As Rachel began to gently help Selena out of her ruined wedding dress, Selena felt a sense of gratitude towards this kind stranger who was taking care of her.
Rachel's eyes scanned Selena's body, taking in the various bruises and superficial wounds that littered her skin. "You've got some pretty nasty bruises and cuts there," she said, her voice gentle. "But thankfully, they look like they're mostly superficial. We'll get you cleaned up and bandaged in no time."
Rachel smiled reassuringly. "Now, can you lay back for me, Selena? I need to get some leads on you to measure your heart rate and blood pressure."
Selena nodded, wincing slightly as she lay back against the pillows. Rachel quickly and efficiently attached the leads to Selena's chest, hooking her up to the monitors that beeped and whirred beside the bed.
As Rachel worked, Selena couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. She was in good hands, and these medical professionals were going to do everything they could to help her and her baby.
Rachel stepped back, surveying her handiwork. "Okay, Selena, you're all hooked up. I'll just check on a few things, and then I'll let Dr. MacTavish know that you're stable."
Selena nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Rachel. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Rachel smiled warmly. "You're welcome, sweetie. We're going to take good care of you."
The nurse, Rachel, gently slid the blood pressure cuff onto Selena's arm, carefully and gently. As she inflated the cuff, Rachel asked, "So a baby and a wedding, wow that's a lot, huh?"
Selena nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "Babies, two of them. I just found out."
Rachel looked at her, "What a hell of a day and surprise.
"I was shocked, but happy, you know. I think he was trying to lock me down." Selena paused, "It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life," Selena said, her voice cracking with emotion.
As Rachel took Selena's blood pressure, Selena's mind began to wander. She thought about the wedding dress she had carefully chosen, the flowers she had meticulously selected, and the vows she and Liam had written for each other. It was all supposed to be so perfect, so joyful. But now, it all seemed so trivial, so unimportant.
Selena's thoughts turned to Liam, and she felt a surge of worry. How was he doing? Was he okay? How was he coping with such a large loss. James had been through psychological hell, and he had lost his limb saving his fellow soldiers heroically.
This time Liam lost his limb in such a senseless way as he did in his other life. "He probably thought he escaped fate. Why did I have to pay for saving people, I do it with every fucking vision she gives me? Why can't I save the ones I love?" Selena thought.
Rachel's voice broke into Selena's thoughts. "Your blood pressure is a bit high, but that's to be expected given the circumstances. Try to relax, I know you are upset. We'll keep a close eye on it, okay?"
Selena nodded, feeling a sense of numbness wash over her. She was grateful for Rachel's kindness, but she couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty that had settled over her.
Rachel smiled warmly as she finished assessing Selena's condition. "I'll be back after talking to Dr. MacTavish to bandage you up, okay? She might want to take a look at you to see if you need stitches. And we'll also get you set up for an ultrasound to check on the baby. We want to make sure everything is okay with your little one."
Selena nodded, feeling a sense of relief that things were moving forward. "Okay, that sounds good," she said, her voice a little stronger now.
Rachel nodded and picked up a marker to write on the whiteboard in Selena's room. "Your blood pressure is 132/70," she wrote. "And your temperature is 98.6 degrees."
Selena glanced at the whiteboard, taking in the information. Rachel smiled and put the cap back on the marker.
"Great, I'll go talk to Dr. MacTavish and we'll get everything set up. In the meantime, just relax and try to stay calm, okay?"
Selena nodded again, taking a deep breath and trying to calm her racing thoughts. She was grateful for Rachel's kindness and reassurance, and she felt a sense of hope that everything was going to be okay.
As Rachel left the room, Selena closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She reached down to gently rub her belly, a gentle gesture of reassurance for the tiny life growing inside her.
"It's going to be okay," she whispered, trying to reassure herself as much as the baby. "We're going to get through this together."
Downstairs and wards away from the ward he had left Selena in. Liam lay in the hospital bed, his mind reeling. He had lost his left leg below the knee. But this wasn't his first time experiencing this loss. In his past life, he had lost his leg at the age of 17. Now, in this new life, he was 24 and reliving the same trauma.
