Something Worth Fighting For (32 page)

Hey handsome. I’m feeling better, not much, but I’m not constantly nauseated or throwing up. That sounds really sexy, I know. I’m going to the doctor as soon as they can get me in. You should be relieved that Darcy and I actually went grocery shopping so there is normal and semi healthy food stocked in the house now. Minus Oreos and a ridiculous amount of hard candy to send to a certain couple of guys we know.

We drove by the house and I’m attaching a couple of pictures. I really love it, I think it’s adorable and we could fix it into something perfect just for us. It has wood floors and a huge porch, the paint is chipped but that’s easy enough. The upstairs bedroom has these gorgeous double doors that open onto the deck. But you can see all of that in the pictures.

I’m happy to know that you’re not out doing anything crazy yet. When do you guys go mobile? Just let me know so I won’t freak out when I don’t hear from you for a while. I’m going to try and send you some songs soon. I just haven’t really felt like doing much lately. This stupid sickness is really taking it out of me. As a matter of fact I think I’m going to go try and sleep. Call me when you can or email me or send up smoke signals, I don’t care.

I miss you. The bed is empty without you. I’ll pretend for now. Be careful, please. I love you, always.

              ~Ellie

❋❋❋

“Are you going to work today?” Darcy called from the outside of our bedroom door.

“Tell them I quit.” I mumbled from under the covers.

“You tell them.” She scowled.

“Fine,” fumbling around for the phone, I dialed the number to the diner.

“This is Hannah.” I rolled my eyes at the sound of her voice.

“Ellie, tell Shep I quit.”

“Are you fucking serious, Ellie? You’re supposed to be here in ten minutes!” Hannah screeched into the receiver.

“Don’t care,” I hung up, tossing my phone back onto the bed.

“You seriously quit?” Darcy asked, laughing through the door.

“Yup, zero fucks are given.”

“I’m so impressed. Atlas will be ecstatic.”

“I know,” I smirked at the thought. He had been asking me to quit for months now. Rolling over made my stomach lurch into my throat. Groaning I stumbled into the bathroom to meet the toilet again.

Somewhere between six or seven weeks along was my guess. That would be around the night of graduation. I had been sick for over two weeks straight. The doctor said I couldn’t be seen until I was eight weeks but I felt like I was dying. I had already lost six pounds and had been avoiding going to see my dad because of how bad I looked.

After emptying my stomach of anything it might have had in it I pulled myself into the shower, turning on the hot water. I was determined to make myself feel somewhat human today. I even dry heaved in the shower as I washed myself. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take of this. Turning off the water and drying off, I pulled on my favorite pair of Atlas’ sweats and a tank top.

Darcy was waiting for me in the kitchen as I fell down , exhausted, into a chair. “I’m taking you to the hospital.” She stood up, going for her bag.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I rolled my eyes, laying my head on the table.

“No, Ellie, you’re being ridiculous. You haven’t ate anything in a week and you look like shit. No offense, babe. You have got to get something to make this stop or you’re going to die.”

“Fine,” I waved my hand dismissively, grabbing Atlas’ hoodie off the counter. “Get my phone for me?” I gave her my best smile as she nodded.

“Here, now lets go.” She handed me my phone and pulled me by the elbow out the door and to her car. “You should probably tell your dad or someone other than me.”

“I know,” I sighed, “I just don’t know how to tell anyone. I don’t know whether or not I should tell Atlas first and I hate to do it over the phone or in an email or something. I mean what am I supposed to do, Darc? Oh hey baby, I hope you’re being safe and not getting shot at or blown up and by the way I’m pregnant.”

“Well it’s not ideal but it’s better than nothing.” She scowled as she turned into the hospital parking lot.

“I’ll tell him, soon, I promise. I just... I have to figure out how first.” 

“You have a week and then I’m letting Adam tell him.”

“Screw your ultimatum. This is my marriage and our baby, it’s not up to you to decide shit.” I spat the words at her, glaring out the window.

“Whatever, let’s just go get you seen.” She sighed in defeat, slamming the car door harder than necessary. I followed behind her, clutching my bag as we went through the automatic doors. Darcy marched right up to the counter, signing my name on the sheet.

“What can we do for you, Ms. Ryker?” The nurse asked with a sweet smile.

“Um, I’m pregnant and haven’t kept down anything in a little over a week, I guess?” I stared down at the floor, unsure of myself.

“Nothing? Like at all?” The nurse asked wide eyed.

“She isn’t keeping down water at this point.” Darcy stepped up, leaning against the counter.

“Come with me.” She stood up as I followed her to the triage room where she took my blood pressure. “You’re severely dehydrated, we need to get you back and start an IV. I’ll have someone come back and get your insurance information and everything.” She pointed to a wheelchair in the corner. “Have a seat and I’ll take you back.”

Darcy helped me sit down in the chair as my phone started ringing. “Shit, it’s Atlas.” I slid my finger over the screen. “Hey baby.”

“Hey gorgeous, how you doin’?” Atlas’ voice brought a small smile to my face.

“I’ve felt better. I’m actually at the hospital right now per Darcy’s forcefulness.”

“Good on Darcy, tell her I said thanks.” Atlas chuckled.

“I will not tell her thank you.”

“You will, Penelope.” His voice was low and sexy, causing me to forget my misery for a minute. 

“No Atlas, I will not.”

“Penelope Noelle Ryker you will thank her for me or so help me God I will spank your ass the next time I see you.” I laughed weakly, groaning at the pain it caused. “Baby you sound awful. I wish I was there to take care of you.”

“I wish you were too. I need to talk to you later but it’ll be over Skype. I don’t want to do it over the phone or email or anything.”

“Are you sure you’re okay Ellie? You’ve got me worried over here and there’s nothing I can do.” I imagined him running his hand over his face, closing his beautiful blue eyes.

