"VERONICA!" Jackson shouted as his wife's eyes closed.

Caroline immediately stopped the stretcher.

"Veronica, can you hear me?"

Jackson leaned over his wife and gently tapped her shoulder.

"Von! Baby, open your eyes for me!"

Veronica did not respond.

"Caroline, get Dr. Morgan and the emergency response team here immediately!" Jackson ordered.

He checked Veronica's pulse while Caroline lowered the head of the stretcher.

"Pulse is rapid," he announced. "She's breathing, but she's not responding."

Caroline attached the portable blood pressure monitor.

"Eighty-two over forty-six," she reported.

Jackson felt his stomach tighten.

"Come on, sweetheart," he whispered. "Please open those beautiful eyes."

Within moments, Dr. Morgan and Dr. Harris arrived.

"What happened?" Dr. Harris asked.

"Sudden right lower abdominal pain followed by loss of consciousness," Caroline explained. "She's hypotensive and tachycardic."

Dr. Harris immediately began assessing Veronica's airway, breathing, circulation, and neurological responsiveness.

"Let's get her back into a treatment room. We need continuous monitoring, a bedside glucose, another complete blood count, and an urgent ultrasound."

Jackson stepped alongside the stretcher.

"I'm coming with her."

Dr. Harris looked at him.

"Jackson, I know she's your wife. But I need you to let us work."

Jackson's jaw tightened.

"I am a physician!"

"And right now," Dr. Harris replied firmly, "you're also a frightened husband. Let us take care of Veronica."

Jackson opened his mouth to argue, then stopped.

He looked down at his wife.

Her face was pale, and her normally rosy lips had lost their color.

He took her hand.

"Baby, please wake up."

A few moments later, Veronica stirred.

"Jackson?"

He leaned forward immediately.

"Oh, thank God! Sweetheart, I'm right here."

She blinked slowly.

"What happened?"

"You fainted again, angel."

She looked frightened.

"Am I dying?"

Jackson felt tears sting his eyes.

"No, baby, we don't know anything like that. The doctors are checking you right now."

Dr. Harris approached.

"Veronica, can you tell me your full name?"

"Veronica Marie Williams."

"Do you know where you are?"

"The hospital."

"Good. Do you remember what happened?"

"My stomach hurt, and then everything went black."

Dr. Harris nodded.

"Your blood pressure dropped significantly. We're giving you fluids and checking for possible bleeding or other causes."

Caroline checked the IV line and began the ordered fluid bolus.

Veronica watched her nervously.

"Jackson, what are they doing?"

"They're giving you fluids through your IV to help support your circulation."

"Another needle?"

"No, sweetheart. They're using the IV you already have."

She sighed.

"Good."

Despite everything, Jackson smiled.

"Still worried about those needles, Mrs. Williams?"

She gave him a weak glare.

"Don't start, Doctor Williams."

A few minutes later, Dr. Morgan returned with the ultrasound machine.

"Veronica, I need to examine your abdomen again and perform an urgent ultrasound. Your pain and blood pressure changes mean we need to look for possible internal bleeding."

Veronica began crying.

"Jackson, I'm scared."

He kissed her forehead.

"I know, baby. I'm right here."

Dr. Morgan gently palpated Veronica's abdomen.

"Tell me where it hurts most."

Veronica pointed toward her lower right side.

"Here."

Dr. Morgan pressed lightly.

Veronica cried out.

"OUCH!"

The doctor immediately stopped.

"All right, I won't press there again."

She applied ultrasound gel to Veronica's abdomen and began scanning.

Jackson watched the screen closely.

Dr. Morgan examined the uterus and then moved toward the right side of the pelvis.

Her expression became serious.

"Jackson, I'd like you to step back so I can complete this examination."

He frowned.

"What are you seeing?"

"Please give me a moment."

Veronica looked from one doctor to the other.

"Jackson, what's wrong?"

He took her hand.

"Sweetheart, let Dr. Morgan finish looking."

After several minutes, Dr. Morgan put down the transducer.

"Veronica, I see some fluid in your pelvis that wasn't clearly present on the earlier study. We need to determine whether it represents blood."

Jackson immediately understood the concern.

"Could this be a ruptured ovarian cyst?"

"It's one possibility," Dr. Morgan answered. "But with her low blood pressure and severe pain, we have to consider other causes of internal bleeding as well."

Veronica's eyes widened.

"Internal bleeding?"

Dr. Morgan pulled her chair closer.

"Veronica, I don't want to frighten you unnecessarily, but this could be serious. We're going to get additional imaging and laboratory results urgently."

Veronica began sobbing.

"Jackson, what about our babies?"

