Tony
The ride to the hospital was like driving in a funeral procession. My heart is heavy with joy and dread. One part is lit up by the ray of light shining down on me basking in the revelation that Kate’s alive and sitting next to me. The other is dark and stormy waiting to find out what that shit for brains cousin of mine has done to her.
Kate is silent the entire ride. She hasn’t looked at me once. Is she embarrassed? Is she so messed up that she’s retreated into a shell and refuses to come out? I’m not sure what to do or say, so I just hold her hand and softly caress it in hopes of bringing her some solace.
The ambulance finally pulls up in front of New York Presbyterian Hospital. There were closer ones, but when I called Charles to let him know we found Kate, he demanded we take her to this hospital. Apparently, he donated a large sum of money and has an entire floor in the family name. The medic sitting next to me stands up and communicates with his partner to pull the gurney out. After a few minor bumps, they roll Kate through the emergency room entrance. I never once let go of her hand, nor has either of us spoken a word.
Kate has a blank stare. I’m not sure if I should say something reassuring or wait for the doctor to examine and make sure she’s all right first. I’ve never been in a situation like this, and it’s like I’m walking on egg shells. All I really want to do is pull her into my arms and never let go. I’ve heard about rape victims not wanting a man to touch them. I don’t want to cross any boundaries and freak her out. I think that’s the last thing she needs.
The medics are directed to take us to a private room in the back of the department. It’s one of the few rooms with a door. I’m relieved that Kate will have some privacy. Hopefully, it will give us a chance to talk and allow her to open up. I just hope she’s not going to be scarred for life. Her panic attacks were pretty bad before this. I can only imagine what they’re going to be like now.
The room smells like antiseptic, and the fluorescent light provides a bright hue to the stark white walls. The medics move Kate from their gurney onto the plastic hospital mattress. I wish I could just put her in our bed and hold her until everything is better. I’m not sure what dreadful conditions she’s been in, but this has to be a hundred times better.
“My name is Gracen and I’m going to be taking care of you.” Gracen smiles warmly and hooks Kate up to the monitor that’s already barking out an annoying alarm. I’d love to rip the damned thing off the wall, but we need to make sure Kate is physically okay.
Gracen looks to be in her mid-twenties with ringlets of auburn hair. Her eyes are a beautiful blue and bigger than any ocean I’ve ever seen. She grabs a blanket from the warmer and covers Kate. I swear it looks like Kate is melting into it. The corners of her mouth creep up and there’s almost a smile—almost.
Gracen listens to Kate’s heart and lungs before she finally speaks. “The doctor should be in shortly. Is there anything I can get for you in the meantime?” Gracen has a gentle demeanor and a genuine concern consumes her face which reassures me that Kate is in good hands.
Kate shakes her head and Gracen leaves the room. I’m excited for the opportunity to finally be alone with Kate. Maybe I can get her to open up and talk or at the very least reassure her that I’m here and won’t be leaving her side.
I move the chair I’m sitting in closer to Kate, and pull her hand up to kiss it. “Baby, are you okay?”
Kate shakes her head, but doesn’t say a word.
“I can’t imagine what he did to you, but please know I love you and you mean everything to me.” I continue to hold her hand in hopes she’ll say something—anything. The silence is paralyzing and I don’t know what to do. “I saw pictures. I know some of the things he made you do.”
Kate turns her head and stares at me with her baby blues. They’re surrounded by redness and tears that are now streaming down her face. I guess I said the right words to open up the flood gates.
“It’s not your fault. Please don’t blame yourself for this. If anything, I should be the one to blame. I shouldn’t have come back and put you in harm’s way. I should’ve waited until Matteo was found.” I rest my head against her hand.
“No!” Kate yells.
My head pops up startled over the strength of her voice. I look at her trying to make sense of the outburst.
“I need you. I wasn’t complete until you came back for me. You’re all I thought of and the only thing that made me want to fight. Please don’t ever leave me.” Kate’s entire body shakes. She’s terrified I won’t be here for her.
I squeeze her hand tight. “How do I get through to you that you own my heart? There is no one else for me. My life would’ve been over had we not found you.” I take her engagement ring from my pocket and place it on her finger. “I’ve been carrying this thing every day in hopes I could put it back where it belongs.” I kiss the ring once it’s cemented on her finger.
Kate stares at the sparkling diamond that pales in comparison to her beauty. She’s wide eyed. “H—how did you get this? He took it from me.”
“I don’t want to go into details, but Matteo mailed it to me. Just know this is never coming off your finger again.” I provide what I hope is a reassuring smile.
Kate looks away. “I can’t take it. You can’t possibly want me as your wife. Too much has happened.”
I lean over Kate, and pull her chin to me. “There’s nothing you can say that will ever make me not want you.” I kiss the tip of her nose.
Kate looks down at the hands twisting in her lap. “I need to tell you something.”
There’s something about her demeanor. It’s bad, and she’s afraid to share it. I’m a little on edge and very curious as to what it is. I can’t imagine anything being that bad. “Kate, go ahead. You can tell me anything.”
