Tell Me Lies (11 page)

“What are you talking about?”

“There is no easy way to say this but there is a chance we might lose Paige if we try to save the baby. We need your permission to terminate the pregnancy.”

Jonas sank to the chair, his whole body shaking.  How could he make such a choice?  He loved Paige.  He loved the child she carried, even though it wasn’t his flesh and blood.  Who could make a choice like that?

“I can’t do it…,” he said breathlessly.  “I can’t…I can’t…”

“Jonas?  Son?  Where’s Paige?” he heard William ask.

Jonas stood and swiped at his tears.  There was no sense in worrying any of them more than they already were.  His falling apart now wouldn’t help any of them.

“Dr. Gates, this is Paige’s
family.  Her father, William and her brothers, Marcus and Ryan,” Jonas said, introducing her family as they joined him and the doctor.

“Doctor,” William said, grasping the hand he offered.  “How’s my daughter?”

“As I was telling Mr. Barnett, Paige has severe head trauma, some broken ribs, a broken wrist, lacerations and abrasions and internal bleeding. We are trying to get her condition stabilized so we can operate,” the doctor explained.

“And what about the baby?” Marcus asked.  “Is the baby okay?”

“We are aware of the pregnancy; however, due to Paige’s severe injuries, we can’t be certain that the baby will survive.”

“He wants me to terminate the pregnancy to save Paige,” Jonas said softly.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be unfeeling.  Paige’s life is on the line. I need to know that if the baby prevents us from saving her life, that you understand we can’t terminate the baby without your permission.”

Jonas sank to the chair, placing his head in his hands.  How could he choose one over the other?  The baby wasn’t his flesh and blood, but he considered the child his in every other way.  How could he possibly make that kind of decision?

“Save Paige,” he heard.

His head whipped up and he stared at William, his eyes full of tears.  “William…”

“I’m sorry, Son.  Paige is my daughter.  I’m not willing to lose her.  If it comes down to it, save my daughter,” he told the doctor.

Doctor Gates nodded and rushed back into the operating theater.  Jonas watched the man leave, praying to God, that it didn’t come down to a choice.

“Thank you,” he whispered silently, reaching for William’s hand. 

“I did want I had to do, Son.  I hope you can forgive me.”

Jonas stood up and wrapped his arms around him.  When he felt William’s arms go around him, Jonas wept.

~*~

Chapter Ten

~*~

The waiting was unbearable.  The hospital, once teeming with life, slowly hushed as the hours slipped by.  Midnight had come and gone; the New Year ushered in by silent prayers.  Darcy had arrived, looking ashen, the woman who rattled on a mile a minute, barely able to string two words together.

Jonas looked at her now, the dark shadows under her eyes, the tear stained cheeks, and wondered if he looked as bad.  Surely, he looked worse.  A quick glance at William, Marcus and Ryan confirmed his worst fears.  The three of them were solemn, their faces drawn and pale.

“Jonas?”

Jonas looked at Darcy, then toward where she was pointing.  His eyes narrowed dangerously and he stood, his hands clenched into tight fists at his side.  Coming down the hallway was Darren, his stride sure.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Jonas snarled.

William stood and placed a hand on Jonas’s arm.  “Easy, Son, easy.  Let’s see what he wants.”

“He’s not wanted here, no matter what he wants,” Jonas said vehemently.

The four of them, William, Marcus, Ryan and Jonas, stood united against Darren, waiting to see why he had come.  As he approached, the anger in Jonas continued to boil.

“I came as soon as I heard.  How are Paige and her baby?” Darren asked, addressing no one in particular.

“You son of a….” Jonas growled, surging forward.

Willi
am grabbed him round the shoulders and held him tight.  “Not here,” he said.

“You aren’t welcome here,” Marcus said, glaring at Darren.

“Well, I was just asking after your sister.  We were quite fond of each other at one time,” Darren said, glancing at the four men.  “And I still care about her.”

“The hell you do!” Jonas insisted, struggling against the bulk of William’s strength.

“You should leave, Armstrong.  You weren’t welcome when you were seeing my sister and you aren’t welcome now,” Ryan said.

Darren threw a hand to his chest and feigned being hurt.  “You wound me.”

At that moment, Paige’s doctor appeared.  Everyone’s attention turned to him, waiting expectantly for news.

“Paige’s surgery went well,” he began.  “We did find internal bleeding.  We’ve repaired the damage and she’ll be in recovery for a few hours.”

“What about the baby?” Jonas asked quietly.

“I’m sorry,” the doctor said.  “She was already in the process of miscarriage.  There was nothing we could do.”

Jonas sagged against Darcy, the pain surging through him.  His chest felt tight, choking the breath from his lungs.

“Well, I guess that’s that. It’s too bad, really. I think I would have made a great dad, don’t you?”

