Chapter Twenty-Four

Savannah

WAKING UP SLOWLY, fear fills me as I think of seeing Conrad. So far, I've been lucky and haven't had to deal with him. The last thing I truly remember as I wake up is him coming in the room and me pretending to be knocked out still so he didn't hurt me. Conrad was on the phone with someone and I remember thinking he was nothing more than a bitch or pussy because he was taking orders from whoever he was talking to. If anyone understands the hierarchy of an organization, I do after being with the club for so long. However, Conrad wasn't talking to this person as if they were simply above him in the chain of command. There was almost a hint of fear in his voice that I can remember hearing now. Along with the rage he was feeling. Conrad is nothing more than a puppet, but it doesn't change the fact that he's committing horrendous crimes against other people.

My entire body hurts and the incessant beeping of a machine is making my head pound worse than it was the last time I was awake. There isn't a single inch of me that isn't at least aching or flat out killing me with how much pain is filling me. Even my feet hurt and feel as if they weigh a ton as they rest against the mattress. Even my eyes hurt and don't want to open as I try so hard to make them cooperate and do what I want. When I finally manage to open my eyes, I see white walls where the paint isn't peeling and there's a large window letting in more light than was coming in the small room I was in the last time I woke up.

Something holds my hand and I slowly turn my head to find Zach sitting next to me in a chair with his head resting on the bed next to me and our fingers linked together. He's sleeping, but I can tell that he hasn't been sleeping because he doesn't even stir as I try to run my fingers through his hair. I can't move my other hand and turn my eyes to see an IV in my arm. I'm in the hospital and not with Conrad. My heart speeds up, making the beeping noise fill the room even more as I feel Zach move on the bed. Turning my attention back to him, I find his gorgeous eyes locked on me as he takes a minute to process that I'm here and awake.

Finally, everything comes back to me and I remember walking through a long, dark tunnel to get away from Conrad. It led me to the other side of the field from the house he was holding me hostage in. When I got out of the tunnel and saw where I was, I started making my way through the forest and away from Conrad. He knows I'm gone because I remember seeing the same car going up and down the road past where I was walking and hearing him shout my name. After that, I don't really remember much of anything else.

"Love, how are you feelin'?" Zach questions me, his voice deep and husky while still filled with sleep as he looks up at me with concern filling his eyes.

"Like I've been run over by the biggest truck in the world, baby. What happened?" I ask him, wanting to know if he has any more information for me. "Where are the girls?"

"The girls are here with us. Right now, they're in the waitin' room with Slim, Shy, and everyone else. I've been in here with you since Fox got the call that you were here. He had put out alerts to every nearby hospital with your picture. The second they realized you were here, a nurse called him and told him you were brought in," he tells me, his voice warm and gentle as he leans down and kisses my hand so softly I barely feel it. "I was hopin' you could tell me, Love. We were told very little about what happened. I know the condition you were found in, but nothin' more than that. It was an old farmer who found you and brought you in. He's actually still here so he can hear how you are. His name is Tom and he's been very nice and talkin' with everyone in the club."

"I remember goin' to the house to take a nap. I was on the couch and startled awake. Without seeing anyone in the living room with me, I knew I wasn't alone. It didn't take Conrad long to show his face and start taunting me that I was alone and no one was going to save me. I fought, Zach. Everything I did was to prevent him from taking me. Have you seen the house?" I ask him, my voice wavering as everything that's happened to me fills my mind.

"I did, Love. Kim, Gwen, Red, and Martin cleaned everythin' up. They took out all the busted furniture while the girls cleaned up the rest of the stuff. I haven't been back since they got everythin' taken care of. We won't go back there, Savannah. I can't imagine that you'd want to live there still. We can talk to the guys and figure out a different place to live. It will still be on the compound because I want you all the safest you can possibly be. I'm never gonna force the girls or you to live somewhere you were kidnapped from," Zach says, his voice full of emotion he's trying to hold back as his eyes become wet and I struggle to place my hand on his cheek.

Zach helps me and moves his face closer to my hand so I can hold him and realize that he's really here with me and it's not just a dream. I can't stop the tears from filling my eyes and spilling over to roll down my face. Zach doesn't stop his from falling either. He slowly moves his hand from mine on his cheek down to rest on my stomach. I gasp because without words I know what he's telling me.

"You know?" I question him, my voice breaking as I look at him and place my hand over the top of his where it rests.

"I do. They told me when you were unconscious, Love. Why didn't you tell me?" he returns, no anger or anything in his voice as he looks at me and waits for my answer.

