All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Forty-Three

        My own cries woke me up, launching me out of horrible dreams only to have me land in another nightmare. I knew pregnancy was hard, that it was a constant journey of discomfort, but no one had warned me about the intense stomach cramps. This was worse than any stomachache I'd ever experienced; this was like being ripped apart from the inside out.

        Grayson was awake a second later, sitting up and helping me kneel forward. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. 

        "My stomach," I moaned, gripping the sheets to block out the waves of pain.

        "Want me to make you some tea?" he offered.

        I grimaced. "Okay." I doubted it would make any difference, but I didn't have any other ideas. So I waited alone, controlling my breathing and listening to the faint droning of the microwave.

        He returned what felt like years later, suddenly looking much more worried. "Jackie, I don't think this is normal."

        "Stomach pains are normal," I groaned, sipping the scalding hot tea.

        "Not this bad."

        "I've never been pregnant before. It's supposed to be bad," I reminded him. Except when I went to set the tea down, my knees shook and I fell awkwardly into my pillow. Grayson was thankfully an inch away and snatched the mug before anything could spill.

        "You want me to call a doctor?" he said, looking more worried.

        "It's okay, I'll just sleep it off." I grimaced as I crawled back under the blankets. My stomach throbbed in protest, feeling like there were five new tears in my flesh.

        For a second, I thought I'd pulled it off. Then the worst of it hit, searing pain so intense that it hurt in my head. I screamed, biting the edge of the comforter to muffle the noise. The next thing I knew, Grayson was picking me up and carrying me out of the bedroom. I wanted to argue, wanted to tell him he was overreacting, but my brain was too shot to process the words.

        "Where?" I ground out, curled up tight as he hit the button for the elevator.

        "The emergency room," he said, his hold on me almost as tight as my hold on him was–except his was in concern and mine in agony.

        Shaking my head, I tried pushing him away, trying to get him to release me, but he only held on more firmly and said, "Jackie, no. I'm taking you in. You're not getting a say this time."

        Well that hardly seems fair, I managed to think. I was the one who would be admitted, after all. But another spasm rippled through me and I let out another strangled cry.

        Grayson moved a little faster after that. 

        Finally we made it into the parking garage, where I shivered in the cold night air. He quickly made his way to his car, hastily planting me in the passenger seat.

        "It'll be okay, Jacks," he said, flooring it out of there.

        I gritted my teeth, nodding. Of course it would be okay. I was the one saying we didn't need to go to the emergency room; he was the only one implying things weren't okay.

        My condition progressed when black spots started dancing in my vision. I tried blinking them away, but even that took an enormous amount of effort. I barely noticed when Grayson opened my door and helped drag me out of the car. The cold faded as we walked inside, but even that felt like a dull coolness.