Kate leans her head back against the pillow. Her eyes are dark and stormy. I’ve never seen them like this before. There’s a storm brewing inside her, and I want nothing more than to be the sun and the wind that pushes it away.
“I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to come right out with it.” Kate pauses. “I’m pregnant.”
I gasp, and my heart stops for a minute. I contemplate taking the defibrillator off the cart to get it going again. I don’t know why, but this is the last thing I expected her to say. It’s not that I don’t want kids, I just hadn’t planned on having them so soon. I thought for sure Kate and I would be married and settled as a couple before this day came.
I think about what it means for Kate to be pregnant and how it would change our lives. Her body would change. No more late nights at the bar. We’d trade in fancy restaurants for McDonald’s, expensive toys for diapers, and long leisurely strolls hand in hand for pushing a stroller through crowds of people. Am I ready for that? No, but it’s here, and I guess I’m just going to have to deal with it.
I wipe the sweat from my brow and clear my throat. “That’s not so bad. I know we haven’t really talked about when we wanted kids, but we can work it out. That wouldn’t make me not want to marry you.”
Right about now, I would expect to see relief flood Kate’s face. Instead, she turns her head away from me and another tear slips from her eyes as her bottom lip begins to quiver. She’s so vulnerable and fragile, I just want to hug her into a tight cocoon and protect her from the outside world.
“You don’t understand. It might not be yours.” Kate pulls the blanket to her neck as though she’s trying to hide.
Okay, now I really do need that fucking defibrillator. What is she talking about it might not be mine? What the hell is going on? I fight the urge to get up and kick something. Instead, I take a few deep breaths. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. I need to relax and give her a chance to explain before I fly off the deep end. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know what you saw in the pictures, but Matteo raped me—more times than I can count. He didn’t use a condom, and I haven’t taken my pill since the day before you proposed to me.” She’s sobbing now. “And…Agent Manchetti. It hurt so bad. There was so much anger.”
Holy fucking Christ. There could be multiple baby daddies. This might not be mine but instead my asshole cousin’s. Matteo wanted to ruin me and my happiness, and he sure as fuck did. I can’t imagine anything worse than Kate being pregnant with his fucking kid. She has to get rid of it. I can’t be that kid’s dad. That’s it! That’s what we’ll do and everything will be okay.
“You can get an abortion. Then we won’t have to worry about whose it is.” I lean back in the chair, cross my arms over my chest, and take a deep breath. I’m so pleased with my plan. Right up until I look at Kate.
She looks horrified like I just suggested the most awful thing in the world. “How could you even think of such a thing? Regardless of who the father is, this child is mine. Besides, what if it’s your baby?”
I’m speechless. What do I say to that? At the time my suggestion seemed reasonable, but Kate is right. This is her kid and there’s a small chance it could be mine. Would I be able to allow her to hurt my unborn child? Probably not, but can I live with raising my cousin’s child? Absolutely not.
I stand up and pace the room hoping the answers will jump from the floor I’m burning holes into. “What about adoption if it’s Matteo’s?”
Kate stares down at the blanket. “I don’t know if I can do that. I just don’t know what to do.”
The light pops on in my head. “How do you know you’re pregnant?”
“Matteo collected my urine and performed a test on it.” She’s still unable to look at me.
How on Earth did he get her urine? I guess that’s a story for a different day. It’s not very relevant at this point. “Did you see the test?”
“No, but he had a doctor come check me out.”
There are so many red flags here. What doctor would come check out Kate and not report her as being kidnapped? How on Earth did Matteo swing that?
“So, you didn’t actually see the pregnancy test. Did you get an ultrasound or find out how far along you are?”
Kate finally looks up at me. Her forehead is crinkled and she tilts her head slightly to the side. “No. The doctor just checked my vital signs and didn’t have any other equipment. He said that he’d do a more thorough evaluation once we got back from the island.”
A nervous energy strikes its way through my body. “Kate, you might not be pregnant at all. It could be a hoax that Matteo was trying to get you to believe.”
Her eyes light up and fill with hope. “Do you think that’s the case?”
“I don’t know, but we should have the test done while we’re here.” I sit back down in the chair and take Kate’s hand before wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get this figured out.”
The doctor clears her throat as she comes into the room with Gracen behind him. “My name is Dr. Robbins. I’m going to be taking care of you.” Her voice is soft and compassionate. I’m happy for Kate’s sake she has a female doctor. I don’t know how well she’d do with another man touching her. As it is, she’s been on edge every time I get too close.
“I understand from the medics that you were kidnapped. How about you tell me about what happened to you so I know where to start.”
Kate nodded but didn’t speak.
“Would it be easier if your fiancé stepped out of the room?” The blond-haired doctor motioned toward me.
A panic expression consumes her face. “No! I need him here!”
“Try to relax. He can stay. We just want to do whatever we can to make you more comfortable.” Dr. Robbins pulls a stool next to Kate’s bed and takes a seat. “Take your time. You can start when you’re ready.”
