Chapter 12: Siren Call
POV: Zac
April 20, 2008; 1:45 am
The show had gone well despite me worrying about Gabby and wanting to pound Max into the pavement. Because she and Sierra were on the bus already the three of us helped pack everything up once we could that is. We then let them take the items to the trailer while we showered.
“Are you signing?” Isaac asked.
“No. I’m going straight to the bus to check on her.”
“Pointless question Ike, I’ve already sent out a tweet that we wouldn’t be out tonight.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, when we took that break before the encore. I figured Zac would want to check on her and really I do too, because she looked fairly bad before.”
We finished gathering and once the trailer was done we got on the bus. Sierra was sitting at the table with a book.
“Gabby?” I asked.
“She’s been asleep. But, she feels warmer to me. She woke up about 1 and went to the bathroom.”
“Thank you for sitting with her.”
“She’s my kitten, even though she clearly has a problem with me and doesn’t want to talk to me. I’ll do whatever I can.”
I didn’t quite understand that but I went back to check on her myself, she was curled up pretty tightly, covered up but her face looked so flushed and she felt so warm.
“How is she?” Taylor asked.
“Warmer, but asleep. Are we leaving?”
“Yeah, Carrick and Austin are in the back, Demetrius and Andrew are in the front. Are you going to stay up?”
“For a little bit yeah, think I’ll play and keep a check on her for a few hours.”
“Okay.”
We left the venue headed to Rochester at 2:15. I considered playing games but I was very tired. I however didn’t want to be dead asleep in case she woke up. Taylor and Isaac laid down not long after we got on the expressway and the others were asleep by 3:30. I cat napped from the time we got on until 4:30,when I felt something was wrong. I didn’t understand the feeling but it felt like something was calling me, like I was needed. But the bus was quiet so I got up and checked on Gabriella, who was awake and even in the dim light I could see the tears in her eyes.
“Hey, Gabby? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t feel good, I’m hot and I can’t get…”
“It’s okay. Come on, maybe you need to get up a few minutes.”
I helped her up but she frowned and groaned. “What is it?”
“Did they put my bag on the bus or in the bay?”
“I don’t know.”
It didn’t take me long to find all of her stuff laying in her bunk, I guess Sierra knew she wouldn’t be there tonight anyway.
“It’s here, what do you need?”
“Pants, underwear and I guess a pad I should have some.”
I cringed internally at that request but got the items anyway, I even got the sweat pants she had packed. I followed her up to the bathroom but while she changed I went ahead and got her a bottle of water and some more Tylenol. She came out but standing here in better light I could tell that her face was not just red, she was sweating too. She took the Tylenol and drank the water and I followed her to the back, I sat down and she chose my lap to curled up in.
“Is your side still hurting?”
“It’s my entire abdomen now, it’s just mild. I’m betting it’s just cramps.”
“Probably.”
She laid her head over onto my shoulder and as warm as she felt, she was shaking. I wrapped the blanket around her and got more comfortable. Because I could still feel the warm tears on my shoulder I gently sang.
Do you believe in love?
I’m talkin’ bout the good stuff
Do you believe there’s somebody made for you?
I’m looking for that kind, dancing in the moonlight
I’m lookin’ for somebody just like you…
The even breathing told me she was asleep and I laid my head down, it wasn’t a bad position really and I found my head resting near hers was comfortable enough to fall asleep. It was another one of those strange feelings that woke me up, almost like a silent siren call. Gabriella had drew herself up tightly in my lap.
“Baby?”
“Can’t get it to stop…” She mumbled.
“You’re still hurting as badly as you were before?”
“It’s worse. It use to be the right or left, it’s all over.”
I lifted her head up and it was evident she’d been crying, her eyes were red and puffy, even had trails down her cheeks. There was this lifeless look in her eyes that scared me. In contrast, her entire face was red and she felt so hot.
“Lay here, I’m going to see if we have a thermometer on the bus.”
