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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jared

The hospital waiting room feels like it’s closing in on us. The fluorescent lights hum, Noah fusses in Jamie’s arms, and Troy hasn’t stopped pacing for the last ten minutes. I’m about ready to wring his neck—or my own—just to break the tension.

Finally, a nurse appears at the front desk and calls out, “Who’s here for Savannah Brooks?”

We all rush over at once, stumbling into each other like idiots.

The nurse blinks at us, her pen pausing mid-checklist. “Uh…all of you?”

“Yes,” Jamie says, Noah balanced on one arm and the puppy wriggling in his other. “We’re all with her.”

Her brows knit together. “And you are…?”

“Her friends,” I offer quickly.

Troy crosses his arms. “Her family.”

“Her…people,” Jamie says, shrugging.

The nurse looks unimpressed. “So, you’re all family?” Her gaze flicks to the puppy, then to the baby. “And what exactly is going on here? Why do you have a dog and a baby in a hospital?”

Jamie shifts, cradling the puppy like it’s a fragile heirloom. “The dog’s emotional support. For, uh, morale.”

“Yeah, morale,” Troy mutters. “And the baby is…the baby.”

The nurse’s lips press into a thin line. “Neither of those are allowed in the patient ward.”

Jamie groans. “Come on, cut us some slack. It’s been a rough night.”

“I’m sorry, but hospital policy…”

“Wait.” I dig into my jacket pocket, pulling out my wallet. “How about a couple of tickets to the game this weekend? Good seats. Front row.”

Her eyes narrow, but there’s a flicker of interest. “Hockey?”

“Chicago Icebreakers,” I say, sliding the tickets across the counter like I’m brokering some shady back alley deal. “What do you say? You hold the baby for a bit, let us back there, and we call it even?”

She looks at the tickets, then at Jamie, who’s now holding Noah up like an offering. “This feels...borderline illegal.”

Jamie grins. “Only borderline. Come on, it’s a win-win.”

With a reluctant sigh, she grabs the tickets. “Fine. But if anyone asks, I didn’t agree to this.”

When we finally get back to Savannah’s room, she’s awake but looking groggy. Her eyes flutter open when we walk in, and she blinks at us like she’s trying to figure out if we’re real or part of some fever dream.

“You guys,” she mumbles, her voice scratchy. “What…what are you doing here?”

“Saving your ass, apparently,” Jamie says, dropping into a chair beside the bed. “Again.”

Troy stays near the door, arms crossed, his face unreadable. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a bus,” she admits, propping herself up slightly. “What happened?”

Before we can answer, the doctor walks in. He’s in his mid-forties, with the kind of calm, no-nonsense demeanor that makes you trust him instantly. His badge reads Dr. Marcus Hill. He gives us all a quick once-over, then focuses on Savannah.

“Well, Ms. Brooks, it’s good to see you awake. You gave us a bit of a scare.”

She nods weakly. “Sorry about that.”

Dr. Hill glances at us, clearly debating how to address the three oversized guys crowding the room. “And you are…?”

Jamie points to himself. “I’m Jamie.”

“Troy.”

“Jared,” I add quickly, stepping forward. “Her, uh, people.”

The doctor raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment. “All right then. Ms. Brooks, you were dehydrated and overexerted, which caused you to faint. But before I could even get through the full rundown of your vitals, you were already asking for them.”

Savannah’s cheeks flush. “I was just...making sure they knew I was okay.”

Dr. Hill eyes us all for a moment, then looks back at Savannah. “Are these folks your relatives or…?”

She blinks, then says firmly, “Yes.”

Dr. Hill smiles faintly. “Well then, you’ll be glad to hear everything else looks good. But there is one other thing we need to discuss.” He pauses, clearly enjoying the suspense. “Congratulations, Ms. Brooks. You’re pregnant.”

The room goes dead silent.

“Wait, what?” Jamie blurts, breaking the tension. “Like, pregnant-pregnant ?”

Dr. Hill gives him a dry look. “There aren’t varying levels of pregnant, Mr.…” He trails off.

“Jamie,” he supplies, then shakes his head. “Shit. I mean—wow. Okay. That’s a lot.”

Troy hasn’t moved, still standing by the door like a statue. His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say a word.

I step closer to the bed, my protective instincts kicking in. “Are you sure? She just fainted. Maybe the tests…”

“The tests are accurate,” Dr. Hill interrupts smoothly. “She’s approximately eight weeks along.”

Savannah’s eyes widen. “Eight weeks? But…how?” She catches herself, then laughs weakly. “Never mind. I know how.”

Jamie smirks, leaning back in his chair. “Well, this just got interesting.”

“Jamie,” I snap, shooting him a glare. “Not the time.”

Savannah lets out a shaky breath, her hands drifting to her stomach. “Twins run in my family,” she says softly. “My mom was a twin. Is there…is there a chance it could be twins?”

Dr. Hill nods. “It’s certainly possible. Genetic factors play a role. We’ll need to do an ultrasound to confirm.”

Her eyes flick to us, wide and unsure. “Twins,” she whispers. “That’s…a lot.”

“You’re not doing this alone,” I say firmly, my voice leaving no room for argument. “Whatever you need, we’re here.”

Jamie raises a hand. “Yeah, count me in. I’ll babysit, change diapers, the whole deal. I’m a natural with kids.”

“You’ve held one baby for thirty minutes,” Troy mutters, finally stepping closer. “That doesn’t make you an expert.”

Jamie shrugs. “Still counts.”

Savannah gives a faint smile, but I can see the worry in her eyes. I squeeze her hand gently. “You’re gonna be fine. We’ll figure this out.”

She nods, her gaze flicking between us. “Thanks, guys.”

Dr. Hill clears his throat, glancing at his watch. “I’ll leave you to process this for now. The nurse will be in shortly to talk with you about getting set up with an OBGYN.”

As he leaves, the room falls quiet again. Jamie’s the first to break it.

“Well,” he says, grinning, “guess we’re gonna need a bigger basket of snacks.”