We arrived at the healer's office, and I carried Nina in quickly. The healer was at the front desk, and her head snapped up as we entered. She looked at us, confused, but pulled herself up. “Anna! Nina's bleeding.”
Anna's eyebrows raised when she realized what I meant. “Into the room.” She pointed to the side room where we had her examination before. I took Nina in and sat her down on the exam table. Anna started to wash her hands and pointed at Nina. “Nina, legs in the stirrups, please.”
Nina had tears trailing down her face now as she pulled herself into the correct position. I took her hand, giving it a squeeze. Her fingers were tight on mine, and her hand shook.
I didn't let go, patting Nina's hair as Anna examined her. Anna was quiet, and I couldn't tell whether it was good or bad news. The time seemed to tick for hours. Anna's face gave nothing away as she looked Nina over, which only made me more anxious.
I wiped at Nina's face, trying to remain calm. I could feel my heartbeat racing, and my mind was everywhere. I should be contacting the Council and Kerr. I should be looking for the darkness. I should have been doing twenty things, but I wasn't because Nina was the only person who mattered. If we lost the baby, I didn't know what I was going to do.
“Alright,” Anna leaned back, looking worried. “It's not a miscarriage, but you're showing signs of stress, which can lead to one. What happened?”
“The darkness came out of nowhere. It knocked us into each other and into the car.” I tried to take more of the impact, but it all happened quickly. Nina could have been slammed into the car, and her stomach could have taken the hit. I wasn't sure how hard she hit, but it was clearly enough.
“I'm sorry, I should have tried to turn.” Nina started to cry, and I cupped her face. I kissed her forehead, wishing to take this fear away from her.
“Nina, this is not your fault.” I pulled her tightly into my arms as she sobbed. Anna frowned. “Your pregnancy is sensitive. Whatever happened has caused damage, and this baby's health could be in danger. You have to rest up and heal; otherwise, you will lose this child.”
Nina froze stiff as a board.
“There isn't anything you can do? No healing? Shouldn’t you be able to heal her?”
Anna shook her head. “Nothing for this. I could do more damage than good. So, you need to rest. If you start bleeding again, I will try what I can, but likely the baby is gone. You have to take it easy for the time being. The baby is okay, but if you don't, it won't be.”
I ground my teeth together, and Anna offered me a sympathetic, tight smile. “I'm going to give Nina an IV for some vitamins. So, take a breath and relax for a few minutes. Then it's bed rest until I say otherwise.”
As Anna slipped out, Nina wiped her eyes. “I'm sorry…”
I turned to her. “Why do you keep apologizing?”
“Because I know how much this baby meant to you.” She sniffled, pulling her legs out of the stirrups. She adjusted her dress, rubbing her hands over her stomach. “And I know what it means if we lose it.”
I bent down, dropping to her level. I looked her dead in the eyes, needing her to understand.“Nina, this baby is important, but you are as well. I need you just as much. And if we are to lose this child…” I pause, hating the idea. I didn't want to picture the pain of losing the baby, but if we did, we would push through it. “If we did…. I'd still have you. We can always have other children, but I won't find someone like you.”
I reached up, cupping her face. “Deep breath in, and try to relax. Less stress on the baby.”
Nina nodded, her fingers tight on my other hand.
I pressed my forehead against hers, realizing just how badly I wanted her, how badly I needed Nina around. I couldn't imagine life without her after having her in my life. I didn't want to.
Anna had her do the IV, and half an hour later, we were arriving home. Nina moved carefully as we headed to her room. I made sure she had everything she needed before I slipped into the hall and pulled my phone out. I could see messages already from Kerr and several missed calls. Word must have gotten around.
I called Kerr, and the phone rang a few times before he answered. “I have been calling you for the past several hours! What the hell happened!? I've been getting calls from all over the place about the darkness, and the Council is up my ass! You should have answered your bloody phone!” I had heard Kerr yell at me before, but nothing like this. I could hear the anger and frustration in his voice.
“It attacked Nina and me. We just got back from the healer.”
Kerr was silent for a moment before his voice shifted into concern. “Oh shit! Is Nina okay? Are you okay?”
“We're fine,” I sighed, pinching my eyes. “Nina is on bed rest for a while. Can you come over and watch her while I head to the Council? I'm sure they want to meet, and I'm not leaving her alone right now. I don't think she could be left alone right now.
“Yeah, I'll be over in ten minutes.”
I pinched my eyes and glanced outside the window. I took in the town, feeling like a weight was bearing down on my shoulders. I sighed and turned, slipping back into Nina's room.
“Kerr is going to come over for a bit, and I'm going to a meeting with the Council. Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?”
Nina gave me a nod, looking empty. I walked over, bending down, and took her hand. “You just have to lie and rest, Nina. The baby is still okay.” It wasn't the best news, but it wasn't terrible. We could get past this.
She nodded, and I squeezed her hand. “I'll be back in a little bit, okay?”
