Promises
         Chapter 36 
 

Danny awoke a short while later, his arms still holding Michelle. Slowly, he pulled his arm from underneath her and found the floor with his feet. She was still sleeping soundly as he closed the door softly behind him. He fell back against the wall and rubbed unsteady hands over his face.
"So how is she?"
Startled, Danny dropped his hands to find Abby in front of him. "She's sleeping."
"Good," she sighed.
"Have you heard anything from her father?" he asked.
"Rick talked to him about an hour ago," she explained. "He was still snowed in at JFK, but he was hoping to catch a flight within a couple of hours."
"I think Michelle really wants him here," he said.
"I know," Abby frowned. "Rick just said the same thing."
"I guess he is really hating me about now," he mumbled.
"Don't pay Rick any attention," she said. "He's just really worried about Michelle. For a long time they were all each other had and he is a little overprotective of her."
"A little?" Danny scoffed.
"Okay, a lot," she smiled. "But he loves her very much and he wants her to be happy. And you make Michelle happy."
"I wonder sometimes," Danny sighed.
"Don't ever doubt how much she loves you," Abby demanded.
"I know she loves me," he winced. "I just…I wish…I don't know. I just want this all to be over."
"You're just exhausted," Abby said. "Why don't you try to get some rest?"
"No, I'm fine," he said. "I don't want to leave her."
"I'll stay with her and if anything happens I'll come get you," she tried again.
"I would rather stay here," he explained. "I couldn't get any rest even if I tried. I would only worry about her more…if that's possible."
"I understand," she sighed. "I know you're worried. We all are. But you remember I told you Christmas is a time for miracles."
"Sometimes I feel like Michelle and I have used up our share of miracles," he winced. "I don't know if God has any left for us."
"That is what's so wonderful about Him," she smiled. "He has an overabundance of miracles and He gives them out all the time. And I know in my heart He still has so much in store for both of you."
Danny smiled through his tears, hugging her. "Thank you."
"We're family, Danny," she cried. "I know Rick is hard on you but it's only because he loves Michelle so much. But when it comes down to it, he will do whatever he can for both of you."
"I just wish he understood how much I love her too," Danny sighed, stepping back.
"Deep down, I think he does," she wiped her tears away. "He may not want to admit it, but he knows."
"I appreciate you saying that," Danny smiled. "Michelle really wants him to accept me and I want that for her. He just doesn't make it easy."
"Rick can be difficult," she smiled. "But he'll come around. Listen, do you mind if I go in to see Michelle for a little while?"
"Of course," he said. "But could you do me a favor first?"

"Margaret, what is the latest with Michelle?" Rick asked as Dr. Sedwick exited her room.
"How's my wife?" Danny asked at the same time.
"No change," she frowned. "The transfusions have bought us a little time, but I'm afraid she's still losing quite a bit of blood."
"Can't you go ahead and do the cesarean now?" Rick asked.
"We could, but it would be putting the baby at greater risk," she explained.
"Michelle wants to wait as long as possible," Danny explained.
"You don't get it do you?" Rick exclaimed. "My little sister could bleed to death!"
"She's not your little sister anymore," Danny shouted back. "She's a grown woman and she is my wife. This is our decision.. Not yours!"
"Could you both please quiet down?" Dr. Sedwick demanded. "This is a hospital."
"I'm sorry," Danny whispered. "Is it okay if I go back in?"
"Of course," she said.
"Excuse me," he said, moving past Rick.
He opened the door and found Michelle looking at him with a frown on her face. "What's going on with you and Rick?" she asked immediately.
"Nothing," he tried to reassure, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Don't worry about it."
"I heard you two arguing," she said. "He wants me to have the cesarean now, doesn't he?"
"Michelle," he sighed. "It doesn't matter what he wants. This is our decision."
"Don't let him talk you into it," she pleaded. "I've talked to Dr. Sedwick and I want to wait."
"I know," he nodded. "And we will…for as long as we can."
"Don't worry about me okay," she smiled weakly.
He exhaled sharply, "You know that's impossible."
"We're going to be okay," she whispered. "We'll get through this."

Danny was waiting impatiently in the hallway while Rick spent some time with Michelle. He knew he was going to try to talk her into the cesarean now and that was only going to upset her. He promised her he would be right outside and at the first sound of her getting upset, he was going to be right back in there.
"Danny," Abby startled him from his thoughts.
"Hey, did you find it?" he asked.
"It was exactly where you told me," she said. "Are you sure you want to do this now with everything else going on?"
"I think it's the perfect time," he smiled. "It is Christmas."

