Chapter 16
“I understand how you feel, sir, but we’re only allowed to disclose information to…”
“Is she all right or not?!” Blade’s voice boomed through the waiting room cluttered with bikers.
“Sir, if you don’t lower your voice, I’m going to have to…”
“Just answer the question!” Blade exclaimed. “What’s so hard about that?!”
“Sir, it is in the patient’s best interest that we only disclose information to her family. I know you’re friends, but…”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Blade said, holding his hand up.
He was one more excuse away from beating the shit out of the little man he’d seen wheeling Michelle away on the gurney. Blade knew that guy knew what was going on with her. He just refused to tell him.
“Sir. Like I said. Family only.”
“We are her family! Her husband? The one you have written down on all those official looking forms of yours? That’s the piece of shit who did this to her. We’re more of a family to her than that piece of shit will ever be and if you don’t let us in to see her right now, you’re going to see what the power of family can do!”
The rest of the bikers present, sensing a threat, stood up and put on their most intimidating faces. The doctor shifted nervously and was quiet for a moment before letting out a defeated little sigh.
“She’s in room 321. But for crying out loud, one at a time, please. She can tell you herself how she’s doing.”
Blade’s entire body felt as if a boulder was lifted off it and he took off down the hall toward room 321. Truth be told, he had never been more scared in all his life than when Michelle had passed out on the side of the road. He had been too scared to even step on the pigfucker’s throat for doing it to her in the first place. They had just left him passed out on county road, with the very real possibility of a coyote coming upon his body and finishing him off. It would serve the asshole right.
“Blade,” Michelle said tiredly when he burst through the door. She laughed a little. “You look wild.”
Blade stood rigid and took the chance to stare at Michelle. She looked incredible, even in a hospital gown. The color was back in her cheeks, thank Christ, and she was sitting up weakly in the bed to greet him.
“No, don’t get up. You need your rest right now,” Blade said, walking closer to the bed. How did she manage to be so completely stunning even when she looked like death warmed over?
“It’s nothing really. It was just too much stress. The baby couldn’t handle it…”
“Is it all right?” Blade asked, a new sense of fear overwhelming him. How was it possible that he was just as scared for an unborn child as he was for a woman he had grown to know and love over the past few months? It seemed incredible.
“Yes,” Michelle said. “They even told me that if I want to come back in about three weeks, I could get an ultrasound done. See if Blade Jr. is a boy or a girl.”
“Blade Jr.,” he chuckled. “That’s a hell of a name.”
“Tell me about it,” Michelle said, raising an eyebrow.
They fell silent for a moment, each of them ruminating over what had happened between them over the past few weeks. None of it felt good. He would give anything to make sure that she was all right, but she was tired and didn’t need his shit in her life. He couldn’t blame her.
“Look,” Blade said, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m really glad the two of you are all right. And I know we’re kind of not doing this whole…I don’t know…friendship thing right now, but you had me fuckin’ worried out there. But now that I know everything’s fine, I think I’ll just let you get your rest.”
“Wait,” Michelle said quietly as Blade turned to leave. He paused, hoping against hope that what she had to say wasn’t just another “fuck off,” or just a “thanks for getting me medical attention when I needed it so I didn’t die by the roadside.”
“Blade, I’ve been struggling with something for a long time now, ever since what happened between you and Brett.”
“Oh yeah?”
Blade had been dreading hearing more about what had happened with Brett. He was not only ashamed of himself for it, but it was a painful reminder of just how badly he managed to fuck up a delicate situation with Michelle. Ever since then, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head for longer than six seconds.
“There’s something about what happened then that just really changed the way I felt around you, you know?”
“No, not really. Only kind of. You’d better make it clear for me. I have a thick skull,” Blade said, knocking on his temple. This brought the hint of a smile to Michelle’s lips. It was progress.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is, when you burst into my bedroom like that, a space where I’m supposed to feel safe, it really scared me. And then, when you got violent with sweet little Brett…”
Blade looked down at the ground sheepishly.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “That wasn’t cool.”
“It really wasn’t. And Brett’s really a big man for being able to let that go, you know.”
Blade shrugged. It wasn’t up to him whether the people who Blade roughed up were able to get over it or not. Still, he did kind of feel bad about the guy. He was just trying to help.
“Anyway,” Michelle said with a sigh. “Seeing Alan again made me realize that you’re not the man I was afraid you were. You were just trying to protect me and all this time I’ve just been too afraid of you to face you again. Does that make sense? I get now that you were just trying to protect me from Brett, too. You heard me crying and knew he was up there.”
“Yeah,” Blade said, shocked at the revelation. He knew he was an intimidating guy, but he had never thought about how that might come across to Michelle. Especially so soon after being with her abusive husband. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” Michelle said. “You were just looking out for me. Nobody has ever done that before. At least not since I left the MC. And I doubt anybody ever will again if I leave.”
“That’s not true,” Blade said, quick to defend Michelle from herself. “If you wanted to leave, anybody you ran into would be lucky as hell. And if they didn’t know it, then they’re a bunch of fuckin’ idiots.”
Michelle grinned and shook her head. “Thanks.”
Blade nodded and they fell into a loaded silence. Suddenly, Michelle spoke again.
“Do you want to come and see the ultrasound with me?” she asked shyly. “I mean, it’s your kid, too.”
Blade was shocked.
“You mean like, see the little bean in your belly on like an x-ray screen?”
Michelle smiled. “Something like that.”
“I’d be honored,” Blade said, moving quickly to her side and kissing her hand. “I’ll do anything you want me to do during this thing. This is my baby, too. And if you want me to be there, I will be. If you don’t, I can split. That’s all right too. I can pay you and make sure the kid has good clothes and a nice school, but if you think I can’t be a dad or I’d be a bad influence, then…”
“What?” Michelle said, furrowing her brow at him as if he were the biggest idiot in the world. “Of course, you’ll be involved. If you want to be. And if you want to be a good dad, you will be. I know you have it in you.”
Blade’s heart warmed at the words. He had been terrified about this for so long that now that it was happening, her encouragement meant everything to him.
“I’m glad you feel that way. But really, however you want to do this baby thing is fine.”
“I know. And thank you for making that clear.”
Blade nodded and then sighed deeply. “I should probably get out of here.”
“Already?”
“Well…we kinda threatened the guy to let us in here,” Blade said, grinning. “So technically I’m not even supposed to be here. But the guys and I were worried about you.”
Michelle laughed and slapped his arm. “What the hell? Poor Dr. Dorian. He’s going to love it when we come back in for the ultrasound.”
Blade snorted. “He’ll probably remember us and give us a picture of an alien baby or something.”
Michelle burst out laughing and smiled fondly at Blade. “You’re pretty hard to forget…I really missed you. When I get home, we should have a talk.”
“Sure,” Blade said, the heavy weight on his chest that had been there since their fallout finally lifting. “I’d love to.”
Michelle smiled at him and Blade nodded formally. Maybe things weren’t going to be so bad after all.