Sleepless Nights

Twenty Eight

    "We need an ambulance!" The officer screamed into the radio on his uniform.
"Ma'am are you okay?"
"Forget me, check on him!" I shouted.
An officer walked to Mark, who was groaning, holding his wound.
"Sir are you okay?"
"I'm okay." He groaned out, staring at the bloody pocketknife. I crawled over to him and he held my hand, smearing his blood all over my hand.
"I'm okay."
The sirens of the ambulance wailed in the night. Paramedics tried to pick me up first but I demanded they check on Mark first. The woman gave me a small smile and they counted as they put Mark on the stretcher.
"Ma'am, can you stand up?"
I nodded and stood up, my legs shaking and my ankle throbbing. My leggings were tore at my knees and and on my thigh. I didn't even notice I cut my leg on the fence. The ambulance took off through the streets. Mark wouldn't let go of my hand the entire ride. I kept sobbing out apologies and he would crack a weak smile.

                             ~~•••~~
"Please check on the baby." Mark said as they split us up. They shouted orders through the hospital.
"Twenty six year old male, stab wound to the shoulder. Blood pressure is a little high, but he's stable." I felt dizzy and I lost my balance, almost falling into the floor. A woman caught me and asked if I was okay.
"We need a gurney over here!" They helped my weak body onto a gurney and started running down the halls.
"Twenty four year old woman. Pregnant with a laceration on the thigh,  knees and hands scraped pretty bad."
"Before anything we need to check on the baby. Then to X-ray to get a look at that ankle." He pointed to my bruised ankle.

                             ~~•••~~
  "The baby is healthy. You're about five weeks along." A tear slid down my cheek as I listened to the heartbeat on the monitor.
"Hi Anna, I'm Doctor Lowe, I'll be taking you to radiology."
I nodded and he helped me into the wheelchair, and we started down the hallway. 
"Will you please get an update on Mark Fischbach?" He asked one of the women at the desk.
"Crazy night huh?"
"You could say that again."
He chuckled and we went though a set of double doors.
"This is what we use for pregnant women." He said pulling the machine over my ankle. "What happened to your ankle?"
"I was running and I hit an uneven patch of the road and fell."
"On a scale of one to ten, how is the pain?"
"About an eight maybe?"
He nodded the machine beeped and he helped me back into the wheelchair.