Michelle awoke to the soft sounds of Christmas music coming from somewhere in her room. The only light was coming from two small candles sitting on the table beside her bed. "Danny?" she called out.
"I'm right here," he suddenly appeared beside her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Thought you could use a little Christmas cheer," he smiled. "You like it?"
"Where did you get all this?"
"Some of the nurses let me borrow the candles and the music," he explained. She turned silent and he leaned in closer to examine her face. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she mumbled. "Thank you for doing all this."
"Well, I'm not through yet," he smiled. "I guess I could turn on this lamp so you could see a little better." He reached over and clicked the lamp switch on as Michelle shielded her eyes from the sudden intrusion of light. "That's not too bright is it?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Well I have another surprise for you," he smile widened.
"What are you up too?" she smiled. "You look like the cat that swallowed the canary."
"No canary," he laughed. "But I do have your Christmas present."
"What?" she said.
"I asked Abby to go back to the house and get it for me," he explained.
"So that was the errand she was talking about," Michelle said.
"I wanted to surprise you so I asked her not to say anything," he said. "It's been so hard not to give this to you before now, but I wanted to wait until Christmas."
"But your present is still at home," she frowned.
"I don't care," he smiled. "I want you to have yours now." He paused, caressing the side of her face. "I don't know how I ever got so lucky to have you in my life. Michelle, my life changed forever from the moment I saw you…and it's all been for the better. I know we didn't start our marriage out the way most people do, but I have never regretted the day I married you…any of them," he laughed.
She started to say something, but he pressed a finger to her lips. "Let me finish because I hope I can get this all out the way I want to." His smiled faded and he turned serious again. "I am alive because of you. Not just physically…but emotionally and spiritually alive. I look forward to every day because I know you are going to be right there beside me. After I could have lost you when my mother…I realized then there was something I should have given you a long time ago. Most men give the women they love this before they are married, but we've never done anything the conventional way anyway, so I'm giving it to you now."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. Tears suddenly flooded her eyes as the hinges slowly opened and revealed a sparkling diamond ring.
"It belonged to my great-grandmother," he explained. "She passed it down to my grandfather who gave it to my grandmother. She held on to it because she didn't want my father to give it my mother. Can't imagine why?" he smiled.
She gave a slight laugh through her tears as he continued. "Before she passed away she made me promise that I would get this ring and give it to you. It's been at my uncle's house in Spain for the past few years and I had to convince him to let me have it. When I was growing up my grandmother always used to show me this ring on her finger and tell me the stories about how her and my grandfather fell in love. She told me I was going to fall in love with someone one day and I would give her this same ring. The older I got I began to believe that my grandmother was only dreaming…I was only dreaming. I didn't see how it was possible that I would find someone that loved me as much as my grandfather loved her. With my family and the life I was leading, no woman in her right mind would love me. But somehow, by the grace of God, I found you…we found each other. I never knew what real love felt like until I met you. Michelle, you are my life and I promise you I will love you for the rest of my life."
"Danny," she whispered as the tears soaked her face. "I love you so much."
He leaned in and gently kissed her as their tears mixed together. Sniffing, he pulled the ring out of the box. "I think it's about time this go on your finger, where it belongs."
He gingerly picked up her arm, careful not to pull any of the IV's loose. He frowned as he tried to slide the ring on her finger.
"It doesn't fit," she cried. "I guess my fingers are so swollen right now."
Danny couldn't help but laugh. "See I told you we never do things the conventional way. But I have an idea." He reached around his neck and undid the clasp on the gold chain he was wearing. He slid the chain through the ring. "Here," he said, leaning over her as she lifted her head enough for him to get the necklace around her neck. "That will do for now."
She lifted the ring to her face to look at it closer. "This has to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
"No," he nodded. "Not the most beautiful. That would be the person wearing it."

Dr. Sedwick walked in a short while later to find them both asleep. She smiled as she saw their hands clasped together protectively over their baby. She checked Michelle's vitals and tried to ease the blood pressure cuff around her arm. Suddenly Michelle stirred which caused Danny to jump up.
"What?" he asked sleepily.
"I'm sorry to disturb you both," she frowned. "I just need to check Michelle's blood pressure.
They both glanced at Michelle who was quiet and noticed she was having trouble keeping her eyes open.
"Sweetie, are you feeling okay?" he asked as his fear began to overcome him once again.
She swallowed hard, trying to say something. "I…"
"What is it?" he demanded.
"Michelle," Dr. Sedwick said. "Can you open your eyes?"
She remained silent as Dr. Sedwick went back to checking her blood pressure. After a moment, Danny noticed Dr. Sedwick's eyes widening with a grim look on her face.
"What?" Danny demanded. "What's going on?"
Without answering him, she pressed the call button to the nurse's station. When a voice came on the intercom, Dr. Sedwick shouted. "Call the OR immediately and tell them we have a patient who needs an emergency caesarean. Then page Dr. Robert Freeman and tell him we have a premature birth at 33 weeks and I need him down in the OR waiting. We need to prepare Michelle Santos for surgery."
"Why?" Danny shouted. "What's wrong with her?"
"Her blood pressure is dropping fast," she explained hurriedly. "She's losing too much blood."
"What about the baby?" his voice cracked.
"Danny, we will do everything we can for the baby," she said. "But if we wait any longer, Michelle isn't going to make it."
"Okay," he said calmly. "You do whatever it takes to make sure Michelle is okay."
"What…" Michelle mumbled, trying to open her eyes.
"Sweetie, don't worry about anything," he tried to reassure her. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise."
"Just relax Michelle," Dr. Sedwick interrupted. "We're going to get you ready for surgery now."
"No, Danny," she groaned softly. "Please, don't let them do this."
"We can't wait any more baby," he pleaded. "You're bleeding too much."
"No, the baby," her tears began to fall. "It's too soon."
"I'm sorry," he cried. "I am so sorry."
"Please," she begged.
"Danny, we have to go," Dr. Sedwick demanded as a nurse wheeled a stretcher in the room.
He stood, not letting go of her hand as they moved her to the stretcher. "I'll be waiting right here for you when you get back," he said. "I love you."
Hurriedly, they wheeled her down the hall. He watched as the elevator door shut, the only sounds he heard were the muffled cries of his wife.