I let her move at her own pace and took a moment to get the feeling back in my legs and then I went to the front and went through every drawer until I found one. I then went back and she sat there for the two minutes but her temperature was over 104.
“Lay down here.”
I helped ease her down but she still curled up. I then went to the front where DJ was bopping his head to the sound of the music on the radio.
“DJ?”
He turned and looked at me. “What’s up?”
“How far are we to Rochester?”
“We’re about three or so hours away, why?”
“When you get there find me a hospital, I don’t have a preference just whatever hospital.”
“Why? What’s up?”
“Gabriella is still complaining about abdominal pain and she’s got a high fever, I’m going to soak some cloth in cold water and see if that helps. But, I don’t like that the pain is not going away. I want to make sure her asshole friend didn’t rupture anything from her prior surgery.”
“Ok. I do have to stop for gas though.”
“That’s fine.”
I went and got a clean shirt of mine, soaked it with cold water and returned to the back. I surrounded her neck with it and wiped her face off before sitting down in the floor beside her.
“We’re going to a hospital once we’re in Rochester. At least let them check you over.”
She didn’t even argue with me, just stayed curled up and I tried singing random verses that popped into my head. She dozed off and I laid my head down and watched her. Which is where I was when Isaac popped his head in.
“Why is our driver trying to break speed records?”
“She’s going to an emergency room as soon as we arrive.”
“Is she not any better?”
“No. She said about an hour ago the pain was spreading, when Max pulled her into the wall a brick or something hit her abdomen, I’m afraid it ruptured the internal stitches. She’s bruised there but the pain is now spreading across her abdomen.”
“Okay, you want us to make you anything?”
“No. I’m okay.”
He left us alone, most everyone that got up went to the front of the bus. She woke up again about 8:15 and this time it was worse. She was actually crying and I hadn’t seen her cry not even after being stabbed did she cry. Well, not around me anyway. I felt utterly helpless because there was nothing I could do but try to keep her comfortable, but she wouldn’t let me or anyone touch her side. She completely pushed Sierra away, she wanted nothing to do with her at all. I got up at nine to see where we were, we’d slowed and stopped a few times so I knew we were close and Sierra stopped me in the hallway.
“You need to see if she’ll come change her pants.”
“Why? The hospital isn’t going to care what she has on.”
She raised her eyebrow. “She’s not going to want to embarrass herself.”
“English please?”
She sighed. “Did she change clothes earlier and ask you for a pad?”
“Yes.”
“She needs to change, I’ll see if I can get her too but just take my word for it you don’t want to do this, not yet.”
“Oh…Uh…I’ll get clothes you can try to talk her into moving.”
Moving? She wouldn’t even budge from that spot and I think when she screamed at her to leave her the fuck alone she realized Gabby really didn’t care what she had on or the condition of those items. Granted, they were black sweats. When DJ parked in the parking lot Taylor was standing at the door and I think it took him five steps to be inside and within minutes he had two nurses coming outside. Not that she was in any better shape to allow them but least they could ask question and I told them everything, the pain and what happen with Max and the previous surgery. Everyone got off the bus, especially when the stretcher was brought out.
That might be the most terrifying moment of my life, watching them move her and hearing her cry out because it hurt that badly, watched as they wheeled her into the hospital and stopped me at the doors because they weren’t sure what was going on. I was sure I stood there too long.
“Zac.”
“What?”
“Come on, there not on the other side of the door.” Taylor said.
“Why did they stop me?”
He gently moved me away from the door and to the waiting area. “They made you stay so they can help her without you freaking out.”
“But it’s just pain Taylor, it’s not…”
Just the look on his face told me it had to be more than that. I couldn’t be that foolish, she was crying because the pain was so bad, it couldn’t just be pain. I sat there for an hour before I got up and went to the bus, I got my phone and hers and sat down in the front. I’d never had to do this, call her brother. I was glad he picked up on the second ring.
“Hey Zac, I didn’t expect a call so soon.”
“You’re the only person I really have to call. We brought Gabriella to the hospital here in Rochester.”
