Ashes
1600 Words
****TRIGGER WARNING! THIS CHAPTER DEALS WITH STRONG SUBJECTS WHICH MAY BE UPSETTING BUT TO AVOID SPOILERS WILL NOT BE SPECIFIED IN THIS WARNING. CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS AND IMAGERY*****
Mimi's POV
I knew the instant something wasn't right. The small spark of energy and consciousness that I had felt growing inside me just disappeared. Like a candle was snuffed out. I never felt more alone in my life than I did in that moment. The little flutters, stretches, and kicks I marveled at just ceased. It was the beginning of my second trimester. We had just been to the OBGYN for a check up the week before. Everything seemed fine. I had been eating right, taking my prenatal vitamins, avoiding stress and straining. I was sitting on the couch reading a Mommy Blog on my laptop. Max and Seb had just left for Seb's rotation at the hospital in Capital City. It was to be his first rotation back since his administrative leave and being cleared and reinstated will full privileges. Laura was in the kitchen. The team was still in Utah taking other jobs while still trying to eliminate that vampire nest they had gone after in the first place.
One moment I felt the little fluttery movements in my baby bump, then the next nothing. I held my breath. Maybe if I held completely still, the baby would move and then I could breathe again. Then the sharp stabbing pain in my abdomen started. Like cramps, only a thousand times worse, if your cramps feel like someone wrapped your uterus in razor wire and applied it to a car battery and kept tightening the wire all the while. I started to panic and hyperventilate. I had this undeniable urge to get to the bathroom. I stood up and my laptop hit the floor.
"Mimi, are you alright?" called Laura from the kitchen.
I looked at the couch and all I could see was the bright red blood that had escaped me.
"NO! NO! NO! NO!" I screamed in agony and frustration.
Laura came running from the kitchen.
"Mimi, what's the matter..." Laura trailed off.
"Mimi, calm down. You're going to hyperventilate. Mimi, Please slow down," she said to me in a calm tone despite the horrified look in her eyes.
"Why is this happening to us?!" I screamed between sobs.
Laura reached for her cell and called Max,
"Turn around, now. Mimi's suffering a miscarriage," Laura said not waiting for Max to say hello.
"Right, we're turning around," said Max and he ended the call.
"NO, NO,NO, NO! He can't see me like this. He can't. Laura! What do we do, what do we do?!" I cried out.
"Miss, the best we can do is clean up the blood and put you to bed," Laura said fighting back tears.
At that point I lost it. To see Laura loose her composure and start to cry shattered any hope that I may have had after the word "miscarriage" had crossed her lips and knocked me into reality.
I started waving my right hand frantically over my abdomen and screaming, "LIVE! LIVE! I COMMAND YOU TO LIVE! I AM THE ALL-MOTHER HEIRESS! I COMMAND YOU TO LIVE!"
Laura looked at me completely horrified by my actions. She knew how desperate and sad I had to be to even attempt such nonsense.
"Mimi, love, please, stop. You'll hurt yourself. Please. Just come, let's get you cleaned up, love. You have got to right yourself, for Sebbastian's sake. He's no stranger to loss, but he's never lost a child. If he sees you like this, it might break his heart and destroy him, please, " Laura pleaded with me.
But in that moment I was beyond reason and rationality. I started to hyperventilate until I blacked out.
I may have been unconscious, but I was still aware of what was happening around me. I don't know if it was an out of body experience, or if it was my telepathy in over-drive keeping my mind in the loop while the body took a time out. But either way, I was not awake, but I was aware of things; like I was in the room with a blindfold on. Laura ran to the study and grabbed Seb's black and red medical duffels, which between the two bags could set up a fairly rudimentary, yet functional mini trauma unit.
She had just returned when the front door opened and Max and Seb came running into the living room.
"Sebbastian, I have your kits, I will go find the oxygen tank. She only passed out less than 3 minutes ago after screaming, crying and hyperventilating after she realized what was happening when I called Max," she said as Seb started to work on me assessing my condition, the situation and what to do first.
