Ride (Reposted)

February 2015
Jamie watched Emily stand in the mirror, trying on the 6th dress.

"Oh. My. God. I am so fat!" She exclaimed, peeling a dark blue dress off.

"Babe. You are not. You are pregnant." He said cautiously.

"That dress fit the other day. I'm not going. I'll show up after in my sweats."

"Your the one that kinda planned it this year. What about this dress?" He pulled out a low cut green dress.

"Nope. My boobs are too big for that now." She turned it down before even looking at it.

"Em. Remember your beautiful in anything." He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"I don't feel like it right now. I feel bloated and tired." She sniffled.

"Maybe you'll feel better after we tell everyone. Please tell me your not about to cry."

"I'm trying not too. My eyelashes were a bitch to put on, and my whole face costs more than that tie." She smiled as she straightened his tie.

"There's my Persian Princess. We gotta go though." He glanced at his watch.

"You go ahead. I still got a few work things to take up here before I go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. And take the Range Rover."

"What are you going to take?"

"My truck. I can drive in the freezing rain." She reached up to kiss him, to assure him.

"Okay. Just text me when you leave."

"I will don't worry."

"I love you."

"I love you too. Now go take that cute ass down to deal some cards, flirt with some older ladies and I'll see you in a bit." She smiled into his lips, pinching his ass.

"Hey now." He laughed.

He gave her another kiss before leaving to head downtown.

***

Emily was uncomfortable, felt sick and tried to stay away from cameras all night.
And she was bored. She couldn't drink to entertain herself so she found herself moving around the facility all night.

Working her way through a crowd of people she found Jordie on the other side, "How are you feeling." He asked her, pulling her in to a tight hug.

"I'm uncomfortable and bored." She groaned.

"Well at least you look good." Jordie observed.

She finally found a white sequinned backless dress that was loose all over.

"Thanks J. I think it's Ali's. But I don't look pregnant in it, so that's all what matters."

"You look great. Jamie's excited to tell everyone."

"Oh, I know he is."

"Why don't you take Jess and take off. We'll only be here for another hour, not even." He suggested, nodding over to Jess looking bored by the bar.

"I think that sounds like a good idea." I'll see you in a bit."

Deciding she should tell Jamie she was taking off she made her way around the room to see if she could find him.

Which she did, nursing his 5th beer of the night sitting in a back area.

Sitting across his lap, she found his strong arm around her.

"You stink like beer." She giggled as he kissed her neck.

"And what are you going to do about it?" He sassed her.

"If your gonna be sassy I'm gonna cut you off." She said firmly cupping his chin in her hand.

"You know Chubb's is in trouble when." She heard Jason Spezza hear from behind her.

"I know Jenn does the exact same thing to you to there Spezzy." Emily laughed, reaching behind her and punching him in the arm.

"And for a redneck you clean up pretty good." Jason chirped, rubbing his arm.

"Ehh. I try." Emily laughed, clicking her cowboy boots together, "I'm gonna take off to the after party honey. I'm gonna take Jess with me."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm a little bored and so is Jess. I'm gonna tell her in the truck on the way over."

"Okay. Be safe. I'll see you then." He kissed her cheek.

"I will. I'll text you when I get there."

Pulling herself up off of his lap he gave her ass a quick tap as she walked away to find Jess.

"Your pregnant aren't you? That's why you haven't been drinking." Jess looked at her.

"You banged the nail on the head with that one. I hit 10 weeks earlier this week." Emily grinned.

"I knew it!!" Jess said excitedly.

"You all did didn't you?" Emily laughed.

"Yup. You were just waiting till 10 weeks weren't you? Jamie, you and Jordie were also getting squirrelly too like you were all holding a secret."

"I was. And that is also true. You should have seen Jamie's reaction when he saw the ultrasound this week." Emily smiled as she merged onto the icy interstate, causing the back end of her truck to swing out, "time to switch this guy into 4 wheel."

One of the odd times Dallas saw freezing rain.

"I can just imagine. It's about time you two started expecting. Y'all can't keep your hands off each other."

"Hey, you and Jordie are the exact same! Part of me kinda wishes the baby happened next year. I was hoping to have one more summer of music festivals and drugs to get it out of my system before I settle down."

"Emily! Look out!" Jess screamed before everything went black.

***

"Sit down Jamie." Jordie advised.

"No." Jamie snorted.

Jamie paced up and down the waiting room, as if it would make a doctor come faster. He had gotten a call around 10:30, when things were just winding down. It was now two hours later and Emily was still in 'serious' condition.

