Steve paced around Aubrey Hall. The doctors had whisked Rose away. He remembered her almost lifeless in his arms. His jaw clenched, and his fists tightened at the memory.
Alicia rushed out. She looked at the grief-stricken Captain. He saw her. Fear and trepidation danced in his eyes. She said, "She's fine. Her wrists are bandaged. Avoid scratching it. We have given her the antidote. It's a miracle the baby is fine. She is a fighter just like her mother. She will be kept under observation for 24 hours."
Steve smiles gratefully at her. She walked away to attend to the rest of the victims. Steve sat down. His jacket was ripped apart. His white shirt was stained with blood. Ava's blood. He covered his face and let out a strangled sob. Rose was okay. His Rose was going to be fine. His baby was also fine. And she was a girl just as Rose said.
A bright light flashed in front of Ava's left eye, and then her other one. She scowled and tried to cover her face with her hands. Someone grabbed her hands and pulled them down. "It's fine, Miss Gardener. Just relax."
Ava knew the voice but couldn't place it. Annoyed, she opened her eyes only to quickly shut them tight again from the blaring light that hurt her head. "Miss, you need to sit still. You have a concussion." Concussion? Who said that? She felt nauseous. She focussed on breathing deep and steady, trying to get the pain to subside.
Her hands went directly to her bump. "Is the baby okay?" Her voice trembled. "She is just fine. Strong as her mother." Alicia said smiling.
Alicia was the Ob/Gyn she visited when she was in London. The both smiled knowingly.
She looked behind her and saw Prince Philip standing just outside the ambulance bus. Where's Steve? She swung her legs over the edge of the stretcher and ignored the spinning room. Soft music played in the background. It was coming from the Masquerade hall.
"Is Sarah all right?"
Philip turned at the mention of Sarah's name. "She's in the ambulance right beside you." He smiled. "She's going to be fine. Shaken, but basically unharmed."
"That's good to hear." She closed her eyes and inhaled a long breath, letting it out slowly. She stood slowly. "I need to find Steve."
Philip helped her down and signaled to the protesting attendee. "If she wants out, she's fine," he told him.
He leaned close so only she would hear. "He brought you here and went back to the Aumbry Hall. The man was devastated seeing you like that. He's a keeper. Dr. Rosen."
Her eyes widened. "Yeah, I remember you. Senior year. Got alcohol poisoning. There was this kind trauma- doctor at Barts who calmed me and my friends down enough to know what actually had happened. You saved my life then and now my fiance's I am indebted today to you."
"Yeah, I will sure be cashing that in someday. May I talk to Sarah?" They both chuckled.
"Of course." She walked over on shaky legs, each step growing stronger. Philip cleared Sarah's ambulance so Ava could talk to her alone.
"You and the baby okay?" Sarah asked.
Ava smiled and rubbed her bump. "Sarah Natalia is perfectly fine" "Sarah?" Sarah repeated.
Ava sat on the edge of Sarah's stretcher and spoke quietly. "Steve's mum's name is Sarah and Natalia after his late wife. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing all right." Sarah fixed the emerald skirting of her dress. "Did Steve come back with Connors?"
Sarah shook her head. "He attacked me. I think he was working with Lenny."
Sarah sighed. "I don't understand. Why would Lenny want to hurt me?"
