My Beloved Monster

I groaned and stretch my stiff legs knocking Bruno off the bed. I laughed sleepily, "Sorry Bruno."

I rubbed my eyes and looked over at the clock. It was a little more than half past five. I scratched Bruno's belly as an apology. It's not like being knocked over still bothered him; he was curled right back on his spot on the end of the bed.

I smiled and shook my head, which proven was a bad idea slight throbbing pain that followed. I had a headache that was painful and my sinuses felt slightly swollen.

I applied pressure to my cheeks trying to release the pressure that was already there. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. Maybe a steamy shower would do the trick?

I slipped out of my t-shirt and underwear and let the warm water sooth my muscles. My neck and back felt too stiff. Not only from the pregnancy, but I had a feeling it was mainly the tension I had building up over the last couple of months.

I stepped out of the shower feeling a little better, but not by much.

I noticed the signs.

I've gone through it twice before.

Only this time I really can't take any analgesic for relief or to help prevent it. I would just have to be extra cautious of my blood pressure symptoms. And try to avoid things or people that would increase my stress levels.

I sat on the edge of the bed next to Bruno. I put some lotion on my legs and arms. I closed the bottle and leaned back on my hands.

I tried to take several breaths as deep as I could. I was looser than when I first woke up, but not enough to be comfortable.

I walked over to the closet and picked something warm to wear. The end of February was proving to be worse than the actual winter itself. I picked out a purple shirt and some stretchy jeans with purple heels to match.

I looked back over to the alarm clock surprised that only 40 minutes have past since I first woke up.

Bruno followed me down the stairs, closer than usual. I smiled down at him seeing as he was on the same wavelength as me, feeling the need to be even more cautious.

Phil was in the kitchen some cotton shorts and an undershirt making some coffee for Ape and himself.

"Morning Phil." I smiled and grabbed some milk out of the fridge. I set that down on the counter and made my way around the kitchen making myself a bowel of cereal.

"Hey Adelina." Phil said humbly. "You okay sweetie? You look a little off."

"Yeah I have a slight headache, but I'll just have to wait it out. Seeing as I can't take anything since I've got my two monsters to watch." I passed the milk over to Phil.

"Why don't you stay home today, they'll be fine without you at the coffee shop." He suggested.

I shook my head and licked some milk that had dribbled down my chin. "I told Lindsey that I would open today because she wanted to go to a party last night with Novak after we hung out."

"Oh." Phil chuckled. Lindsey and Novak have this thing going on. It was quite amusing to watch them together because Lindsey is controlling and will keep him in line. She has too much fun bossing him around sometimes. Yet, he obeys faithfully too so we get a good kick out of it.

"But, if it makes you feel better. I won't stay too long today if my headache doesn't subside." I negotiated.

He nodded. "Sounds pretty good."

I washed my dishes and put them on the drying rack. I went and ran Bruno out quickly and feed him.

"Ape wanted to stop by right after she unlocks the salon." Phil informed me. "So you'll be seeing her in a little while."

"Okay, sounds good." I went over to the counter and unplugged my cell phone.

"Don't forget to turn it on this time." Phil pointed his spoon at me. "That's a bad habit you should break."

I smiled meekly and blushed a bit too. "I know, I'm getting better though you have to admit that."

Phil chuckled. "Okay, I'll give you that."

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and slid on my coat. "I'll see you later."

"Okay sweetie. Don't forget!" He called after me.

"I won't. I promise." I laughed and grabbed my purse and Phil's keys. I was still using his car. Though, usually Ape will drive me in when she goes to the salon at the same time.

The traffic wasn't so bad going to Aschenputtel. I probably could have just easily waited for Ape and have gone together. She was probably not too far behind me in the traffic.

I pulled in Aschenputtel and parked in my space around back. I grabbed my purse taking my keys out not before locking the car. I unlocked the back door and allowed myself in. I began turning on all the lights. I set down my bag in the employee's room and took off my coat.

I turned on the coffee machines. Upon hearing the water fill in them, I went and unlocked the front door so if any of the girls came early. Though, Aschenputtel didn't open until 7:30.

I laughed to myself since I almost forgot about my phone. I went in the back and turned it on. I had a several missed calls. I walked into the main restaurant area to listen to my messages.

The first few were from Wolf, Loring, and Helga congratulating me and checking up on me seeing how I was doing.

Then one from Novak saying he'd stop by later to see me and to surprise Lindsey and that I had better keep my trap shut. Despite the large secret I had everyone keep for me, I was horrible lately at keeping others' secrets. However, their secrets aren't nearly as serious in my defense.

I laughed at his warning and went to hang up my phone when I heard that I still had one new message left.

My muscles tightened as I heard his voice. My breath shortened and my chest continued to tighten further as I continued to listen to the message. Accusations were being shouted sloppily through the receiver.

I easily became short of breath. I leaned against the wall trying to keep my balance as wave after wave of dizziness passed over me.

It was happening again.

I vaguely heard the door shut and a voice shouting my name. Though it sounded like many voices at how the words seem to mush together as I slid down the wall.

I opened my eyes trying to focus on the face that was hovering above me. They were talking fast although I don't think they were talking to me.

I tried to slow down my breathing, but my body just kept doing the opposite. My breaths were shorter and much faster.

I felt a warm hand on my cheek. Their thumb running over it back and forth as I tried to get a deep breath, which was proving to be worthless at the moment.

I blinked my eyes again as a paper bag was placed over my mouth. I pushed it away; it was making me feel more claustrophobic.