From what Jordie's relayed from Jess a semi truck had crossed the median and hit the back end of the truck, sending it flying off the interstate. Jess had managed to come out with a few cuts and bruises but Emily was far worse, mostly in part due to Emily not wearing her seatbelt.

He was scared they were going to lose the baby. He was scared he was going to lose her.

He hated that truck. It was too loud, it's mud tires and lift kit made it too big.
He should have just taken his Escalade and made her take the Range Rover.

"Mr. Benn." A doctor came up to him.

"Yes." Jamie looked up, "can I see her now? This is killing me."

"She's almost done surgery."

"Surgery? On what?!" Jamie demanded. No one told him about surgery.

"To fix her nose. She had broken it during the crash."

"But. The baby. She shouldn't be in surgery."

The doctor took a deep breath and looked at Jamie sympathetically,
"The impact from the air bag on her stomach caused her to miscarry. My condolences."

"Thank you Doctor." He heard his brother say to him a distance away.
Everything turned to static as he felt the bile come up his throat, he bee lined for the bathroom,
just in time.

Jamie didn't know how much time passed until the doctor came around again. Letting him know that she was out of surgery if he wanted to go see her. Hastily agreeing he followed the doctor down a few hallways to a private room.

"She isn't aware she lost the baby yet." Jordie told him quietly.

Jamie just shook his head in acknowledgement as they followed the doctor into the room. He found her connected to machines of all kinds. Her nose in a brace, bandages on her arms and lord knows where else.

"What else?" Jamie asked.

"Bruised ribs. Another concussion. A lot of cuts. She's lucky." The doctor relayed to him.

"How is she lucky? We lost our baby." Jamie said aggressively.

"Jamie, not now. She's alive. That's all what matters." Jordie put his arm on his brothers shoulder.

"I'll be back in around an hour to see how she is doing. Mr. Benn, take as much time as you need with her." The doctor said, walking off.

"Mum and Dad are on their way to the airport, Shawn and Behar are flying out in a few hours. Do you want me to go home and bring you a change of clothes?" Jordie asked.

"Yes please." Jamie gave his brother a small smile.

Behar was going to kill him. Actually kill him.

As Jordie left Jamie took off his suit jacket and pulled up a chair next to her, he didn't realize how tired he was until he set his head down on the bed next to her. He didn't know how long he was out but judging by the feeling of Emily's hand on the back of his head he had be completely out for a bit.

"Hey honey. How are you feeling?" He said sleepily, snaking an arm gingerly over her stomach.

"I'm in so much pain." She said quietly, "I'm sorry I scared you."

"How do you know I was scared?" He sat up.

"Jordie came in to drop some clothes off for you. He kinda gave me the warning. Your parents are on their way here. Mom and Dad are flying out in the morning."

"Yeah I know. Has the doctor come by yet?" He sat up, noticing a bag in the corner that most likely had his change of clothes.

"He has but he was waiting for you to wake up. I wanted to let you sleep, you've been exhausted lately." She placed a hand on his cheek.

Having his face cradled in her hand was comforting, but his anxiety to see her reaction when she finds out she lost the baby was through the roof.

"I'm just going to go change out of this suit." He excused himself, getting up to change in her hospital rooms bathroom.

By the time he got out the doctor was in the room. Looking quiet nervous. He walked up to the side of the bed and grabbed Emily's hand and placed his other hand on the back of her head.
"How are you feeling Miss Rankin?" The doctor asked.

"Like I got hit by a truck." Emily groaned.

"Well. You kinda did." He smiled, and then took a deep breathe, "we have reset your nose. You also have several bruised ribs. As well as we believe you suffered another concussion. We'd like to keep you for a couple of days."

"The baby? What about the baby?" Emily bit her lip.

Jamie held his breath for this.

"I'm sorry. With the impact of the airbag on your stomach due to you not wearing a seatbelt. It caused you to miscarry. I'll leave you two to mourn." The Doctor choked out, before leaving.

Seeing Emily crumble into tears on the bed broke his heart, and it made him tear up. Crawling onto the bed next to her, he pulled her in and held her tight.

They cried together until she fell asleep.

***

Waken up from a dreamless state she found Jamie heavy half on top of her.

Getting a glance of his watch it read 7:20 AM. He had to get moving to practice.

"Babe. Jamie, you have to get ready for practice." She gave him a light shake.

Her whole body hurt.

"Hey love." He sniffled, getting up. His eyes were red.

"You have practice."

"I'm not going. They'll say I'm having a maintenance day."

"You look like shit." She held his face in her hand.

"Mom and Dad are going to be here soon." He relaxed in her hand, "do you want me to tell them?"

