Uncorked (51 page)

He awoke up to the sound of
voices a while later. He opened his eyes. Dr. Forrester and a woman who seemed
to be another doctor were discussing Chella’s chart.

“Hi,” he said, as he got up to
shake Dr. Forrester’s hand.

“Hello, Mitch. Meet Dr. Suarez.
She’s an OB-GYN and a psychologist.”

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Suarez.”

“You, too,” she responded, with a
pleasant, supportive smile.

“When do you think Chella will be
conscious? Is she doing better?”

“She is. Her vitals have improved.
She should be up anytime now.”

“What are your thoughts on her
pregnancy, Dr. Suarez? We thought we’d never be able to have children. We
weren’t even aware she was pregnant.”

“It might be more difficult for
Chella to get pregnant, but the fact that this happened is proof that it’s
possible.”

“If I knew this, I would have
insisted she visit the doctor last week. I was in Sacramento, and she told me
she was having stomach cramps and back pains. She thought her period was near.
She wasn’t even bleeding. How far long along was she?”

“Maybe eight or nine weeks. I’m
so sorry,” replied Dr. Suarez.

“Do you two mind if I tell her
about the baby? This is going to be really hard on her. She’s always wanted a
family of her own. When she realizes she came this close and lost it, it will
devastate her.”

“It will be difficult for you, as
well. I’ll be in the hospital until ten. If you need me, have the nurse page
me.” Dr. Suarez smiled. She handed Mitch her card before saying goodbye.

“Why don’t you head home, freshen
up, get something to eat and come back. I promise I’ll call you the minute she
wakes up,” Dr. Forrester suggested.

“I’m not leaving her side until
she wakes up.”

“Is there someone we can call to
support you?” the doctor replied, patting Mitch on the back.

“No, thank you. I think we’d both
rather be alone right now.”

“I’ll check on her once more
before I leave for the night.”

“Thanks, Doctor.”

Mitch said a prayer. Dealing with
the shock of the situation himself, he was not in the mood to have to relay the
story repeatedly, so he sent out a vague text message to their closest friends
and asked them for privacy over the next few days.

Chella woke up.
A nurse came in to administer
medication. She felt groggy. “Mitch, Sweetie, you’re home.”

“Chell. How do you feel?”

Bright, fluorescent lights shone
brightly. She realized she was in an unusual place.

“I’m in the hospital?”

“Yes, Sweetheart, you’re in the
hospital. You’re going to be fine.”

“All I can remember is blood and
trying to get help. What’s wrong with me?”

Mitch held her hand and kissed
her lightly on the lips. He sat at the edge of the bed.

“You’re scaring me, Mitch,” she
cried, when he hesitated.

“Sweetheart, you had a
miscarriage.”

She blinked, dazed. “That’s
impossible. They’ve made a mistake.”

“No mistake. Dr. Forrester and
Dr. Suarez both examined you. I was shocked, too. They said it might be
difficult for you to have a child but not impossible. So that’s some good news
we can take away from this.”

“So we lost our baby?” she said,
her eyes welling up with tears. “How could we have come so close and have it
taken away? What did I do wrong?”

“This isn’t your fault. We didn’t
know. From now on, we’ll be prepared. Sweetheart, you didn’t do anything
wrong.”

“I should have gone to the doctor
sooner. This would have never happened if I had gone in time.”

“Chella, there’s no way you could
have expected this. A pregnancy was the furthest thing from your mind. Maybe it
wasn’t meant to be, at least not now.”

“Then why bring us so close?”

“I’ve asked myself the same
question, but look at it this way. Yesterday, we thought we’d have to adopt.
Today, we find out it’s a possibility for us to have kids of our own.”

“I should have done more,” she
cried. In the blink of an eye, she lost the one thing she wanted so much, to
have a child with a man she loved, to have a family like she once did with her
parents. Her world crumbled, and she only had herself to blame. If only she had
listened to her body, if only she had gone to the doctor, she might have found
herself realizing a life dream. Instead, all the hopes and dreams for a future
had been cruelly snatched away.

Mitch listened to
her sobs. She cried for hours,
and he could feel her pain as her tears soaked his shirt. Slowly, the sounds of
sadness gave way to the beeping of the nearby machine. She fell asleep in his
arms. Sadness overwhelmed him. He felt lost and empty. This was yet another
situation he could not fix. He could not protect her from this pain. He wasn’t
even sure how to deal with it himself.

The next morning, he walked into
her house, saddened by the events from the night before. After he put the
wilted roses he had bought her in a vase filled with water, he pulled a mop
from the kitchen along with some bleach and disinfectant and headed to the master
bath to clean the floor. He stopped when he caught his reflection in the
mirror—face swollen and blotchy, wrinkled clothes, hollow eyes.

He regretted so much—that he
wasn’t with her, that he hadn’t stayed. He would have been there to help her
with the move and avoid all this hurt and pain. He had been so close to getting
the life he wanted to share with her. Regardless of them not being married as
he wanted, a child would have united them. It would have been a bond they would
share together, forever. Rage welled up from within. With one clean swipe, he
knocked over the bouquet of roses he had placed off the counter. The vase hit
the door, sending shattered glass, water and rose petals across the travertine
floors.

He took off his clothes and
crawled into the shower. As water cascaded over his head, a single tear rolled
down his face. He thought of what might have been. He would have loved having a
child with Chella, and he was even more worried about how she would handle this
over the next few days.

