Hazel and the Alien Biker (Intergalactic Brides 5) (14 page)

“I’ll head that way now.”

Reyvor ended the call and immediately called Thrace.

“Please tell me the other girls are okay.”

Thrace sighed. “I was about to call you. Winnie complained of a headache last night so Avelyn gave her some children’s Tylenol. Then this morning, we couldn’t wake her and she was burning up with fever. Avelyn called 9-1-1 and they just left with Winnie. Abby and Nikki are fine, but they’re scared.”

“Could you watch them until we know what’s going on? I’m sure Hazel will want to stay with Winnie until she’s allowed to come home. I promise to come get the girls as soon as I can.”

“Take your time, and please keep us up to date on what’s going on. Avelyn feels horrible right now.”

“It wasn’t her fault.”

Thrace sighed. “I better go. She’s trying to coax the girls into eating a bit of lunch.”

Reyvor ended the call and put his arm around Hazel. She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes and it tore him apart. He wished he had good news for her, but he was just as much in the dark as she was. It felt like it took forever for the limo to reach the hospital, and they both leapt from the car and ran inside.

“Our daughter, Winnie, was just brought in by ambulance,” Reyvor said as they slid to a stop in front of the triage desk.

“You can’t go back yet. A doctor will come speak with you soon.”

They settled into chairs in the ER waiting room, gripping each other tight. Reyvor wished there was something he could say to ease her worry, but he was just as terrified. Part of him wanted to be with the girls at home, knowing they must be just as scared. But he wouldn’t leave until he knew what was going on with Winnie. Hazel looked like she would collapse at any moment.

As they waited, Reyvor filled out the paperwork a nurse brought to him. He couldn’t blame the hospital for wanting to get paid, but their timing was rotten. There were a few questions he had to ask Hazel, like Winnie’s social security number and her date of birth, but he tried not to trouble her with the rest. They waited for about an hour, maybe longer, before someone in a white coat came toward them.

The doctor looked harried and ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Are you the parents of Winnie Cooper?”

“Yes.” Reyvor stood and gripped Hazel’s hand as she stood beside him.

“Winnie has meningitis. I think we caught it in time, but we won’t know for sure until probably the morning. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with this disease, but her particular strain is bacterial. Now, we’ve treated her with antibiotics, and your doctor, Xonos, has applied one of his Terran treatments as well. If caught in a timely manner, the patient usually recovers without any ill effects.”

“But?” Hazel asked.

“There’s a chance of brain damage or even death if it isn’t caught soon enough. I understand Winnie complained of a headache last night and had a fever this morning when she wouldn’t wake. The EMTs told me she had a seizure on the way here. Now I’m not saying we’re going to lose her or that she’ll suffer brain damage, but I want you to be prepared. We think she got it from an ear infection. Have you noticed her tugging on her ears lately or complaining of ear pain?”

Hazel shook her head. “I didn’t know she had one. I would have…” Tears trickled down her cheeks.

“If we had known something was wrong with Winnie, we’d have taken her to the clinic immediately.” Reyvor wrapped an arm around Hazel. “When can we see our daughter?”

“We’re getting her settled into a room now and then you’ll be allowed back to see her. There’s a recliner in the room that serves as a bed if one of you wishes to stay with her tonight. I’m afraid we’ll have to limit her visitors for the time being. Are there other children in the home?”

“Two.” Reyvor swallowed hard. “Are they going to get it too?”

“I’m going to prescribe antibiotics for the entire family, or you can see your doctor. He mentioned he was going to go back to the clinic in case you needed anything. He promised to come check on Winnie later this evening and again in the morning.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

Reyvor shook the man’s hand then went back to sitting and waiting. When they were finally allowed in to see Winnie, she looked so damn tiny in the bed. A machine beeped in time with her heart and Reyvor wondered if there was anything he could have done to prevent this from happening. How had they not noticed she had an ear infection? It was only his third official day as a parent and he already felt like he’d failed.

