Revelation of Hearts (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #3) (56 page)

Shane talked with Aunt Lora and Richard. “Shane, I assure you Richard and I will be there everyday until Le arrives and we will take the children as often as we’re allowed.” Less than a week later, Mr. Chen arrived. Mrs. Wyatt answered the door a bit surprised, “Well, to be sure, if it isn’t Mr. Chen. Do come in sir, I know the family will be happy to see you.”

Mr. Chen came in and said, “Thank you most kindly, Mrs. Wyatt and I hope you are well.”

“Yes, sir, quite well, thank you sir. Mrs. McLeod is at her doctor’s appointment, but Sir Richard is upstairs in the playroom with the children. Would you fancy joining them sir?”

When Mr. Chen stepped into the playroom, the children stopped what they were doing and in unity ran to him saying, “Papa Chen, Papa Chen.” He hugged each of them and then shook hands with Sir Richard. The children had much to tell Papa Chen and of course, he had gifts for each of them. They were all upstairs having a tea party when Stacey and Aunt Lora returned from her appointment.

Stacey couldn’t make the stairs, so Mr. Chen came down to her. When Stacey saw him she put her hand over her mouth in surprise and he came to her and she hugged him and started crying. When the tears subsided she said, “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I seem to be crying a lot lately.”

“Cry all you want little daughter, if it makes you feel better,” Mr. Chen encouraged her. Shane arrived home early, and was happy to see Mr. Chen had arrived. They had supper together and bathed the children. Later, Shane read the nightly story. After the children were in bed Lora and Richard left to return the next day.

Chapter-77

Emergency

Stacey went to bed early too, as she was having fluttering cramps, but this time she wasn’t going to jump the gun. She was sure it was false labor like the last time. Stacey didn’t wake when Shane came to bed, but some hours later Stacey woke him, “Shane, Shane, wake up. I think my water broke, the bed is wet.” Shane turned on the lamp and turned back the covers. What he saw propelled him out of bed. He woke Mr. Chen and said, “Stacey’s hemorrhaging, I’ve call the ambulance. I must get back to her.”

Shane went back to their bedroom and Stacey calmly said, “I’m bleeding Shane. Don’t let me lose our babies.”

Shane was packing towels between Stacey’s legs, and said, “I’ll do the best I can sweetheart. The ambulance is on its way.” Shane couldn’t believe how calm

Stacey was. He leaned over and kissed her, he was struck by the pleading look in her eyes, but never said another word. The ambulance arrived and a blood transfusing was started. All the way there Stacey held Shane’s hand and kept her eyes on him. Shane was talking and encouraging her that she was going to be fine. 

“I’ve called Doctor Shaw, sweetheart and she’ll meet us at hospital.”

Doctor Shaw and a surgical team met them in OR. As Stacey was wheeled through the doors Stacey said, “Take care of our kids Shane.”

Shane’s throat was constricted with emotion but he did manage to nod his head and said, “I’ll be in, sweetheart, as soon as I scrub up.”

Hugh was just leaving the medical center after an emergency when Shane escorted Stacey to OR. Neither one of them said a word for a while. They were long time best friends, they each knew what the other was feeling, no words were necessary yet.

A few minutes later, Diane ran down the hall into the OR. Shane finished scrubbing, grabbed a cap, gown and mask and entered the operating room. Stacey was sedated with a peaceful look on her face. Within a few minutes, Doctor Shaw delivered the first baby. It was a little boy. Diane took him and was trying to open his airway. In a matter of minutes, a baby girl was delivered also. They both were bloody and fighting for air. Shane started to where the babies were, Diane shook her head no. Shane froze. Did she mean for him not to get in the way or was she was telling him they were not going to survive.

The anesthesiologist said, “Doctor Shaw, her blood pressure is dropping fast.” Shane pulled his eyes from the babies to his wife. Stacey’s color was disappearing “What can I do to help?” Shane asked. Then he heard the babies crying. Diane gave him a thumbs up. He walked over to where his babies were. They were both in incubators as they were six weeks premature. With a worried look on his face Shane asked, “Are they going to be okay?”

Behind the mask, Shane couldn’t see Diane’s worried look as she said, “Yes, Shane, I believe they will be. They’ll need some help, but they both seem to be little fighters. Don’t worry about them Shane, give Stacey your strength.”

Doctor Shaw ordered, “Get doctor Harris in here, I need help, she’s sprang another bleeder.

Clamp, sponge.” Doctor Shaw noticed Shane and asked, “What’s your blood type, Doctor McLeod?”

