Full Circle (Rockin' Country #3) (13 page)

“I’m a little concerned at your hormone levels, Hannah. I think you have Hyperemisis Gravidarium.”

“Isn’t that what the Duchess had?” she asked, running a hand through her hair.

“It is.” He nodded. “I’m going to take you off these drips, and I want you to sit here for an hour, and we’re gonna see how you feel.”

She agreed, wanting to do what was best for her and the baby. “Garrett.” She grabbed for his hand and pulled him closer to her. “You gotta go, babe.”

“No.” He shook his head. It had been a hell of a long day for him, but he knew it had been even longer for her. He wasn’t the type of man to run when the going got tough, and he wasn’t about to leave his wife and now his child to fend for themselves. “I’ll call and cancel the show. Fuck it.”

“No.” She took a deep breath, fighting down the nausea that was already fighting its way back up. “You have to go. I have a feeling I’m not going to be able to leave this office today. I’m already feelin’ sick again. Don’t disappoint your fans because my stomach is upset.”

“You’re fuckin’ pregnant, Hannah.”

“Don’t yell at me.” She shook her head as she let it drop in front of her. “Please don’t yell at me. Right now I need you to be understanding, and that means keeping Reaper locked in a cage.”

He could do that, he could do whatever she needed him to do, but he couldn’t leave her there. “I don’t wanna leave you; I don’t wanna fail my first test as a husband and a father.”

“You’re not. Please call Shell and see if she can come sit with me until I can figure out if this medicine is going to work.”

She saw in his eyes that he didn’t want to agree, but he did and got up to make the phone call outside of the room. When he shut the door, she reached for the trash can and lost everything she’d just been given.

“Take it that didn’t work?” Dr. Willis had come back in.

“No,” she answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. “What’s next?”

“What’s next is a hospital visit. Hopefully the hospital can get you hydrated enough so that you won’t be dealing with this so badly. I’m going to have you admitted.”

She groaned. If Garrett was upset about a doctor’s office, he was going to hit the roof at a hospital stay.

*  *  *

N
ews out of Florida today is that Harmony Stewart was admitted to the hospital overnight while her husband, Reaper, was on stage with his band, Black Friday. Reports are sketchy, and inside sources say she might be having an eating disorder relapse.

Keep it tuned here for your latest celebrity news.

Hannah rolled her eyes as she turned off the TV in her room. For two days she’d lain here while the guys continued on with the tour. It had taken everything she had to convince Garrett to go on without her. He had dug his heels in and insisted he stay with her, no matter what. It had finally taken Jared to talk some sense into him, explaining that she would probably be at the hospital for a few days and this might not be the only time she would have to be hospitalized. Now the paparazzi had gotten hold of it.

“I hate them.” She sighed as she looked over at Shell.

Her best friend had been her rock, staying with her when no one else could, being quiet when Hannah needed it, and making her laugh when she wanted to cry. In the moments when Hannah was passed out from the anti-nausea medication, she worked on her school work or talked to Jared.

“I know, honey, but they’re going to talk shit until you confirm why you’re here. I know you don’t want to do that, so let them talk.”

She didn’t want to confirm. She was scared to death of miscarriage and didn’t want to announce too soon. Her mom and Garrett’s mom had called earlier today, both asking questions that lead her to believe they thought it was a pregnancy. Instead, she’d pushed them down the road of food poisoning and dehydration. “They are such vultures. It makes me nervous for when we do have the baby.”

“I think you’ll be fine if you reveal what the baby looks like on your own time. Ya know, do it how you want to, don’t let them get into a bidding war about who’s going to have an exclusive. Give your own.”

“You always have such great ideas, and I always feel so much better after I talk to you. I’m glad you’re back.” Hannah smiled over at her friend.

“I’m glad to be back. These online classes are difficult, but I can do them at my own pace, and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. Like this, I wouldn’t want to miss this for the world.”

“Ha! You’ve sat in the hospital with me, doing nothing for two days.” Hannah bit her lip. “Do you think they’ll let me re-join the tour today?”

“I hope so,” she admitted. “I kinda miss the guys, and I know you miss your husband.”

Garrett missed her like crazy too if his texts were any indication. He texted her at least every hour, from the time he woke up until the time he want to sleep. It was cute, but she knew he needed to have her there, to know for sure that she was alright.

“‘Miss him’ is an understatement. We haven’t been able to enjoy the pregnancy together yet.”

“You haven’t gotten to enjoy any aspect of it yet,” Shell replied, her tone dry. “If anything, you’ve puked more now than you ever did in your whole life before.”

That’s what worried Hannah. When she left the hospital and wasn’t on the constant flow of fluids and nausea medication, how would it be? Would she be sick again? Would she feel the way she had before? All that vomitting had scared her. Maybe now she would be better prepared for it, but no matter what, she wanted to be with Garrett.

Someone knocked on the door. “Come in.”

Dr. Willis ducked in, a smile on his face, carrying a folder full of papers. “How are you two ladies doing today?”

“Ready to get out of here?” Hannah phrased it as a question.

“I think we can make that happen,” he told her as he had a seat on the other side of her. “But first we need to talk about some things.”

She laughed and situated herself further up on the bed. “That makes me nervous.”