"When are my parents due to arrive."

"In about an hour and half. They're going to kill me."

"No they won't. Let's tell them all when they're all here. Mom will kill me. They'll understand," she could feel it come up in her throat, "what we lost."

She needed to be strong.

Strong for the child they lost. Strong for Jamie, who was so sensitive. She could tell he was being strong for her, but he was breaking on the inside. She could see it in his eyes. She loved his eyes. They were so expressive. Even when he was that shy, husky boy she met two years ago at a bar, his eyes always told what he was thinking even if he couldn't physically say it.

They had come a long way since then.

Once the tears came over the edge he came right back onto the bed and scooped her up, rocking her and trying to comfort her.

"Jamie. My ribs." She inhaled sharply.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly.

A nurse came in to check her vitals.

"How are you feeling?" She said in a soft voice.

"Everything hurts."

Nothing could explain the empty feeling she had in her heart to replace the loss of the baby. Even if she was just 10 weeks along, and the baby was unplanned, and Jamie had to talk her into the idea of keeping it when she didn't want it. She loved it.

The nurse administered more morphine. Making her go numb and all the pain to go away.

Going into a haze she saw the nurse go over a few things but she didn't feel where she poked and prodded.

She didn't know how much time had passed before Randy and Heather came into the hospital room.

Trying to fight through the haze of the morphine she gave her in-laws hugs as they asked her how she was doing, if she needed anything.

Hopefully this high stayed until her parents got there.

"You gave us a real scare. Getting a call from Jordie at midnight, sounding distressed and hearing Jamie freaking out in the background." Heather sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind Emily's ear.

Jamie was a spitting image of his mother. She also taught Jamie well. For being a hockey player he was a perfect gentleman.

"I know. I'm so sorry. I gave him a scare too. I woke up with him sitting on a chair in a suit, sleeping with his head on the bed. Looking so uncomfortable." Emily looked up at Heather and Randy, "sorry, the nurse just gave me painkillers about an hour ago. I'm a little high."

"In a lot of pain?" Randy asked.

"Yeah, they reset my nose last night and I have severely bruised ribs. As well as they believe I suffered another concussion. I'm going to be locked up here for a couple of days." Emily sighed.

"Well if it's a precaution." Randy shook his head with a grin.

"I'm used to hospitals. I was a rough child growing up. Fallin out of trees, rugby, dirt biking, downhill mountain biking. You name it." Emily snorted.

"There's my little girl!!! You had me so scared!!" Her mother burst into the room, being over dramatic and crying, flopping on top of her.

"Mom. I have bruised ribs. And your being over dramatic." Emily groaned, rubbing her mom's back.

"Having Jordie calling us in the middle of the night gave us a scare. We thought something happened to both of you." Her dad came in, giving placing a hand on Jamie's shoulder.

"Jamie wasn't screaming in the background when Jordie called you?" Heather asked.

"Nope." Her dad shook his head.

The conversation in the room suddenly became louder and louder. Feeling overwhelmed she looked at Jamie, who looked just as overwhelmed.

Feeling the emotions come up she wanted it to hide. And she wanted to hide.

"I think I want to be alone." Emily said quietly.

"What did you say honey?" Her mom asked.

"I said I want to be alone. I'm tired." Emily said monotonously.

"We'll go back to the house. You're understandably tired." Heather gave her arm a tight squeeze.

"Thanks." She smiled up at her mother in law.

"Did you want me to stay too babe?" Jamie asked timidly.

"Go home and get some rest, and have a shower." She winked at him.

"Are you saying something?" He grinned.

"Yeah you need to wash all that gel out of your hair. And you need to lay flat or the chiropractor will kick your ass."

"This is true. Only if you want me too." He sat on the side of the bed.

"Yes. Hon, I'll be fine for a few hours. Go home and get some decent rest. I promise I won't move." She squeezed his arm.

She could tell he was panicking at the thought of leaving her alone. She needed alone time though. At least just to reflect on things.

"Well we'll take off to leave you be. We'll swing by in a bit to see how your doing." Her dad said. She could see her mother disagreeing and wanting to stay.

"I love you all. I'll see everyone in a bit." She smiled at everyone, letting Jamie give her a quick kiss.

Once she knew she was in the clear she broke down, letting the tears fall until the nurse came by to see how she was doing, faking the amount of pain she was in to be numb again, letting herself fall into a dreamless sleep again.

Notes

This will be the last one for a while. I've had this chapter planned for a while. I have planned out what's next, but I just do not know how I am going to convey it.

Sorry that this one is a little hard to read.