Page 85 of Tangled Decadence
Liza glances over at Wren. “She has sinus issues that get activated every so often. I know things seemed frightening, but it’s actually not as bad as it looked.”
That matches what Wren told me, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. “Explain,” I growl. “What sinus issues?”
“It’s her body’s way of letting off steam, so to speak. She told me that the last time she experienced that kind of nosebleed in combination with a headache was right after she buried her sister and brother-in-law.”
Fucking hell. How did I not know that?
“So she’s stressed. Badly.”
Liza, normally unflappable, looks like she’d rather be anywhere else but here. “Well, she is going to have a baby, Dmitri. Stress is a normal part of pregnancy. And doubly so, under the… the circumstances, we’ll call them.” She sighs and rests a reassuring hand on my forearm. “Listen, you’ve been doing well creating a calm, stress-free environment for her. As well as you possibly could’ve done. I wouldn’t take this as a personal failure; it just comes with the territory. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
“What I’m doing is obviously not enough.”
Before I’m even finished talking, she’s shaking her head. “You’re expecting too much. Her due date is two days from now, though it looks like this little one is planning on camping out a touch longer. So of course Wren’s going to be stressed; of course she’s going to be anxious. It’s not anything you’re doing or not doing. You can even take her home now, if you wanted. She doesn’t need to be admitted.”
I glance over Liza’s shoulder at Wren. The sight of her swallowed up in hospital bedsheets is so fucking wrong that I feel sick to my stomach. She’s too pale and fragile under these harsh lights. I want her barefoot and pregnant and naked in my arms—not huddled up like she’s on death’s doorstep.
But some risks aren’t worth taking.
“I want her to stay overnight. We can’t be too cautious. Besides, she’s sleeping soundly and that alone is worth preserving.”
Liza nods. “Of course. That’s not a problem.”
“And I want a nurse monitoring her around the clock. Just in case.”
“I’ll put one of my best on her. And I’ll check on her myself between my rounds.”
I give the doctor a grateful nod. “Thanks, Liza. We’re lucky to have you—both Wren and myself.”
As she leaves, I return to Wren’s bedside and take her hand. The snoring isn’t natural; it’s a result of the bandages over her nose. Her lips are parted and breath whistles painfully in and out of her. Even though I know she’s okay, it’s still gut-wrenching to see her like this.
I don’t know how long we stay like that. Could be seconds, minutes, months, years. Eventually, her exhale catches and she moans. Without opening her eyes, she murmurs my name.
“Dmitri…?”
“I’m here, devushka.” I squeeze her hand and she squeezes mine back in response. “How do you feel?”
“Like someone punched me in the nose from the inside,” she says with a little smile and a cough. “How long have I been out?”
“Not long. A couple hours, I think.”
“So it’s still night? No wonder I’m so tired.”
“Go back to sleep. We don’t have to move you until the morning.” I start to pick up the glass of water on her bedside table so I can offer her a drink, but before I can even get that far, her fingers wrap around my wrist.
“Don’t look so worried, Dmitri. I’m okay. This has happened before.”
My jaw clenches as I sag back in my chair, Wren’s fingers still clasped over my forearm. “Liza told me. After the funerals.”
“And a few times after my dad left,” she admits with a nod. “But it’s rare. So I don’t expect to make this a regular thing.” Sighing, she shifts around to find a new angle in the bed. Face half-pressed into the pillows, she yawns and gives me as much of a no-nonsense look as she can muster. “You don’t have to stay with me the whole night.”
“The fuck I don’t.”
“No one knows I’m here; it’ll be fine.”
“The only way I’m leaving is when your security detail gets here. Until then, you’ll have to put up with me.”
“Security detail,” she repeats through another yawn. “My God. You know, when I was younger, I used to pronounce it ‘secu-titty.’ Isn’t that stupid?” She giggles wearily for a moment before it fades into yet another sigh.