pressed lightly on Quinn’s stomach, feeling my daughter move as I pushed. Quinn groaned with my touch, but she yelped in agony when I pushed on he area under her right rib cage.
“Shit,” I said under my breath.
“What it is?” Ryan asked anxiously. He dashed to my side and grabbed my arm.
“It could be her gallbladder. It would explain the vomiting but not the hypertension. I’m going out to speak to the nurse. Maybe I can wave my status around to get some answers.”
“Tell them either we get answers for this or I will go all deranged in here,” Ryan said, running his hands through his hair.
I looked at Ray. “If he moves, I give you permission to tackle him.” That put a small smile on Ray’s face, which was what I’d been hoping for.
I left the room and went to the nurses’ station. There wasn’t a nurse in sight, but Dr. Florence rounded the corner and pushed up her brows when she saw me. I was filled with relief, hoping she had some answers.
“Carol, I was trying to find a nurse to see if they’d heard from you. Are the results back yet?”
“I just got everything back.”
“I was thinking preeclampsia and maybe a gallbladder attack. There are a few options for all of that. She’ll definitely need some bed rest and—”
“Brandon, it’s not that. Is Ryan here with you?”
My stomach felt like it had gone into a free fall. “What is it? Tell me.”
“We need to talk about this with everyone, Brandon,” she said.
“Fine, of course.” I shook my head to clear the racing thoughts I was having and followed Dr. Florence back into Quinn’s room.
We walked back into the hospital room. Quinn was propped up in bed with Ray sitting behind her, rubbing her back. Ryan paced the room, biting on his fingernails. He saw me and then Dr. Florence and started firing questions.
“What’s going on? How’s the baby? What do we do?”
I went around to him and put my arms on his shoulders to try to calm him. “Hold on, baby. One thing at a time.” The truth was I wanted the answers just as fast.
“We got the test results back, and it looks like Quinn’s liver enzymes are elevated. I had a feeling that was the case when I felt her abdomen and her liver seemed to be enlarged.”
“That’s dangerous, right?” Ryan asked. I knew the answer, but this wasn’t my show to run.
“Yes. I also had them run some other tests, and her platelet count has decreased.”
“Fuck.” I hung my head and rubbed the back of my neck.
“What?” Ryan looked from Dr. Florence to me.
“It’s HELLPS, isn’t it?” I asked, looking back up for confirmation.
Dr. Florence nodded. I let go of Ryan, took off my glasses, and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Someone better clue the rest of us in. There are regular people in the room who might start destroying things if questions aren’t answered,” Ryan said.
“What is HELLPS, Dr. Florence?” Ray asked in a much more even tone than Ryan’s.
“It’s an acronym. The H is hemolysis, which is the breakdown of red blood cells. EL is for elevated liver enzymes, and LP is low platelet count.”
“So what do we do?” Quinn said, her voice barely audible and weak.
“The baby needs to come out,” I said, still looking at Dr. Florence.
“What?” Ryan shouted. “She’s only thirty weeks, Brandon. There’s no way. Isn’t there anything you can give her? Or bed rest? I’ll make sure she doesn’t lift a finger.”
Dr. Florence looked at Ryan. “Quinn’s liver is shutting down, and it’s only a matter of time until her other organs follow. This is a life or death situation here, Ryan. Either we deliver the baby now, or Quinn will be in some seriously trouble.”
“What about my baby, huh? Did you think about that? She could die, too. She’s not ready!” Tears streamed down Ryan’s face, and I turned to put my arm around him again. I needed to get him out of the room so I could further explain the situation without upsetting Quinn and Ray.
“Shit,” I said under my breath.
“What it is?” Ryan asked anxiously. He dashed to my side and grabbed my arm.
“It could be her gallbladder. It would explain the vomiting but not the hypertension. I’m going out to speak to the nurse. Maybe I can wave my status around to get some answers.”
“Tell them either we get answers for this or I will go all deranged in here,” Ryan said, running his hands through his hair.
I looked at Ray. “If he moves, I give you permission to tackle him.” That put a small smile on Ray’s face, which was what I’d been hoping for.
I left the room and went to the nurses’ station. There wasn’t a nurse in sight, but Dr. Florence rounded the corner and pushed up her brows when she saw me. I was filled with relief, hoping she had some answers.
“Carol, I was trying to find a nurse to see if they’d heard from you. Are the results back yet?”
“I just got everything back.”
“I was thinking preeclampsia and maybe a gallbladder attack. There are a few options for all of that. She’ll definitely need some bed rest and—”
“Brandon, it’s not that. Is Ryan here with you?”
My stomach felt like it had gone into a free fall. “What is it? Tell me.”
“We need to talk about this with everyone, Brandon,” she said.
“Fine, of course.” I shook my head to clear the racing thoughts I was having and followed Dr. Florence back into Quinn’s room.
We walked back into the hospital room. Quinn was propped up in bed with Ray sitting behind her, rubbing her back. Ryan paced the room, biting on his fingernails. He saw me and then Dr. Florence and started firing questions.
“What’s going on? How’s the baby? What do we do?”
I went around to him and put my arms on his shoulders to try to calm him. “Hold on, baby. One thing at a time.” The truth was I wanted the answers just as fast.
“We got the test results back, and it looks like Quinn’s liver enzymes are elevated. I had a feeling that was the case when I felt her abdomen and her liver seemed to be enlarged.”
“That’s dangerous, right?” Ryan asked. I knew the answer, but this wasn’t my show to run.
“Yes. I also had them run some other tests, and her platelet count has decreased.”
“Fuck.” I hung my head and rubbed the back of my neck.
“What?” Ryan looked from Dr. Florence to me.
“It’s HELLPS, isn’t it?” I asked, looking back up for confirmation.
Dr. Florence nodded. I let go of Ryan, took off my glasses, and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Someone better clue the rest of us in. There are regular people in the room who might start destroying things if questions aren’t answered,” Ryan said.
“What is HELLPS, Dr. Florence?” Ray asked in a much more even tone than Ryan’s.
“It’s an acronym. The H is hemolysis, which is the breakdown of red blood cells. EL is for elevated liver enzymes, and LP is low platelet count.”
“So what do we do?” Quinn said, her voice barely audible and weak.
“The baby needs to come out,” I said, still looking at Dr. Florence.
“What?” Ryan shouted. “She’s only thirty weeks, Brandon. There’s no way. Isn’t there anything you can give her? Or bed rest? I’ll make sure she doesn’t lift a finger.”
Dr. Florence looked at Ryan. “Quinn’s liver is shutting down, and it’s only a matter of time until her other organs follow. This is a life or death situation here, Ryan. Either we deliver the baby now, or Quinn will be in some seriously trouble.”
“What about my baby, huh? Did you think about that? She could die, too. She’s not ready!” Tears streamed down Ryan’s face, and I turned to put my arm around him again. I needed to get him out of the room so I could further explain the situation without upsetting Quinn and Ray.
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