When I got to the hospital, I was taken for a gynecological check–up while Neil waited outside.
I gave the doctor a brief rundown of my situation, followed by a series of tests. The results didn’t seem optimistic The doc suggested I stay in the hospital for a bit, which seriously bummed me out. I felt like a deflated balloon.
“The man outside, is he your husband? Should we fill him in on your situation? You’ll need someone to take care of you, the doctor asked.
“No, he’s just a friend. If I need his help, I’ll let him know Thanks.” I replied wearily
After I was transferred to the ward, Neil came to my bedside and asked. “What’s up? The doc wouldn’t tell me anything.”
I requested the doctor to keep it confidential, so she wouldn’t inform Neil Patient privacy was respected in such cases.
Looking at Neil’s worried face, I knew he genuinely cared for me. He had left Bonnie behind to rush me to the hospital. This wasn’t some figment of my imagination. I was debating whether I should tell him the truth, give him a chance to decide.
If I could successfully deliver the baby, I wouldn’t shoo him away from visiting.
“Neil, I was about to say when Neil’s phone rang
He glanced at the caller ID and picked up. After a few words, I got the gist of the conversation. It must be Kate on the other end.
“How did it get so serious?”
“I’m on my way.”
“Alright, got it.”
ago, but now I was determined. Neil had only sent me to the hospital out of conscience, so how
held my tongue, if not, I
at me hesitantly I smiled and said, “Go, you’ve done enough by bringing me here.”
pretty badly. I’ll go check on her,” Neil seemed
for explanations, you’re a free man” I maintained
anxious, I didn’t want to show it. The child in my belly wasn’t just mine, but if I wanted to bring him into the world,
his brows
ward close, my heart remained restless for a me for the
while, I asked the doctor to find me a nurse to take
I called Orlando to take a leave. He was worried and wanted to visit me in the
time when Neil was taking me to the hospital. A picture of an injured ankle and a brief caption, “What hurts more than a sprained ankle is a broken
his unwell ex–wife to
had endured countless painful moments of being abandoned, with
Once, I was in so much chest pain that I was sweating bullets
the Whitmore
would get a chance to upset Bonnie. On impulse, I liked Bonnie’s post. I was
happened? Why’re you suddenly in the gynecology ward?” Orlando came to visit and asked, looking surprised.
mainly gynecological. The doc said if I don’t get treated, it might affect future pregnancies. Scared me into staying
here”
tell anyone in my family
you’re like this. I remember you being very healthy and
all in the past. I can only blame myself for being too sentimental back then.”
you guys didn’t have kids. This way, you can have a clean and straightforward divorce without too much entanglement. Otherwise, it would have been messier and the child would have been affected” Orlando opened the thermos he brought with him. Inside
started sipping the soup straight from the
