The Miner's Girl

Chapter 96

(((August 1, 2016)))
Nicole's POV

Sometimes things sneak up on you at the time where you think everything is going up.

I had a great boyfriend, the father of my child, and my soulmate. He was starting to do better at work, finding more gold and everything. Mom and Hannah had been planning the gender reveal party, and the invites had already been sent out to everyone. In a little less than five days, Parker and I were going back to Haines for the twenty week checkup, the halfway mark. And that weekend at the party we would have found out if our baby was a boy or a girl.

But, sometimes things happen when you least expect it.

I was doing what I did everyday after lunch, cleaning up and washing clothes while the two dogs followed me around.

I was carrying a basket full of clothes from the laundry room to our trailer when I got the worst cramp ever in my stomach. I groaned as I leaned over the basket while trying to keep walking. After trying to take two steps, I decided that I couldn't walk with my stomach cramping that bad. I sat down on the dirt and waited for it to quit hurting.

Apparently, Ed had been filming close by and had seen me sitting in the dirt, basket full of clean clothes in front of me, and the dogs jumping and licking all over me. He had given the camera to one of the others and had run over to see what was wrong. I usually didn't sit on the ground by myself, obviously.

"What's wrong, Nicole?" Ed asked wide-eyed, as he bent down beside me.

"I'm just cramping really bad. I thought I'd sit down for a few minutes." I explained calmly, trying to stand up. "I'm fine."

My attempt to stand up had landed me right back on my butt.

"No, you're not." Ed said as he put my arm over his shoulder and helped me up. "Come on, you're laying down."

"I'm fine, Ed." I insisted. "This cramp is just a little bit worse than the others."

"You're going to lay down and rest." Ed said as he pulled out his phone. "And I'm calling Parker."

And an hour later, the doctor was there with all of his doctor equipment, and Parker was sitting beside me on the bed. He hadn't left my side since he helped me check my blood pressure, and it was much higher than normal.

The doctor wasted no time checking my vitals, and I could tell that he was worried. I just kept telling myself that I was just imagining his faces when he checked my blood pressure and when I started telling him about the headaches and dizziness, and cramping I had been experiencing for the past two days. Then came the time that he started to check the baby.

I closed my eyes and squeezed Parker's hand as I prayed to God that the baby was alright. I just had a horrible feeling about all of it. All the headaches, dizziness, and cramps I had just played off as being normal pregnancy symptoms. But I knew combined with high blood pressure, they were also signs of preeclampsia.

"Nicole, I'm sorry but-" Dr. Pojol began.

"Don't say it." I begged as I started to cry. "Don't say you can't find his heartbeat."

I felt Parker wrap his arms around me and kiss my temple. I fell into his arms and cried. He kept rubbing my back and trying to calm me down. But it was no use. I cried for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes before I pulled away to ask the doctor something.

"The baby's gone, isn't it?" I sniffled.

Dr. Pojol's nodded as he said sympathetically, "I'm so sorry."

"Damn it." I said before burying my face back in Parker's chest to cry some more. And then, the doctor said that he would leave us alone.

I looked up at Parker, and saw tears on his red face as he tried to keep from frowning. I hugged him tighter while we both mourned the loss of our baby.