Chasing Cars

I came to with confusion. I was still on the floor, but Trent was gone. They’d gotten through the door, and someone grabbed me by the arms to drag me away. It was Vic. I coughed and tried to breathe again as he propped me up against his body.

“Breathe, Marley,” He was telling me. Then, Josh appeared before me and took hold of my tender face.

“Marley. Are you okay?” I shook my head. “She’s bleeding.”

“Where?” He turned my face to show Vic.

“Her mouth. And her eye is swollen.”

“The bastard punched her. Has someone called up the medic?”

“Where’s Chris?” I choked out.

They didn’t answer. Josh examined my cheek, and Vic held me up because I apparently couldn’t do it myself. But as my disorientation faded away, I could take stock of the rest of the room. It was full of people. There was yelling. Security seemed to be more focused on trying to pry Chris and Trent apart than anything else.

“Marley, are you okay?” Josh repeated when I lurched forward.

“Oh my god,” I gasped. “Oh no, no, no, no, no.”

My stomach had twinged with pain, and there was something wet between my legs. I looked down just as the violent red color began to bloom from where my dress had tangled between my thighs.

“Shit, she’s bleeding.”

“Chris!” I shouted, but it wasn’t loud enough.

“Get him before he kills himself,” Vic snapped.

“Chris, she’s bleeding, you jackass!” That seemed to get his attention. He was at my side in an instant.

“Fuck,” he said as he pulled the tangled dress from my legs.

Then he scooped me into his arms and took off at a run. I didn’t ask where we were going, and I didn’t try to look. I was safe. I was scared. But Chris was there, and he was going to protect me. I wrapped my arms around him and sobbed.

“Where are you parked?” Over my crying, I could make out the sound of panicked voices, wondering what had happened.

“The D lot. Not far,” I stuttered out.

He took off again. I didn’t know how he’d gotten my bag or my keys, but I heard the car beep, and he shoved me into the front seat and took the wheel. Then he sped out of the lot before I even got my seatbelt on. I hunched over my stomach and bit back a scream. Chris’s phone went off, and he struggled to get it out of his pocket.

“What?” he snapped. “I know there’s an ambulance on standby. I just didn’t think about it. I was in such a rush to get her out of there… I’m not going back now. I’m going right to the hospital. I’ll call you later.” He threw the phone down and slammed his hands against the steering wheel.

“Shit,” he said angrily. “Shit, shit, shit. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to fucking kill him!” I was too hysterical to say anything to that. “Marley—baby—what did he do to you? Why are you bleeding?”

“I don’t know,” I sobbed. “He tackled me. I landed on my stomach. He punched me. He was choking me. I thought I was going to die.”

“If I ever see his face again, I’ll kill him.” His voice cracked, and it made me cry harder. He swore again as red and blue lights began to flash from behind us.

He pulled to the curb even though I knew he didn’t want to stop. I felt his hand on the back of my head as we waited for them to run my plates. He pet my hair back, obviously restless and wanting to do something to comfort me.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry,” he kept saying. Finally, the cops approached, and one tapped on the driver’s side window.

“License and registration,” he said when Chris rolled the window down.

“My girlfriend is pregnant and bleeding. I’m just trying to get us to a hospital.” I saw a flashlight shine over me, but I didn’t move. I was still sobbing, holding onto my stomach and hoping my baby was okay.

“I’ll escort you. Follow me.”

“Thank you.”

They returned to their car, and Chris waited for them to pull ahead of us before following.

“Are you having contractions?” he asked.

“I think so, yes.”

“Has the baby moved?”

“Not since I was with Olivia. They were kicking my bladder. That’s why I left. I had to go to the bathroom.”

“You shouldn’t have gone alone.”

“I know!” I cried. “I was stupid! Our poor baby. I don’t want to lose them.” He reached out and put his hand over my stomach.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he tried to promise. But I wasn’t sure if he was just trying to reassure himself.

When we got to the hospital, he jumped out of the car and was at my side before I even got my seatbelt off. He scooped me back up and hurried inside. I was barefoot but couldn’t remember when I’d lost my shoes. He took me right to the front desk as the cop followed after us. He briefed them on what happened as they went to get me a gurney.

“Don’t leave me,” I begged when he finally set me down.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby,” he promised. He tried reassuring me, but his glassy eyes gave away his true feelings.

He stayed with me when they pulled me into a back room and pried my legs apart. He held my face in his hands and wiped away my tears.

“How far along are you?” someone asked.

“Six months.”

“Are you having contractions?”

“I was. But I haven’t since we were in the car.”

“What exactly happened?”

“I was attacked….” I paused to sniffle again. Chris kissed my good cheek. “I was knocked onto my stomach.”

“Do you have other injuries?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think he hit her face. And he choked her,” Chris informed them, moving out of the way so they could examine my face and throat.

“We’ve sent for someone from Maternity to help monitor the baby.” The doctor looked up at Chris. “Would you mind stepping into the hall to answer some questions?”

“Sure, of course.” He tucked my hair out of my face and kissed my forehead. “I’ll be right outside, okay?” I just nodded.

They pulled Chris away and got to work poking and prodding me and checking the baby’s heartbeat. Chris still didn’t come back. Not even when one of the cops came in to question me about what happened. The doctors reassured me that the baby’s heartbeat was steady, and I didn’t seem to be having any contractions anymore. And they finally let Chris back in when they were just starting an ultrasound. He came right to my side and kissed my forehead again.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked.

“I’m better.”

“And the baby?”

“The heartbeat is stable, and I’m not having contractions anymore. But they’re doing an ultrasound just to be sure. I told them to wait so you could see.”

He kissed me again and then sat down on my other side so he could see the screen. He watched with interest as the blurry image appeared. He took my hand in both of his as the baby wiggled a foot and stretched.

“Everything looks good,” the doctor said. “Your cervix isn’t dilated, and the amniotic sac is still intact. The placenta is still attached and healthy. We’re going to keep you overnight just to make sure nothing changes. And I’m going to recommend bed rest for a few weeks to be extra cautious.”

“But the baby will be okay?”

“As far as I can tell at the moment.”

“Can you tell what the gender is?” Chris asked.

“You don’t know yet?”

“She doesn’t want to know, but I do.”

“Would you like me to show you?” He nodded.

“Please?” I turned my head to watch his face instead. She moved the wand around again, and I could see his expression change when he figured it out.

“That’s what you’re having. Can you see?” He nodded again.

“Yes, thank you.”

“You better not ruin the surprise for me,” I told him. He looked back at me and smiled.

“I won’t. I promise.”

“Everything looks great, guys,” she said. “We’ll let you get some rest, and I’ll have someone stop by to check on you soon.”

“Thank you.”

She cleaned me up and left us alone. When she was gone, Chris took my face in his hands and pressed our foreheads together. He sighed, and I held onto him. The only sounds came from the heartbeat monitor wrapped around my middle. The gentle whoosh whoosh of a healthy baby.

“I was so fucking scared,” he finally told me.

“Me too.”

“I love you.” He moved my hair back again. “I love you so much.” Then he kissed my puffy lips.

“I love you too.” He kissed me gently a few more times. “Will you be in trouble with your coaches? You left the game.” He shook his head.

“You don’t have to worry about that. They understand family emergencies.”

“How did you know I needed you?”

“They let me take my phone into the dugout. I check whenever I get the chance. Olivia texted me that you’d left and security hadn’t found him yet. I just got this awful feeling that something was wrong. So I grabbed Vic and Josh and went right up.”

“You won’t be in trouble?”

“Babe,” he said slowly. “Don’t worry about me. You’re always going to come first.” I sighed and let myself sink into his arms.