Double Jeopardy chapter 11 (standard:mystery, 3238 words) [11/13] show all parts
Author: Sarah Spenser	Added: Sep 19 2005	Views/Reads: 2699/1960	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
See the aftermath after the masked man pushes Allison down the stairs!

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

“It's when the placenta which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the baby 
separates from the uterine wall.” “What can you do? Is the baby all 
right? What if ...” “Relax, Allison. Just lay still, we'll take care of 
you.” Molly said reassuringly. She gently placed her hand on Allison's 
stomach. She noted that it was tender and suspected that she was also 
bleeding internally. Her suspicions were confirmed when Jill took 
Allison's blood pressure. “Her pressure's dropping. We have to deliver 
now! Get Margery Ryan down here!” Jill barked. “What's happening?” 
“Allison, we have to induce labor now.” “It's too early!” “The baby's 
in distress and you've lost a lot of blood. You're hemorrhaging.” 
“Connor ...” she clung to his hand, she was about to say something, 
when she lost consciousness. “Allie? Allie? What's happening? Why isn't 
she waking up?” “Her pressure's dropping which can cause 
unconsciousness. I'm going to have to ask you to leave, sir.” “I'm not 
leaving her! Allie needs me!” Connor shouted. “Your wife and baby are 
in grave danger, you need to leave! It'll go much faster if you're not 
in our way. We'll have room to work on her. Please, sir it's the best 
thing for your wife.” Connor glanced at Allie who was lying motionless 
on the exam table. “I love you, Allie. I'll be right here for you. I 
have to leave you now. You fight, sweetness, fight with all you have.” 
He kissed her lightly before leaving the room. Tears cascaded down his 
cheeks as he entered the waiting room. He called his parents and Lynn. 
Then he sat pensively waiting for them to arrive. He knew from the look 
on Molly's face that this was serious, Allie and their baby could die. 
He knew that and cried even harder. 

Margery raced down to the ER. When she heard the patient was Allison,
she was frantic. She barreled into the exam room and stopped cold. 
“Molly, what have we got.” “She fell down a flight of stairs, she has a 
placental abruption. Her pressure and pulse are dropping. Pressure's so 
low, she lost consciousness. The baby's in distress.” “We have to 
deliver now! Where the hell is the anesthesiologist?” Margery screamed, 
it was apparent that Allie and the baby's lives hung in the balance. “I 
don't know, Dr. Ryan. I paged him.” Jill said frantically, watching as 
Allison's pressure continued to drop. She hadn't regained consciousness 
and Margery was frantic. “Well, find him damn it! Allison and her baby 
could be dying!” Margery glanced at the monitor, Allison was bleeding 
internally and she knew they had to deliver by cesarean. Jill finally 
found Dirk Richards the anesthesiologist. Minutes later, Allison was 
wheeled up to the OR. Jill went to give Connor an update. 