“Why? Is she okay?”
“She’s been having abdominal pain when she ran or walked, nothing that Tylenol didn’t help. She went to the bus yesterday and Max confronted her. She said he spun her into the brick wall and she believes a brick that was sticking out hit her abdomen, same side she had surgery on. She said it was hurting and she laid down but it kept getting worse. The last hour of the ride she just cried.”
“Ella cried?”
“Yeah, pretty heavily and it’s her whole abdomen. She’s been back an hour so far and they haven’t told me anyway yet.”
“You said Max did this?”
“I really don’t know if it was the putting her into the wall or if this was something else that was just triggered by that.”
“As soon as you know, let me know.”
“I will.”
I hung-up and went inside to make sure they didn’t come for me and miss me. I looked at her phone, knew his fucking number was in there. I really should call him and just cuss him out, make him leave her alone.
“Zac?” Carrick asked.
I looked at him. “It probably wasn’t anything he did, she was complaining about pain before that.”
“He put her into a wall.”
“It’s not worth you getting in trouble though.”
“I won’t. I’m just thinking right now anyway.”
“Thinking often leads to actions.” Isaac said.
Sierra snorted. “Stop pretending that you would beat his ass for her.”
“Pretending? Who said I was pretending?”
This really wasn’t the right time for her to be a bitch, clearly no one expected her to even say those words because everyone was looking at her confused and honestly Taylor and Isaac looked pissed.
“Nobody said he was pretending Sierra.” Taylor said.
“So, what you only give a shit if someone hits her? You’re supposed to be her husband you should fucking know what’s wrong with her.”
“I’m not a doctor Sierra!”
Again she snorted and I really was about to fire her ass, who cared if we didn’t have an opening band anymore. She got up.
“You don’t have to be a doctor to know why she’s depressed. You just need to stop living in a fucking fantasy world where your fans do no wrong. You want to beat this Max guy up but you don’t Simon? He’s been sending her e-mails for weeks, showing her pictures of herself with others and telling her what a whore she is, how stupid she is, how she needs to be with someone who can control her properly not someone who lets her do whatever she wants. You want to go after Max for one incident that may or may not be the reason she’s here. Likewise, you need to do something about your fans because I’m seriously not holding back the next time one of them calls her a whore or tells her that she’s fat.”
I blinked and everyone looked shocked. She just stormed out of the hospital to the bus. I didn’t know Simon even had her e-mail address, sure I’d seen a few negative comments about her from fans but she hadn’t mention anything that bad. I was rather shocked when Abigail called me a few minutes after Sierra exploded.
“Is Gabriella in the hospital?”
“How did you know?”
“Twitter of all the fucking places, you should have called me. Is she there? Someone posted a picture of her being taken inside to an emergency room.”
“Yes. She’s here. She was having really bad abdominal pain. Max didn’t help either because he pulled her around into a brick wall and one of them got her where she had surgery.”
“Max?”
I didn’t even know she didn’t know, so I went ahead and told her what Gabby told us and I could hear the anger in her voice.
“When you know what is wrong and what they’re doing, call me. I’ll handle Max myself.”
She hung up on me and I thought about what she said, I used her phone to access Twitter. Sure enough her account was tagged in a picture of her being wheeled inside. But as I scrolled down the page not a single comment was wishing her to be better. Some suspected diabetes, stroke from all the donuts, some wondered if she fainted because she caught me with some blonde.
“Zac?” Taylor asked.
I handed him the phone. “Did they do Nicole and Stella that way too?”
He and Ike both looked at the message. “These are our fans?” Taylor asked.
“Yeah, I recognize a few of them as frequent poster’s on our twitter page. I’ve replied to a few of them!”
“Didn’t you make a post about this?”
“Yeah. But evidently it wasn’t good enough.”
They frowned and eventually Isaac and Taylor went to the bus to speak to Sierra, see what she knew because I wouldn’t be leaving the waiting room. Austin and Carrick eventually made their way to the bus too and so did Andrew and Demetrius.