“O positive,” he said. “Good, get on the gurney, Shane, your wife needs your blood.” Within seconds, Shane was attached and the transfusion went straight from him to Stacey. Shane lay there with his blood going to Stacey hoping it would save her life. He knew her life was in peril from loosing so much blood.

Stacey was riding a big white horse with the wind blowing through her hair. She was riding through the pastures on the ranch and racing over the moors in Yorkshire. Soon she was back at the lake at home. She saw Eric and rode up to him. He grinned at her and said, “Hi, baby cakes, we’ve been waiting for you.”

“Eric, where have you been, I’ve missed you so much.”

“We’ve missed you too. Come sit awhile, let’s talk.”

“No, I don’t wanna’ talk, I wanna’ ride through the wind and I want you to sing to me.”

“Maybe later, baby cakes, but now we have to meet Jen.”

“Where is she Eric, I thought she was with you.”

“She is, she’s down at the lake waiting in the boat.”

“That old leaky boat, what’s she doing there?”

“We’re gonna’ row out to the middle of the lake. There’s a door at the bottom of the lake and it will take us anywhere we wanna’ go.”

“It will, I never knew that. Where’re we gonna’ go?”

“To your house Stacey. Jen and I wanna’ see Nicky.”

“Oh, I’m so glad. Hello Jen, I’ll help you row. Are you sure there’s a door at the bottom of the lake?”

“Yes, we’re sure. We’ll all hold hands and jump at the same time. Now jump.” The water was clear and cool. When they emerged, they were at Shane’s old flat.

“What’s wrong, Stacey? Let’s go in.”

“We can’t, we don’t live here anymore. Come, I’ll take you to our new home. But you must be quiet; I don’t want to wake the kids.”  As they floated through the streets of London, they came to the town house. As they floated upstairs Stacey said, “This is the girls’ room. Aren’t they beautiful? And this is Nicky’s room. He likes being close to his sisters. Oh, Eric and Jen, he’s so beautiful and smart and we all love him so much.”

“Oh lord, Stacey, he is so beautiful. May I kiss his little head before we go?”

“Yes, of course, but where are you going? I don’t want you to go, can’t you stay a while longer. Soon we’ll have two more babies to show you.” As Eric and Jennifer turned to go, Stacey said, “No wait, I’ll go back to the ranch with you.”

“I wish you could baby cakes, but you and Shane have a beautiful little family to raise and he can’t do it without you.” As they floated down the stairs, Eric said, “Don’t worry Stacey, those new little ones are gonna’ be fine and they’ll need their mommy.”

Stacey saw the apparition of Eric and Jennifer at the bottom of the stairs. Over taken by fear, she yelled, “Eric, where are you? Don’t leave me Eric. How do I get back? I don’t know how to get back.”

“Fight, Stacey, fight hard, you have two new little ones. Fight for them. They need you. Shane and the other kids need you too, so fight your way back, Stacey. You can do it.”

Doctor Shaw said, “I’m sorry Shane, but I’ll need to do a complete hysterectomy.”

“Yes, I know Doctor Shaw. Stacey and I have already signed the permission papers. Good god Doctor, just save her life. The children and I will go mad without her.” Shane put his arm over his eyes to hide the hot tears streaming down his face. When he heard the anesthesiologist say, “We’re losing her, Doctor Shaw.”

Shane’s training had taught him not to panic, but this was his wife’s life that was in jeopardy and he could not imagine life without her. He reached over, took Stacey’s hand and said, “You can’t leave us sweetheart. I won’t let you. My blood is coursing through your veins. Take my strength lass and fight. We can’t make it without you sweetheart, and now we have the new wee ones. For god’s sake sweetheart don’t leave me. I need you more than life its self.”

Shane was kissing Stacey’s hand and praying so hard he didn’t realize when the surgery was over and they were removing the needle from his arm. Shane came up off the gurney too fast. His head was spinning and he was almost afraid to ask, “How is she...she’s not...oh my god, tell me she’s not...just tell me.”

“Calm down, Shane. She’s alive. She’s in critical condition, but we’ve stop the bleeding for now. You know there are no guarantees in our business Shane, but I promise you I will use everything at my disposal to keep her with us.”

Shane felt as if he were walking in a vacuum, as he followed Stacey to recovery. They were there only a few minutes when Hugh came in with coffee for both of them. “I spoke with Doctor Shaw, and then I called Annie. She’s worried sick.”

“So am I,” Shane said, and rubbed his eyes and then went to the lavatory and washed his face. “I need to call Lora and Richard and Mr. Chen of course.”

