Free Dare to Trust by R Gendreau-Webb

realized she was working to take in breaths. Her head was swimming. She definitely needed to sit down. Had she not eaten enough for breakfast before her shift this morning? Mia had almost made it to the nursing station when she felt an explosion of pain in her lower abdomen and collapsed to her knees, clutching her belly. By the time her work mates reached her, she was crumpled in a ball on the laminate tiles.
    As Dr. Scott knelt down at her side, Mia forced all of her energy into a few words. “…tell…Jason…about…baby…” He barely made out her words before Mia lost consciousness.  
    ***
     Jason yawned, feeling the exhaustion claim his muscles. He and Grimes had been up all night after being called to a triple homicide just before midnight. It was now almost noon---he had been without sleep well past twenty-four hours. He sipped on cold coffee as he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to clear away the fatigue. So far, it wasn’t working.
    They had just finished interviewing all of the witnesses and reviewing the preliminary autopsy and forensics reports. “We should call it a night, get some rest.” Grimes’ gravelly voice cut through Jason’s thoughts. “Things will make more sense after some sleep.”
    “Sounds good.” Jason bit back another yawn. The thought of his bed, even though he knew Mia would be at work and not in it, made him smile. He shut down his computer. “See ya later, Grimes.”
    Jason had almost reached his BMW when his cell phone rang. Fearing the call had to do with the new homicide investigation and interfere with a nap, he almost ignored it. “Howard,” he snapped.
    “Jason, this is Dr. Scott. You need to get down to the ER now.” The urgency in his tone could not be ignored.
    “What’s wrong?” His blood chilled and he was immediately alert, his fatigue forgotten. “Mia?”
    “She collapsed, Jason. She just went to the OR.”
    “On my way.” As he sped towards the hospital, hundreds of scenarios drifted through Jason’s mind. He arrived in record time and by the time he found Dr. Scott, coming out of an examination room; anxiety and adrenaline had chased away any hope of sleep anytime soon.
    “What the hell happened?” Jason’s voice was filled with desperation.
    “Come on.” Dr. Scott led Jason from the middle of the busy emergence department into a small, quiet room reserved for families about to hear crushing, dismal news. Jason had sat in this room more than once when family of homicide victims had learned the doomed fate of their loved ones. “Sit.”
    Jason practically collapsed into the small couch, anxiety and terror etched into his face. “Jesus, tell me what is going on,” he pleaded.
    “She’s miscarrying, Jason. And we couldn’t get the bleeding under control.” Dr. Scott waited a few moments, letting the information sink in.
    Jason let out a breath as he processed what he had just heard, his head hanging down. Mia had been pregnant. Had she known? A memory of softly caressing and kissing Mia’s flat abdomen during their lovemaking flashed through Jason’s mind. Had she known she had been carrying a life in there?
      “Are you okay?” Dr. Scott asked.
    The pregnancy was a shocking blow. Jason nodded as he found his voice. “How long has she been in surgery?” He fought to tamp down the anger that began to brew inside him. How far along had she been? Had Mia gotten pregnant on purpose? She had known how he felt about not wanting children.
    “Less than an hour. I called as soon as they took her in.” Dr. Scott stood. “Can I call someone for you?”
    “No.” Jason answered through a clenched jaw. God, how he hated hospitals. “Mia needs to be okay,” he muttered and ran his hand nervously through his hair, his anger dimming, his focus back on Mia.
    A nurse showed Jason to a tiny waiting room. She, as well as Dr. Scott, had assured him that as soon as the surgery ended, the doctor would come and speak with him. He couldn’t sit; he