Chapter 7
"How many did she eat?" the nurse asked.
David's voice was hoarse.
"A whole plate, maybe a dozen or so," he replied.
The nurse glanced up at him.
"She knew she was allergic and still ate that many?" The nurse sounded genuinely shocked.
David swallowed hard.
He did not bother explaining, and he only held Emily tighter.
Helen stood off to the side, finally starting to look a little panicked.
"It's just a bit of chives," Helen said, her voice shaky.
"Seriously, it's barely any," she insisted.
"Nobody in our family ever had trouble with this stuff," Helen added, trying to sound reassuring.
The paramedic was busy treating Emily, but when he heard Helen, he turned to look at her.
"Is she you?" the paramedic asked, his tone sharp.
Helen was stunned into silence.
The paramedic's voice was icy.
"She's pregnant. An allergic reaction can't be delayed," the paramedic said.
"Family, step aside. Don't block the way," the paramedic said.
The stretcher was brought into the living room.
David helped Emily onto it.
Emily clung to his sleeve, her knuckles white from how tightly she held on.
David bent down, whispering softly in her ear.
David said, "I'm right here.
"Don't be scared."
Emily's eyes were wet with tears, her lips trembling as she tried to speak.
David leaned in even closer, barely catching her faint, trembling words.
"The baby?" she whispered.
His eyes burned with emotion.
He said, "The baby will be okay, and so will you.
"I won't let anything happen to you or the baby."
Hearing that, Helen suddenly seemed to remember something and hurried over to the door.
"What about the baby?" Helen blurted out, her voice tight with worry.
"Is my grandson going to be okay?"
David spun around, his glare sharp enough to cut.
That stare stopped Helen cold, leaving her speechless.
"You'd better shut up right now," David snapped, his voice cold and sharp.
As the elevator went down, the tight space made it hard to breathe.
The stretcher took up almost all the room.
The paramedic watched the equipment, checking the readings.
David held Emily's hand, and it was getting colder by the second.
Helen was squeezed into the corner, still refusing to admit she was wrong.
But when she saw Emily's lips swell up even more, her breathing coming in short, ragged bursts like a broken bellows, the stubbornness on her face finally faded away.
Inside the ambulance, the glaring white lights were almost too much.
Emily couldn't really hear what anyone was saying.
All she knew was that David's hand never left hers.
The ambulance raced ahead.
Every bump made her stomach twist.
Her throat was so tight, she kept trying to breathe in, but no matter what she did, she just couldn't get enough air.
David leaned over her, his voice kept repeating softly, steady and reassuring.
David said, "Look at me.
"Emily, look at me."
She forced her eyes open, struggling to stay awake.
The buildings outside the window flashed by in a blur.
Suddenly, she remembered being ten years old, her mother carrying her into the hospital under those harsh, icy lights.
Back then, the doctor had told her, "Never gamble with your life."
All these years, she never once took a risk.
But today, it wasn't just about whether the chives would harm her.
She was betting on whether David, after witnessing everything himself, could still excuse it with, "My mom's not a bad person."
She wondered whether she had won the bet.
Emily didn't know.
All she knew was that she couldn't hold on much longer.
At the emergency room entrance, the stretcher was rushed inside.
David moved to go in, but a nurse blocked his way.
"You need to wait outside," the nurse said.
"She's pregnant, please!" David said, his voice tight with worry.
"We know," the nurse replied, calm and professional.
The door slammed shut.
David stood there, his palm still damp with Emily's cold sweat.
Helen came running into the ER hallway, out of breath.
As soon as she spotted David, she snapped, "Don't look at me like that.
"How was I supposed to know she'd end up like this?"
David turned to her, his movements slow and deliberate.
"You didn't know?" David asked.
His voice was so low, it was almost impossible to hear.
He said, "I told you before we got married.
"I told you on the day we got engaged.
"I told you after we got married.
"Emily's told you herself, more than once."
Helen opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
"I thought" Helen's voice faltered.
"What did you think was going to happen?" David pressed, his voice low and dangerous.
David stepped forward, looming over her.
"You thought she was faking it?" David's voice was cold and sharp.
"So you decided to gamble with her and the baby, just to prove a point?" David's voice was cold and sharp.
Helen was backed up against the wall, cornered.
People glanced over from the hallway.
She couldn't hold herself together any longer, and the tears came before she could stop them.
"I'm your mother!" Helen shouted, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.
"I worked so hard to raise you, and now you're talking to me like this for some woman?"
David stared her down, his gaze unwavering.
"She's my wife," David said, his voice steady and unyielding.
"And she's carrying my child."
Helen's sobs suddenly paused.
Suddenly, the ER doors swung open.
A nurse hurried out.
"Family of the patient?" the nurse called out.
David stepped forward right away.
"I'm her husband," David said, his voice steady and firm.
The nurse handed him a form.
"The patient is having a severe allergic reaction and needs immediate treatment," the nurse said urgently.
"And the OB team already checked, the baby's heartbeat isn't looking good right now," the nurse added, her tone serious.
David's hand trembled violently.
Helen's face went completely pale.