Billionaire, I Am Not Your Wife! novel Chapter 17

A Drive To The Hospital

Chapter 15: À Drive To The Hospital

Sedona’s POV

The morning that I was meant to leave Chicago forever had me already up by 7am tending in the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Presidential Suite, folding the few clothes I’d brought with me. Cameron had arranged for our flight back to Seattle which technically was a private jet leaving at two o’clock that afternoon. In just a few hours, I’d be gone from Chicago forever.

I should have felt relief. Instead, I felt hollow, like someone had scooped out my insides and left the shell behind.

“Almost ready?” Cameron appeared in the doorway, two cups of coffee in his hands as his eyes were tracking me again, as if searching for some symptoms that I was going to collaspe in his arms.

He’d been hovering all morning, watching me intensely in a way that made my chest ache. “We should leave for the airport in about an hour.”

“Almost.” I reached for one of the coffee cups, but a sudden wave of dizziness made me stumble as I lost my footing for a moment but Cameron was there immediately, steadying me with one hand while setting both cups down on the dresser.

“Sedona? What’s wrong?”

“Just dizzy. I’m fine.” But even as I said it, I felt something change inside me getting worse as I felt, something wet and wrong rising in my throat.

“Cam, I-”

The cough came without warning, painful in it’s intensity as I doubled over, and suddenly there was blood spattering onto the pristine white carpet, onto my hands, onto the front of my shirt.

“Sedona!” Cameron’s voice was filled with panic, making his tone a pitch higher.

“Jesus Christ-”

There was another cough as it had set it off with blood spraying from my mouth without fail.

The room seemed to be spinning on its own tilting, making me unable to focus on anything in particular but the feeling in my stomach that made me certain it was nausea that I was trying to force back down. I tried to speak, to tell Cameron I was okay, but I couldn’t catch my breath. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t-

“Stay with me. Look at me, Sedona.” Cameron’s face swam into view, pale and frightened as he was trying his best not to panic. He was holding me up, supporting my weight as my legs gave out beneath me.

“I’m calling an ambulance. Just hold on, okay? Just hold on.”

Everything after that came in broken pieces as I wasn’t able to keep track of time any longer. My eyes barely open could only take in flashes of what was going on, the buzzing noise in my ears getting louder drowning noises from her surroundings.

Cameron’s voice, urgent and commanding, on the phone with 911. The hotel carpet against my cheek- when had I fallen down to the ground? I could taste the copper taste of blood in my mouth. Sirens, growing louder. Strangers in uniforms, asking questions I couldn’t answer.

And pain. God, the pain was everywhere now, radiating from my stomach down to every part of my body like someone had set my internal organs on fire.

“Give her something for the pain,” Cameron demanded. “Can’t you see she’s in agony?”

“We will, sir, but we need to assess-”

“Now. Give her something now, or I swear to God-”

A cool sensation flooded my arm from the IV, and suddenly the pain began to recede, replaced by a fuzzy feeling.

“Am I dying?” I heard myself ask, my voice slurred and distant. “Cam, am I dying?”

“No.” His voice was fierce, absolute. “No, you’re not dying. Do you hear me? You’re going to be fine. We’re going to get you home just like we talked about, you are going to meet mum and dad and then we will get you the best treatment available. You’re going to fight this, and you’re going to win.”

“Tired,” I mumbled my eyes closing on its own, too heavy for me to keep open. “So tired of fighting.”

“I know. I know you are.” His hand brushed hair back from my forehead, letting cool air touch my forehead. “But you’re a Preston, Sedona, We don’t give up. Ever. You’re going to fight because I’m going to fight with you. Mom and Dad are going to fight with you. You’re not alone anymore.”

“Promise?” The word came out vulnerable almost childlike, like I needed to believe in his words.

“I promise. On everything I have, everything 1 am-1 promise.”