I woke and sat up as I tried to catch my breath. I shook Elliot next to me. The dream I had just had was so realistic. Elliot sat up quickly and looked at me.

“I need to see a doctor. The baby hasn’t moved, and I had a dream that I lost it. Elliot, what if something is wrong?”

He got out of bed and started getting dressed. He grabbed his truck keys and held a hand out to me.

“I can wait until the clinic opens.”

He smiled a little and scooped me up into his arms. “Nnnoo.”

We got out of the very large house that belonged to Brink’s parents, and Elliot put me gently into his truck. He got in and started the engine.

“You drove here?” I kept my hand on my stomach. I was a nervous wreck.

He nodded. “Ddddont...llllike....fly.”

I laughed a little. “Well, I do. And I love to travel, so we’re gonna have to work on that.” I looked at my stomach. “I want to show my little one the world.” My smile faded.

He chuckled. “Ffor...you...ttwo.”

“What if there is something wrong?”

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

We pulled up to the ER, and Elliot parked. He jumped out and came around to get me. He picked me up, and I noticed he was barefoot. He carried me in, put me down gently and went to the desk. He grabbed a pen and motioned for them to give him something to write with. He wrote something quickly and showed the nurse. She nodded, then handed him a clipboard with papers on it. He brought it over to me with the pen.

We filled out the forms, and Elliot took it back. It wasn’t very long before we were taken back. Elliot sat next to my bed and held my hand as we waited for the doctor. He came in, followed by the ultrasound tech.

After I explained my concerns to the doctor, they got everything ready, and lifted my shirt.

“See her heart beat?” The doctor asked, and the tech smiled.

I squeezed Elliot’s hand. “Millie,” I whispered. I saw her little fingers and toes and smiled too. “Is she okay?”

“She is.” The doctor smiled. “There are a few more things I need to look at and then discuss them with you.”

Elliot was beaming as he looked at Millie.

I nodded and smiled at Elliot. “It’s a little me!”

Elliot kissed the back of my hand and smiled at me. “II...lluckky.”

The ultrasound tech’s face went pale.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Elliot squeezed my hand and stood up. He looked at the tech waiting for her to answer me. My body tensed and my hands started to shake.

“Elliot?”

He kissed my head and wrapped his arms around me. I could feel his body shaking as well. He was trying to be strong for me, but when he pulled back, I saw the worry in his eyes. He wiped my tears and kissed me.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

The doctor started moving the wand around on my stomach and pointed to the screen. “Samantha, did you experience a fall or accident earlier in your pregnancy?”

“I fell down the stairs and was in a car accident,” I answered nervously. I, also, remembered Logan making me fall to the ground, but I didn’t mention it.

Elliot tensed.

The tech showed the doctor something else, and he nodded. Then the tech turned the machine off and wiped the gel my stomach. She gave me a sad smile and left the room.

I looked at the doctor. “What is going on?”

He sat down.

Elliot held my hand in his and looked at the doctor.

“It appears that you are at very high risk for placental abruption if you continue this pregnancy.”

I was confused. “Okay, what does that mean?”

“It means that if you have this baby, you risk bleeding to death.”

Elliot’s hand started shaking, and he paled.

He looked at me then at the doctor. “Wwwhat...” He huffed and rubbed his forehead. The more stressed he got, the harder it was for him to concentrate enough to speak.

“He’s recovering from a head injury.” I was trying so hard to remain calm. “Can he have a piece of paper and pen?”

The doctor handed one to him. He wrote quickly.

What do we need to do to keep them both safe?

“Abort the baby. This is a pretty severe case from what I saw, and the chances of survival for either of them are unlikely if she follows through with the pregnancy.”

Elliot looked at me. He didn’t say anything as tears filled his eyes.

“I want a second opinion.” I stood up. “Come on. We’re leaving.”

“I strongly advise you consider ending this pregnancy. I know at this point it is hard to even think about, but you are risking this child growing up without a mother, and that’s if the baby even makes it.”

I glared at the doctor. “I need to get home and see my normal doctor and discuss things there. I saw her heartbeat, and she is doing fine now, and that’s what I needed to know.” I grabbed Elliot’s hand, and we left.

