Hey Baby

Overexertion? I Don't Understand That Word

The next couple weeks were a whirlwind of long, exhausting shifts and even more grueling meetings and photoshoots with Lincoln. The only relief I got was when I was with Miles, as he felt as though he needed to do everything since I was carrying the baby.

Those long hours finally took a toll around twenty-eight weeks after a ten hour shift. I'd been dizzy off an on all day with a nasty headache that Tylenol hadn't even put a dent in. Me being me, I'd pushed through it, but it hit me as soon as I sat down in back. The room started spinning and I had to squeeze my eyes shut and pat around until I found my phone.

"Call Lincoln." I ordered the phone. Of course he didn't answer; he'd told me he had an Exec meeting this evening. Cursing, I repeated the same demand but asked for Miles knowing that Mona didn't have the transportation I ma need.

"Hey." I could hear from the background noise he was likely at a party, but it soon became distant. "Are you good? Is Belle okay?"

I opened my eyes, but my vision was still blurred and my head was starting to ache. "I can barely see."

"What do you mean you can barely see?"

"I mean that I feel like I'm getting a really bad headache, my equilibrium is off, I can barely breathe and my shoulder is killing me, Miles."

I could hear shuffling on his end, then the sound of keys. "I'm on my way. Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

The thought made my heart start racing. "No. No, don't do that."

"Okay. Just stay there. Sit down, deep breaths. I'll be there in ten."

Like I had another choice. The call ended and I rested my head against the cold table top, trying to inhale, but it felt as though I couldn't get a full breath in.

"Yeah, she's in here." Kim, one of my coworkers voice echoed through the hall before I heard the door open. "Ari, babe, you okay?"

She sounded so genuinely concerned I was worried she'd call an ambulance too. "I'm good. Just tired, Kim."

She must have left because I felt a hand on my shoulder a few seconds later, and when I lifted my head, a blurry Miles was crouching beside me.

"Come on. We need to get you to a hospital." he grasped under my arm with one hand.

"I don't want to." I whispered childishly, shaking my head. "It's probably nothing."

Miles touched a hand to my cheek. "It's not just about you and your fears of a hospital anymore, Arielle. Something could be wrong with our daughter. We need to go."

I couldn't fight him on that, and nodded slowly, letting him carry a majority of my weight out to the car. He kept his hand on top of mine on my thigh the entire way to the hospital, whispering soothingly. He all but carried me into the building, his tense body a good indication he was freaking out internally. As soon as we were in, I was lowered into a wheelchair and a nurse was suddenly behind me and spitting a whole spew of questions out to Miles as we headed for the elevator-many of which he had no answer too.

Once in the room, Miles shifted anxiously in the chair beside the bed, watching intently as they hooked up a machine to my stomach, the nurse looking over me at the screen until lines started to shoot up on the monitor. "That right there is the baby's heartbeat. That's a good sign. It's a little high, but that's probably because Mommy's body is in distress. Let's get you hooked up."