Runaway Love

I felt hands running up and down me. They settled on my belly for a moment as it filled with pain. I groaned as the pain overwhelmed me, and the hands stayed, feeling the contraction from the outside. As the contraction lessened the hands moved further down my body until they reached my knee.

"A minute long." A familiar voice called out.

Cool air drifted over the area, and I inhaled sharply at the pain. I blinked my eyes opened, but nothing was clear. I started to pick up the sounds of panicked voices and footsteps running and the door slamming. The hand started to apply pressure to the leg and cried out.

"I'm sorry, I know this hurts. I have to apply pressure. Sean just ran to get my med kit from the SUV. Help will be here soon. Try to stay with me." Oliver's usually calm and even voice sounded scared.

Dread filled me, if Oliver was shaken then things had to be bad. A sharp kick let me know that at least one of the girls was ok. I tried to move my hand to my belly but stopped when a shooting pain radiated through my arm and shoulder. "Try not to not to move, Josie. I haven't been able to do a full assessment. I don't know how bad your injuries are. Where are you hurting?" He asked without relieving pressure from my leg.

I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn't find the words or my voice. I closed my mouth and swallowed, trying to refocus. Everything was fuzzy, and I couldn't get it clear. Seconds dragged to minutes. Time passed slowly. The door shut again with a bright light and a bang. Running footsteps approached and then I heard a heavy duffel bag be set down. Sean's face entered my field of vision.

"Hey, darling, glad you're back with us. How are you feeling?" He asked as he grabbed my hand.

"Sore, everywhere," I muttered.

My eyes flashed open, realizing I had spoken. Oliver's face burst into a smile. Sean squeezed my hand, and his other hand smoothed my hair back out of my face.

"Sean, can you prop the door open so I can have more light. It'll signal the EMS crew to our location too. Then come back, I can use another set of hands." Oliver commanded his tone more even. Sean nodded at him before he turned his gaze back to me. He gave my hand a quick squeeze and stood do as he asked. Brightness filled the area, and a cool breeze drifted in, making me shiver. "Check his pulse, let me know if you find it," Oliver commanded, ripping packages open.

"Josie, sugar, this may burn. I have to get the bleeding under control." He said as I felt him pressing something onto my leg.

The burning was intense. Before I could react though another contraction started in my lower abdomen, moving quickly up and causing pain throughout my entire torso. Oliver seemed to sense my distress, as his hand quickly rested on my belly, feeling the tension.

"Five minutes, sugar. They are five minutes apart. We gotta get you to the hospital. EMS should be here any minute." He said turning his attention back to my leg.

Sean approached with a shake of his head. Oliver nodded in response but neither said anything. I shivered again as the breeze picked back up. I noticed I was shaking.

"Hold pressure here, hold it like it you would a sailor. Put it out of your mind that it's her. It's going to hurt, and that's ok." Oliver coached Sean, who nodded.

Sean took his spot, pressing down harshly on my leg, wincing when I cried out.

"Sorry darling, I'd rather you be in pain than bleed out." He said sympathetically.

I couldn't fault him there. If I was feeling the pain I was alive, and if I was alive my girls were too. Oliver moved up my body, his hands feeling over my head. I winced when they found a bump, they moved quickly on, and then down over my neck. "Sugar, I'm going to put a collar on to help stabilize you." He said as he slid it under my neck and I heard velcro as he secured it.

His hands continued down and I cried out when they found my right shoulder. He pulled shears from his pants and cut a small tear and then pulled it apart.

"It's dislocated," he said quietly, more to himself than to me.

His skilled hands continued down, but nothing else was said. He leaned over me and looked at Sean's hands on my leg. Oliver's face then appeared in my vision, he was frowning. He moved to his bag and pulled something out. "Josie, you're still bleeding badly, I'm going to have to place a tourniquet. It's going to hurt like hell, but I can't have you bleeding out. I'm going to give a shot to help with the pain, but it'll still hurt." Oliver said as I felt a pinch on my arm and then he moved by Sean.

They lifted my leg and yelled out in pain. They quickly set it back down and I felt something getting tight around my thigh. The pain became unbearable, but my focus was soon pulled in another direction as "Breathe, sugar. In and out in short pants. There you go, you got this." He said, breathing like he wanted me to.

A wave of nausea crept up my throat and I sputtered. The sounds of a siren started filling the air. I coughed again, trying to gain their attention, Oliver glanced at me.

"Roll her to her right," Oliver commanded, as his hand reached over and pulled me to my side, while Sean helped support me.

I vomited and heaved, my belly empty. Footsteps drew closer and then I was rolled over onto a backboard. A blanket was spread over me, as I was strapped to the backboard. I was lifted and set onto a gurney before being wheeled into the ambulance. A steady beeping filled the air. Voices passed over me too quickly for me to register what was being said.

I tried to focus, but my vision started to get spotty again. It sounded like I was underwater, and my vision slowly going black from the edges. Oliver's face appeared in the center of vision. The beeping became faster and erratic. "Stay with me, sugar," Oliver said, panic filling his voice again.

Darkness consumed me again.

Beeping filled my ears again, and I heard people rushing around. A familiar voice yelling filled my head.

"Oliver," I mumbled.

"What was that honey?"

"Oliver," I said again stronger.

"She wants him." The feminine voice repeated.

"Alright, but be quick. We have to get her stabilized and upstairs. Make a hole and let him through. Keep working though." A deep voice commanded. Oliver's face appeared above mine.

"Hey, sugar. Don't you dare leave me again. You hold on, don't leave us." He said, his hand brushing over the top of my head.

Confusion filled me. Leave him again? I didn't leave him. Something wet hit my face but was almost immediately wiped off, so I couldn't find the source. I blinked, struggling to open my eyes again. Finally, they opened.

"I love you, sugar. I always have, and always will. Sean loves you too. And the girls, our girls. They can't even imagine how much they are loved." Oliver said as he leaned over to kiss my forehead.

"It's time you can walk with us to the OR, but then we'll have to go in." The deep voice mumbled.

"Darling, you going to get to meet our babies when you wake up. Sean and I will be here waiting. We love you, don't you ever forget that." Oliver said as we walked down the hall.

He leaned over and kissed my lips. I did my best to focus on returning the kiss, but it felt sloppy. We barely paused before we kept moving, Oliver being left behind. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't form the words.

The beeping got erratic again, and we moved faster. Voices started filling the silence, sound rushed and urging for efficiency and quick actions. I was lifted and then set onto another table. I felt the thud but no pain.

No pain, when I had been in so much just a short while ago. Panic filled me. My girls, were they ok? I couldn't feel them. I tried to move, but my arms felt like lead. I kept trying. A gloved hand found my hand and squeezed. Kind eyes found mine, surrounded by a blue cap and mask, and the hand in mine squeezed again.

"We've got you, and your babies. We'll take care of you." A kind female voice said, as my hand was squeezed again.

I did my best to squeeze back. My eyes moved back to the bright light above me and I took a deep breath.

"Josie, this is going to sting in your nose a little." A voice from above my head said.

Confusion washed over me, followed by thick darkness.