N O V A
The hospital was slow today. Even in the emergency center where I was placed by my chief resident, Doctor Campbell. He is a pain in the ass. And goes very hard on us. He claims it to be tough, love but even I know that tough love goes a long way.
"Can this place pick up already?" I sighed.
Lucie waved her index finger at me. "Don't talk like that! The moment you jinx us, there's going to be some sort of fatal crash, or worse a shooting."
"I'm sure Savannah is getting more action in O.R." I rubbed my stomach, feeling the kid kick. Whether it's a boy or a girl, they are extremely active and don't know of the word, rest.
I could only imagine what it would be like while they were here.
"Why are you working still? Shouldn't you be on maternity leave or something?"
I stare at Lucie. "Do resident doctors even get beneficial maternity leave?"
"Good question. Let me go ask Doctor Campbell for you."
I pull her back. "Stop. I don't need to hear him complain about me getting pregnant during the most important time of my life."
I was nine months in for my pregnancy. I wouldn't stop working until I give birth and even after I plan on taking only six weeks off and then I'll be back for work.
Enzo still begs me to stay home with the baby and just work for the Siena. But there's still so much more I need to learn before they trust me to be one of their doctors.
"Excuse me!" one of my patients yelled. She had a case of Urinary tract infection and is pissing blood. Yet she refuses to leave until a real doctor comes to check her. "Excuse me! Pregnant one!"
My eyes rolled, and Lucie laughed. "I'm going to go pretend I have something to do elsewhere." she walks out of the Emergency room and into the main building of the hospital.
I wobble my way to the woman. "Is everything okay?"
"No. I've been sitting here for hours and haven't been seen by anyone," she complained. The woman is In her late forties, so it explains why she doesn't want someone as young as me.
"You were seen, ma'am. You are only seeking a second opinion. It's going to take some time. Other patients need high attention."
"I am pissing blood!" she shouted. "How you feel if you all of a sudden started pissing out blood. And you're knocked up, so I'm sure you wouldn't be too pleased with the sight."
I deterred the idea of cursing her out. "I can show you you're urine test results if you'd like."
"I need a professional. Not someone in training."
"How about I go get your antibiotic signed off by my chief and then I'll be back with an update? In the meantime would you like something to drink?"
"I have to piss every five minutes. What makes you think I want water."
Without acknowledging her, I walked away. Chief was just getting out of surgery with Savannah beaming. We hate her for sleeping with him. She gets the best deals around here. Meanwhile, we get shit and UTIs.
I got the go from the chief to administer the antibiotics myself. On my way to the medicine room, I stopped by the cafeteria to grab more water.
Every day I feel myself cramping up more and more. The Braxton hicks get more intense with every breath I take.
I close the medicine room with the antibiotics in hand. From my scrub pockets, I pull out my phone that I hid. We aren't always supposed to have it on us, but I am too close to giving birth to not.
I check my messages, expecting a text from Enzo. I left him this morning before he left to check on his bar and jewelry shop. He seemed off when he left, yet he promised me everything was fine.
I understood he had a lot on his plate still. There was so much going on behind the scenes I wasn't sure he was telling me everything he was dealing with.
He said multiple times that he didn't want the burden on me.
I'm walking in the hallway when I catch Lucie running towards the elevators. She turns to find me standing confused. "You jinxed us. There's action in the trauma center."
I look at my beeper and find it going off. I rush to the elevators with Lucie, but a sharp pain zapped my pelvis. I placed a palm on my stomach and breathed through the pain.
Lucie tried asking me if I was going into labor in the elevator but I shrugged her off. It's not time yet. Even if it is, I'm not ready.
The elevator door opens and we rush to the trauma center. From the halls, we can hear the trauma nurses and doctors calling out orders and rushing.
Men covered in blood were being carried in on stretchers. I saw at least six stretchers and more were coming in.
I turn to each stretcher to find a directive. Anything that I can begin to work on. Lucie hands me a plastic gown to cover my scrubs from the blood.
The moment I tied the knot on top of my stomach and behind my back, more pain and pressure came about. Nothing I couldn't handle though. I pushed the pain to the back and focused on my work.
Doctor Campbell shouted. "Marino! You're switching to Anderson! Handle those that you can."
I gave a terse nod and went towards a man who was passed out. He was bleeding from at least three to five bullet wounds. "Let's get him to O.R. Quick," I tell the nurses. They nod and rush his stretcher out of the trauma center.