                              ~~•••~~
  "Borderline shattered?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yes ma'am. We're going to have to set the bone and put you in a cast. You'll be on crutches for awhile."
"I'm used to those."
"Would you want the ankle set surgically or right now?"
"Right now, I hate surgery."
He nodded and grabbed my ankle.
"Are you ready?"
I nodded and he twisted my ankle, causing it to pop and I screamed.
"There. Now what color cast do you want?"
"Blue."
He gave me a smile and went to go get an update on Mark.
"Mrs. Kjellberg? Does the name Shane mean anything to you?"
"Yes."
"He's here to see you."
I nodded and she went back down the corridor.
"Anna, are you okay?" He hugged me as tight as he could.
"I'm fine."
"What happened?"
I told him everything. The text messages, the phone call.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"I don't know." I ran my fingers over the bridge of my nose.
"Is Mark okay?"
"He'll be okay."
"That's great."
He sat in the chair next to me and watched as the doctor started wrapping my ankle, the blue was the exact color of Mark's hair, making me smile to myself.
"How's the baby?" Shane asked, rubbing his finger along my knuckle.
"He's fine."
"He? How do you already know?"
"Call it a hunch I guess."
The doctor cleaned my hands and knees and told Shane that a man would be bringing me crutches. He nodded and thanked the doctor and he gave us a small smile and left the room.
"Hello. I'm Doctor Jenkins, I'm the head of Orthopedics, I'm very familiar with your case, I'm sure you know how to use these." He said, holding the crutches. I nodded and he handed them to me, I shook the feeling away from my stomach and started making my way down the corridor. The crutches clicked as I walked, almost as if I was wearing high heels.
"Anna."
"Mark."
He hugged me and winced, pointing to the stitches along his shoulder.
"So much for strong shoulders huh?"
"Don't hate. You know you like these bad boys." He winked and flexed his arms, chuckling at me.
"The doctor said you ran on a broken ankle."
"Yep." I said motioning to the heavy cast on my ankle.
"Tough lil lady."
I pulled the chair up next to the bed he was sitting on, and grabbed his hand.
"The baby? Is the baby-?"
"The baby is healthy."
He sighed with relief and our eyes darted to his body on a gurney.
"Male twenty six, GSW in the field."
"Time of death." The doctor looked up at the clock. "13:43." Different emotions overcame me as they pulled a white sheet over him. His hand hung off the gurney, it was soaked in blood.
"Anna, don't look." Shane said, closing the door and rubbing my back. I took a deep breathe and broke the uncomfortable silence.
"When can we get out of here?"
"The doctor should be back any minute."
I nodded and Mark rubbed my thigh, it burned from the cut, but it also relieved my worries.
"You must be the misses, I'm Dr. Fredrickson, I'm the head of trauma here at White Memorial. Luckily the knife didn't pierce any of the organs, so I will be giving him some prescriptions for pain. We're very sorry for your loss." I nodded and she gave me a sympathetic rub on my arm and walked out.
"Hey, are you okay?" Shane asked, rubbing my knee. Mark's grip tightened on my thigh, making it ache.
"I'm okay."
"I'll drive you guys home." I nodded and he helped me get up and put the crutches under my arm. I thanked him and Mark stood up and we walked out of the hospital, where I saw Felix and Marzia.
"Anna! We were coming to see you after we saw that you were pregnant and then Shane told me you were here. Are you okay?" I nodded and he wrapped me into a tight hug, sniffling as he put his hand against the back of my head.
"Daniel–they–shot him." I choked out.
"You're okay. It's okay." I squeezed him as tight as I could, tears rolling down my face. Marzia pulled me into a hug, telling me that everything was okay.
"I just want to go home."
Felix nodded and led me to the passenger seat of the rental car. He asked Marzia if she minded to ride with Shane and Mark, he wanted to be alone with me. She nodded and he gave her a kiss on the forehead and we parted ways. Mark texted me the entire time.
Mark; I don't want to fight, but he was being way too friendly with you.
Me; I don't want to fight either. But I can see why you're upset, we can talk more about it later okay?
Mark; No we don't have to. We just went through something someone shouldn't have to EVER. I love you so much and I'm glad that you and our child are okay. I will never let you be in that kind of situation ever again, I don't want to ever lose you baby.
Me; I love you too Mark..
I locked my phone and Felix looked over at me.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just crazy how much you've been in that hospital."
"You can say that again."
"I was so scared when I heard the news."
"I'm so sorry."
"Why are you the one apologizing? It should be that dead bastard." He snapped.
"Felix! Stop. I can't handle this stress."
"I'm sorry. But you know I'm right. He had no business following you."
"He had problems Felix."
"Are you really defending him?"
"Of course not, I just don't want to talk about it anymore. I already have this to remind me." I said pointing to the heavy boot. "And now Mark." I couldn't finish my sentence, a sob escaped my mouth. "It's all my fault. He should've never gotten with me."
"Anna Grace Kjellberg, you know better than that. Mark loves you."
"He might not one day."
"Stop. You have to start believing in yourself."
"Why does the bad things just keep happening?"