"There wasn't a good time, Zach. With everything going on, I couldn't find the right moment to talk to you about having a baby. I mean, we just got married and haven't had the talk about kids. I'm on birth control so this shouldn't have happened. But, it did. I don't regret carrying your baby, though. It's something I've thought about more than once over the years. But I was worried you'd be mad because this isn't the right time for us to have a baby," I tell him honestly as I look at him and wait for him to explode at this news.

Zach doesn't explode at all. He leans over me and presses his lips softly to my cheek and I wince as pain fills me from the simple touch that barely brushed against my skin.

"I'm sorry, Love. I'm not mad at all about you carryin' my baby. Our baby. No, I don't feel it's the right time for us to bring another baby into the world because of Conrad. At the end of the day, there might never be a good time to expand our family and plan for a baby. So, we're gonna get through this pregnancy and raise our son or daughter the best we can. I already know you're an amazin' mom and I'll be the best dad I can be," he states, already processing the news of the baby and coming to terms with our family expanding.

"You're a great dad, Zach. You are the only man my sisters have ever considered a dad and you are always there for them. You don't let them push you around, but aren't overly strict. You've already found the perfect balance of good and bad cop when it comes to dealing with the girls. No matter what they need, you are there and no one will ever accuse you of anything different, baby. My sisters love you and our son or daughter will also love you," I tell him, my voice breaking with emotion as I look at Zach and want him to take me in his arms to hold me close. Obviously that can't happen right now because I'm in the hospital, but eventually he'll be able to hold me once again.

"I love the girls as if they were my own and that won't ever change, Love. I don't care how many kids we have, Ava, Chloe, and Miracle will always be our daughters. We've chosen to adopt them and raise them as our own. I want to be there for everythin' good and bad. Our family will always come first and I won't ever take any of you for granted," Zach promises me, his voice softer than normal as he moves to sit on the side of my bed without removing his hand from my stomach. "We need to get the doctor in here, Love. They want to talk to you and let you know of the damage that's been done to your body."

"Okay. I want to go back to sleep. I'm so tired," I tell my husband as I try to stifle a yawn and keep my eyes open.

"I know, Love. Your body has been put through hell and you need to rest so you can heal," Zach says, pressing a button on the side of my bed and I hear a second beeping noise to alert the staff that someone is needed in my room.

It doesn't take long before a nurse and doctor enter my hospital room. The nurse immediately goes to the machine to check the bag of fluids going into my IV and takes note of everything before letting me know she's going to check my blood pressure. I lay back against the hard, thin pillows as the cuff on my arm starts to tighten and I try my hardest not to move even though it hurts from the pain I'm in. Zach doesn't let go of my hand as he gently holds it in his.

"Looks really good, Savannah," the nurse tells me when it's finally done squeezing my arm as she makes a note of it and I turn my attention to the doctor at the end of my bed.

"I'm Dr. Copeland and I've been taking care of you since you were brought to the hospital yesterday. Savannah, how are you feeling?" he asks me after introducing himself and offering me a smile.

Dr. Copeland is an older man with kind eyes and a gentle smile. He gives me his full attention instead of keeping his eyes locked on the chart in front of him and it makes me realize I'm more than another patient to him. I'm someone he's going to spend time with and listen to before he even thinks about moving on to the next patient he has to check on.

"I feel like I've been run over by the biggest truck known to man if I'm being honest. Every part of my body hurts and my head is pounding. Not as bad as it was now, but it was when I first woke up," I answer him honestly as I try to keep sleep from taking over while stifling another yawn.

"That's normal, unfortunately. We did an exam on you. A woman performed the exam and she was not alone in your room. Your husband was at your side and gave consent for the exam to be performed. You were not raped and there was no evidence that anyone had touched you sexually while you were out of it. You don't have a concussion, but we did have to clean up a nasty bump on the side of your temple. You don't have any stitches. All of the cuts were essentially superficial and resemble scratches more than someone attacking you with a knife. Your feet are honestly the worst part of your injuries. They are cut and bruised so you'll have to stay off of them for a few days. Savannah, I have to ask if you knew you were pregnant," Dr. Copeland informs me as I look at him and listen to his words, thankful my injuries aren't worse than what they are after being with Conrad.

"I just took a home test recently and it came back positive. Well, I actually took five and they were all positive. I didn't have a chance to tell my husband or make an appointment with an obstetrician yet," I say, yawning once I'm done talking to him.

"We performed an ultrasound when you were still unconscious. As soon as we discovered you were pregnant, we wanted to make sure the baby was okay. I would say you're about two months pregnant at this point and you are having twins," Dr. Copeland says, a smile on his face as my mouth drops open in shock and I look at Zach who also has shock filling his entire face before he starts to smile. "Everything looks good with the babies and I don't foresee anything happening. I'd like you to take it easy until you can get in with an obstetrician though."