When she arrived, Lynn, Clint and Thelma's faces joined Connor's in
concern. All of them were crying and Jill had a hard time keeping her 
composure. She sat beside Connor and spoke in a hushed whisper. “How 
are Allison and the baby?” Connor asked choking back a sob. “She was 
just taken into surgery, they're going to deliver by cesarean.” Connor 
had read about it, and was horrified. It was too early to deliver! What 
if something went wrong? Millions of thoughts raced through his mind. 
“She's only 23 weeks along!” “I know, Mr. ...” “Connor, we're talking 
about my wife and child here!” he snapped. “I'm sorry, Jill.” “It's all 
right. I understand. I just came to explain a few things to you.” She 
paused for breath. “What kind of things?” “Well, these are consent 
forms. You need to sign these. Allison needed emergency surgery, there 
wasn't time for you to sign them then.” Jill handed him a mountain of 
papers. Connor could barely concentrate, all he could think about was 
Allison and the baby. He signed them quickly and handed them back to 
Jill. “That's not all is it?” Connor said skeptically, he had a sinking 
feeling that there was more. “No, Connor it isn't. Allison's 
hemorrhaging, which is a term for internal bleeding.” “How ... how much 
blood has she lost?” Connor asked choking back a sob. “A considerable 
amount, we're doing everything we can.” “How's the baby?” “We're doing 
everything we can.” Connor slammed his fist into the table in front of 
him. “What the hell does that mean? My wife could be dying along with 
our baby and you're doing all you can? I want answers damn it!” “It's 
touch and go.” Connor shuttered, Lynn and Thelma began to sob. “What 
does that mean exactly, Jill?” Connor asked trying to control his 
tears. “She has a fifty fifty chance.” “Fifty fifty?” Connor repeated 
in shock. “I'm sorry, Connor. She's very weak, she's lost a lot of 
blood, we're giving her transfusions but ...” “But? No buts! Allison 
has to live! I won't accept any other possibility!” “She still hasn't 
delivered the baby. We're doing all we can. There's something else I 
want to clear up with you. I didn't say anything in front of Allison, 
but you said she fell. She said she was pushed. Which one was it?” 
Connor fumed with anger, how could this woman think that he could hurt 
Allie? If he could trade places with her he would. “You think that I 
pushed her?” “I didn't say that.” “Well, you might as well have!” 
Thelma stood trying to intervene. “Connor, sweetheart no one's accusing 
you of anything. How did Allison fall down the stairs?” “A masked man 
broke in to our house. He knocked me out and then went after Allie. 
When I came to, she was lying motionless at the foot of the stairs. She 
told me who pushed her down the stairs.” “So she was deliberately 
pushed?” Jill inquired scribbling on a notepad. “Yes, but not by me! I 
love Allie! I love our baby! I would never do anything to hurt her. 
This isn't fair! My wife's fighting for her life because of some psycho 
who pushed a pregnant woman down a flight of stairs!” Connor dissolved 
into tears, Jill finished her notes and quietly left the room. “She'll 
make it.” Lynn said reassuringly, although she wasn't sure if she was 
saying that for Connor's benefit or her own. “Allie's a fighter, she'll 
make it. Charlie broke in I'm telling you.” Connor said emphatically. 
“I believe you, honey.” Thelma said dabbing at her eyes again. Clint 
sat stone faced on the edge of his seat, he was breaking up inside, but 
tried not to show it. He loved Allison and was looking forward to 
having his first grandchild around the house. But now that all could 
change because of one man's determination to kill Allison for the 
things she knew. Connor rocked back and forth and sobbed, he prayed for 
Allie and whispered how much he loved her. 

Margery was doing her best to stabilize Allison, but she was having a
tough time. Allison was losing blood faster than they could replace it, 
and growing weaker by the moment. Margery worked feverishly along with 
a dedicated team of doctors and nurses. Margery slowly and carefully 
delivered a tiny baby girl. She weighed less than a pound, her eyes 
were still closed and she was four months premature. “We have a girl!” 
Margery said excitedly, even though the little girl's future was in 
question, she was happy that she had delivered her. The baby was 
whisked away to the Newborn ICU and immediately placed on oxygen. 
Allison was growing weaker by the moment and Margery stared at Jill. 
“Get me more blood from the blood bank.” “Dr. Ryan ...” “She needs 
another transfusion!” Margery shouted, Jill ran as fast as she could to 
the blood bank knowing time was of the essence. 

Connor sat nervously in the waiting room. No one spoke much, they were
all lost in their own thoughts. Connor was thinking about Allie and the 
last time he had seen her. Guilt weighed heavily as he thought of 
Charlie. If he had been conscious, he would have never let it escalate. 
Allison must've been terrified when she saw him, and he thought of her 
lying motionless at the bottom of the stairs. After what seemed like an 
eternity, Jill came in to give them an update. “How is she? How‘s the 
baby?” Connor asked as soon as he saw her face. “Allison's very weak, 
we're doing all we can. But you two are the proud parents of a 
beautiful baby girl.” “She's early!” Connor said frantically. “Yes, 
we're doing all we can to help her. She's holding her own right now. We 
have her in the NICU.” “Can I see her?” “Of course, just let me make 
sure the nurses have everything set.” “Are there any complications 
because she was so early?” “In most cases, but we don't know anything 
yet for sure. We have her on monitors and she's getting the best care.” 
“How's Allison?” “Allison's fighting with everything she has.” “Are 
they giving her more blood?” “Yes, but ... it's still touch and go.” 
“What are you saying?” “The baby will probably make it. Allison is a 
different story. She's very weak.” “Has she lost a lot of blood? I mean 
more than before?” his heartbeat quickened as he asked his question. 
“Yes, she started hemorrhaging again after your daughter was delivered. 
We're doing everything we can. I have to get back in there.” Connor 
thanked her and watched as she exited the room. His whole world was 
spinning, Allie might not survive. That was what they were saying. How 
unfair was that? She had wanted a family so much, and now because of 
Charlie she might not live. Connor pushed the thought aside, unwilling 
to think of the possibility. Lynn sobbed softly as they all waited for 
word. “She'll make it, son.” Clint said. “Allison's a fighter, she 
didn't let a gunshot stop her. She's going to beat this too.” Connor 
looked skeptical. “Believe in your wife, Connor. Allison loves you, 
your love is strong enough to survive anything.” Connor smiled as he 
thought of their wedding night. How he had made love to her, and fallen 
asleep with her in his arms. He wanted those times back again. “Don't 
give up, Allie. Fight for us! We have a future together, sweetheart. 
Remember how much I love you.” 