“Not necessary, mate. Lora and Richard are in the waiting room now. They were down at the nursery viewing your little darlings. Why don’t I stay here with Stacey and you go visit your little ones. You don’t want them wondering where their dad is, now do you?”

“Thanks Hugh, I won’t be long.” In the waiting room, Shane hugged Aunt Lora and shook hands with Richard. “Thank you both for being here. Have you called Stacey’s parents and Mr. Chen?”

“Yes, I called them last night after Mr. Chen called us. They’re on their way as we speak. I’m almost afraid to ask, but how is she Shane?”

“Not good, Aunt Lora. She lost an awful lot of blood. She’s on the critical list.” Shane ran his finger through his hair as he always does when agitated. “If you will excuse me, I must call my parents and return to Stacey. I’m sorry, how are our babies? That will be the first thing Stacey will ask me when she wakes.”

Lora didn’t want to tell Shane the twins were barely hanging on to life. It would be best if he saw them for himself.

Stacey’s parents, Scott grandparents, Flemming grandparents and her twin uncles flew in to Heathrow late that afternoon. Sam and Jessica came to see their daughter and to consult with Doctor Shaw. Shane’s parents arrived that night. Everyone was worried about Stacey and the tiny twins.

Shane had not left Stacey’s side long enough to visit the twins. Jessie encouraged him to go to the nursery, “Shane, you know as well as I do, when Stacey wakes the first thing she will ask you is how the babies are. She will be very upset if you tell her you haven’t seen them.”

“Yes, I know, but I don’t want to leave Stacey.”

“Shane, I don’t want to hurt you, but my daughter damn near lost her life to bring those babies into this world. Go see them; they’re fighting for their tiny lives too.”

Shane was shocked; he thought Diane said they were doing well. Shane made his way to the premature nursery. Diane and two neonatal nurses were attending the tiny twins. Diane looked up and saw Shane. She came out and took off her gown, “How is Stacey?” She asked.

Shane’s haggard look as he rubbed his hand over his two day beard was enough to make Diane realize things were not going well with Stacey. Shane saw the tubes and IV’s that were keeping his tiny twins alive. He didn’t want to ask how they were, but he knew he must. “Please, Diane, give me some good news to tell Stacey when she wakes.”

“I know it doesn’t look good from out here, but those tiny two are viable and fighting. I wish I could give you a better prognosis. If they make it through the night...” Diane hugged Shane and said, “I’m not leaving them, Shane. I’ll be right here with them until they turn the corner.”

Shane washed up, put on a gown and went into the nursery to look at and touch his tiny children. Here he was a doctor but he felt so bloody helpless. And what did Diane mean about turning the corner. Did she mean if they lived or died? Oh, god, what if I lose Stacey and the babies too. God, this can’t be happening. Our lives were so good. What will the children or I do without Stacey? As Shane kissed their tiny little heads and put his finger in their hands, they both squeezed his finger slightly. Shane felt his heart flip-flop. He smiled and said, “Daddy must go check on Mommy, but we both will be back and take you little darlings home to meet your brother and sisters.” Diane noticed as Shane left the preemie nursery that he had a smile on his face and a spring in his step as he went back to Stacey.

Back in recovery, Sam and Jessie were both with Stacey. Shane smiled and said, “They are a bonny lad and lassie. Thank you, Mrs. Scott, now I have much to tell Stacey when she wakes. Has Doctor Shaw been on rounds yet?”

“No, but a Doctor Harris was in. He’s a little concerned that Stacey hasn’t waken,” Sam said. “I see no harm in her resting. Her vital signs are improving. I’m sure you know this already, but our daughter is a fighter and I think those two little scamps in the nursery are fighters too.”

“Yes, I agree with you, Doctor Scott. When I put my finger under their little hands each of them squeezed my finger. I can’t begin to describe the emotion I felt,” Shane said with a smile and hope in his heart.

Stacey parents and grandparents had been in to see her. They were all worried about her. Shane was sitting, holding Stacey’s hand when she moaned and mumbled, “Eric, where are you? Don’t leave me Eric.”

Shane sat up straight. He was hurt, and wondered how she could call for that bloody earl when it was his heart that was breaking at the thought of losing her. Shane felt a bit ashamed of himself for feeling so jealous of a man who died centuries ago. Hoping she was regaining consciousness, Shane was talking to her about the children and how much they and he needed her. Stacey could hear Shane from a long way off. Finally, she was able to open her eyes and look around, that was when she saw Shane beside her bed. She watched him for a couple of minutes then reached over and smoothed his hair back and said, “How long have I been here, Shane?”