I heard the sirens softly in the background. Everything felt so far away.

I felt consciousness slowly fade away. But, I kept fighting to stay awake.

April was laughing with her friend and coworker, Linda when several ambulances came rushing past.

All the color drained from Ape's face when she heard Linda comment, "They look like they're heading in the direction in the coffee shop Adel owns."

Ape just grabbed her bag and ran out without another word and sped down the road.

Her heart stopped when she saw that indeed the ambulances were at Aschenputtel.

She shoved her car into park and shoved past some EMT's trying to stop her.

"Ma'am, I have to ask you-" One stood in her way once inside, but she was no longer listening.

Two more were crowded behind the counter. She saw Lindsey crying. She held a hand over her mouth as she watched a paramedic place oxygen over Adel's face.

"What happened?" She asked Lindsey.

"I don't know. When I got here she was having a hard time breathing and she almost fainted." Lindsey stuttered and wiped at the tears that still fell.

She blinked her eyes and went into her protective mother mode. She rushed over and kneeled next to Adel trying to get some information out of two paramedics.

She grabbed Adel's hand and stroked it. She wasn't sure if Adel was conscious or not. And the fact that her lips and skin had a bluish tint to it worried her further.

"Please ma'am, stand back." One director asked her as they lifted Adel onto a stretcher.

Ape did as he said and followed them to the ambulance. "I'm her godmother; I'm not leaving her." She told them before they tried to separate them.

Lindsey had followed behind them. "Do you want me to follow?" She couldn't take her eyes off her friend as they loaded her into the back of an ambulance.

Ape shook her head. "Just take care of the coffee shop. She'd be pissed if you didn't. I'll call you when I know something." Ape climbed in the back and the EMT shut the doors as the ambulance sped off.

The sirens just as loud and the lights shining just as bright just like how they came, they left.

Lindsey stood there until the lights were out of sight and customers started to pull in. As much as she hated staying here, she knew that Adel would be royally pissed if no one were there to run things.

A few other girls came in and got to work right away doing what Lindsey ordered them. She overheard a few PMSing comments, but just ignored them as she waited for the phone call.

Several hours passed and there was still no change, no phone call.

She jumped and screamed when a pair of lips covered her own. Novak laughed, "Wasn't expecting that kind of reaction. What's up?"

"You mean, you don't know?" Lindsey asked surprised. She chewed on a nail nervously. Were things that bad? She knew of course that it wasn't normal to be blue, but were things that severe?

She jumped and rushed to the phone when she heard it ring. She sighed and handed off to one of the girls. She had no patience to deal with stupid questions.

Novak looked at her strangely. "Where's Knobs? She didn't give away that I was coming to surprise you did she. Because I swear if she did." Novak cracked a grin, but it slowly faded when he saw that Lindsey wasn't laughing along with him.

It was just the opposite. She was completely ignoring him, off in her own world.

She looked around frantically trying to find something to occupy herself. She kicked something on the ground and noticed it was Adel's phone.

"Yo, Lindsey?" Novak tried to get her attention. "Where's Adel?"

Lindsey best down and picked up the phone. She looked up at Novak with tears in her eyes. She shook her head and went and sat down at the table in the corner away from everyone.

"Lindsey?" Novak sat in the chair next to her.

"I don't know how she is. I don't know why she had such a hard time breathing. I don't know why she was so blue." She paused looking up from the phone. "She was turning blue Novak. She-They came and then Ape came. Everything was happening so fast. And I'm sitting here waiting."

"Where are they now?" Novak tried putting the pieces together. Obviously something really bad happened to Adel.

"Last I saw was the ambulance driving away. So they're at the hospital still since Ape said that she'd call when she knew something. That was almost three hours ago Novak!" She fidgeted with the phone in her hands.

Novak rubbed a hand over his face. "Does anyone here know?" She shook her head no. "I'm guessing the guys don't know if I didn't." She just shrugged. "Linz, everything will be okay you know that right?" He tried to assure her what he wasn't so sure of himself.

They both jumped when the phone went off in her hands. Lindsey answered it right away. "Hello?"

"Lindsey?" She heard Ape's voice on the other end. "The line there was busy; I figured I'd try her phone."

"How is she?" Lindsey cut to the chase urgently.

"She's stable and sleeping." Ape sighed.

"And the babies?" Lindsey began to chew on her nail.

"They're fine. Healthy and stable too." Ape said relieved.

"Thank God. What happened?" She ran her hand threw her hair.

"Stress. Apparently her blood pressure has be gradually been getting higher and Adel has mentioned nothing of this before. So who knows what she wasn't telling us. We don't know what finally triggered it, but something made Adel finally have a severe asthma attack." Ape let her know the few things she did at the moment.

"Is that why she was blue?" Lindsey worked on another nail nervously.

"Yeah," Ape sighed again. "It was because of the lack of oxygen. It happens sometimes with severe asthma attacks. You did a good thing Lindsey. If you hadn't gotten there at that moment, who knows what would have happened."

Lindsey's jaw dropped. She didn't even think about the idea of losing her friend completely at the time. She didn't want to think about if Adel died.

"Lindsey, sweetie, I see Phil. I'll talk to you later okay."

"Yeah, thanks Ape." Lindsey hung up the cell phone.

Lindsey repeated everything Ape told her to Novak. He sat back in his chair and played with the hat on his head. "Wow."

"Yeah." Lindsey agreed quietly.