As he gazed blankly at the ceiling, Liam's thoughts began to swirl. He remembered the pain and the struggles he had faced in his past life. He remembered the way people had looked at him, with pity and disgust. And he remembered McKenna, the woman he had been forced to marry. The woman who knowingly stole Selena's life.
Liam's thoughts turned bitter as he recalled the way McKenna had reacted to his leg. She had been repulsed by it, and had made no effort to hide her disgust. But Liam had been a man with needs, and he had learned to adapt. He had become a good lover, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to please McKenna. She had eventually left him for another man, Gunn. Although it was spun as a polyandrous relationship, and a norm in the Hubs, it still hurt.
Liam's eyes narrowed as he thought about the cruel twist of fate that had brought him to this point. He had hoped that in this new life, he would be able to escape the fate that had been laid out for him. But it seemed that destiny had other plans.
As he lay there, Liam couldn't help but wonder if Selena would react the same way McKenna had. Would she be repulsed by his leg, or would she see beyond it? But then he remembered James, Selena's father figure, who was an amputee himself. Liam had seen the way James moved with confidence, the way he had adapted to his prosthetic leg. It gave Liam hope that Selena would be understanding, that she would see him for who he was, not despite his physical limitations.
But despite this glimmer of hope, Liam couldn't shake the pain of his past life. The trauma he had experienced, the rejection, and the heartache all came flooding back. Liam felt like he was reliving the same nightmare, and he didn't know if he had the strength to face it again. What if she rejected him for his brother? They weren't married yet. What if Gunn or Michael swooped in?
As the tears began to fall, he pulled himself out of the spiral. She was not like McKenzie. The insecurities were still there. He would again have to work hard to allay his own fears. Liam let out a deep sigh. He knew he had a long road ahead of him, a road filled with pain and struggle. But he also knew that he wasn't alone. He was friends with James in this life. He had Selena, and he had the family, and together, they might just be able to help him overcome this.
Liam's mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions as he lay in the hospital bed. The pain medicine was making his head spin, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Selena's early comments about predestination had been more than just a coincidence.
He remembered the night of the original accident, and how Selena had tried to save his leg and Jonah's life. She had been so insistent that they all stay at their place for a 3-day party, and had even gone so far as to order in food and deflate the tires of their cars so they wouldn't be tempted to leave. It had been a strange and eerie feeling, but Liam had written it off as just Selena being her usual quirky self.
But now, as he looked back on it, Liam realized that Selena had been trying to prevent the accident all along. She had been trying to change the course of events, to prevent the pain and suffering that had been inflicted upon them all.
Liam's thoughts turned to Selena's education and life's work. It all made sense now. Her work in stem cell development and treatment had been focused on helping Jonah and his life's work. She had been trying to revive her brother from brain death using his future work, and it was brilliant and innovative. She had been behind him all along.
Liam's thoughts turned to the hardships Selena had faced. She had gotten shot and almost died, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. What else had she tried to fix? Was what happened to her at age 17, the kidnapping and death of her Mother figure Molly, a punishment for something?
Liam's mind was spinning with questions and doubts. He knew he had to talk to Selena about her self-sacrifice. She couldn't keep trying to save everything at the cost of herself. She was going to be the mother of his child, if the little zygote survived this karmic payback for years of him having a lower left leg.
"Please," Liam prayed to Dônn, the creator and source of all life. "You took my leg anyway, don't take it from us. Don't take Selena from me. I need her, and our child needs her. We need her to be whole, to be healthy, to be happy."
As he finished his prayer, Liam felt a sense of peace wash over him. He knew that Dônn, the creator, was a benevolent force that wanted life to be preserved. Dônn was not sinister, but rather a guiding light that was trying to help Selena and him navigate the complexities of their lives.
Liam's thoughts turned to the role that Dônn played in their lives. Was Dônn guiding Selena, helping her to try and fix the mistakes of the past? Or was Dônn simply providing a gentle nudge, encouraging them to make the right choices?
Liam's mind was filled with questions, but he knew that he would have to wait for the answers. For now, he just had to focus on getting better, on being there for Selena and their unborn child. He took a deep breath, and let the pain medicine wash over him, carrying him away into a fitful sleep.