Pulled(83)
Author: A.L. Jackson

I skipped forward through more messages and was riddled with guilt as Vanessa’s voice came on again.

“Daniel, the baby’s coming. Where are you? Please…cal me…I’m scared.”

On the last message, no words were said. There were only the soft sounds of a woman crying, familiar enough that I knew it was Vanessa. It had come in late enough that I knew it was Vanessa. It had come in late Saturday night.

“Vanessa!” I screamed, as if she could hear me yel ing at her through the message.

I frantically dialed my father.

“Dad.” My voice shook with emotion. There had been too much pressure, first Melanie and now the baby.

“Daniel?” he asked, clearly worried. “Calm down.

Tel me what happened.”

“It’s Melanie’s. She’s hurt.”

“What?” His voice became shrill. “What the hel happened?”

“Nicholas.” It was all I could get out, but I hoped he’d understand.

“Damn it,” he swore under his breath. “Is Melanie okay? Where are you?”

“Uh…I’m,” I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. “I’m fol owing the ambulance. I think she’ll be okay…but she’s beat up pretty badly.”

I could hear him shuffling around, his keys jingling loudly as they scraped across his desk. “I’m leaving right now. I’ll meet you there. Which hospital?”

“Mercy. Dad, I…there was a message from Vanessa. I think she had the baby. I don’t know what happened. Dad…” The pal of high anxiety I had experienced spread out, fal ing over me in a blanket of quiet dread. “He’s early.”

I felt Dad’s pause, his breath absent for a brief moment. When he returned, his voice was soft. “Son, it’s not the same. He’s just a little more than three weeks early.

not the same. He’s just a little more than three weeks early.

He should be fine.”

“Can you to check on them for me. I…I just can’t handle all of it right now. I have to take care of Melanie first.” Melanie would always be my first priority. And beyond that, I just wasn’t ready to face that reality yet.

“Sure, son. I’ll take care of it.”

The rest of the trip was a haze. The fifteen minutes seemed like a lifetime, my mind trapped in a sea of memories. So much love, so much loss, that familiar pain so prominent, that pain always present when I saw Eva’s face.

And, Melanie. Why did it have to come to this? I should have never let her go back there alone.

The ambulance pulled into the circular drive in front of the ER, and I found the closest spot I could. I ran across the parking lot and got there just as they were pulling her out.

She was awake.

Relief crashed upon me, nearly knocking me to my knees.

Her eyes were glassy, but her soul was alive in them, locking with mine even in their muddled state.

My girl was going to be okay.

Dad came rushing out the sliding doors of the ER.

He was agitated, his graying hair sticking up from where he’d run his hands over his head. He looked relieved when he saw us. We followed the paramedics inside, and they took her straight to a curtained room and transferred her to the bed.

the bed.

Dad tugged on my arm, pulling me back into the hallway while they worked around her, whispering cautiously, “Daniel, the baby…he was born Saturday night.

They’re here…in this hospital.”

My hands went immediately to the sides of my head, trying to force the alarm from my mind.

“He’s fine. He’s upstairs…in the regular nursery.” He lowered his voice even further, unsure of how much information I could handle. “He was five pounds, two ounces, perfect health, no complications.” His hand was on my arm, firm, offering reassurance.

I exhaled the breath I’d been holding, looking at the ceiling as I released the fear, the baby’s health my solace.

I might not be able to love him, but I couldn’t tolerate the thought of something bad happening to him.

“And Vanessa?” I was more than shocked that I cared anything about her condition, but I did.

“She’s fine. She had a C-section so they kept her for three days. They should both be released tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you going to go up there?” He cocked his head upward.

I shook my head, glancing at Melanie’s room and back to him, ashamed. “I’m not ready yet.” He nodded in understanding but couldn’t hide his disappointment. “Okay. Go take care of Melanie. I’m going to callyour mother and sister. Neither of them have any idea what’s going on. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Okay. And Dad, could you cal Peggy and let her know what happened? I don’t want to leave her in the dark again.”

“Sure.” He smiled reassuringly, before turning and walking away.

I pulled back the drape to Melanie’s room, standing awkwardly in the corner, trying to stay out of the way, as the EMTs finished their job and the nurse took over.

I wanted to be the one by Melanie’s side, the one to fix her, to make up for being too late. I felt useless as they worked over her. The only thing I could do was comfort her from afar. I felt the intense pul as her heart called for mine, her eyes wide with her love but shadowed with the fear that still control ed her nerves. The EMTs left, and the nurse hooked her to a monitor, taking her vitals, scribbling things down in her chart, finally all owing me the room to get to her side.

“Oh, baby. It’s okay, sweetheart,” I murmured, running my thumb over her cheek.

Her voice was hoarse and low, the narcotics coursing through her veins, ebbing the pain but also her coherency. “What happened to Nicholas?”

“He’ll survive.” Unfortunately. I looked at the floor before turning my gaze back to her, making a promise I was sure of, though I didn’t really know why. “He’ll never hurt you again, Melanie. It’s over.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. Even though she was slowly sinking into oblivion, her eyes were intense and without disil usion.

I looked at her, baffled by her gratitude because I had done nothing to earn her thanks.

She read my confusion and clarified, “I heard you.” She heard me.

I called out my own appreciation to whatever power it was that led us and brought us together the first time and then again. The one that bound us, the energy that fought for us no matter what obstacles we had to overcome.