Trust Ch 30

It sounded like Collin yelling and Storm ran towards the sound. He watched Collin disappeared into the elevator after someone but the door closed by the time he reach it. His gut told him it was about Salina and he was now desperate to find out what was going on.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Salina struggled to open her eyes but they felt extremely heavy. In the fogginess of her mind, she registered a dull pain moving throughout her body but couldn't think of a reason why. There were sounds in the distance but nothing she could disconcert. Blackness was pulling her under again and she went willingly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"When did she find out she was pregnant and how do you know?" Collin asked Helen as they made their way to X-ray.

"Day before yesterday. She fainted in the lab and couldn't keep anything down. I sent her home to rest both yesterday and today. Her morning sickness was very bad. Do you know what happened to her?"

"Apparently she was assaulted..."

"What? Who would..."

The elevator door opened and they both rushed out. The techs were pulling her out of the X-ray room when Helen reached her side.

"Salina? Salina? Can you hear me?" Helen asked.

She moved her head slightly and tried to open her eyes but everything was a blur.

"Salina, I'm going to get you to ultrasound. Are you in any pain?" Helen asked.

Salina heard faintly and tried to respond but movements felt like she was trapped in quicksand.

"Get these pants off her now," ordered Helen. The nurses took off the sweat pants and Helen saw the blood. "Get her to a room now."

Helen turned to Collin, "Tell Storm where she is."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Helen looked from the ultrasound screen to Salina who was becoming more and more aware of her surroundings.

"What's happening?" Salina asked softly. Her throat felt parched and she wasn't sure anyone would hear her.

"Salina, you're going to be fine. I promise, you will be okay," Helen reassured.

"The pain..."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry Salina. I'm so very sorry."

Helen turned and looked at Colin who was still in the room and saw the results of the ultrasound. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before releasing it, and moved to hold Salina's hand.

"Salina, sweetheart, you're going to be fine."

"I'll go," Helen said to Collin and he nodded. He didn't want to leave Salina as she still didn't understand what was happening.

As soon as Helen exited the room, Storm went to her.

"What's going on Helen? What's happening with her? You have to tell me," he demanded.

Helen took a deep breath. Her phone beeped and she looked at it immediately. It was a message from his Aunt saying she was almost there.

"Storm, Salina's going to be fine, I promise, she will be fine..."

"Okay, that's not everything. Tell me Helen..." he demanded again.

"But...but the baby...she..."

"Ba..baby?"

"She..."

"Salina's pregnant? Helen?"

"She lost the baby. I'm so sorry Storm..."

"What? No! No! No Helen," he shouted.

Then a gut wrenching scream rip from the room and seemed to pierce his soul. Storm pushed Helen aside and when others tried to grab him she told them to let hm go.

"No, he needs to be with her."

Storm rushed into the room and Salina looked at him with tear streaming down her face.

"NO!" She screamed even with the feeling to bear down pressing on her. Her back felt as if it was breaking in two. "God no! Please! Storm please! Help me, please I'm begging you. Please no!"

Storm pulled her into his arms. "God no, please not our baby, please God no!" He prayed as the tears spilled from his eyes.

She clawed at his back; anywhere she could as she screamed and begged. Then she pushed away from him and looked at him with such sorrow.

Storm held her gaze as he tried to pull her to him again. "I'm so sorry sweetheart, Salina, I'm so sorry. We'll have other babies, I promise, I promise. We'll have others," he said realizing there was nothing he could do.

She pushed down, giving in to her body's demand before falling back on the bed weak. Nothing else mattered. She was empty, a void and suddenly she was falling into blackness again. She welcomed it.

Helen nodded to the nurse who went over to Storm, "Sir you have to leave..."

"What?" Storm asked looking as she and the other nurse tried to get him to leave.

"You have to leave. We have to tend to her now."

"No, I can't leave..."