On the way back to Brink’s, I didn’t say much. I couldn’t. My brain was fuzzy with confusion and fear. Elliot tried to hold my hand, but I kept my hands in my lap. I felt like I was letting him down. He had been so excited for Millie, and my body couldn’t do its fucking job. I was angry at my mother for pushing me down the stairs, and I was angry that the stupid driver of the eighteen wheeler had made a mistake. And Logan. What if pushing me down had caused this?

We pulled up, and Elliot got out and came over to open my door. He held his hand out to me, I took it, and we headed inside. Quinn was sitting on the couch with Brink.

“We saw you guys were gone! What’s wrong?” Quinn asked as she hurried over.

I just stared at her. I had no words. I let go of Elliot’s hand and went upstairs to the bathroom. I shut the door, locked it, and stared at myself in the mirror.

I lifted my shirt and looked at my stomach in the mirror, then I gripped the edge of the counter as I tried to fight back the tears. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t fight it anymore. I sat in the floor and cried harder than I had in my entire life.

I heard a knock. “Sam, it’s Quinn. Please let me in.” I slowly stood and let her in and then locked the door again.

“Elliot...” she swallowed hard and tears fell down her cheeks. “He told us what the doctor said. Sam....you can’t—”

“Don’t!” I yelled. “Don’t tell me what I can or can’t do! I want a second opinion, and I want to go home right now! I want to see my doctor. This could be a false diagnosis. Right? I mean, that happens!”

Quinn hugged me without replying, and I held onto her while I cried against her shoulder.

She rubbed my back. “I will go ask Brink to get us the first flight he can.”

“Elliot drove.” I moved away from her and wiped my eyes. “I don’t want him driving back alone.”

“We’ll figure it out, but Elliot is extremely worried about you. Please, go downstairs to him while we figure it out.”

“I just need a minute alone. I can’t see the fear in his eyes like I did after the doctor told us. Not right now. I need to process this for a bit first.”

Quinn nodded and left the bathroom.

I turned on the cold water and splashed some on my face. When I grabbed the hand towel to wipe my face and then set it down, I felt the baby move, and it pushed me over the edge. She was there, growing, and had every right to life. Anger filled every inch of me as I took everything in sight and threw it at the mirror. Glass shattered, but it didn’t stop me. Everything I was angry about with my parents, Logan, Elliot’s injuries, and the unfair hand life had dealt me hit me all at once, and I couldn’t stop.

The door splintered open and strong arms wrapped around me. “Shhh...” Elliot whispered into my hair as he brought us to the floor in the bathroom.

“I wanna go home!” I cried. “Take me home. Please,” I begged. Blood was all over my hands.

He stood up with me in his arms and walked me to the room we were sharing. He put me down on the bed, then left the room. A few minutes later, Carla was coming in. While Carla looked at my hands, Elliot packed our bags.

“Elliot, let me look at your feet. You’re leaving a trail of blood,” Carla said after she finished with me. Elliot shrugged off her hold and kept packing.

When he finished, he came over to me. “Pppplllaaane.”

Carla pushed him onto the bed before I could respond. He glared at her, but she didn’t seem to care. She cleaned up his feet and wrapped them as he laid back on the bed with an arm over his eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” I said as my crying slowed some. I looked at Carla.

“Don’t apologize. You handled it a hell of a lot better than I would have.” She smiled and left the room.

Elliot grabbed some socks and shoes. He sat on the floor and put them on my feet.

“I don’t want you driving alone.” I wiped my eyes and wrapped my arms around myself. I was freezing.

He shook his head. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m-going-with-you,” he said slowly, but it was clear.

A few more tears slipped down my cheek. “I’m losing my mind, Elliot.”

He cupped my face and kissed me. “I’m not going to lose you. Either of you. I...” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Let’s go home.” He kissed me again, then rubbed his head as he put on his own socks and shoes. He grabbed our bags and held out his hand to me. I looked at my cut up hands and stood instead of taking his. I followed him out of the house with Brink and Quinn.