Contractually Ever After

Chapter 13- Painful goodbyes.

"Mum, she's... and out...ness."

"Just... we're...ere."

I hear babbling nonsense between the blackness, my head feeling fuzzy.

I jump, hearing Diane yell.

"No, no time, we need a trolley."

Penny rubs my arm,

"You'll be okay, you'll be okay."

I stir, and I'm on a hospital bed, being wheeled by a reception desk. Diane captures my attention barking orders to her employees.

"Ava Slate. 21 Female, 11-week gestation, blood pressure at 19.47 153/94, belived to be in haemorrhagic shock and potential haemorrhaging, get her stable for surgery. Set up an external ultrasound in theatre 3, and if we're looking at an IUFD, proceed with general and a D&C. This is top priority."

I grab Penny's arm, now being wheeled down a different corridor.

"I'm going to be..."

I couldn't finish before I vomited over the side of the bed.

"I need my mum."

I manage to get out before the spinning of my head is too much, and the darkness takes me again.

I can hear beeping at regular intervals, and I know I'm in a bed. All I can do is rely on my hearing, my eyes not ready to open.

"What's happened !"

I hear a clicking of shoes running closer.

"Mr Slate, your wife is in there. However, she is still under the effect of the anaesthetic. I'll send Dr Slate when Mrs Slate comes around."

I hear a young female voice tell him.

I feel a warmth on each hand. One I can tell is my mum, the other I believe to be Penny's as I can feel her nails rest on my skin. Oh god, I must still be in hospital.

I try to squeeze their hands to let them know I'm here. Penny let's go, then I hear an alarm going off.

"She's waking up!"

Penny yells.

I manage to barely open my eyes and attempt to sit.

"No, no honey, stay lying down, rest, try not to talk."

She guides me back to the pillow with her hand lightly on my forehead.

"W...a..ter."

I croak out, my mouth feeling like I've been sucking on cotton wool.

Penny holds a cup with a straw.

"Little sips, Av."

She pulls the cup away, I open my eyes wider, blinking a few times to try and clear my vision, assessing all the wires and tubes coming off me. I scan the room, and see a dark figure standing by the doorway.

"Wa..."

I try to get out. But he cuts me off.

"I'm here, Ava."

he sounds different, harsher, colder towards me.

" Hello Ava, I'm Meg, your nurse. I'm just going to attach a paracetamol drip before the pain returns. Is that okay?"

I nod at the short barbie doll, attending to me. Her being the prettiest nurse I have ever seen !

I close my eyes and drift back off to sleep.

I wake up alone this time, seeing it's now daytime.

I try to reach for the water, but upon stretching, I vomit again. The door opens, and I see an older woman in dark green scrubs.

"I need help in room 5."

she calls down the hall,

In runs Meg.

"Oh sweetie, that's the effect of the anaesthetic."

"I'm so sorry, Meg."

"Nothing a mop and some anti-sickness can't sort darl."

She checks my vitals and leaves again.

Diane walks in, Wade, not far behind her. She gives me 2 tablets and some water, then tells Wade to sit down. She proceeds to open a file.

"Ava, Wade, being family, please, there is no easy way to say this. And I am incredibly sorry and saddened."

I start uncontrollably sobbing, knowing the news pending.

"The baby ?"

I manage to say.

Diane lowers her head, wipes her hands over her eyes, and shakes her head.

"I'm so sorry, Ava. I wish I could give you a reason or explanation. But unfortunately, this is more common than I'd like to admit, just not as severe as what you've suffered."

Wade slouches in the chair and scrunches his hand into his hair.

"And there's nothing you could have done."

He asks, clearly frustrated.

"Please excuse me."

Diane hurries out of the room.

Wade places his hand on mine.

"Are you okay ?"

he whispers.

"No." I continue to sob.

Meg knocks on the door and comes in.

"My sincere condolences to you both, Dr Slate has asked me to assist you in any remaining questions."

She informs us, sitting on the chair the other side of me, opposite Wade, scanning through the file.

"Due to Ava's condition rapidly deteriorating, we had to stabilise her first before assessing the foetus. During the ultrasound, baby was measuring at 10 weeks and 5 days. With no fetal heartbeat present."

"Do you know if we had a boy or a girl ?" I ask.

"Unfortunately, a foetus s*x is typically notable from 16 weeks onwards. So, at this stage s*x was undetermined. However, I do have a photo from the ultrasound, if you'd like it ?"

"Yes. Please."

Wade eagerly stretches his arm out, taking the photo from Meg, holding the black and white picture in front of us.

A fresh wave of tears hit, not able to take my eyes off the grainy head, torso, and hand shown.

Wade leans his head on my shoulder, breathing me in.

Meg continues.

"After there was documented no presence of heartbeat, you were taken down where a procedure commonly known as a D&C occurred where we dialte your cervix, mannually scrap the womb lining and remove remaining tissue."

"When can I go home ?"

I enquire, already hating hospitals.

"I'll need to check with Dr. Slate to be sure, but your vitals have been good since 6.30 this morning. Now, being 11am, I say about 2/3pm, by the Time your prescription is written up and processed, you should be good to go."

"How soon can I take contraception ?"

I add, remembering the pill that Penny mentioned.

"Oh, um, ah, I see here. After you returned out of theatre, Dr. Slate administered a Depo, which is a contraceptive injection lasting 3 months."

"Oh, thank god."

I share my relief.

"She. Did. What !"

Wade bellows as he marches out of the room heading for his mother's office.

Wade returns a little after 1pm holding a prescription bag, his eyes bloodshot and puffy. As Meg is unwiring me and taking out the cannula.

"There you go, with the arrival of Mr. Slate, your free to go home Ava."

Meg announces.

Wade holding my prescription in one hand, he helps me stand and wraps his hand around my waist with the other, offering me a wheelchair instead, but I refuse.

We walk slowly to the car where he places me gingerly inside. Then, we begin our ride home from hospital, empty handed but with a tiresome amount of endless tears.