"Storm, they have to take care of her now. There's nothing you can do to help her at the moment. Let them do their job," Collin reasoned as he lead him out the room.

"What's wrong with her? She's..."

"She's sedated," Helen answered. "I need to take care of her now."

Storm stepped out of the room. Everyone was there; Brad, Mike, Kevin, his Aunt and Uncle. They all looked at him. He wiped his face and looked at them again. Brad moved to him but he held his hand up to stop him. He turned and walked away. His Aunt and Uncle tried to block his way by he pushed past them.

"Storm! Storm!" His aunt called out to him but he never acknowledged her.

"Collin, what happened?" Gianni asked.

Collin sighed and looked at them as they all gathered around. "Salina was pregnant and she lost the baby."

"Oh God no!" Annetta cried.

"How long?" asked Brad.

"She found out two days ago..."

"And he just found out..." Brad said as he ran a hand though his hair. "Jesus!"

"Oh God! It's all my fault! It's all my fault!" Mike cried.

"What?" they asked, "what do you mean?"

"Mike please explain," asked Collin.

"The cop who was stalking Salina, we found out who he was tonight. He was with her friend Tracey and they were to meet up tonight but Salina didn't make it. When she didn't, he beat Tracey to a pulp. Tracey got word to the police to protect Salina but when the detective called her, she didn't believe so she called me and asked me to look into it. When I realized it was possibly true, I brought her here to the hospital so they could each identify each other. Salina when to the station to give a report to IA and as she was going outside, he was coming in. He hit her so hard that she went flying into a desk. God! How do I face him now? How do I face him ever again when I'm responsible for the death of his baby? Why didn't she tell me?"

"It's not your fault man, its not," Brad tried to reason.

"Yes, it's not your fault, none of this is anyone's fault except that filthy cop," said Kevin.

"I have to go. I have to see Ayasha."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Collin looked down at Lilly sleeping in her crib. Brushing his hand over her hair, he simply couldn't and didn't want to image her not being there. He didn't know where to begin thinking about what happened today. How could he speak with Storm? What would he say?

He left the nursery and went to his bedroom. Iris was on her way over so he left the door ajar. Looking for Ayasha, he didn't see her until she came from the bathroom. She was breathtaking and he was about to shatter her night into a thousand little pieces.

"Hey, you don't look like you had an easy day at work today. What happened?" She asked giving him a hug.

He held her tight and drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with her scent. The two scents he though was the most beautiful in the world, his wife's and his daughter's. After about a minute or so, she pulled back worried.

"What's wrong?" she asked again this time a bit more concerned.

"Come and sit with me for a while?" Collin cajoled.

"Okay," she said smiling.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Collin said knowing instinctively it was Iris.

"Iris, what are you doing here?" Ayasha asked feeling a bit uneasy.

"I asked her to come." Collin took a deep breath.

"Collin, what's going on?" Ayasha asked getting worried.

"Yes, what's going on?" Iris asked.

Collin held Ayasha's hand as Iris moved closer to the bed.

"Storm..." Collin began.

"What happened to my brother?" Ayasha asked as she began to tremble and tears filling her eyes.

"Collin?" Iris questioned.

"What happened to him?" Ayasha yelled.

"Nothing physically. Salina was pregnant and," he took a deep breath, "she lost the baby. Storm just found out."

"No! No! NO!" Ayesha screamed,.

Collin pulled her into his arms as she fought to break his hold.

"No Collin! I have to go to him, I have to go to him," she cried.

"No you can't sweetheart. Not yet. They're looking for him but you can't go to him yet. Give him this time. He needs it."

Collin held both women as they cried on his shoulder.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"This is a surprise," Mitch said answering the phone. "What's up?" He asked Brad.

"Im sending a car to pick you up. It's an emergency. Salina's in the hospital."

"What? What happened?"

"We'll tell you when you get here..."

"Don't send a car. I have a vehicle. I'll be there as soon as I can. Please call me if anything changes. I'm on my way."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*