I ran from my office with Lena in my arms. I debated calling nine one one, but I was convinced that I could get her to the nearest hospital quicker than waiting for an ambulance to come out and I had to get her there quickly, I knew that much. I had no idea what was wrong with her, but I couldn’t lose her. I just couldn’t.

I went down in the elevator, mumbling at it to hurry up the whole time it was going down, and the second the doors opened, I rushed across the foyer. One of the night security guards called after me asking if everything was ok but I didn’t stop running; I didn’t even slow down to answer him, I just shouted no and kept on running. I got to my car and unlocked it and laid Lena down on the back seat. I slammed the back door and wrenched the front door open, and I jumped into the driver’s seat and pulled away with a squeal of tires.

I left the parking lot and I forced myself to drive sensibly. If I went too fast, Lena could get thrown to the floor, or I could get pulled over and waste precious time. Or I could lose control of the car and hit a lamp post and kill us both. I drove a few miles an hour over the speed limit. It wasn’t exactly late but it also wasn’t exactly early either and the roads were a lot quieter than they would have been a few hours ago which made it slightly easier for me to move quickly, but there was still enough traffic that it slowed me down. That was the part where waiting for an ambulance would have had an advantage. The sirens would have been going and other drivers would have moved out of the way for us. And of course, the paramedics could have already been treating Lena.

Finally, after what felt like a life time but was truthfully only five minutes or less, I saw the hospital up in front of me. I couldn’t resist speeding up once it was in sight, and I practically took the corner into the hospital grounds on two wheels. I drove up to the ER entrance and threw my car into park. I got out and went to the back and scooped Lena out. I didn’t even stop to close the doors of the car; I just ran into the ER.

“Can I get some help here please,” I shouted as I ran in.

Several people in the waiting room looked up and then looked away again quickly, pleased that my emergency wasn’t theirs. The triage nurse who manned the reception desk was on her feet having already hit the alarm. She ran over to me.

“What happened?” she asked.

“I don’t really know,” I said. “One minute she was fine and then the next minute, she was bent double, holding her stomach, in too much pain to talk and then she just collapsed.”

By the time I explained a.it to the triage nurse, a doctor, two nurses and someone with a trolley had appeared beside me and heard what I had to say. I laid Lena on the trolley, and she was instantly wheeled away. I started to follow them but one of the nurses blocked my path.

“You’ll have to wait out here sir,” she said.

“But …” I started.

“Please sir,” she said. “The more time I spend debating with you, the less time I spend with your wife.”

I didn’t bother to correct her, I just nodded my head and backed off. The nurse scurried away, and I went back out of the ER to move my car. I debated calling Lena’s mom, but until I knew more, I decided not to. It would only panic her, and I had no real information to give her anyway.

I parked my car in the parking lot. I had been kind of surprised it was still there after I ran inside and left the doors open and the keys in the ignition. I suppose something had to go right this evening. I jogged back to the ER room and went to sit down in the waiting room.

I hadn’t been sat down for long when the nurse who stopped me from following Lena appeared in the waiting room. She beckoned to me, and I followed her to a private room where she gestured for me to sit down.

“Is she ok?” I asked.

“She has been sent for emergency surgery on her abdomen. The doctor has advised that you go up to the surgical ward to wait because that’s where she will be sent after the operation and the surgeon will be able to fill you in on what’s happening,” the nurse said. “You may stay in here for as long as you need to in the meantime.”

With that she was gone. I took a minute and I sat with my face in my hands. God how had this gone so wrong? Lena was young and fit and healthy. What the hell had happened to her? I shook my head. I had no idea and speculating was doing nothing but scaring me more. All I knew was that Lena had to be ok. She had to be. Because the thought of losing her had made me realize that I never wanted to lose her. I had fallen completely, hopelessly in love with the woman that three short weeks ago, I would have said I hated with a passion.