24

My head is spinning and I wake to monitors beeping all over the place. My entire body is sore, but why do I feel this way? Why can’t I open my eyes? I feel something grasping my hand tightly and I squeeze it back.

“Evelyn.”

That’s Tristan’s voice!

“Evelyn baby, are you awake?”

I am awake! I am awake!

“Baby, squeeze my hand if you can hear me,” his voice comes through more clearly this time.

I use all my strength and squeeze as tightly as I can.

“Oh God, baby, you’re awake. Drake, wake up! Go get the doctors. She’s awake!”

“Tristan,” I rasp. My mouth is as dry as a desert.

“I’m here baby,” he whispers, brushing his lips against mine.

“Water,” I gasp.

“Oh, right.” He pulls away.

No! Come back! Do not leave.

“Here baby, open your mouth a little please.”

I open it as far as I can. Dang, where did my energy go?

Our baby!

“Our baby,” I gasp.

Tristan sighs.

Oh no! Oh no! I don’t know if I want to know.

“Tristan,” I whisper.

“The baby…the baby is fine.”

Why doesn’t his voice sound reassuring?

“Tristan,” I groan.

I pull all my strength together to open my eyes. OUCH! I quickly close them. The light is so bright. Why is it so damn bright?

“Baby, they’ve had you in a medically induced coma for the longest two months. They took you out three days ago and we’ve been waiting for you to wake up ever since.”

Coma? “Why?”

I reach down and feel my swollen belly. I missed it— I missed everything. Tears start to form in my eyes.

“I missed everything. I’m almost eight months pregnant now,” I cry.

“They had to Ev, so you wouldn’t exert yourself and the baby could be healthy. In two weeks, they are performing a C-section to deliver him. Then you will have to go straight back to chemotherapy. You have had another full lapse and the cancer is back full on again baby. All the headway we made before has disappeared with the coma.”

“But the baby is okay?”

All I care about is our baby being okay.

“He’s fine baby. He’ll only be a few weeks early when they deliver him.”

Why was I in a coma though?

“Why did I need to be put to sleep Tristan?”

He is not telling something me. I can see it in his eyes. I know he said it was so I wouldn’t exert myself, but that is not all there is to it.

With a deep sigh, he says, “You wouldn’t wake up after the concert that night Ev. You were bleeding everywhere. In order to stop the bleeding, they had to do emergency surgery. Then your organs started failing, so they put you into a coma to give your body time to heal. You had a bone marrow transplant right before they started weaning you off the medication that kept you in the coma.”

I knew it! I knew there was more to it.

“Can you shut the lights off Tristan? I would really like to open my eyes.”

I hear the click of the switch and slowly begin to open my eyes.

“There are my beautiful chestnut eyes.”

I smile and turn my head to look at my beautiful man.

“So I still have cancer? Damn,” I joke. I learned very quickly that joking about my cancer was a bad thing to do.

“Ev,” he growls, “that’s not funny.”

Before he can really yell at me, my doctors walk through the door.

“Well would you look at that! Sleeping beauty is awake.”

Dang cheeky doctor! At least someone has a sense of humor.

“Hello Dr. Zelanburg. Dr. Mongetto. Dr. Rocalli.”

My doctors spend the next hour explaining to me in medical terms what Tristan has already discussed with me. After hearing all that had happened during the two months I “slept”, I only had one comment to make.

“Well, after two months of sleeping you would think you miracle doctors would have gotten rid of this pesky cancer by now. What, do you need more time?”

They grin, so glad to see that I am taking everything that has happened so well.

“Well, we had to keep that little boy healthy. We just couldn’t risk anymore time.”

“I know,” I sigh.

As the doctors are leaving, Dr. Z turns back to me and says, “We are really glad that you are back with us now. You get some rest. The nurse will be in here in a little while to check your vitals again.”

I nod at him and wave as they leave. It seems all I have done for two freaking months is rest.

“Where’s Adella?” She is my best friend; she should be here.

Tristan groans.

“Apparently Adella and Shawn had a falling out a few months back and they are staying away from one another. She only comes by once a day in the morning. Shawn comes by in the evening.”

“That arrogant ass**le!” I struggle to sit up, forgetting my belly is bigger. That brings a smile to my face.

“Whoa! How do you know it’s his fault baby? And be careful, your belly isn’t small anymore!”

“Because he doesn’t understand what he has,” I growl, rubbing my hands over my swollen tummy. “Why are you laughing at me Tristan? I am freaking serious. And I am hungry. I want food.”

“Change the subject much babe?”

“Shut up. I need food.” I grin.

“They said only soft food,” he warns with a sigh. He knows that I am going to win this one.