Page 36 of Grim's Gem

“Stick to the plan. Rodeo, you and Grease will go in through the back. Clear the house, make sure no one else is in there, and that one of those fuckers don't try to make a run for it. Are we ready?” he asks, and we all nod. I need to get into that fucking house now. What the hell did Loki mean by surgical room? What the fuck is going on? I’m about to fucking find out.

We make our way up the front porch silently. Hitter takes hold of the door handle in one hand while his gun is raised in front of him with the other. Quietly, he turns the knob. The stupid fuckers didn't even lock the damn door. Amateurs. Swift and Hitter rush inside, with the rest of us following quickly.

“What the fuck!” Swift roars.

“Oh fuck no,” Hitter mumbles quietly, making me turn my eyes in the direction he is pointing. The blood drains from my body, and I feel my whole body shaking at the sight in front of me. No, no, no. God, please, no.

Jade is lying still on the bed with a cut from one side of her belly to the other; there is blood everywhere. They cut her open! They are cutting my baby girl out of Jade's stomach. I roar loud, making their heads turn our way, and their eyes widen. That's when I look at the woman standing beside Jade's bed.

Alicia Kline. The crazy-ass patient who wouldn't leave me the fuck alone. What the hell is she doing with Dr. Ryner? It doesn't fucking matter. She lost her life the minute she stepped foot on my woman. I will make sure of it. Swift and Hitter lunge for Doug as he turns around with the scalpal. They wrestle on thefloor until Doug is subdued. I noticed Alicia trying to run for the front door out of my peripheral.

“Oh, where the fuck do you think you are going, bitch? Get back here,” Halle says, grabbing her by the hair just as she gets past her. She yanks it so hard that Alicia's feet come off the ground, and she falls straight to the floor on her back.

“Stay the fuck down,” Halle growls, punching her in the face as she tries to get up.

Halle grabs Alicia's ponytail holding it against the floor above the floor before bringing her knife across and cutting her hair off. I’m pretty sure she cut up her scalp in the process, but I don’t give a fuck. All my attention is on my woman lying still on the bed, covered in blood. I can't seem to make my feet work. I can seem to make myself walk closer to her. If I do and discover she’s no longer with me. I won't make it.

They might as well shoot me right here, right now, and leave me on that bed with Jade. I can't lose her. Losing my brother, then my mother was nearly impossible to get over. Until Jade came into my life, those ghosts still haunted me. Taunting me. Telling me I couldn't save them, taunting me that I was able to save so many lives by becoming a doctor. So many lives, but the two most important to me. I couldn't save them, and I wouldn't want to go on if I couldn't save Jade. I couldn't, with the knowledge, I failed. I failed her.

“Snap out of it, Grim,” Loki says, shaking me. I look at him and, for once, don't see crazy. I see concern, unease, and determination.

“Get your head out of your ass and check on your woman. You are a fucking doctor. Remove yourself from the personalshit and save her, just like any other patient. You need to save her. You need to save the baby. Come on, man, I know you can do it,” Loki encourages, and I take a deep breath before shaking my head.

“Where the hell is Crazy Loki, and why have you been hiding level-headedsaneLoki?” I ask, making my way to the bed.

“As Paisley likes to say, I’m like the Hulk. You all see the crazy, but that’s the secret. I’m always sane.” He grins, making sure the crazy comes back into it. I focus all my attention on my woman.

The first thing I notice is her chest moving steadily up and down. She’s still alive, thank Jesus. Seeing her chest moving has me snapping out of it, and I rush to her, determining the damage she has taken. Fuck, they’ve cut through her belly but didn't get through the wall of her uterus.

“We need to get her to the hospital,” Halle says, frantically running her hands over every inch of Jade.

“There’s no time. We have to finish here. If not, she will bleed to death, and the baby might not make it. I need you to get ready to suction out the amniotic fluids,” I tell her, getting to work.

I can do this. I have to do this. I refuse to lose her. I pick up the scalpel and finish cutting the rest of the way through. I don't think about this being my woman. I don't think about this being my beautiful baby girl. All I can think about is saving her. Saving them. Halle and I work in tandem. I tell her exactly what to do, and she jumps to it the minute I do. It takes longer than I like before I pull my baby girl out and hear her whine.

“Oh my gosh. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Halle says, looking at her in awe.

“Halle, I need you to take her. Get her cleaned up. Make sure her airways are clear. I have to get Jade sewn up before she loses any more blood. Halle cradles my princess. She’s safe. I can do this. Just as I cut the umbilical cord, Jade's body starts to convulse. She’s spasming, and I know this isn't good.

“NO! Jade! Hold on, baby! Please. I need you to hold on,” I tell her, trying my best to break through to her. To tell her I’m nearly done just to hold on a bit longer. Shit. Shit. Shit. I’m losing her.

Fuck.. I can't lose her! I CAN'T!

Chapter Thirty

Jade

“Mmmm…” I groan as I try to roll over, but it hurts too much. Why does my stomach hurt so much? Why is there an annoying beeping sound so close to my damn head? I will kick Gray's ass if he slept through his alarm again. I reach down to hold my belly. Everything comes flooding back when my hand falls on my stomach and my baby bump isn't there.

“No, no, no.” I shake my head. The beeping in the room gets louder, and I realize my baby is gone. They cut her out of me. They took my baby. Tears stream down my face at the loss. Where is she? Is she ok?

“Hey, baby. Calm down.” I hear a voice, but I’m too distraught. I don't want to calm down. I want to scream, I want to fight my way out of this bed, I want to tear this whole damn city down.

“Clover, baby. You are alright. Please calm down. You're going to hurt yourself, baby.” Gray's voice finally breaks through, and I want to hang on to it. I want to comply, but I’m too broken.

“Our baby. I couldn't protect our baby girl.” I let out a soul-piercing cry.

“No, baby, shhh… it's okay. She's okay, baby. She’s perfect. Absolutely beautiful, just like her mama,” He tells me, and I finally open my eyes to see a smile spread across his face.