Half an hour later, Jill reappeared, she looked grim but Connor's faith
in Allie was growing. No matter what Jill said, Allie would beat this. 
She sat next to him, all eyes fell on her as she began to speak. 
“Connor, you can see your daughter now. She's very tiny, and we have 
her on monitors and a warming table. You can't hold her yet, but you 
can touch her. She's holding her own.” “That's great!” Connor smiled 
thinking of their daughter, he wished Allie was there to see her. 
“How's Allie?” “She's still hemorrhaging. We may have to do a 
hysterectomy. Whichh is removal of the uterus. We're trying everything 
before we do that though.” That would mean that she wouldn't be able to 
have children, a possibility she wouldn't want. “She wouldn't be happy 
with that.” “I know, but if it comes to that will you agree?” “Yes.” 
Connor said somberly. “Anything to save her.” Connor followed Jill into 
the NICU. 

His daughter was hooked to all sorts of machines and she was lying on a
warming table. The nurse paused in front of Connor and signaled for him 
to sit down. She was tiny, and her eyes were closed. He knew that 
premature babies could have lots of complications, but all he could do 
was stare at her. His wedding ring would fit on one of her legs, and 
her hands were no bigger than his little finger. A tiny clump of hair 
was sprouting on her head, but he couldn't tell what color it was. Her 
face was tiny, but Connor thought she was magnificent. “She's 
beautiful!” Connor said softly. The nurse smiled at him. “Yes she is. 
This is a warming table, we're monitoring her breathing, some preemies 
have respiratory problems. But we're doing everything we can. How's 
your wife?” everyone knew about Allison's condition and Connor kept his 
voice steady as he spoke. “She's still hemorrhaging. They're doing the 
best they can.” “You can tell her that you have this little miracle. Do 
you have a name picked out?” “No, we hadn't thought about names yet.” 
Connor smiled at his daughter. “Hi, my little angel. I'm your Dad, 
sweetheart. You have a lot of love waiting for you. Your Mom's amazing, 
she's the greatest ...” he choked back a sob. “She's the greatest woman 
that ever lived. She loves you very much. She's going to be so happy to 
see you. I have so many things I want to teach you.” Connor talked to 
her for a long time. When he emerged, Thelma went in. Lynn sat tight 
lipped on the edge of a chair. “How is she?” she asked dabbing at her 
eyes. “She's beautiful! She's tiny but beautiful.” “Allison's going to 
be so excited.” “Yeah she is. She's not going to rest until she sees 
her.” Lynn smiled thinking of Allison's strong will. “I love her like a 
sister, Connor.” He embraced Lynn, putting a strong arm around her 
shoulders. “She's going to make it, Lynn. She's a fighter.” Half an 
hour passed, Connor was getting restless, what was happening to his 
Allie? “This is ridiculous! I can't believe we haven't heard anything!” 
he said getting up to find a nurse. Just as he approached the nurses' 
desk, Jill came towards him. “How is she, Jill?” she led him into the 
waiting room and sat wearily on the chair beside him. “What's taking so 
long? Jill, why aren't you answering me?” all she could do was stare at 
him. Her face looked somber and Connor thought his heart would leap out 
of his chest. 


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