Babel Novel
Chapter 6
Jimmy never saw it coming when I slapped him across the face. But his shock was brief. Within a second, he was ready to lash out, his anger directed at me. "You!"
"Jimmy!" Conrad snapped, his voice cold and threatening. "Lay a hand on her, and I swear you're going back in."
The threat worked. Jimmy withdrew his hand, shooting me and Conrad a furious look before storming off.
"Jimmy!" Haley called after him, but her voice was cut short by a sudden pain. Clutching her stomach, she winced, "It hurts, Conrad. We need to get to the hospital now."
"Felicia!" Conrad called for me next.
Seeing Haley in pain, I put my thoughts and feelings aside. We quickly got into the car and headed for the hospital.
Upon seeing the doctor, Conrad said in a rush with Haley in his arms, "Doc, she's pregnant and just took a fall. Now she's in a lot of pain."
Pregnant? My steps, already heavy, felt like they were suddenly filled with lead, impossible to lift, and my heart sank. Haley's husband was gone. How could she be expecting?
My gaze fell on Conrad, his face etched with worry. Could it be...
Haley was rushed to the emergency room. Conrad and I waited outside. I didn't know Haley well, so I couldn't say I was overly concerned, but Conrad was visibly distressed. I watched him for a while, and he seemed to have forgotten about me, his fiancée, his eyes fixed on the emergency room doors.
A bitter feeling welled up inside me, and after swallowing hard several times, I finally spoke up, "Is the baby yours?"
I didn't want to jump to conclusions, so I asked directly.
Conrad turned to me, surprise flashing in his eyes before it deepened into something more serious. "What are you talking about? Of course not. It's Aiden's child."
I let out a sigh of relief. Aiden Martin was Haley's late husband and Conrad's long-time best friend, who died in a car accident a month ago. "I'm looking after Haley because Aiden asked me to," Conrad explained.
I never forgot how Conrad looked when he returned home after dealing with Aiden's accident, his hair a mess; beard covering his jaw, looking like he'd just escaped from the wilderness. I understood the depth of their friendship. Now that his good friend was gone, it made sense for him to take care of Aiden's widow. At that moment, I felt guilty for even suspecting Conrad.
I gently grabbed Conrad's arm, trying to explain my actions earlier, "I didn't provoke that kid. He was deliberately trying to make me look bad."
Conrad looked at me, his lips moving a bit before he reached out and pinched my cheek. "No more drinking for you."
I wanted to protest that I had only had a little, but then the emergency room doors opened.Content is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
The doctor came over, naturally turning to Conrad and said, "We need a family member to sign."
Conrad glanced at me before taking the pen from the doctor. Still, before signing, he asked, "Doctor, how is she doing?"
"Your wife is showing signs of a
threatened miscarriage. We need to perform a procedure to try and save the pregnancy, but there's a chance it might not be successful. You need to sign," the doctor explained.
"Please, do whatever it takes to save them," Conrad urged, his voice filled with urgency.
"Sure. Please sign here."
At the doctor's urging, Conrad
signed his name in the family
member section of Haley's medical
file. I knew signing a document didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I couldn't help feeling a pang of unease at the sight of my fiancé officially acting as someone else's family.