Jonas surged forward, intent on getting to Darren, the words he had carelessly said ringing in his ears.  He felt William’s arms wrap around his waist, felt Darcy’s hands press against his chest.  He watched as Darren laughed, easing back away from the group.

“Enough!” Dr. Gates yelled.  “I don’t know what is going on here, but I will not have these disruptions in my hospital.”

Jonas calmed enough that William released him.  He turned to the doctor and smiled weakly.  “I am sorry, Dr. Gates.  This man is Paige’s ex-boyfriend.  He’s part of the reason she is in the hospital,” Jonas explained.

Dr. Gates glared at Darren, who raised his hands in surrender.  “I just wanted to know how she was.”

“I suggest you leave.  Now.”

Darren started to protest, and then thought better of it when he saw two security guards rounding the corner.  “I’m going.”

Doctor Gates watched as he left, then waved the security guards off.  “Now, as I was saying.  Paige is in recovery.  We are going to be moving her into ICU in a few hours.”

“ICU?” William questioned.

“I’m sorry.  She has slipped into a coma.”

Darcy gasped and William paled visibly.  Marcus and Ryan were silent, but their features were strained.  Jonas sank into the chair behind him, shaking. 

“Will she recover?” William asked.

“Physically, she is going to be fine.  We are monitoring the head injury she sustained, watching for swelling.  The coma was expected.  The body is a complex machine.  Paige’s body is doing what it needs to, to cope and to heal.”

“When do you expect her to wake up?” Marcus asked.

Doctor Gates cleared his throat.  “We can’t be sure.  It could be a few days, a few weeks….”

“Or a few months,” Ryan said dejectedly.

“We just don’t know.  We are monitoring her condition.  I am sorry.”

“Can we see her?” Jonas asked.

Doctor Gates nodded.  “As soon as we move her into ICU.  You can’t all go in at once.  One visitor at a time.”

Jonas nodded and turned into Darcy’s arms.  This couldn’t be happening.  How was he going to get through this?

~*~

Jonas rested his head against his clasped hands and sighed.  He glanced up over his fingers and stared at Paige, tears welling in his eyes at the sight of her.  An oxygen tube ran on the underside of her nose, there were heart monitors and IV’s hooked up to her and another wire, but he couldn’t remember what it did.

There were bruises on the side of her forehead and along her right jaw, the black and blue marks standing out against her pale skin.  A stark white cast on her wrist protected the broken bones.  Her ribs were wrapped tight. According to her doctor, she was lucky to be alive.

Hearing the door open slightly, Jonas turned and found William in the doorway.  He stood and headed over, grasping the man’s hand.

“She’s so still,” he said, the tears threatening yet again.

“I know, Son.  But she’s healing and that’s the main thing.  C’mon, there’s someone here to see you.”

Jonas frowned and followed William out into the hall.  When he saw his Mother and Ian, the tears that had been threatening all day, finally coursed down his cheeks.  He slowly walked to them, his arms enfolding Evelyn in a warm hug.

“I came as soon as I could,” she whispered.

“How?” he asked, pulling Ian into a warm hug as well.

“Darcy called Sara late last night, and she called me.  We flew out on one of Gray’s company jets.  I just wish we could have been here sooner,” Evelyn explained.

“How is she, Dad?” Ian asked, battling tears of his own.  He knew his dad was going through a lot right now.  He didn’t want him to worry about him too.

“She lost the baby, but she’s going to live.  That’s the main thing right now.”

Ian looked at his grandmother, a slight frown crossing his face.  His dad wasn’t telling them everything.  He knew him inside and out.  He knew the little quirks and the subtle way his voice changed when he was hiding something.  Obviously, by the look on her face, Grandmother did too.

“What haven’t you told us, Jonas?” she asked, leading him to a chair.

Jonas looked around and found that William had left them alone.  The hallway was empty except the three of them.  Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.

“Darren was here.  He’s the reason Paige was in the accident.  He crashed the New Year’s party and they argued.  I think he might have followed her from the apartment and caused her accident.  There was talk about someone pushing her.”

Jonas ran his hand over his face, cursing lightly under his breath. 

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Evelyn asked.

“She’s in a coma, Mom. Her doctor said it was her body’s way of recovering from the trauma.  She suffered many injuries not just the miscarriage.  She had internal bleeding, a head laceration, minor cuts and bruises, some broken bones. It was touch and go for a while.”

“Can I see her?” Ian asked, glancing toward her room.

Jonas smiled and covered Ian’s hand with his own, squeezing gently.  “I think she’d like that.”

~*~

Ian sat beside Paige’s bed, her hand held gently in his.  Tears slipped over his closed lids and his lips moved in a silent prayer.  Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked down at her.