He dressed, packed Chella an
overnight bag and headed back to the hospital. On the way, he stopped at their
favorite breakfast spot and got some food to take to her, then picked up a
bouquet with an array of calla lilies in a variety of colors.

The following day, Chella was
released from the hospital. The mood was sad and somber. They had not talked
about the loss of their child since Mitch broke the news to Chella a couple of
nights before. Actually, there were not many words between them with the
exception of pleasantries. Occasionally, they would look at each other and
exchange sad smiles, but that was about it.

When they got home, Chella went
straight to bed. Mitch wrapped up some work business and accepted flower
deliveries sent by their friends. He napped beside her, but awoke alone. It was
five in the evening. He searched the house but didn’t find her. Heading to the
deck, he heard faint sobbing.

His heart sank.

The sunset was beautiful, and as
he approached, he saw her on the floor leaning against the glass railing,
crying. He scooped her into his arms, holding her close as the wind blew her
hair across his face.

He knew. He understood. Nothing
could fix this or make her feel any better. He wished he could take away her
pain. All he could do was be there for her and support her. He kissed her on
the forehead.

“I promise you, Sweetheart, it
will get better. The pain will ease in time.”

“I know,” she whispered after a
long stretch of silence. “I just wish it wasn’t so hard.”

“Me, too,” Mitch replied sadly. “But
we’ll get through this, the same way we’ve gotten through everything else.”

“It feels like it did when my
parents died. I still can’t believe it. It hurts so much. How are you?”

“I have my moments. It hit me
when Dr. Forrester first told me. I couldn’t help thinking about what might
have been. I’ve found myself going there many times since I found out. I’m
happy that you’re physically okay, though. It was horrifying seeing blood all
over the bathroom floor and not knowing where you were or what had happened. It
really scared me. I love you so much, Chell.”

“I love you, too. Sorry you had
to go through that. I went to the bathroom to look for some meds. Before I knew
it, I was lying on the floor in pain. I tried calling you, but your phone went
straight to voice mail.”

“I was on the plane on the way
back home. I wanted to surprise you. Let’s go in, and let me fix you some
dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Sweetheart, you have to eat
something. All you’ve had since this morning was a banana.”

“Nothing too heavy. I have no
appetite.”

“Come on, it’s getting chilly out
here.”

He helped her to her feet and led
the way.

Mitch fixed her a small chicken
salad with garlic bread and chamomile tea to calm her. He hoped it would send
her back to sleep. He was happy to see that she had eaten most of her dinner,
and soon after, she went to bed. He had some work to do, so he stayed in the
living room. He wanted her to have peace and quiet as she slept.

Chella walked into
the living room the next
morning. Flowers filled every horizontal surface. Surprised, Chella remarked,
“Where did all these beautiful flowers come from?”

“The usual suspects,” Mitch
replied with a smile. “How are you this morning, Sweetheart?”

“I don’t know how I feel,” she
replied, curling up next to him on the sofa. “What about you? How are you
today?”

“I think it’s sinking in.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“No, I also asked our friends to
give us privacy over the next few days so we can figure out how we want to
handle things.”

“That’s good, because I’m not so
sure that I’m ready to talk to anyone about it yet. Maybe I’ll send out an
email to everyone to thank them and let them know I’m okay.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Mitch.
“By the way, you did a great job with the house. It looks fantastic.”

“Yeah. It’s too bad my first
memories in it are so painful.”

“Why don’t we go away for a
couple of days? A change of scenery might be good for both of us.”

“I’m not really in the mood to do
anything.”

“I promise, you won’t have to do
a thing. I’ll even pack your bags. It will be good for both of us.”

“Okay. I have to go to the doctor
first, though. My appointment is tomorrow morning. Will you come with me?”

 “Of course, Sweetheart. You know
I’ll be there to support you.”

“So how are
we feeling today?” Dr. Suarez
asked as Mitch and Chella sat in the lounge area of her office.

“The bleeding seems to have
subsided a tad overnight, but it’s still heavy.”

“Are you still cramping?”

“Moderately. Nothing to talk
about, really.”

“How are you doing emotionally?”

“I’m still getting over the shock
of it all. Mitch has been great, though. I know it’s hard for him, too.” Chella
squeezed Mitch’s hand and smiled.

“That’s good. Continue with the
dialogue. Try not to shut each other out. Do you have any questions?”

“I was thinking it might be good
for us to take a trip somewhere,” said Mitch. “Have a change of scenery.”

“It’s a great idea,” Dr. Suarez
replied. “Both of you have to heal emotionally, and you, physically. A trip
might help with that. You have to give your body time to heal, so nothing too
strenuous.”

“Do you think we might be able to
get pregnant again?” Chella asked.

“It’s possible. I know this
pregnancy was unexpected, but you have to take some time to heal first before
your body is strong enough to handle a pregnancy.”

“Should we be on some sort of
birth control?” Mitch asked.

“I would recommend it, yes. If
you get pregnant too soon and your body isn’t healthy yet, you could miscarry
again. It’s too soon for sex. Wait about six or seven weeks, possibly more. No
swimming pools or baths either, only showers. I don’t want you getting any
infections and complicating things. Check with me before you resume sexual
activity. I’ll examine you first. At that time we can explore your
contraceptive options, as well.”

“Great. I guess that’s it then.”

“Chella, take it easy. Keep
communicating the way you have been. I want to see you regularly over the
coming weeks. If you notice any new symptoms or need anything, please call me,
you have my number. And go on that trip. It’s a good way for you two to start
to heal as a couple.”