He leaned over Winnie and kissed her softly on the forehead, willing her to open her eyes. Hazel cried at his side, gripping their daughter’s hand tight. He didn’t want to leave her, but now he knew what was wrong with Winnie, he wanted to check on the other girls. Reyvor wished he could be in two places at once. Hazel needed him but so did Nikki and Abby.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he told Hazel, “but I want to go check on the girls. I think they need one of us to be there for them tonight, and then I’ll come back in the morning. If you need anything, or if she wakes up or gets worse, I want you to call me immediately.”

“I don’t know your number.”

He saw a white board across the room and wrote his number at the bottom. “Now you can call me whenever you need me.”

“Reyvor, I…” More tears trickled down her cheeks. “What if she doesn’t make it? I don’t think I could survive losing her.”

Reyvor took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. “You’re a strong woman and can get through anything, but I don’t think we’re going to lose her. You heard the doctor. He said they thought they’d gotten to her in time. We’re going to hope for the best, all right?”

She sniffled and nodded against his chest.

“I’m going to go pick up our girls. Maybe I’ll take them for ice cream or something. I think they need something to take their minds off Winnie being sick. I’m sure they’re terrified right now.”

“So am I,” she whispered.

“I’m scared too, Hazel, but we have to be strong for the girls. They need us now more than ever.”

She nodded and went to sit beside Winnie’s bed. He watched her for a moment then walked back to the parking lot. The limo was still waiting for him and he slid into the backseat and asked the driver to take him back to the hotel. His heart ached as he thought about Winnie lying in that hospital bed, but he refused to think they would lose her.

At the hotel, he rode the elevator up to Thrace’s floor and knocked on their hotel door. Avelyn answered, looking pale and more out of sorts than he’d ever seen her before. She sobbed when she saw him and he gave her a hug.

“It’s not your fault, Avelyn. They think she had an ear infection that caused this. You did the only thing you could.”

He stepped further into the room and saw Nikki and Abby huddled together on the sofa. Kneeling in front of them, he waited for them to focus on him and not the TV. When two pair of eyes swiveled his way, he saw the fear and uncertainty in them. Reyvor held open his arms and the little girls launched themselves into his embrace.

“Did the two of you eat lunch?”

Nikki shook her head against his shoulder. “We were too scared to eat.”

He hugged them tight and kissed both of them on the head. “Winnie is in the hospital, and I won’t lie to you, she’s really sick. But the doctor gave her some medicine and he thinks it’s going to work. We’ll know more in the morning.”

“Are you our daddy for real now?” Abby asked.

“Well, there’s a bit more paperwork to file, but I’m married to your mother. So, yes, I am your daddy.”

“Can we go with you?” Nikki asked. “I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

“Let’s take your things to our suite and then maybe we can go find something for the two of you to eat. Winnie wouldn’t want you to go hungry just because she’s sick.”

He stood, holding their hands, and faced Thrace and Avelyn. “You’ll want to take your family to the clinic and see if you need antibiotics, just to be safe. I would feel terrible if something happened to Lily.”

“If you need anything, just let us know,” Thrace said.

Reyvor nodded. “Girls, you should get your things.”

Avelyn shook her head. “We’ll have their things delivered to your suite while you’re gone.”

“Thank you.”

Reyvor led the girls down to the lobby where he hailed a limo driver. The girls were quiet as they settled into the car and Reyvor wasn’t sure if he should try to make conversation or just be there for them. Nikki was snuggled up to one side of him while Abby crawled onto his lap. He held them and hoped he was giving them some sort of comfort. If he was scared, he could only imagine how terrified they must be.

“What do you feel like eating?” he asked.

They both shrugged.

“Would you like to go to the Terran station to eat?”

Abby’s eyes lit up. “We can eat there?”

“Of course.”

She nodded eagerly. Reyvor gave the instructions to the driver and they pulled away from the curb. It didn’t take long to arrive at the station and Abby scampered out of the car. Nikki was more reserved and she clasped his hand tight as they entered the station. There was a Terran at the front desk and he smiled when he saw the children.

“Is this your family?” Lovik asked.

“Yes. Nikki, Abby, this is Lovik. When he isn’t welcoming people to the station, he’s head of security.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Nikki mumbled, pressing herself tighter to Reyvor’s side.

Lovik gave Reyvor a questioning look.