About 11 the financial director came and found me and we filled out a shit tons of paperwork, shortly after we finished Carrick brought me lunch and sat with me. He was still there when I saw a doctor come out at 2, he spoke with the nurse who nodded in my direction.
“Mr. Zachary Hanson?”
I got up and met him, but Carrick remained seated. He was a tall black man, clean shaved and no hair. He had normal attire, scrubs and a jacket, on and he was very friendly looking.
“I’m Doctor Blacksmith. I came to get you so you can see your wife now.”
“Is she okay?”
“We can talk once we’re back there. I will warn you she is sedated.”
“Okay. Carrick, can you let them know I’m back and I’ll call someone as soon as I can.”
He nodded and got up, headed to the bus while I followed the doctor back. He weaved me through several hallways before he stopped by a door and let me in. Gabriella was laying on the bed covered up to her neck with thick blankets, an IV ran under one side and there were three bags hooked up to it.
“What happen? Why is she here in a recovery room?”
“We did emergency surgery, her appendix ruptured. It is what caused the fever, bloating, appetite changes, and some of the pain. Luckily it appeared to be something that occurred recently so we were able to remove it without problems and we also cleaned the abdominal cavity, it wasn’t bad but she will have a strong antibiotic just in case. We noticed and knew about the prior surgery she had last year, that place was healed very nicely, it just appeared that possible during the healing process something got to the appendix.”
“Will she be okay?”
“Yes, we are keeping her for at least today and tonight and probably tomorrow night also. There was something else.”
I laid my hand on her leg and looked at him confused, what else could have been wrong?! Had Max done something to cause this?
“What else was there? Did the bruising have anything to do with this? A hopefully ex-friend pulled her around into a brick wall, I told the people that came out.”
“We did notice bruising from that on her side, but that probably aggravated the appendix, but it would have eventually caused this anyway, based on the inflammation this was probably occurring weeks ago. Mr. Hanson did you know your wife was pregnant?”
I was certain that whatever color was in my face, drained away right then.
“No. Is she?”
His frown basically answered my question. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hanson. During prep we noticed the excessive blood on her clothes and legs, so we had to check that before giving her anything, she miscarried. It’s a reason we may keep her tomorrow night also, she is bleeding fairly heavily. If that persist we’ll need to do something.”
I had to sit down on the bed, I felt very lightheaded and I had no idea what to really think. I’d not even questioned what I know to be a normal thing for women.
“It wasn’t…the..friend?”
“I do not believe so. Miscarriage occur often and there is no real reason, it appeared she was about 5 to 7 weeks, at that frame it’s very hard for hits or physical trauma to cause a miscarriage. Mostly because the uterus is well protected at that stage. Anything could have caused it from the joining not being perfect, chromosomal issues, excessive stress and I’m talking major stress. Her weight and blood worked looked good, it did show she was pregnant. Was she not showing any signs?”
I shook my head. “No. Does she know?”
“I’m afraid not, we didn’t really realize that until after she was given something to calm her down. But she made no mention of knowing beforehand.”
“The chromosome thing…that’s not genetic is it?”
“No and this does not mean you can’t have a normal, healthy pregnancy afterwards either. I would recommend waiting a few months if you were trying. Just to give her body time to recover from this.”
I nodded, why did it hurt so much?
“Okay. We’re keeping here for another hour and then we’ll move her. Once she’s in a private room you can allow others back. Just one in this room.”
“That’s fine. Will she wake up soon?”
“She should be waking up in the next hour or two.”
I nodded again and he walked out of the room, leaving me alone with her. I knew I should call them but I just couldn’t make my body work right. I really didn’t have a single clue what to say to them or even her. I didn’t even know if she wanted children.
It occurred before I could really stop it, I hadn’t cried really since November and yet here I was crying because there was a chance that we were going to be parents but that was taken away. I didn’t even know how to tell her or anyone else and when the thought of telling my mother came that was it. After calming myself down I called Isaac.
“We’ve been waiting, what was wrong?”