"Okay. Is there anything I should be looking for? Or if something happens I should go to the hospital or call a doctor immediately?" I ask, not wanting to risk our babies for any reason.

"If you start spotting, I'd like you to get to the hospital. It could be nothing but after everything you've been through, I'd rather be safe than sorry. If you experience any cramping or pain in your abdomen, call the doctor or make your way to the hospital," Dr. Copeland says, looking down at the chart before speaking again. "We've been giving you a mild pain reliever that is safe for your pregnancy. Would you like another dose of it?"

"No, thank you. If I could just take something that's over the counter to help take the edge off, I'd prefer that over pain medicine. I'm not an addict, but my mother was and I refuse to follow in her footsteps," I tell him as Zach squeezes my hand in his because he knows how hard this is for me and what I feel about this kind of stuff.

"Okay. I'm sorry we gave you pain medicine before now," Dr. Copeland tells me, his voice gentle but his eyes turn wary as he waits for me to go off on him. "We've also got you on antibiotics through your IV, Savannah. I don't want to risk your feet or any other wound becoming infected. I would rather take preventative measures over you developing something later today or tomorrow that would mean keeping you in the hospital even longer."

"That's okay. You didn't know about my past and what my wishes would be. I don't even think I've talked about this with my husband," I say, keeping my voice gentle because this isn't the doctor's fault. He was doing his best to take care of me when I couldn't give him my past or answer any questions. "How long am I going to be in the hospital? And can I have more than my husband in here with me?"

"You can have more visitors in with you now. We wanted you to rest for as long as that took, Savannah. Rest is going to be crucial to your recovery since you're pregnant. How has your morning sickness been?" he questions me, making a note in my chart and I'm hoping that no one else tries to give me any more pain medicine.

"I haven't had any. I mean certain smells make my stomach roll, but I haven't been getting sick or anything. I've been around friends who had horrible morning sickness and I feel lucky that I haven't experienced what they are," I tell him, thinking of Annabell and how sick she was at the beginning of her pregnancy. I only saw her before Vault brought her back to Pine View with him, but it was enough to know she was miserable.

"That's good news. Some women experience worse morning sickness when they're carrying twins. If that changes, let your doctor know and they can prescribe you something to help," Dr. Copeland informs me as he makes another note in my chart. "Now, I'd like to keep you today just to make sure nothing changes since you're awake. I'd say you'll be okay to go home tomorrow. I'm not going to restrict your diet or anything. If there's something you want to eat, go ahead and have it. Your lunch tray will be delivered shortly. I would still like to continue with the fluids through your IV for now. When you were brought in, you were dehydrated and I want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Okay. Thank you, Dr. Copeland. I appreciate all the work and the care it seems I'm getting in here. I don't fully trust doctors and that's from my past. You're changing my mind about that," I tell him, giving him a small smile as he looks back at me.

"Savannah, you can have me as your primary physician if you'd like. I'd rather you have a doctor you trust and are happy to see. Can I mark that down in your chart?" Dr. Copeland asks me, his smile lighting up his face.

"Yes. Thank you, Dr. Copeland. I would like it if you were my permanent doctor since I'm still kind of new to the area. Would it be possible for you to also take on my sisters? I've adopted them and our mother is no longer alive. I want to make sure they get the best care available to them," I ask him, knowing the girls would trust Dr. Copeland as much as I do once they see him.

"Of course. I'll make sure you have my card when you leave here so you can set up appointments for all of you. I'm going to want to have a follow-up appointment with you to make sure nothing happens once you're discharged from the hospital. I will also be sending you home with more antibiotics that you'll have to finish. They're safe for the babies as well," Dr. Copeland says before asking if I have any other questions.

Zach and I both tell him we're good for now and he leaves with the nurse. Closing my eyes, Zach tells me he's going to get my sisters so they can come in and see me. They've been waiting so long to make sure I'm really here with them and away from Conrad. I want to see them and make sure they're all okay too. Conrad is still out there and he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants. My sisters and I are on his radar and that's not going to change because of the money they've lost on us. I don't even want to know what the hell that's supposed to mean so I leave it alone.

Ava, Chloe, and Miracle make their way in my room with Zach. All three of them make their way over to me and I hug them as tight as I can with the pain I'm feeling. We spend the rest of the afternoon with my sisters not leaving the room. Zach goes in and out as he talks to the guys and lets the women in to visit with me. Shy even brings me a chocolate milkshake and cheeseburger from the diner. It's delicious. I stay awake for as long as I can until I eventually give up the fight with Zach and my sisters surrounding the bed I'm in. Love fills the room and I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.