"Bad things happen to good people Anna."
I sighed and we pulled into Mark's house, Mark and the others already inside.
"This storm shall pass." He patted my knee and walked around to my side, opening the door and helping me out, placing the crutches under my arms. I staggered in and Mark was on the couch, watching tv. Marzia and Shane were looking at something on his phone and laughing.
"Anna over there didn't find it as funny as you did."
"Is that the video of the child falling?"
"Yes!" He snorted. Felix walked over to him and they watched the video, laughing loudly. I watched as Mark just sat on the couch and watched the tv, he was distancing himself and it made my heart ache. I hobbled over to him and sat next to him, propping my ankle on the coffee table. He didn't say a word, he just placed a pillow under my ankle and returned to the screen.
"Mark? What's wrong?"
"Nothing baby." He said placing his hand on my thigh and returning back to the screen.
"Anna? Do you want something to eat?" Felix asked.
"No." I looked to Mark, who looked over to me, his eyes red from how tired he was, how sad he was.
"I'm really tired, I'm going to go to bed, yell for me when you're ready, and I'll help you up the stairs because you're not sleeping alone." He lightly patted my leg and kissed my temple.
"I love you baby." He said as our fingers departed.
"I love you too."
He told everyone goodnight and walked up the stairs. Felix walked in and helped me up, I winced as I had to put pressure on my ankle to readjust the crutches.
"Are you okay?" Felix asked, holding his hands out like he thought I was going to fall. I hobbled to the stool and leaned against the back of it, sighing with relief.
"Is he okay?"
"He watched a guy die on top of him. He's not okay."
They all sighed, feeling bad for him.
"How about you? Are you okay?"
"Let's not worry about me. All I care about is the baby and Mark, and they're okay, so I'm okay."
Marzia rubbed my shoulder and gave me a sympathetic smile.
"It's getting pretty late, and you've had a long day. It was so great seeing you."
"It was great seeing you Marzia."
"You text whenever okay?"
"Okay." She walked out of the kitchen, heading towards the front door.
"Where are you guys staying?"
"Hotel about fifteen minutes from here."
"Get in my purse and get my house keys. It has my car keys too. I know you hate driving rentals."
"Anna, it's fine, really."
"Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, take the keys."
"Yes ma'am." He said, walking to the coffee table and going through my bag, the keys jingling as he pulled them out. He hugged me and I hugged him as tight as I could.
"Do you need help getting upstairs?"
"No, Mark said he'd come down when I was ready."
He nodded and told Shane a short goodbye and walked out. When the door shut all of my emotions hit me at once, a single tear escaped the corner of my eye and I wiped it away.
"Hey, are you okay? Do you want me to stay the night?" Shane asked, squeezing my hand.
"No, it's okay. Mark's upstairs, I'll be okay."
"You call me if you need anything. Don't forget to keep slaying queen." He said softly, bringing a small smile to my face. He hugged me and told me goodbye and left. I hobbled over to the door and locked it, and tried making my way upstairs. Chica was wagging her tail, watching me make my way to the steep stairs.
"Mark!" I called up the stairs. I heard his bedroom door open and he rubbed his eyes as he walked down the stairs. He leaned the crutches against the wall and picked me up and started carrying me up the stairs, the way a groom carries his bride. He sat me on the bed and disappeared, coming back with the crutches.
"I'm sure you don't want to stay in that outfit any longer." He opened his dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of my shorts and a tank top. He helped me put on the tank top and furrowed his eyebrow at the leggings. He clicked his teeth and smiled to himself as his fingers hooked underneath the tear and ripping the leggings off from my legs. He winked and slid the shorts up my legs and placed a kiss on my shoulder blade. I crawled up to my side of the bed and pulled the blanket over me, relieving at how relaxed my body felt. Mark crawled next to me and turned out the little lamp beside his bed.
"Baby?" I asked.
"Hmh?" He said sleepily.
"Are you okay?"
"Do you want me to lie or to be brutally honest?"
"I want you to be honest."
"No, I'm not okay. Are you okay?"
"Do you want me to be honest?"
"I do." He said, his voice deep from how tired he was.
"I'm not okay either."
He sighed and pulled me close to him, his chin resting on my head.
"I watched him die. It was so terrifying, seeing the light of his eyes fading, watching the life be drained out of him. It's been on my mind all night."
"It was really scary seeing his body on the gurney, and the bloody knife laying in the grass."
"Hey, we're okay. You're safe with me. I promise I will do everything I can for you."
"I love you Mark." I sobbed out. He kissed my cheek, a tear hitting his lips.
"I love you too Anna. More than you'll ever know."
"I think I have a general idea after today."
He let out a soft chuckle and kissed my temple and laid down next to me, his breath hitting the back of my neck.
"Goodnight love." He said sleepily.
"Goodnight."

~~•••~~
Hey guys! I don't know if I will be able to update as much the next couple days, so I made this one a little lengthy. Comment below and tell me what you think! Thank you guys so much for all the support and love you are giving this.