Consciousness came slowly; she felt the throbbing in her head and the intense pain in her side. As the feelings intensified so did her nausea. Claire couldn’t remember where she was... it felt wrong. Wanting to see her surroundings, she tried to open her eyes. Why did she hurt so much? Why wouldn’t her eyes open? Panic intensified her nausea. Instinctively she knew getting sick would increase her pain; she tried to breathe and distance herself from the agony. Beyond the darkness she heard sounds. Her mind scrambled, beeps -- she heard beeps... what were the beeps?
As the fog cleared, the beeps steadily became louder and their origin registered. She was hearing monitors. She also felt a strange sensation in her arm. Claire tried to touch it, but her hand wouldn’t move. Why wasn’t her body responding to her thoughts?
Voices... she strained to hear the voices. Was it Tony? Oh, she wanted Tony. What about their baby? No, it wasn’t Tony’s voice – it was Harry’s. Her body didn’t move; yet, she felt tears escape from her closed eyes.
That feeling in her arm -- she remembered it. She’d felt it before, but when? The pain in her head made it impossible to concentrate.
“How long will she be unconscious?” Harry’s concerned tone disengaged Claire from her thoughts, filling her with conflicting feelings.
“That’s up to her. She’s fighting her injuries the only way the body knows. Her energy is needed to repair the trauma; she’ll wake when she can. In the meantime, we’ll keep her monitored.”
“You said she was pregnant.”
Claire’s heart ached. Did Harry say was?
“Mr. Baldwin, Ms. Nichols is pregnant. The baby is strong and healthy. Ms. Nichols is fighting for two right now.”
Claire wasn’t sure what else they said. The only thing that mattered was that her baby was healthy. She drifted back to the place where her body didn’t hurt.
The beeping continued even in her dreams. She rolled slightly and the tightness in her arm intensified. Claire suddenly remembered when she’d had that feeling ... it was after her accident!
She concentrated on lifting her lids... slowly they obeyed. The florescent beams lit the room as they flowed from under the cabinets. The tubes in the crook of her elbow came into view. She was right; it was the same sensation she had after her accident. As her eyes continued to focus, she saw his golden hair resting near the foot of her bed. Although sleeping in a chair, Harry had his head resting on the bed with his hand over her leg. She remembered him picking her up at the airport; they were going to talk. She went into her condominium, and then... there was fog. Claire closed her eyes... Patrick Chester. She couldn’t remember anything else.
Claire tried to talk, “Harry?”
He didn’t move.
“Harry?”
The blonde head bobbled as Harry raised his head, and his light blue, tired eyes peered toward Claire’s face. “Oh, Claire, you’re awake.”
He climbed toward her as he grasped her hand. “I need to let everyone else know.”
“Everyone else?” Her voice sounded raspy.
“Amber, Emily, John, and Keaton are out there somewhere.”
Her heart sank. Where was Tony? Maybe he didn’t know she was hurt. Of course he knew! Where was he?
“Harry, what happened?” The words were difficult to form with her mouth too dry.
He gripped her hand and brushed her knuckles with his lips, “Claire, I’m so sorry.”
She was reeling from everything, “Why are you apologizing? Can I please have some water?”
He reached for the Styrofoam cup sitting nearby. Sipping the water from the offered straw, she relished the coolness as it moisturized her throat. Experience told her not to drink too much. She tried her question again, “What happened?”
“Let’s talk about that after we tell everyone you’re awake.” Claire nodded. There was no need for urgency, somewhere in her memory she’d heard her baby was all right.
Harry hit the nurse button. When the woman in light green scrubs came into the room, she took Claire’s vitals and promised more information after the doctor’s examination. Claire wanted to ask about the baby; however, Harry’s presence made her hesitate.
When Dr. Sizemore entered the room, she asked Harry to leave. He kissed Claire’s forehead and walked into the hall. She heard Amber, Emily, and John’s hushed voices as they questioned Harry beyond the closing door.
“Dr. Sizemore, I don’t know what happened, but please tell me, is my baby all right?”
“Yes, Ms. Nichols. I’ve already shared with Mr. Baldwin that your baby’s vitals are strong.”
“Mr. Baldwin?” Claire asked, puzzled.
“Yes, he said that the two of you...” the doctor’s face blanched. “I know that I shouldn’t have, but I guess I assumed. Ms. Nichols, I’m sorry.”
Claire couldn’t stop the tears. Oh my god! Harry knows I’m pregnant and thinks it’s his! Her thoughts came with such velocity her head spun.