Kate takes a deep breath and tells her story. There are times when I want to dart out of the room and find my cousin and torture him. I can’t believe that he did this to Kate. I’m amazed by her strength and what she did to escape. I still don’t have any clue what happened to Matteo. I haven’t wanted to check my phone, because I don’t want to upset Kate. There will be time for that, but needless to say, I’m eager to hear from Jasper.
“Okay, so we’ll have to do a pelvic exam to collect evidence for the police investigation. We’ll have a special forensics nurse come in to do that. In addition, I’ll run a pregnancy test as well as work you up for any STDs. We’ll do some blood work. If you come back pregnant, we’ll do an ultrasound to see how the baby looks. Do you have any questions?”
Kate shakes her head. But has reclaimed silence as her solace.
“Ok. We’ll get things moving so that you can get home to your family.” Dr. Robbins leaves the room, but Gracen stays behind.
“I’m going to draw some blood, and start an IV. Dr. Robbins wants to get you hydrated.”
Kate nods her head, but closes her eyes as though she’s going to fall asleep. I peer down at her arms and note faint tints of blue and black surfacing on her skin most likely from the struggle to get away from Matteo.
“Baby, I’m going to step out for a few minutes. I’m going to call Jasper and your dad. I’ll just be right outside the door.”
Again, Kate nods but remains quiet.
I step out of the door eager to find out if Jasper found Matteo. Once outside the room, I pull my phone from my back pocket. There’s nothing from Jasper. I call, but he doesn’t answer. I think about using the emergency button to get his attention, but I don’t want to mess up any chance he has for finding Matteo. Instead I call Charles.
He answers after the first ring. A sense of urgency flavors his voice. “How is she?”
I can’t even imagine what this must be like for him. I’m sure he wants revenge as much as I do. “She’s fine. The doctor just checked her out and they’re going to run a bunch of tests.” I fill Charles in on everything I know. He informs me that he and Kate’s mom are on their way and should arrive shortly.
I finish the conversation and then call Jasper one more time in hopes of any information. He still doesn’t answer. I’d really like to go back to the apartments where we found Kate to figure out what’s going on, but I need to stay here.
Gracen walks out of the room. “She fell asleep. I think it’s best to let her rest for a bit. Her body has gone through a great ordeal. She’s got to be fatigued.”
I nod, figuring this would be the best time for me to go outside and get some fresh air and process all the information Kate has supplied. My cousin has had sex over and over, and it sounds like there were times when it was consensual. I know Kate did it to avoid being beaten and starved, but it’s definitely a hit to my ego and pride. I don’t want to share my woman with anyone and now I’ve learned that there have been several. It doesn’t seem real, but it is and now I have to figure out a way to deal with it.
It’s not until I’m completely out of breath do I realize I’m running down the streets of Manhattan in a full-on sprint. Sweat is dripping from my face, my lungs are burning from the lack of air penetrating them. I stop and look around. I’m not sure how I got here, but I’m in Times Square in the exact spot I proposed to Kate. I smile remembering how her face beamed when she read the billboards. She was genuinely surprised and excited about becoming my wife.
I’m startled by the horn honking for me to get out of the street. A taxi driver yells obscenities at me. How long have I been gone? I take swift action and jump into the very cab that’s trying to run me over.
“Take me to Presbyterian Hospital.” I slam the door behind me. I’ve been gone for far too long. I need to get back to Kate before she wakes up.
The city flashes by as the cabbie weaves in and out of traffic. My thoughts keep returning to the same thing. What if Kate’s pregnant? What am I going to do? How am I going to live with the possibility that she’s carrying my cousin’s child? I wipe my hand across my face and the couple of days’ scruff that is getting thicker by the minute.
We pull up in front of the emergency department. I get out and hand the driver money and don’t bother to wait for the change. I’m sure I’ve been gone a couple of hours. I don’t know. Time seems to be passing in a blur.
I push through the doors and make my way to Kate’s room. As I round the corner, crying catches my attention and my heart skips a few beats knowing right away it’s Kate. The door is open and her parents are by her side. Elizabeth is hovered over Kate and wiping the hair from her face as the tears fall. I connect eyes with Kate. The electricity keeps us glued together. Without her saying a word, I know. They’ve confirmed she’s pregnant.
I stand in the doorway unable to move. All eyes are on me and I struggle to get the words out. “How far along are you?”
“Maybe right now isn’t the time to discuss this.” Elizabeth squeezes Kate’s hand.
I haven’t broken the connection with Kate. That answer isn’t going to work for me and Kate knows it.
“The doctor says six to seven weeks.”
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I had hoped to get a clear idea of whose kid it is. If she was further along, it would definitely be mine. If she were only a couple weeks along, it would be Matteo’s. Now, it could be either and I don’t know what to do or say. Instead, my body has a mind of its own. I walk away and I don’t look back.
The End
Stay tuned for more of Kate and Tony’s story.