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Baby, we're going to let the doctors take care of you."

"But what if something happens to them?"

Jackson swallowed hard.

"Sweetheart, right now we need to make sure you're safe too."

She shook her head.

"No, Jackson! The babies!"

His fear finally overwhelmed him.

"VERONICA MARIE WILLIAMS, LISTEN TO ME!"

She froze.

Jackson continued, his voice louder than he intended.

"I AM NOT GOING TO STAND HERE AND LOSE MY WIFE BECAUSE YOU'RE MORE WORRIED ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE THAN YOURSELF!"

The room fell silent.

Veronica stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Jackson," she whispered, "you're scaring me."

He stopped immediately.

Her words seemed to bring him back to himself.

He looked at her trembling hands and frightened expression.

"Oh, baby."

He sat beside her.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry."

She turned her face away.

"You promised you wouldn't yell at me."

"I know, angel. And I broke that promise."

She began crying harder.

Jackson gently reached for her hand.

"Veronica, please look at me."

She reluctantly turned toward him.

"I am terrified," he admitted. "When you closed your eyes and wouldn't answer me, I thought I might lose you."

Her expression softened.

"Jackson..."

He shook his head.

"That doesn't excuse my yelling. You needed me to be calm, and I wasn't."

She reached for him.

"I don't want to die, Jackson."

His eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, sweetheart."

He embraced her carefully.

"I don't want to lose you either."

Dr. Harris approached the bedside.

"Jackson, I need to speak with you both."

Jackson released his wife but continued holding her hand.

Dr. Harris explained that Veronica's symptoms and ultrasound findings raised concern for bleeding within the abdomen.

"We've requested an urgent formal ultrasound and a surgical consultation. Depending on what we find and how stable Veronica remains, she may need an operation."

Veronica looked horrified.

"Surgery?"

"Possibly," Dr. Harris answered. "But we're still evaluating."

She turned toward Jackson.

"Will you be there?"

He kissed her hand.

"I'll be as close as they'll allow, sweetheart."

Caroline returned to check her blood pressure.

"Ninety-six over sixty," she announced. "Her pulse is coming down."

Dr. Harris nodded.

"That's encouraging, but we still need to identify the cause."

Veronica lay quietly for several minutes.

Then she looked at Jackson.

"Jackson?"

"Yes, baby?"

"If I need surgery, will you do it?"

He shook his head.

"No, sweetheart. A surgeon who specializes in this will take care of you."

"But you're a doctor."

"I am, angel. But I wouldn't be the right doctor for this operation."

She frowned.

"Then what will you do?"

Jackson smiled gently.

"I'll be your husband. I'll hold your hand, listen to you, and be waiting when you wake up."

Veronica nodded.

"Okay."

A short while later, Dr. Morgan returned with the formal ultrasound findings.

She pulled a chair beside Veronica's bed.

"Veronica, we have some answers."

Jackson immediately sat upright.

"What did they find?"

"The scan shows a significant amount of free fluid in the pelvis, which may represent blood. There's also an abnormal area near the right ovary. Given your pain, fainting, and low blood pressure, we're concerned about an ovarian cyst that may have ruptured and caused bleeding."

Veronica stared at her.

"Does that mean surgery?"

Dr. Morgan nodded slowly.

"The surgical team is evaluating you now. If we believe the bleeding is continuing or your condition becomes unstable, an operation may be necessary."

Veronica began trembling.

"Jackson, I don't want surgery!"

He leaned close.

"I know, sweetheart."

"What about our babies?"

Dr. Morgan answered gently.

"We'll do everything we reasonably can to protect the pregnancy while treating the condition that's making you ill. But I need to be clear that your safety is our immediate priority."

Veronica began crying again.

Jackson wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh, baby, I wish I could take this away."

She looked up at him.

"Jackson, promise me something."

"Anything, angel."

"If I have to go into surgery, please be there when I wake up."

He kissed her forehead.

"I promise, sweetheart."

Just then, a surgeon entered the room.

"Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Reynolds. I've reviewed your ultrasound, Veronica, and I'd like to discuss what we believe is happening and the treatment options."

Jackson stood beside his wife.

Dr. Reynolds pulled up a chair.

"Veronica, I know you've had a very difficult day. But I need you to listen carefully, because we may have to make a decision fairly quickly."

Veronica squeezed Jackson's hand.

"Jackson?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Please don't let go."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Not until I have to, sweetheart."

Dr. Reynolds opened the chart.

"Now, Veronica, let's talk about the possibility of emergency surgery."

And as the surgeon began explaining the procedure, Jackson realized that all his medical training could not prepare him for the fear of watching his own wife face an operating room.

To be continued...