Page 70 of Fame And Secrets
He remained stoic, delivering the words I dreaded. “Then we’ll resort to a bag of Terbutaline. It’s our last resort. If your baby shows signs of distress, we’ll induce birth.”
“He’s not here yet!” I screeched, balling up the blanket in both fists. “I’ll do whatever I have to do. I’ll stand on my head, but I won’t do this without him.”
“Miss Ryan, waiting for whoever ‘he’ is to get here increases the chances of a stillborn.” His words drove a knife into my heart.
Stillborn.
Ryker stood, uncharacteristically authoritative. “He is my brother, and he is the baby’s father. Women have babies every day without medicine like that. She can do it on her own—on her terms.”
The doctor faced him, their eyebrows lifted in some sort of alpha male challenge. “Son, unless you can pull out a PhD from that back pocket, I suggest leaving the decisions to me.” He reached around Ryker to grab the door, and once again, Ryker leaned against it, pushing it back into place.
“How about we leave the decisions to her?” His voice rose in volume. “Are we understanding each other?”
I watched them carefully. Even the gaggle of nurses that had been adjusting everything from my IV to my pillow froze in place. Everyone watched the confrontation with bated breath.
With a lowered voice, the doctor turned toward the nurse closest to him. “Keep her on her side. Report to me in an hour.” He pushed his falling glasses upright onto his nose. “Any sign of fetal distress, start the Pitocin.”
A smile struggled to break free from the corners of Ryker’s mouth. He stepped aside, shoving his hands in his pockets as the doctor exited the room. “Uh, I’m going to call Julian again.” Anticipating my rebuttal, he cut me off. “Don’t start, I get a better signal in the hallway. I’m sure he won’t answer anyway because he’s driving. I just want to leave him an update.” Reaching for the door, he abruptly turned around. “Are you going be okay until I get back?”
As the pain subsided, I nodded. “I’ll be fine.” With a ghost dimpled smile, he stepped out into the hallway. “Ry?”
Stopping mid-stride, he twisted his chin over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Julian would be proud.”
For a third time, heat stained his cheeks. “Yeah? Whatever.”
I smiled long after he closed the door. When the nurses finished with their probing, one by one they exited the room and left me alone. Silence amplified my thoughts.
The world fawned over Julian. It pushed Ryker to the sidelines, knowing how he’d stepped in to fill the hole Tanna’s betrayal left in a band of brothers. But, in this instance—in this hospital room—the younger brother showed a star quality all his own.
I just hoped I didn’t have to tell Julian about it after the fact.