Chevalier watched from behind safety glass as Emily was moved into the long MRI tube and the loud machines started up. He didn't need the safety glass. He wanted to be in there with her, but he had to keep up pretenses. Dr. Edwards had turned Emily over to Dr. Bell, a neurosurgeon at the University of Maine Medical Center. It was Dr. Bell that was there with him now, watching the monitors. He opted to keep Emily sedated during the MRI, so she hadn't been awake since the last few moments in the bedroom.
Dr. Bell turned when the door opened and two other doctors entered.
“Chevalier, this is Dr. Nelson, she is a neonatal specialist.” Chevalier shook hands with the older woman.
“And this is Dr. Anderson, he is a Perinatologist.” Chevalier nodded and also shook this doctor's hand.
Doctor Bell continued, “I've called them in case we need to deliver the baby because of Emily's health.”
Chevalier froze, “Deliver the baby? Now?”
“We have to be ready for anything. These two are as good as you'll find in the U.S. and I've called them to consult on what we find on the MRI,” Dr. Bell said.
“We need to make sure that what's happening isn't going to affect the rest of the pregnancy. If it does, we have to make the choice whether to take the baby 3 months early or try to let Emily make it until she's closer to 35 weeks,” Dr. Anderson said.
“Can the baby make it now?” Chevalier asked, his eyes concerned.
Dr. Nelson spoke, “It is possible, but not without great risk. The only way we would take the baby is if it's a risk to Emily's life to continue the pregnancy. As far as we can tell, the baby is fine.”
Chevalier nodded as two nurses pulled Emily out of the MRI tube and moved her to a gurney. They wheeled her out and Chevalier met them out in the hallway, and then followed them to a private room in the ICU.
“We're turning off the sedative,” one nurse told him. “She should wake up in a few minutes.”
Chevalier nodded and watched them leave. He pulled the curtains for more privacy, and moved the chair up by the bed as he took her hand in his.
As Emily began to stir, Chevalier put one hand over the I.V. in her arm and took her hand in his other.
“Emily?” he asked softly.
She looked up at him and her eyes were no longer red, “Chev? Where am I?”
“In Bangor, you're in the hospital,” he said, putting his hand against her shoulder as she tried to sit up.
“Why? What happened?” She looked around shocked.
“What's the last thing you remember?” he asked.
“I was going to lay down and take a nap. I was feeling kind of tired,” she told him.
“How bad is the headache?” He touched his lips lightly to her forehead.
“I don't have a headache.”
He looked into her eyes and she looked alert and full of energy. Chevalier frowned, slightly confused, and pushed the button.
“Yes?” the voice asked over the speaker.
“Send in Dr. Bell, please,” Chevalier said, still watching Emily.
“Let me sit up,” she said, pushing against his hand. He relented and helped her sit up, still holding his hand over her I.V.
Emily looked around, and her eyes focused on the I.V. bag. She paled a bit and pulled on Chevalier's hand, “Let me have it.”
He couldn't help but grin, “No, this time you're leaving it in.”
“What have we here?” Dr. Bell asked, walking into the room. He stopped just inside the door and looked at Emily, surprised.
She frowned, “Where's Dr. Edwards?”
“He's not based out of this hospital. I'm Dr. Bell.” He stepped forward and shook her hand, “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” she said as he shined a light in her eyes.
“The headache?” He checked the monitors.
“No headache.” She watched as he checked her I.V. and pulled a strip off of the heart monitor.
“Hm, none at all?” He felt along her jaw and the back of her head.
“None”
“Any pain? Tingles? Anything at all?” He picked up her chart and skimmed through it.
“Nothing, can I get my I.V. out?” she asked. The doctor looked up at her, and then down to her hand. She was pulling at Chevalier's fingers as he held tightly over the I.V. sight.
“She'll take it out if you give her half a chance,” Chevalier said when the doctor looked up questioningly.
“I won't, I promise, let go.”
Chevalier grinned at her, “No.”
Before the doctor could stop her, Emily stood up and pulled her arm, “Let go, Chev.”
“Lay down!” the doctor said sternly.
Emily winced and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“You'll have to teach me how to do that,” Chevalier mumbled to the doctor.
“Well I don't know… I guess we'll watch you tonight and, if nothing changes, you can go home.” He glanced again at her chart and left with a confused look on his face.
“Em, I have to ask you something,” Chevalier said, trying to get up the nerve.
She looked over at him, “You want to know if I'll leave my I.V. in… which I will, I promise.”
“I'm serious,” he said, watching her eyes.
Emily frowned, “What's wrong?”
“Yesterday, during the ceremony, the man died.”
“I'm so sorry. Does that happen a lot?” She took his hand in hers.
“Never, not in thousands of years of turning mortals into heku.”
“What happened?” She wasn't quite sure she liked where this was going.
“How mad were you when we made you stay in your room?”
Emily let go of his hand and crossed her arms over her chest, “What are you implying?”
“I'm not saying you did it on purpose, Em.”
“You think I killed him?” She turned away from him, too mad to even look at him.
“It's all I can come up with. I don't think you did it on purpose, but you have to see the similarities. The nose bleeds, feeling dizzy, all of that happened after you killed the Valle in their city.” He tried to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away from him.
“Just go,” she snapped at him.
“Emily, please, I'm not blaming you. I just wanted to know what you remember,” he said softly.
She didn't