Chapter 64

Olivia

I stood there outside Nathan’s room, feeling myself waver in front of him. I remembered pitching forward and being caught by his strong arms. I remembered him carrying me down to the car as though I weighed nothing, and I remembered his hand holding mine as he drove me to the emergency room.

After that, a sudden fever took over me and I became too delirious to consciously remember anything.

When I came back to my senses, there was an IV in my arm, two nurses and a doctor standing around me with concerned looks on their faces, and Nathan was nowhere to be found.

The sterile hospital room enveloped me, a stark reminder of my vulnerability.

“N-Nathan?” I mumbled, looking around confusedly.

“He’s in the waiting room,” one of the nurses, a gentle older man, said as his face came into view. “You can see him once we’ve run some tests.”

I nodded slowly, but I couldn’t deny the fact that there was anxiety coursing through my veins. In my semi-delirious state, I didn’t just want Nathan by my side, but I felt as though I needed him there.

It was at that point that I realized how much Nathan’s presence was a comfort to me.

Unfortunately, he had been banished to the confines of the waiting room, unable to share in my fear and uncertainty.

“How are you feeling?” the doctor asked.

I shrugged. “Like shit,” I admitted.

The doctor chuckled. “Well, we’re going to run some blood work, and we’ll have to take a urine sample. After that, we’ll be running a few more tests, so you’ll be getting wheeled all over this place. Think you’re up for that?”

I nodded, too exhausted and weak to even speak.

After what felt like an eternity of tests and examinations, the doctor finally emerged, his face etched with a mixture of concern and relief. I held my breath, desperate for answers.

“Olivia, we've run numerous tests, and it seems you've contracted a nasty case of food poisoning. Can you recall eating anything strange or unfamiliar recently?” the doctor inquired.

My mind raced, searching for clues amid the fog of my memory.

Then it clicked — the soup that Jenifer had brought over earlier that day.

Her strange look upon leaving now took on a sinister tinge, casting a shadow of doubt in my mind. What if she undercooked the meat on purpose, or put some sort of herb in the soup to intentionally make me sick?

After everything that I had gathered from observing Jenifer, it seemed plausible in my mind. But I didn’t have enough concrete evidence other than some coincidences and strange looks, and so I decided that I wouldn’t reveal my suspicions to Nathan.

With a weak smile, I replied, “Actually, there was this soup I had earlier. Someone brought it over for me. It tasted delicious, but now I'm not so sure.”

The doctor nodded, scribbling notes on his clipboard. “Food poisoning can occur even with the best intentions. We'll keep a close eye on your condition overnight, but you should be fine to go home tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“There’s something else,” the doctor said, tugging his surgical mask down to reveal the lower half of his face. He looked a little concerned.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Since you’re in the early stages of pregnancy, things like this could trigger a miscarriage. Your vitals are stable now so it is less likely to happen, but you should be prepared that it’s a possibility.”

The doctor’s words made me feel sick to my stomach. I felt the burning sensation of hot tears pricking at the backs of my eyes, and my lower lip started to quiver.

“I know it’s frightening, but you’re in good hands,” the doctor said with a gentle smile, patting my ankle through the blanket. “Press the button on the side of your bed if you need anything, and the nurses will come as soon as they can. Now… Let me go and get your mate for you.”

As the doctor departed, leaving me alone in the room once more, conflicting emotions churned within me. Relief washed over me, knowing the cause of my illness, yet a lingering unease remained. Was it intentional? I couldn't be certain.

Later, Nathan was dozing off in the chair beside the bed. He hadn’t let go of my hand since he came in, and I could tell that he was even trying to stave off sleep until the very last minute.

It wasn’t until his head lolled forward and rested on the edge of the hospital bed that he finally succumbed to sleep.

I reached out and gently twirled a lock of his hair, finding a strange sense of solace in the gesture. It felt odd to be touching my childhood friend in such an intimate way, but I couldn’t resist as I watched him sleeping beside me.

As I played with his hair, I think I saw a slight smile twitch at the corners of his lips. That alone filled me with a sense of peace.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids, urging me into the embrace of sleep. With Nathan's presence anchoring me, I surrendered to the allure of rest, hoping that the morning would bring answers and a renewed sense of security.

…

The next morning, I awoke to the sunlight filtering in through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.

“Morning,” Nathan murmured, awake already. I looked over to see that he was standing by the window, looking out. When he glanced over at me, I saw a trace of a gentle, affectionate smile playing on his lips. “Sleep well?”

I shrugged. “As best as I could in a hospital bed,” I joked. “What about you?”

Nathan shrugged as well. “As best as I could in a chair next to a hospital bed.”

My childhood friend’s words made me chuckle. But as we looked at each other, I could sense from the gleam in his eyes and the way that his cheeks flushed red that he must have felt my hand on his hair. My cheeks flushed red, too.

Thankfully, before the awkward silence could go on for much longer, the nurse came in to take my vitals and perform the ultrasound.

A little while later, the cold ultrasound gel was spread on my belly while the nurse probed around. Finally, her eyes lit up and she pointed at the screen.

“There’s your baby!” she exclaimed, pointing at what looked like a little shapeless blob in the corner. I had to squint at first to see it. “It’s just an embryo now,” she explained. “But your baby is in there.”

My eyes became transfixed on the little blob on the screen. Tears welled in my eyes as I stared at the tiny being, a miracle in the making.

I didn’t know how long exactly I was looking at it, completely enthralled, but I was eventually brought back to my senses by the feeling of Nathan’s warm hands slipping around mine.

I turned to Nathan, his expression a mixture of wonder and adoration as he looked at the screen. The loving look in his eyes was a silent affirmation of the affection that he held for this precious life within me, even though it wasn’t his.