Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Flashing lights appear though my windshield and I see a female police officer running towards my car. The guy from the vehicle that hit me points to the broken door on my side and together, they make their way around to the window opposite me. The police officer leans over and sees that my eyes are open. She says something, her mouth opening and closing, but I can’t hear anything. Apparently she realizes this because she points to the lock on the passenger side, and straining, I manage to unbuckle my seatbelt and lean over to unlock the door. As soon the lock clicks, she opens the door, leaning down to my level because I can’t manage to get myself up.
Her mouth opens, and my hearing suddenly pops into place.
“Ma’am, are you alright?”
I shake my head, tears falling faster.
“My baby,” I manage to whisper. I point to my belly bulge, and the cop’s eyes go wide.
“Oh shit,” she says before pulling her radio to her mouth.
“Medical, be advised, victim is injured and she is pregnant, repeat she is pregnant...”
There’s a crackle before another voice says, “Copy that Hernandez, a bus is two minutes from your location.” Officer Hernandez turns back to me.
“Alright ma’am,” she calmly, taking my hand over my bag. “My name is Julie. What’s yours?”
She’s trying to calm me down and I appreciate it.
“Brynn,” I gasp, trying to sit up.
She stops me quickly.
“Try not to move. Are you having any abdominal cramping or pain?”
I sit for a second, and then shake my head.
“No, I don’t think so, but my whole body hurts so it’s hard to tell.”
She nods. “Got it. Just hold still, ma’am. Help is on the way.”
I can see an ambulance and fire truck pull up behind Julie’s police car.
“My cat,” I say desperately, craning my neck to locate my new kitten.
Officer Hernandez shakes her head. “Your car is totaled Brynn and your vehicle is the last thing you should worry about.”
“Not my car,” I say over the sound of the firefighters yelling to each other. “My cat.”
Her head cocks to the side and she pulls off her sunglasses.
“Your cat?”
I nod and slowly push my bag out from under me. Tom the kitten meows and tries to climb out of the bag back towards me.
“Holy shit, an animal!” the officer exclaims. “This is unexpected.” She tries to grab Tom, who hisses at her.
“Tom,” I admonish weakly. “Stop that. She’s a friend.” Meanwhile Officer Hernandez has managed to lift the kitten out, and is now holding him at arm’s length.
“He seems alright,” she says as he lets out an outraged meow. “He’s fine.”
We’re interrupted by a sickening crunch of metal as the firefighters manage to pull the driver’s side door off my car. I can see paramedics behind them with a stretcher. After asking me a series of questions about my back and neck, they gently pull me out and then strap me onto a stretcher before wheeling me towards the ambulance.
“My baby?” I ask again.
One of the paramedics, an older woman with short cropped hair and dimples, smiles at me.
“Don’t worry, ma’am,” she replies. “We’ll get you an ultrasound as soon as we get to the hospital, but I don’t see any bleeding. I think your baby is alright for now.”
The words calm me as I’m loaded into the ambulance, but then there’s the sound of footsteps.
“Wait,” Officer Hernandez cries before running up to us and placing the kitten on my chest. I can see several scratches on her hands. Tom looks put-out but he settles happily once he realizes it’s me. The paramedic shakes her head.
“Officer, we’re going to a hospital and she can’t bring a cat inside.”
“Okay,” Julie says ruefully while shaking out her hands. “But tell that to the cat.”
Tom hisses at both the paramedics, who step back.
“Fine then, but only for the ambulance ride,” warns the tall African-American paramedic as he gets us both secured.
“Softie,” his partner says, smiling at him. “You know we’re not supposed to be carrying animals.”
With that, the ambulance door slams shut and the female paramedic turns to me once again.
“Do you have any allergies to medications?” she asks as the ambulance begins to move.
I shake my head.
“Good. Then I’m going to give you something for the pain. Don’t worry, it’s safe even if you’re expecting.”
As I nod, she inserts an IV into my arm. I put a hand on Tom’s back and he meows, suspiciously watching the older woman through narrowed eyes.
“We should be there in about ten minutes, so try to relax while we check you out,” she says in a soothing tone.
The last thing I see before I close my eyes is my lover’s face. What would he say if he knew his baby was in danger? What would he say if he knew I was in danger? As I wonder, the cold feeling of the medication courses up my arm, and then I close my eyes and lose consciousness.