Page 57 of Loving Jemima
“He knows,” Jasper said, closing his eyes. “He told me to keep him in the loop.” Then he opened his eyes again. “I thought he sent you here?”
Jem shook her head. How typical of their father, of both their parents, not to be around when needed. But then, she hadn’t even thought to call them before now. She’d texted with Rolly on her way to the hospital, had promised Ellie she’d keep her informed, but hadn’t once thought of her parents.
“How did you get here then?” asked Jasper suddenly, puzzled.
“Long story,” Jem said. She really didn’t want to get into who Paul was, and why he knew Rosie was in the hospital. She barely knew who Paul was herself.
She was rescued from further questioning by the appearance of someone in a white coat. A doctor, she presumed.
“Mr. Darlington?”
Jasper straightened up and the doctor slid into the chair next to him. She looked exhausted, Jem thought, with black shadows under her eyes and hair that hadn’t seen a shower for at least acouple of days.
“Right, there’s no large cause for concern,” the doctor began.
“My wife got brought to the hospital in an ambulance,” snapped Jasper.
The doctor stared him down until he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“As I was saying,” she went on. “There’s no real cause for concern. Your wife has been suffering from what we call hyperemesis gravidarum.”
“Sounds like something out of Harry Potter,” grumbled Jasper.
The doctor smiled faintly. “It’s simply some serious morning sickness is all. She appears to be coming out the other side of it now, but this morning she had a turn and passed out whilst in the street.”
“Had a turn? Is that your professional medical opinion?” Jasper said sarcastically.
Once again the doctor simply looked at him until he sighed and shut up.
“We’ve done all our tests on both her and the baby, both are fine, though we’ve got your wife on an IV just to get some hydration into her. There should be no lasting damage, but the paramedics were understandably concerned when they learned she was pregnant.”
“She’s going to be alright? The baby’s alright?”
The doctor nodded and color flooded into Jasper’s face.
“Thank you,” he croaked. “Um, my apologies for not being… more polite.”
“I understand,” the doctor said, smiling slightly. “You love your wife and were worried about her. You’re not the first person that’s snapped at me and you won’t be the last.” She stood up. “Give your wife a few minutes to get cleaned up after the ultrasound and then a nurse will be out to escort you in to see her.”
“Thank you,” Jasper said again. “Thank you.”
When the doctor left he laid his head back against the wall taking deep breaths and Jem suddenly realized that the doctorhad been right. Jasper loved Rosie. She supposed she’d never really thought about it before. It was difficult to think about someone as generally hateful as her brother falling in love. But clearly he had.
And a little piece of her started to see him in a new light.
“You do love her, don’t you?” she said, almost in a whisper.
There was silence for long enough that she thought he might not answer her. Then he said, equally quietly, “Yes.”
“She’s going to be fine, the doctor said so.”
“But what if she weren’t,” Jasper said, eyes still closed. “What if she’s not next time?”
“She will be,” said Jem.
For the first time that Jem could remember, Jasper took her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you for coming.”
And if she couldn’t say it now, when could she? If he couldn’t understand now, when would he? Her skin started to buzz, to itch with what she needed to say. Her pulse started to race, but it needed to be done. It needed to be done because if Ellie were the one lying in that hospital bed then Jem didn’t know what she’d do.