Another man came strolling by and he was screaming in pain.
A knife jabbed into his eye socket.
I wasn't sure if I was starting to hate the sight of blood or maybe my stomach was just going through its own trauma.
My hands cover my mouth and I back up. I don't even know where to begin or who to help.
So much is going on, that I can't focus on just one person.
That was until another stretcher strolled by me. I couldn't focus on the face because the ring on this man's finger was a ring that I always woke up to stabbing me. This chunky ring was covered in blood, but I could recognize it from a mile away. Then that tattoo.
A rose and brass knuckles, coated in blood.
I froze.
My body tensed before I rushed over to my husband. A nurse and Doctor Anderson were bringing him in.
"Wait! Wait! That's my husband!" I shouted, my throat aching and drying.
"That gives us more of a reason to let you sit this one out, Marino. Back off and get out of here."
I rush to them as they carry him out of the trauma center. He had bullet wounds on his abdomen and his arms. One bullet hit his chest, too close to his heart.
Too many wounds to count.
I cried not knowing what the hell just happened.
"Enzo?" I shout. He had an oxygen mask on and wasn't responding to me.
Doctor Anderson presumed to drag him away from me but I needed to see him. I needed to talk to him. "Wait!" I shouted at Anderson.
"Nova! Go take care of yourself. We will take care of him." Anderson looked down at my scrubs.
When I followed her gaze, I saw my bottoms were wet.
No.
It was time but I'm not ready. Enzo is hurt and he needs me.
Wobbling to his stretcher, I grabbed the ring from his finger and held his hands once more. Looking at Anderson she nodded at me and then a nurse that stood behind me.
"Promise me you'll bring him back to me alive." I cry out. "Please."
It was forbidden for us doctors to make a promise. But I needed Anderson to give me her word.
She didn't promise me. She only gave me a curt nod before riding him into a trauma room. I was so In a dark haze that I didn't notice the pain I was feeling. My water broke and my contractions are picking up, but I can't focus on that.
The nurse behind me guided me to the elevators and up to level three where I would be giving birth. Without the presence of Enzo.
He was supposed to be there through it all. I told him countless times that I couldn't do this on my own.
With each contraction that came, I stared at the clock.
Seven bullet wounds the nurses reported to me.
Seven.
Depending on what organ got hit, it can take hours to repair him and another set of a day or two for him to fully wake.
I walk off the pain in my labor room while praying for Enzo to stroll through those doors in a wheelchair somehow.
It's unheard of for his condition. But so help me God, I'm not giving birth without him here.
"Nova. Are you ready to have this baby?" My doctor came in slapping her gloves on her hands.
"No. My contractions aren't that bad and the pressure isn't extreme. I can hold off."
She looked at me concerned. "I'm afraid if we wait too long it can cause complications. You can't fight what your body is doing."
The moment she said that heavy pressure between my legs came about. My hands fall to the hospital bed. I try swaying my hips to release pressure but it was no fucking use.
"Aaaah!" I shouted from the depths of my throat. "Why does this shit hurt so bad-aaaah!"
"It's your body pushing the baby out. Here let me check you and you can begin to push."
She steps up to me and I stop her. "I'm not doing this without my husband!" I growl.
Before I was able to curse her out, my knees buckled to the floor, and the pain that once was a five turned into a hundred.
"I feel something!" I shout. "The baby, I feel it's head!" I wail in pain.
I grip the sheet of the bed crying for it all to end. I want to make it to stop. I want Enzo to be here with me and help me through the pain. But he wasn't even awake to do so.
He was hurt, so hurt, I don't even know if Anderson can help him.
"Please," I cry. "Make it stop."
I wasn't only crying for my pain, I was crying for Enzo's as well.
I could hear the doctor yelling for her team to come. From there I saw them lay out pads on the ground underneath me. She tells me to push. I wasn't even sure if I was doing the job because my body felt like it was taking over for me. My mind was elsewhere.
Before I knew it, cries came from behind me. I look down to see blood. Too much to bear. A strong hand from my middle and behind me.
"Ok, Nova let's turn you around and get you on the bed so you can hold your baby."
My eyes widened at the sight of the baby.
A boy.
And he looks exactly like his father, despite the white slimy coating on his skin and blood.
I didn't take my eyes off of him, not even when I held him in my arms. But the moment the room grew silent and the ticking of the clock invaded my hearing, I began to count down the hours till Enzo would be out of his surgery.
If he makes it out.