“I’m sure I just want to see your face when I tell you. It’s really important so when you have some free time just let me know.”

“I will. It’ll be soon, tomorrow probably or later tonight if I can do some sweet talkin’.”

“Just text me or call me if I’m not on and I’ll be sure to get on as soon as I can to make sure I don’t miss you.”

“Alright baby, let me know what the doctor says.”

“I will. Be careful, please.”

“Always am.”

“I love you, Atlas, always.” I swallowed hard, suppressing the tears as Darcy gave me a small smile.

“I love you, Ellie, always.” The phone went silent as I clutched it to my ear. I didn’t want him to be gone so soon.

“Come on honey let’s get you in the bed and I’ll get a nurse to come start your IV.” I nodded as they helped me into the bed, covering me with a blanket as silent tears fell down my face. I wanted Atlas here more than ever. “How long has he been gone?”

“About six weeks. Second part of his nine month deployment.”

“How long have you been married?” The nurse was making small talk while she got everything ready for the IV.

“Almost two months.”

“You poor thing. I bet that’s hard.”

“Yeah.”

You have no idea...

“The nurse will be in shortly.” She patted my hand before leaving Darcy and I in the room by ourselves.

“I hate that shit. The “
you poor thing
” or “
I can’t imagine
” crap. It always makes me want to punch someone straight in the face.” Darcy scoffed as she sat in the torn brown chair in the corner. “Of course you couldn’t bitch, you’re not us.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” I closed my eyes as the new nurse walked in the door.

“I’m Tabitha and I’ll be your nurse this lovely day. What seems to be going on?”

“I took a pregnancy test, came back positive, pretty sure I’m thoroughly knocked up and I haven’t kept down anything in a little over a week due to massive amounts of nausea and vomiting.” I rambled on without opening my eyes to look at her.

“Alright then. I’m going to take your blood and double check the pregnancy thing and while that’s off we’ll get you started on some IV fluids to get you rehydrated.”

“Sounds good. Tell me when you’re done. The sight of blood makes me pass out.”

“Oh okay, good to know.” She wrapped the rubber tourniquet around my arm, cleaning it with alcohol that made my stomach queasy. “Alright, here we go, one, two, three.” She stuck the needle in, digging around.

“Um, that hurts like... a lot.” I scowled, closing my eyes tighter.

“Sorry it’s just that you’re so dehydrated I’m having a hard time getting it.” She moved the needle again. “There it is,” she snapped the tube onto the end. “Alright, let me hook up the IV and I’ll go get this sent off.” I waited as she cleaned it up and attached the fluids. “You’re safe to open your eyes if you want. The doctor should be in to see you shortly.”

“Thanks.” I said as the fluid began to flow into me.

“Are they required to say that? “
The doctor will be in shortly
” I mean seriously, no I thought we’d wait for a couple of days, maybe hang out, have a couple of beers or something.” Darcy said as she stared at the television.

“You’re just a ray of fucking sunshine, you know that?” I laughed, yawning as I checked my phone.

Atlas:
Let me know what the doc says. I have my phone handy in case. I love you.

“Your man is worried about you.”

“I know, he texted me as well. Adam getting some down time to talk to you as well?” I started scrolling through the pictures on my phone of us. Seeing his face made me feel better.

“Yeah, we email and text as much as possible. He doesn’t get to call much but that’s okay.”

“So you think he might be the one?”

“Did he put you up to asking that?” She eyed me suspiciously.

“No, my own curiosity.”

“Yeah, he’ll be the man I marry, for sure.”

“What the hell makes you think he wants to marry you?”

“What the hell makes you think that anyone wouldn’t want to marry me?” She flipped her hair fanning herself.

“I’d marry you. You know if I wasn’t already married.” I smirked.

“You wish you were so lucky.” We sat in silence after that as she played on her phone. The doctor knocked on the door about an hour after the nurse said the word
shortly
.

“Well Mrs. Ryker is looks like you’re pregnant.”

“Yeah, tell me something I didn’t know.” I smiled at him as he pulled a chair over.

“We’re going to do an ultrasound and see just how far along you are and then we’ll go from there getting you set up with an obstetrician and some medicine for your hyperemesis gravidarum.”

“My who-the-what-the-huh?”

“Hyperemesis gravidarum or HG, it’s a condition when you’re pregnant that makes you suffer from severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. We have medication that’s safe for you to take that should help ease the symptoms some. First we need to get you rehydrated and then we can go over the medications and such. Would you like to do the ultrasound now or later on?”

“Now is fine with me.”

“Alright, I’ll step out so you can get undressed from the waist down and the nurse and I will be back shortly.” The doctor stood up, leaving us alone again.

“There’s that word again,
shortly
.” Darcy said as she stuck her tongue out at the door.

“I’m hoping it’s actually shortly ‘cause I really don’t want to sit here half naked all day.” I stood up slowly, stripping out of my sweats and panties, covering myself with the blanket again.

“No joke, I have no problem with you being naked and all but I’d rather not have the whole your hooha is out in the room all day kind of awkwardness going on.”

“Do you even listen to yourself when you speak?”

“What?!”

“Let’s just say I’m surprised that you’re not with Caleb instead of Adam.”

“Caleb is an idiot... Wait, you bitch.” We laughed as they knocked on the door again.

“Ready for this?” The doctor asked as they rolled the machine in.

“Yup, can’t wait.” I laid back on the table as the nurse adjusted the table for me to put my legs in the stirrups.

“Alright so we’re going to stick this wand inside of you and get a peek at that baby, make sure everything looks okay since you’ve been so ill. It’ll probably be uncomfortable but it’s the only way.” I stared at the wand, blinking a few times.