CHAPTER 2: PREGNANCY AND PLANS

MARIE I blinked rapidly, struggling to adjust to the harsh lights that blazed through my eyelids. When I finally managed to open them, the room's sterile brightness was almost unbearable. The soft, rhythmic hum of a machine played against my senses, tugging me away from sleep. At least I was alive. My half-asleep self-rejoiced. A movement in the room caught my line of vision, forcing me to open my eyes again. Black hair, nerdy glasses. Charles! Charles was here. Relief washed over me. "Welcome back to earth, Marie." His gruff voice was loud and clear. An unsure smile tainted my lips as I regarded him. "Where am I? What happened? And…and what are you doing here?" "Slow down, will you?" He laughed. "You don't remember anything, do you?" Just then, it all came crashing back: Damien's angry face, the betrayal, the divorce. I must have passed out from that damned headache I was feeling. Charles still looked down at me. I could hardly read his expression, but anger lurked somewhere. He still had his jacket on, even with the warmness of the room. He must have forgotten to take them off. "A few people say Damien damn near tried to kill you. What's up with that?" Cutting to the chase as usual. That was Charles's style. I moved to sit up and swatted Charles's hand away as he tried to help me. I wasn't a fucking vegetable. "Damien trying to kill me in an open space is a stretch, don't you think?" Charles has been my best friend since childhood and is overprotective of me. I don't blame him; I would do the same for him. He doesn't like Damien and has tried hiding it for my benefit. "I wouldn't let it pass him. He looks like the kind of guy to stay away from." Came Charles's prompt reply. He gave me a bottle of water, which I sipped leisurely. He also took a drink. "I filed for a divorce." I watched as Charles damn near choked on the water. "What?!" "Oh, Charles. You don't know half of it." Despite myself, I itched to ask him about Damien's whereabouts. "It's about time. You know. I always tell you about the hunch I feel about that guy." Charles said with a broad smile. I couldn't defend Damien anymore. He deserved it. "You were right all along then. Damien is a fraud—" Just then, the door opened, and in came the doctor. "It's good to see you up, Mrs. Callaghan." The doctor smiled. "Does that mean I get to go home?" I ran a hand through my short, dark hair. I must look a mess, undoubtedly. "We'll need to check more vitals." The middle-aged doctor ticked something in his notepad as he spoke. "You're husband?…" he let the sentence trail. From the corner of my eye, I could see Charles snort in disapproval. "He won't be available, Mr. Johnson." My reply was sharp, betraying my inner turmoil. It was killing me to know how everything went down. Was Damien even worried about me? Knowing him, he must have reclined to himself after our backlash. Catching myself, I shrugged off thoughts about him. The doctor seemed to be done with whatever he was jotting down. "Well, I suppose you can share the good news with him when you get home." I whipped my head sharply. "What are you talking about?" "Congratulations, Mrs. Callegan, you are pregnant. I suppose it explains the flu and headaches you've been having. Our bodies react differently when things like this happen, especially to…" Dr Johnson rattled on, but I didn't listen. No, no, no, I must be wrong. I turned to Charles, still rooted to his spot, mouth slightly agape. It was true. "But I can't be pregnant." I rejected it vehemently. The doctor paused for only a second. "I am a hundred percent sure that you are. And that you also need a ton of rest. I know it may come as a surprise, but you narrowly escaped losing the pregnancy. I suggest you take it one day at a time." The doctor clasped the note in his hand. It must be natural for him because, in the next second, he was checking my heart rate, my eyes, and the like while I still grappled with the news of carrying Damien's child. I have always known that I do not possess the brightest luck, but this was just the last straw. I was carrying a fraud's child, for god's sake, albeit my husband, whom I'm about to divorce. "You're all good now. But I will not discharge you right away. A nurse will tend to you later. Congrats once again." I nodded without knowing. The doctor was soon out of the door in a blur, and I realized it was my tears. "It's okay." Charles cooed. Rubbing my back and letting me cry quietly on his chest. "But it's not okay. Can't you see? Damien is going to fight me once he knows I'm carrying his child." "But we won't let him win now, would we?" "But it's not that easy. Have you seen him going after what he wants? This is all a mess, Charles." Disengaging myself from him, I looked away. I hurriedly dabbed at the tears in my eyes. I can't afford to be weak now that the battle has begun, "I'm sorry, I need some time to think, Charles." He nodded in understanding. Moments later, I was left alone in the hospital room, and that was when I allowed myself to grasp the implications of what was at stake. But what the hell was I supposed to do now?