed like a distant memory. All he could think about now was Bianca and the baby. His stomach twisted painfully.
I should have been there. Why the hell wasn't I with her? If the worst happened tonight, would Bianca forgive him for not being with her? Would he be able to forgive himself? When she had needed him most, he was tossing back a beer and playing darts with brother. She had urged him to go out and enjoy his last night with Vovchik, but she couldn't have known this was going to happen.
The wait at the reception desk nearly killed him. Only Vladimir's steadying hand on his shoulder kept Sergei from blowing up and demanding somebody speak to him. Finally, a rushed and very busy nurse was able to help him. He tried to remember that she was trying to do her job in a packed unit on a Saturday night.
When he tugged aside the curtain shielding Bianca from the rest of the emergency room cubicles, he stopped dead in his tracks. Rolled on her side, she cried softly while his mother held one of her hands and stroked her hair with the other. The sight of the soon-to-be mother-and-daughter-in-law finding support in one another should have warmed him, but tonight it scared him. How bad was it if his mother had shoved aside all of her prejudices to comfort Bianca?
Wordlessly, his mother pressed a gentle kiss to Bianca's forehead before leaving her side. She joined him at the curtain and patted his chest. She slipped away and left them. Refusing to show the weakness that threatened to cripple him, Sergei strode to Bianca's bedside and took the chair his mother had vacated. Bianca needed him to be strong for her and the baby so he swallowed down the lump of emotion clogging his throat. He interlaced their fingers and captured her mouth in a long kiss. His other hand traveled down her side and settled on her belly. He spanned his fingers across her stomach. Terrified of the answer but desperate to know, he asked softly, "Our baby?"
"I don't know." She gulped loudly and blinked. More tears spilled onto her beautiful face. He wiped them away with his thumb. "They're waiting for an obstetrician to come see me." She gripped his fingers so tightly he thought she might break them. "I'm scared."
"I'm here." He kissed her again, his lips lingering on her soft, pouty ones. "Whatever happens, I'm here."
A doctor and nurse arrived a short time later with a portable ultrasound machine. He held Bianca's hand while she talked with Dr. Jones and helped her slide down toward the end of the bed when it was time to examine her. Bianca's gaze drifted to the ceiling while a sheet was draped across her bent knees. This was new territory for him. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. All he knew for certain was that he wasn’t leaving her side.
When the doctor produced the ultrasound wand, Sergei experienced a moment of surprise. He had assumed it was always done on the belly, but apparently that wasn't true. He kept his gaze fixed on Bianca's worried face while the doctor did what he needed to do. She still gripped his hand so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
"Well, well, well," Dr. Jones said, his voice
No. He silently repeated the word again and again as they rushed out of the pub and into the night to find a cab. His brother made sure the cab driver knew which hospital they needed before they climbed into the back seat. Hands clammy and stomach knotted, Sergei had never felt so nervous or sick in his life. He hadn't been this panicked even before that first cage match, back when he still feared pain and blood. Now, so many years and opponents later, he didn't even bat an eye at either. The burst of pain and the coppery flash of blood on his tongue was nothing to him.
With his heart thundering in his throat, Sergei jumped out the cab before it had even fully stopped. Vladimir stayed behind to settle the tab but was hot on his heels a moment later. Their evening of carousing and good beer seemed like a distant memory. All he could think about now was Bianca and the baby. His stomach twisted painfully.
I should have been there. Why the hell wasn't I with her? If the worst happened tonight, would Bianca forgive him for not being with her? Would he be able to forgive himself? When she had needed him most, he was tossing back a beer and playing darts with brother. She had urged him to go out and enjoy his last night with Vovchik, but she couldn't have known this was going to happen.
The wait at the reception desk nearly killed him. Only Vladimir's steadying hand on his shoulder kept Sergei from blowing up and demanding somebody speak to him. Finally, a rushed and very busy nurse was able to help him. He tried to remember that she was trying to do her job in a packed unit on a Saturday night.
When he tugged aside the curtain shielding Bianca from the rest of the emergency room cubicles, he stopped dead in his tracks. Rolled on her side, she cried softly while his mother held one of her hands and stroked her hair with the other. The sight of the soon-to-be mother-and-daughter-in-law finding support in one another should have warmed him, but tonight it scared him. How bad was it if his mother had shoved aside all of her prejudices to comfort Bianca?
Wordlessly, his mother pressed a gentle kiss to Bianca's forehead before leaving her side. She joined him at the curtain and patted his chest. She slipped away and left them. Refusing to show the weakness that threatened to cripple him, Sergei strode to Bianca's bedside and took the chair his mother had vacated. Bianca needed him to be strong for her and the baby so he swallowed down the lump of emotion clogging his throat. He interlaced their fingers and captured her mouth in a long kiss. His other hand traveled down her side and settled on her belly. He spanned his fingers across her stomach. Terrified of the answer but desperate to know, he asked softly, "Our baby?"
"I don't know." She gulped loudly and blinked. More tears spilled onto her beautiful face. He wiped them away with his thumb. "They're waiting for an obstetrician to come see me." She gripped his fingers so tightly he thought she might break them. "I'm scared."
"I'm here." He kissed her again, his lips lingering on her soft, pouty ones. "Whatever happens, I'm here."
A doctor and nurse arrived a short time later with a portable ultrasound machine. He held Bianca's hand while she talked with Dr. Jones and helped her slide down toward the end of the bed when it was time to examine her. Bianca's gaze drifted to the ceiling while a sheet was draped across her bent knees. This was new territory for him. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. All he knew for certain was that he wasn’t leaving her side.
When the doctor produced the ultrasound wand, Sergei experienced a moment of surprise. He had assumed it was always done on the belly, but apparently that wasn't true. He kept his gaze fixed on Bianca's worried face while the doctor did what he needed to do. She still gripped his hand so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
"Well, well, well," Dr. Jones said, his voice
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