“Their sister, Winnie, is in the hospital today. Xonos has been helping with her treatment, but the girls are worried about her. I thought they might like to come here and eat a late lunch.”

“I’m sorry to hear about Winnie. Perhaps you can return soon with your entire family. I’d like to meet them.”

Reyvor nodded and ushered the girls through the station, stopping to introduce them to people along the way. When they reached the food court, he watched their eyes light up. Only one place served Terran food, but he wasn’t sure they would like the cuisine and steered them toward the other place.

After they’d eaten and explored a little more, they stopped by the clinic to see Xonos. The doctor had a ready smile for them and welcomed them into the back. The girls took everything in. Abby reached out to touch the instruments on Xonos’ desk then snatched her hand back.

“I just spoke with the attending physician at the hospital,” Xonos said. “Winnie hasn’t woken yet, but her fever has come down. They think she’ll wake by morning, if not sooner.”

“When can we see her?” Nikki asked.

“I think it would be best to wait a few days. Maybe even wait until she comes home. I wouldn’t want the two of you to get sick.” He rolled his chair back. “Speaking of which, I’m going to give both of you a dose of antibiotics since you’ve been exposed to it. Just wait here a moment.”

The girls looked nervous, but they were brave and held still when Xonos gave them each an injection. When Xonos was finished, he gave them each a sucker and praised them for doing so well.

“Thank you,” Reyvor said. “I believe the hospital will take care of Hazel tonight, but I need to get the girls back home. I’m sure they’re tired and would like to rest.”

“Of course,” Xonos said. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need me. I’ll check in on Winnie before I head home for the night and see her first thing in the morning. She’ll be home before you know it.”

Reyvor smiled and led the girls back out to the limo. He felt better having spoken with Xonos, but he was still worried about Winnie and Hazel. This wasn’t how he’d pictured their homecoming, but at least he had Nikki and Abby with him. He would take care of them as best as he could until Hazel was able to come home. The last thing he wanted her to do was worry about all of their daughters.

Epilogue

Over a week had passed since Hazel had come home to a complete nightmare. Thanks to the doctors at the Shriner’s Hospital, Xonos, and Syl, Winnie had healed quickly and was not only home with her family, but she was playing and laughing as if nothing had ever happened. Syl had come up with a formula that night that not only fought against meningitis, but cured it at a faster rate than the antibiotics the human doctors had used.

Hazel stared up at the ceiling as she thought about her days with Winnie in the hospital. She’d been completely terrified, and yet she’d known her other two girls were safe with Reyvor. He’d held her hand, whispered words of encouragement, and had kept their little family together in a time of crisis. As she’d sat beside Winnie’s bed, she’d realized something important. She loved him.

Of course, she hadn’t told him yet. Not because she doubted her feelings, but because it never seemed like the right moment. She didn’t want to blurt out the words over coffee in the morning, and if she said it at night when they made love, then Reyvor might think she was only speaking in the heat of the moment.

She turned onto her side and studied his face, relaxed in sleep. He’d told her several times since their honeymoon that he loved her, loved all of them, and she felt horrible for not saying the words back. How could she not have known she’d fallen for him? It shouldn’t have taken a tragedy to wake her up. He deserved so much better than her, but now that she had him, she was going to hold on with both hands. A life without Reyvor would be no life at all.

“Reyvor,” she said softly, gently shaking him awake.

He groaned and cracked his eyes open. “Something wrong?”

“No. I… I had something I wanted to say.”

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes then propped himself on one arm and stared down at her. “What is it, Hazel?”

“When we got married, you said three very important words to me, and like an idiot I didn’t say them back. I wanted you to know you weren’t alone. I love you too. I was just scared to admit it to myself or to you, and then we came home and…” She sighed. “Things have been hectic, but while I was sitting in the hospital I realized how much I love you and you mean everything to me.”

He smiled, his lips tipping up on the corners. “Are you certain?”

“I’m positive.”

Reyvor kissed her softly. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I don’t know what I did to deserve a second chance but I’m glad the girls and you stumbled into my life that night. You once told me I’d saved you, but really it was you who saved me. I was on a path of self-destruction, but the moment I looked into your eyes my life was changed.”