“No need to be nervous, but I have to tell you, I’m glad that Shell’s here. Because today, we’re talking about limitations.”

He stopped talking and let that sink in for a minute. The lady in front of him was so used to going and going that she often didn’t listen to her body, judging by her medical history; she didn’t listen to warning signs. He had to make her understand.

“When I say limitations, I’m serious. You’re going to feel weak, you’re going to feel tired, you’re going to feel sick. You have to listen to your body. Your health and the health of your child depend on that. If you’re tired, you take a nap. I’m serious. You can’t play with this stuff. Take your vitamins, stay hydrated, listen to your body. Those are your tools for being able to get through this right now. You have to eat, so I recommend bland food.”

“Will I feel this way the whole pregnancy?”

“Usually around week fourteen women start to feel better, so you’ve got a ways to go. On top of that, we have to make sure you don’t lose any more weight. In the few days you were nauseous and vomiting, you lost ten pounds. That’s huge. We need to get that back on you and have you gain more.”

“I understand,” she told him truthfully. “I know how serious this is. I don’t want my baby to suffer.”

“We don’t want
you
to suffer either, but your levels have come up enough that I feel okay sending you off. Just be aware that outside of here it’s not going to be a walk in the park. We’re keeping you hydrated.”

She completely understood, and while it scared her, she wanted to see her husband and friends. The doctor placed some papers in front of her, and she signed them quickly, ready to leave.

“This makes me nervous, Han,” Shell admitted as the doctor left. “What if this happens again?”

Hannah shrugged. “There’s only so much I can do to prevent it. We just deal with it as it comes. Women have been living with this for years, and I’m no different.”

*  *  *

June

“I
’m starving,” Hannah whispered to Garrett as the two of them and Chris stood in line for their turn at the fast food restaurant. She’d had a craving, and everyone in the bus was quick to listen to what she wanted. When she was hungry, she had to eat, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to.

“I know, babe,” he told her, bending down to kiss her on the cheek. “We’ll get you two something to eat here in a few minutes.”

She grinned, burying her head in his shoulder, her face burning bright. She loved when he said things like that to her. And things were getting easier. The symptoms that had plagued her for weeks were lessening. Instead of puking ten times a day now, she only did it twice, usually when she first woke up and then at lunch. Learning to listen to her body was key, and she thanked the doctor profusely for drilling that into her head. If she was tired, she took a nap; if she was hungry, she ate. It was as simple as that. Finally it was their turn.

“What do you want?” he asked her, slipping his arm around her waist, cupping her hip.

“Just a plain hamburger and a small fry,” she told the worker in front of her. “And a medium Sprite.”

Sprite had been her lifesaver on more than one occasion. It was beginning to become her new favorite drink. Garrett ordered his food, a treat for Havock, and then they stepped to the side to allow Chris to order.

“It’s two apple pies for a dollar,” Chris said to them. “You think Shell would want one? She likes sweets.”

Hannah snickered. For some reason it struck her as funny that he was trying to be budget conscious over a dollar. “Sure, if not, someone else will eat it.”

Garrett was on his phone, and she was enjoying standing with her head resting on his shoulder while they waited for their food when somebody yelled both their names.

“Oh my God, it’s Reaper and Harmony,” a young guy yelled as he came over to where they stood.

“Hey man,” Garrett greeted, placing himself between the guy and Hannah. He took notice that Chris got her on the other side. They weren’t sure whether this guy was friend or foe, and until they could figure it out, he didn’t want to take any chances.

“I can’t believe she’s in a fast food joint.” He pointed to Hannah. “Are you one of those binge-and-purgers? My girlfriend is. I told her you were my idea of a perfect woman, and she starved herself to look just like you. I heard you were in the hospital back in May. My girl has been too, took it a little too seriously, ya know?”

Hannah was shocked at the words coming out of this guy’s mouth. Was he serious? She glanced at Garrett and saw him grinding his back molars. She was worried for the guy’s health.

“Are you a dickhead or what?” Garrett finally spoke, his voice low and calm. “How dare you think it’s something to brag about that you put your girl in the hospital because you had an unrealistic view of how she should look.”

“You must like it too…”

“I like the way my
wife
looks, and it doesn’t matter if she gained two hundred pounds, I would still love her. I’ve never asked her to be something she’s not, just like she’s never asked me to be something I’m not. You are an asshat, and I hope your girlfriend figures out what a pussy you are.”

“I was going to ask for your autograph, bro.” He held a pen and a piece of paper out for the two of them to grab.

“I’m not your fuckin’ bro, and I sure as shit am not signing a damn thing for you.”

Finally the guy was starting to get irritated. “You think your shit don’t stink? You think just because you have a band and a hot wife you’re God? We normal people pay your salary.”

“You’re right,” Garrett took off his sunglasses so he could look the guy in the eye. “Normal people do pay my salary, and I am extremely thankful for each and every one of those people. You, my friend, are a crazy fuck who needs to learn manners and how to treat a woman.”

Hannah had yet to open her mouth, but she could see everyone in the place staring at the three of them and wanted to bury her head and leave, but then something amazing happened. When Garrett said the guy needed to learn manners and how to treat a woman, the crowd watching started clapping. It was a slow clap to begin with, but then they started screaming, yelling, and offering to buy her and Garrett’s lunch.