“Her appendix ruptured, not long before we got here. They did surgery to remove it and he said he didn’t think anything Max did would have caused it. She’ll be in recovery for another half hour to an hour, once they move her to a private room, you and the others can see her.”
“Okay, since she is okay we’re going to head on to the hotel, they’re going to keep her right?”
“Yes. Tonight for sure, maybe tomorrow night.”
“We’ll put you with us and her too, just in case. Keep us updated and once she’s settled and we are we will come back and bring you both clothes, and you food.”
“Okay.”
I hung-up, I didn’t want to tell them about the miscarriage until she knew, ultimately that decisions wasn’t mine to make. It was hers too. I called Shawn back and updated him and I called Abby to let her know as well. They moved her to a room at four and it wasn’t long after they got her in the private room that she began to wake up. I was sitting on the bed beside her when she opened her eyes and looked at me.
“Evening.”
She blinked a few times. “What happened?”
“You had surgery again. Your appendix ruptured, it’s what’s caused a lot of things.”
“Like?”
“The pain, bloating, appetite differences among a few. It explained the fever too.”
She nodded but I could tell the sedative was still there, so I didn’t mention the miscarriage yet. Everyone came up about five thirty, brought me clothes and dinner, visited her. She was waking up some more though but not much. They all stayed until about seven before they headed to the hotel. She was moving more, much more awake. She’d talked to Shawn and Abby herself so they were happy. When she muted the TV I wondered why but then she looked at me.
“What’s wrong Zachary? You’ve been very quiet, you didn’t mention much, you made them all leave when the nurse came in, granted glad they did since she pulled the gown up but still. You did that on your own.”
I didn’t want the nurse to ask her about anything private, which she had but she didn’t completely understand why. I got up and moved to sit beside her on the bed.
“Do you remember the theater in Seattle?”
She smiled at me. “You expect me to forget that? I have no idea about the movie but yes, I remember the theater.”
“And after?”
“Yes…I remember those times Zac. Why are you asking?”
“The appendix wasn’t the sole reason for your pain, it was the primary reason but Dr. Blacksmith said that you miscarried. It’s why they are asking about the bleeding and comfort level. He wasn’t sure but he thought five to seven weeks. I’m betting closer to five because those are the only two times I remember where we didn’t bother to use anything.”
She simply stared at me, confused and what little color had come was now fading some.
“Max…”
“No…I asked about that. He doesn’t believe that what he did would have caused either your appendix nor the miscarriage. You weren’t far enough along for Max to really cause anything to the…he has no explanation for what happen. It could be anything from excessive stress to some chromosome issue, he did say that this doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant in the future. He just recommends waiting a few months.”
I really didn’t expect her to cry, but I found myself crying with her again over this loss.
“You didn’t tell anyone?”
“No. I wanted you to know before anyone else. I didn’t know if you wanted anyone else to know about it or not. I didn’t tell anyone else, not even Shawn.”
“You didn’t tell your parents either?”
“No. Isaac called them this morning and told them you were here and then he called after I spoke to him to let them know why, he didn’t know about this. I’m really not sure how they’d take it.”
She wiped her face off again, seemed very quiet. “I think…I think I’d rather not tell anyone.”
“Then we don’t have to.”
“He’s sure it wasn’t Max? Nothing he did caused this?”
“Yes. Your uterus as he told me is protected by the pelvis right now. He assured me there was no way anything Max did could have caused this. Believe me, I wanted to blame him too. But, it’s not his fault, it’s not even yours. He said sometimes it happens and most the time there is no reason why.”
She nodded. “I think I’d like to lay down. Still tired.”
“You should, I should too.”
She scooted over toward the side of the bed where her IV was and I took the hint, but I knew they’d make me move when they came in to change the bedding and whatever it was they had under her. She really hadn’t been happy with the no underwear concept.
True enough they got me up twice to change that and woke her up too. But beyond that she and I both slept fairly well.
Do You Believe In Love Song Lyrics © Hanson 2016