Kyle pulled the Humvee into the Hilton just as the sun began to set. Emily got out of the back of the Humvee and stretched. Chevalier grabbed her bag, and they checked into a room with Kyle in an adjacent room.
The room was warm and spacious and Emily immediately began filling the jetted tub. The long ride made her back ache. She shut the door and climbed into the hot, steamy water, then leaned back and shut her eyes. She opened them again when she realized her belly was sticking out of the water and getting cold. She wet a wash rag and draped it over her, then shut her eyes again.
“Getting big there, Em,” Chevalier said, chuckling.
She didn't look up, “Mmhmm.”
“Do you have any idea how crazy I've been? Not knowing where you were,” he said, picking her foot up out of the hot water and massaging it.
Emily shrugged and still didn't look up.
He sighed, “Do it again and I'll lock you in the prison.”
She could tell by his voice he was joking, “Oh good, then I can spend more time with David.”
Chevalier grinned, “I could always go back and get the smooth talker from Alec's ranch.”
“Oh Jeff, yes, he's definitely my type.”
Chevalier reached down and pressed his lips against Emily's. She wrapped her arms around him and laughed as he picked her up out of the water and laid her down on the bed.
***
“Well, I agree with the doctor in New Mexico. If this baby doesn't stop growing, we're going to have to take it early,” Dr. Edwards said after looking Emily over.
“How early? When's the earliest we can take it?” Chevalier asked, a little too anxiously.
“It'd be nice if we could at least make it to 37 weeks, but I won't risk Emily's health so when I feel it's time, we'll take it,” Dr. Edwards told them.
“Not too early.” She looked from Chevalier to Dr. Edwards.
“How are the headaches?” he asked, looking into her eyes with a scope.
“Fine”
“Bloody noses?”
“No”
“Your blood pressure is still higher than I like so… bed rest,” he said, writing something in her chart.
“What?” Emily's eyes were wide. “Are you kidding?”
“Nope, full bed rest.”
“But… no,” she said after a few seconds.
“That's my orders, full bed rest.” He looked at her, “I'm not kidding either. If you won't follow my orders, then I'll admit you.”
Emily gasped and Chevalier stifled a laugh.
They were back in the helicopter before Emily said anything to him.
“I suppose you're enjoying this,” she scowled at him.
“Nope,” he said seriously.
“I figured you'd think it was funny.”
“No I don't… Who does he think has to put up with your grouchy self for the next few weeks while you're bored in bed?” Chevalier grinned.
Emily slapped him on the chest and looked out the window of the helicopter.
When they arrived, she dutifully sat down in her bed, then looked at the boring room and wondered how she was going to keep entertained for the next few weeks. The book on her bedside table no longer looked appealing. She didn't want to watch TV, even though Kyle bought a big screen TV for her room. She wasn't hungry, didn't want to sleep, and didn't want to stare at the ceiling again.
The day finally drew to a close, and she watched the colors out the window turn from bright yellows and oranges, to dark blues and grays.
“Hungry, Em?” Chevalier asked, bringing her tray into the room.
“Not really.”
“Oh? I thought you'd be starving.” He lifted the top and wrinkled his nose at the Brussels sprouts, “Those smell awful.”
“I don't feel like eating.” She laughed. Chevalier always questioned her taste in food, but then again, she wasn't that happy with his choice either.
“Are you sick?”
“Sort of, just kinda… blah.” She flipped on the TV. Chevalier curled up with her as she watched the news.
“There's a hurricane coming!” She sat up and looked at him.
“Yes, I know.”
“Here?”
“Yes”
“Shouldn't we leave?”
Chevalier grinned, “No, we have it under control.”
“How?” Her eyes narrowed.
“We've been here for hundreds of years. In the morning, we'll board up the windows. It's nothing to worry about.”
Emily ignored his blasé attitude and turned back to the TV. According to the weatherman, the hurricane was going to hit Maine the following evening and was currently a category 4. She shivered just thinking about it. Blizzards, fine. Tornadoes, not too bad. Hurricanes, very bad.
“Gah, Emily,” Chevalier growled as she got out of bed and walked over to the balcony. She stepped out and looked up at the sky. It was perfectly clear and the stars were shining brightly.
“Come back,” Chevalier said, gently taking her hand.
Emily nodded and went back to the bed, grabbing a Brussels sprout as she passed the table. The rest of the news was the usual, wars in Iraq, deaths in Russia, and gang wars in Bangor.
Late into the night she channel surfed, occasionally stopping on a cooking show or a show about maximum-security prisons.
“Why don't you go to sleep?” Chevalier asked as she started to watch an old episode of The Man from Atlantis.
“Not tired.”
“How can you not be tired? It's 2am.”
“I've been sleeping on an off all day in this stupid bed, how could I not be awake?” She decided against that show and began to go through more channels.
“Do you want me to get you a movie?” he asked, cringing as she landed on a show featuring a woman and