Breathe Again Read Online Free Page B

There are enough children in the world without a home—”
    “You always said that, but there was always more to that excuse .”
    This time he turned away with guilt in his eyes. “So now what?”
    “I don’t know,” she said. “Like single parents say, you can be as involved as you want to be.”
    His wary gaze caught her by surprise.
    “I’m not asking you to stay. You wanted out long before the baby. You never signed up for babies, and as of before you found out about the baby, you were moving out. You are free to leave. No strings attached.” Skylar looked down at her tummy. She’d wanted this. Once. She’d deal with it. Now. She cupped her abdomen protectively.
    She looked at Nick and smiled. “I’m going to be a mummy.”

Chapter Three
     
    “He stopped breathing in the car. It’s peanuts—one whiff and he gets a reaction.” Skylar gently pushed the panic-stricken mother aside and focused on the nine-year-old boy on the stretcher.
    The skin around his mouth was cherry red, but what troubled her was the bluish tinge of his lips. The raspy noise of his breathing sounded like an alarm bell in the otherwise quiet resus room.
    Pulling the oxygen tubing and mask from its place on the wall behind the stretcher, Skylar spoke to the mother in a calm voice, a voice that belied the panicked sense of doubt in her mind.
    She lifted her gaze and met the young woman’s. “Did you give him any adrenaline?” she asked as she placed the oxygen mask over the boy’s nose and mouth.
    The mother threw her hands up, her voice thickened to a hoarse whisper. “The one time I forget it. I forgot his EpiPen. I knew I should have carried it with me.” She pulled his hair away from his face and hovered over him. “Will he be okay? If anything happens to him, I only have myself to blame.”
    Looking around the small resus room, Skylar spotted a student nurse. She beckoned the nurse as she spoke to the boy’s mother. “We’re going to take good care of your child, but I need you to go with this nurse. As soon as I can, I will send for you.”
    The mother rubbed at the tears falling from her eyes. Reluctantly, she nodded and followed the student to the family waiting area of the emergency room.
    Skylar scanned the room once more wondering where Nick was. His MIA moments since the news about the baby were wearing on her nerves. It had been three weeks, and he was taking his time moving out of the house, finding some excuse or the other to prolong his stay.
    Taking a quick look at the boy's size, she drew up the correct dose of adrenaline for his age and got the nurse next to her to check it before she administered it into the child's thigh. She double-checked the oxygen flow and made sure he was starting to respond.
    As the boy slowly regained color, he started to breathe easier. The quiet hum of the emergency room was comforting. At this part of the morning, Hawkes Bay was waking up, and this would be the most interesting thing happening in the small town at this time in the morning.
    “Has anyone seen Doctor Delaney?” Skylar watched as each team member shrugged.
    Letting out a frustrated breath, she combed her fingers through her hair. She secured the oxygen mask with one hand around the boy’s mouth and used the other to open the drawer next to her. She pulled out needles and syringes, her gaze flicking between the drawer and the child.
    When the air in the room changed, Skylar didn’t need to look up to know why. She felt the heat behind her, and she curled her hand into a fist until her nails bit into her palm.
    Nick . She pulled in a breath and turned. He ignored the question in her gaze and focused on the patient’s notes.
    “How much adrenaline did you give him?” His words were a heated breath next to her ear.
    She fought for control.
    She bit down on her lip and realized she held her breath. She paused as he turned to her. Her gaze held his stubbornly. “He’s had the correct amount, Doctor. As per