"How did she end up on the floor, " he asked.
"She had worked herself up to hysteria, and like I said she hyperventilated and as she passed out I lowered her to the floor, " Laura said.
"Ok, so she didn't fall, so we don't need a back board or to stabilize her C-spine. Thank you, Laura," said Seb without emotion.
"Sebbastian, shouldn't we take her to the hospital?" said Max not trying to mask his worried tone.
"Only if she doesn't stop bleeding. I need to see what is going on, can you please turn around so I can examine her," he said.
In that short time, Seb had gotten my vitals, hooked up a portable Pulse Oximeter, a portable heart monitor complete with the chest leads. Now he was ready to begin the physical exam on my body.
Max must have either turned around, or left the room, because I felt it as my skirt and underwear were removed and Seb began palpating my abdomen with one hand as he examined my birth canal with the other.
Laura came back in with the portable oxygen tank.
"Laura, can you bring me a clean glass jar, please?" said Seb.
I didn't have to read his mind to know why. It was for the fetus and whatever else my womb had expelled and needed to be collected for testing.
Laura returned to the living room with a clean glass jar. She handed it to Seb. Seb began placing what had come out of me in the jar.
"Laura, does Mimi have any feminine hygiene supplies?" Seb asked.
"I don't know if there is anything in the master bathroom, she had decided to leave her supplies at her parents' place since she wouldn't be needing them anytime soon, but Rita may have stocked the guest bathrooms. I will go check," said Laura.
"Laura, also check for the disposable liners for the bed, there should be some left from Erika's hospice care, I think they are in the hall closet," Seb said.
I felt the skirt as Seb draped it over my lower half, trying to preserve what little dignity I had left.
Once I was covered, he called to Max.
"Max, would you please call the hospital. Tell them what has happened, and that I will not be making it in until next week. Tell them to call Dr. Garvey to cover for me, he owes me that much," said Seb.
"Of course, is there anything else I can do for you sir, anything at all," asked Max with the deepest of sincerity.
"Not at this time," responded Seb.
He seemed calm, cool and collected, that is just all his experience from the hospital, it's second nature to him. But on the inside he was just as big a wreck as I was, before I passed out. He was mentally snapping at Max, questions like, "Can you bring back my daughter? Can you restore Mimi's health and mental stability? Keep her from flying off the rails? Can you fix me and my heart that is broken?" There were other things but they were far too dark and personal. Best left alone for now.
Max left the room to use the phone. Seb continued to watch over me and monitor my vitals.
Laura returned to the living room. She had clean underwear for me, clean pajamas, the heavy duty feminine napkins and a box of disposable wet wipes.
"I put the liner on her side of the bed, Sebbastian. I will clean her up and dress her if you want to take a break, sir," Laura said.
"No, Laura, I got this. Can you call the twins and everyone else for me? I don't think I can keep it together if I have to say it out loud," said Seb quietly.
"Of course, Master. Of course. You tend to Mimi and I will make the necessary calls, but don't you hesitate to ask for anything, I am here and not going anywhere, Master," said Laura her voice cracking at the end.
Seb proceeded to clean me up, dress me in the clean underwear and pajamas. He disconnected the portable monitors. And carried me up to our master bedroom. He left the bedroom to clean up his equipment. He grabbed my bloody clothes and set them to soak in the washer. He came back to our room, kicked off his shoes and stripped down to his boxers. He then crawled in to bed and just held me like his life depended upon it. I felt his warm tears fall on my face. I didn't have to be a psychic or an empath to know that Seb was sad, hurt, and grieving right along with me.
I wished I could comfort him. I tried to wake up. Apparently, my body was still on a "time out" and not letting me take control and wake up.
What I didn't know then was that some times it takes a while for the phoenix to rise from its ashes.
- Writer
