Chapter 3
Andrew burst in, still wearing his surgical gown over his white coat, gloves not fully removed, the faint smell of iodine lingering between his fingers.
"How's she doing?" he asked.
The chief of obstetrics shot him a look.
"Chief Parker, you're family here. Please don't interfere with the emergency care. The patient is having abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding, and the baby's heart rate is dropping. We have to prioritize saving the mother," he said.
Andrew's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, anxiety etched on his face. He walked over to the bed and reached out, wanting to touch my forehead.
I turned my face away, refusing his touch.
His hand hung awkwardly in the air, caught between us.
"Charlotte, just listen to the doctors for now," Andrew said softly, his voice tight with worry.
I stared at him, my eyes cold and unreadable, refusing to look away.
"Which doctor am I supposed to listen to? The 170-dollar surgery fee on your phone?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
His brows furrowed.
"A hundred and seventy dollars? What are you talking about?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
I let out a bitter laugh, my abdomen twitching in pain as cold sweat trickled down my temples, seeping into the pillow.
"Your phone, your WhatsApp, your precious Joanna. All so squeaky clean, huh, Dr. Parker," I sneered.
Andrew's face darkened as he turned toward the door.
Joanna stood there, her eyes red and puffy, while Linda leaned against the wall, still muttering to herself.
"Who knows, maybe she just lost her balance? Stop blaming everyone else," Linda grumbled.
Andrew's voice was low, almost a growl.
"Joanna, what did you do to my phone?" he asked, his tone sharp.
Joanna's shoulders trembled.
"I saw that Charlie sent you the test results. I was worried she'd keep waiting for you and miss the window to decide, so I texted back for you. Andy, I swear I didn't mean any harm."
The chief of obstetrics' expression instantly turned cold.
"Who told you that a suspected heart defect means you should just not keep the baby? The report clearly says you need more tests, it's not a diagnosis," he snapped.
Joanna's lips went pale.
Linda's voice shot up.
"You doctors said it was just a suspicion, doesn't that mean there's something wrong? My daughter was just trying to help, what's so wrong about that?" she snapped.
Andrew whipped around.
"Shut up," he barked.
Linda flinched at his shout.
I watched it all, numb, there wasn't a flicker of emotion left in me.
His attempt to stand up for me came too late; it was like pouring water on ashes, nothing could come back to life now.
The heaviness in my abdomen intensified, and the doctor handed me the consent form.
"Charlotte, the baby's in bad shape, and you're at risk too. We need to act fast. Your husband can sign, but since you're awake, your wishes come first," the doctor said.
I stared at the words on the paper, my eyes stinging with sweat, blurring everything.
Andrew reached for the pen.
"I'll sign," he said.
I grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks.
"You don't deserve to," I spat.
His fingers trembled.
I took the pen, but my hand was shaking so much I couldn't even form the letters. The nurse held my wrist to help me sign.
As I finished signing my name, the tiny flutter inside me went still all at once.
The monitor's tone stretched out, and the doctor quickly switched the probe. The chief of obstetrics' face went rigid.
"The fetal heartbeat is gone," the doctor said.
Those words landed like a bomb, and the whole room went dead silent.
The pen slipped from Andrew's hand and hit the floor with a soft thud.
He stumbled back a step, his shoulder bumping into the corner of the cabinet.
"No way," Andrew muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
The chief spoke, his tone grave.
"Chief Parker, you're a doctor too. See for yourself," he said, gesturing to the screen.
Andrew stared at the ultrasound, his lips drained of all color.
I didn't cry.
My tears wouldn't come, as if they'd frozen inside me.
I just rested my hand on my belly, whispering to myself.
"Baby Parker, I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you," I murmured.
Andrew leaned in to take my hand.
"Charlotte, we need to focus on saving you now," he said, his voice trembling.
I pulled my hand away.
"Don't touch me," I said coldly.
He froze by the bed, his hand still hanging in the air.
Joanna broke down in tears.
"Charlie, I'm so sorry. I never thought things would turn out like this. I was just scared you'd have a sick baby, and Andy would be too exhausted," she sobbed.
I turned to look at her, my voice hoarse and shaky.
"So you were afraid he'd be tired, and decided to kill my baby to spare him?" I spat.
All the color drained from her face.
Linda tried to say something, but the nurse cut her off and ushered her out.
"Family, please step outside. You're getting in the way of the emergency care," the nurse said firmly.
Andrew refused to leave.
The chief of obstetrics stepped in front of him.
"You're only upsetting the patient by staying here. You're not helping at all," he said.
Andrew looked at me, and for the first time, I saw his guard slip.
"Charlotte, I'll wait for you outside," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I closed my eyes.
"You'd better wait on your knees," I said, my voice icy.
The anesthesia was pushed into my vein, a cold sensation creeping up from the back of my hand to my arm.
Just before I blacked out, I heard a sharp smack from outside the door, like someone had just slapped someone else.
Then Andrew's voice came through, hoarse and barely contained.
"Who told you to touch my phone?" he demanded.
Joanna broke down, sobbing.
"I just love you!" she cried.
Through the fog of anesthesia, the corner of my mouth twitched into a bitter smirk.
['Disgusting,' I thought.]
Induced labor isn't like slicing away a nightmare in one clean cut.
It's pain you feel wide awake, waiting with every nerve on edge, listening as your body slowly, painfully lets go of the baby, piece by piece.