Meryl and Don: An Unforeseen Journey

Chapter 44

Don carried his wife out of the courtroom after Mary and Harry went to hail them a cab. Meryl kept telling Don he was going to hurt himself but he didn't care. Her and their baby were more important to him at the moment. Don asked Dr. Abbott to ride with them so they got to the hospital together and he could check her out. Don also wanted her gynecologist to check on her and the baby. Mary and Harry said they would go to their apartment and relieve Third and Maeve but for Don to call as soon as he knew anything. Don held Meryl close to him in the cab as he stroked her hair and whispered in her ear. while Dr. Abbott was riding in the passengers seat in the front. "You did so good, baby. I'm so damn proud of you."

"I didn't do good." Meryl cried. "I broke and I let him see me breaking."

Don shook his head as he held her tighter. "YOU did not break. That fucking lawyer was being a fucking dick. You had to sit all day as they tried to paint you as a fucking adulterer. They tried to pick you apart. Then my fucking father. Your feet were held to the fire, Darl, and you didn't burn; hell, you didn't even wilt from the damn heat they forced upon you. You shouldn't have had to go through ANY of this. All of the fucking evidence is there. But you did go through this so that he pays. That's not breaking, not by a long shot, Mer."

"You're not upset with me?" Meryl whispered.

Don moved so he could press his forehead to hers. "Over this? What? Fuck no! You were amazing. It is just a hellish situation. Do you want to talk about what happened? Would that help?"

"The room started spinning and I got really, really hot and couldn't breathe." Meryl said as she moved away slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sure I'm sweating all over you. I'm just so hot."

Don stroked her incredibly red face. "I don't care. We're almost at the hospital and are going to get you checked out. I'm not letting ANYTHING happen to my girl or OUR baby."

***

Don sat on his wife's hospital bed holding her hand; not only did he want contact with her but she wouldn't let go. Don had his other arm wrapped tightly around her. He couldn't imagine what she had gone through. Having to explain when she thought she lost him at the hands of his own father in front of one of the biggest threats to their marriage, his father. Then recounting her being raped in front of her husband and his best friend in the middle of the courthouse in front of her parents. And then that fucker turning EVERYTHING around on her. He meant what he told her, he was damn proud of her. He was also fucking angry. He was angry at his parents for showing up; he felt as though his mother should know better. He was angry at them trying to paint her as an adulterer. It wasn't just that they were trying to paint her as an adulterer but that they tried to paint her as an adulterer with Hoffman who molested and stalked her and with her rapist. He wished he knew why men were so awful to women but he had no idea why. All he knew was that he was tired of HIS WIFE being fucked with. Don was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a knock at the door. Don kissed his wife on the lips and gently untangled himself from her. He was glad that she let go of him and went back to sleep so he could answer the door. "Larry?"

"Hey, I came to check on her." Larry whispered.

Don nodded as he opened the door. "I don't want to leave her, we are still waiting on test results, and I also don't want to wake her up. Let's go over here." Don said going over to the corner of the room.

"How is she? How's the baby?" Larry asked.

Don looked back at her, happy she was still fast asleep. "She's much calmer. They have her hooked up to a fetal monitor and the baby is fine. We did an ultrasound and she had a pelvic exam and thankfully all is okay. I'm sure she's in full-blown preeclampsia now. How did it go with the judge?"