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QZer54uaAby9khPTmrvXQhfmYkrVL8nh61PsBFXl9j2cBX3gdEYwHUBkxMTK48YZaXsevcBZ1FJ9gPZ+LeoqI5HA66YuPtGO5f7ACyC9SRtNyhbcD/s79cUZNyL9F4+UgMpPprWScGOxHKhT6lPxk2r73sSLivqI1MMSfySAVAjHSf7XsJyYmHV893JrQXQJvTigdYEXsJAwAjg4le4rpr8S6RIac4HPUGNtDcvPo9S2ShWrmIAGlkSCD56xYSinCQj0qeuJEq2q3HnKOygqPNvKz1Odb4xfrpkjT8YVM5ZFWcgplDy5dW7L2c6UKPLhmpt2r/h7BNmmmq5+glNC7exqcU0AxJmwd46eO2gQSQCkCKKoyH4mzL/dJi5xZqXgRdmy6qs900LdgGnH8IZmBdEGP1ALN4qm8xV/o9HkP1/6GZNsvMQ9Sk2MFkd3rYBF9zqIhw5Rar9YwfLb4CWNo3QjAPyxf1AR5YX8UBrOnJ0OfA65+C1E6Y26WOvXBJUmexhEtXvxomCZwgMVegeG9+WSdZZpAwPzLDGKHI2k2SCdxzuxreLMcwT/dpRSYOaXausmv76vFwCcPzsHmrKEaTQjIF11c68yfHrnGC0sVE1Y7MPsE0lVt2w+sCrVyE1Y4DtiJ4XHsDgnzvWP0TtpeteSZICrwl76lNmwStNlramzdJBSIefSYXrgZnRKpAYRwgOk/HrldoykYHKfimr7mzuORfIoN92P7X8m2h9jeY8NW0ZSeRYPuhSJsDQBGca5cKheyCgQiUkTTnXL/EPp3xqnK5We3SDGU1SGt7sjzEW18UB4yaYmA87AdtRzfwcJQCsPR5I+AR3MaIl9l/DZbmZOfPGB5kwtN4RIHeWI/hvSE5IN8CZKsQ+P269IdM7Pm9m7PXpkvkftcWki3sWU4CQU16ZXfvqC20WEidEF35KQEAUak7zGcfCyY0CuSNrU2SfnYJOTPMJBeL8iecPNo+SzrUNdGYH/J79hLkRZPUMJxXY/Zpm9zkKRvUtmDZKfVVAkXAJoUwk3CcgEJIOltbuQrHqvhyW76pOkEEe/p1RKrwbGwi5L1AfpO+daJeEAhW47X9x8+drTghpiAlRE4t3RnxprbUEhFmmqqvXuZ6SQli60Ox5ZNtRFUZZXLQv+HVD86aUzl03F0vhuBBfaEivMQA+EE0s4EXyJT/jjM2N9zkDFb627nxTITtYEUZ2+QEhKonqLOMSSd2IiChZ9lU/mWgyJD5PdMVkbdImiFNaVJyHAMkB3gY/juZbUWNsW9/pAvuUi6rFyFNO4bePP5wQEW3aXez8oCrdduw1Ozn6fhgb5+15P58tOUCX9I6q2nHEXwK7bgjFfFnn77clkJ7yIJqauM8DnCQc7b09PH9gieqPxeYMq7LMRflNAg2Xf2PTTHAU98loepH7FPZmsjMm8h4PQ1N3uYKrggOfqcO71q+NPD5SkpZRF96nbFnX8oNXEPboTnWHaR2R/BLzQVajrheAbTHrl8om/wseWOi2ahoJgLVwbkq9UMDaD5g7Sp4kS/3Xkvz8/RvAm3mICcKV75i1C4RiGmPouV9SksheIIcYb3YCmYAHc4gaIJbjNWTMAE8xL0xSRrIn/hst/FCIgcaIW/t2T/1Dj9liY9IZ3YTn/Srku1Uqjk5tAMUVNhDNcp2OI/Meb2xiptWUWyVLkWx3+/MFjbmkyvah6ZCyWcSM36t4G9PvvwhMK3heyrES80GWraClWd1yIH+5EcxM87s/6QsaPcATf45Z0M9+PXsnRFuBsgv6BDce0D4pks3LkqI/er4vXpwcb4qYrxAVLkQLCougRnoDwoi+1TjL77S/F3aYypGF1m9kGHLd9V9GfOeVWPRBy83oQG9RaEtnZFXH38zuigfXDwCBINuYjG19xK8frWcrYClrvz2Q9dUtY+oAVs09XliZcO5WKc5/lkGON+rtz0oI6PBKFPuFn5o23GgyQFvuvJCDF8qbJHxtlUJw1DdsoELA095A4y3jS2FUYgBa4Y/t9V066/wCj/0xZc298zeLfUrDxUQC3A2sEupzxE5XjKPayG6304XdkKx5YDWCRyhVKKGQAzHpRASMu+IbhsLCnxw8RqsdWheq1okZ2lOhuDRRpUo6F/VPzk8xiKXV0RE/EKXGTBtpc2OMOlajiF+dUYPlQpTf4zisf9FV0I0qThy9Ztsc8xkqDqBfhA1f/KDZO9EbksUIodKARE3QTEdIn9wJtpwbfBzQCb39UV7x+awl2/3tYq8NFIjtPkprorrB1gNxx433rdN8UYb10W0fm0rZbGFstOuKonEQFuJZXFdYEuiQiqQrm68BIrrJ+CvBc96t8u5bNnW4pf85EOtJRneT7Pk4gTaxcVw//1mTRHkcLRYQIQmKbXm66Wg6WmGGBirlZcKVbp6Xczd5Z/1UUG6OvSmc2wmXAlZQeIq7tmcoA5VVK9SkVxPyqKkP3KOuEqZmTt9yZBFQQGHzSM2ooyLbwsThug/PWzFimozBMjIg3lrJxTXl2Rnm+2L+im8JetL0SgJad2I75gszDTNGdtPLHcTRJeHle4qua4Rzxfj7lfaF2nQlSeWIESIx+JZ+t9I2gGeXqscttpskUep/WiiJvnTdt2BseLic9mKtlPOHNA4vO+W0la3YWznv0QUWAZ04VoNeTxacp7yMkf1X00iHoa+LOXl6pZhEigJMkz7Nq/lWkh52gBPH17uJax/FMJ3LXpHWm2cPepkRO5sWgnOlcJr5A1ZcOHvCtHlnfviBYaaHKAFkXBXnOrNm/dqdgqRQMGGhTBjNwQDCna6KyCEN/gxiHco0L0qZx1DmiN6ZapiImyva4KwpUBImuaJy2SFdGyRIPI8CgxjAc8Our0abqFojgABshvwsNqYR31DjNNR+cFqWBwat/1QidezlFveXFEDFGbwHuomc2HiZ7Aw5wwqKUgXtoDbJQBmrtY8PeUwlMBAwKACLKPaA5eiYt5SMH3ERTWJY9VBPeFJZR4OVIAuGCpBf33JZmRgUEa7j/B+1mP0ua9PKTXvRd8F0bTtQHSV419gL/sn5dbuduPIAb9yIrkKVigGvptLbc7TBpTOxbkxkobVM1gtBkfcLjc1rVGDZGisXbdmyWwr7MS2ciwKda6oXkakw0TLrZCnw56hMmWVI0n7VGr5Vk3HwPvMSAUIqaCH3pcauoCTguFEN+gLq0U6PkkaOczun/IGG68ObHdP65ntFDgEBclaQRmYlXYPjg2ID7E3obHarcAENNFAXG04KjtPlwdvcfe4OJOpDdXOemStg7hq8BCkggthicv63RqkEDMMm4WjWnXD+cY/G5CuSs7EEY7F0JcelddF9EeeE/D5DdTqENhn3fQ880gXLsPZhlmkh4bxNEw4EE3m5wamp8KYOPvjdY8eWqOnG/ag84XMNtLUgnX/X84iEUDu/ADSKwFEW+mN3+9CUAuyVlOMVGbcbsfxEgousLqc57QBCoRJCPhpAPxpiqJriE+WHyIbPWB8TJFkqILUYjfYIs3ZSx4Fha+riHgirfIigQGIb8hZ8CwkDaMGx89aYdp+luF2gmkDFkM56+lBhwSbV0gdwb0WQq2+eb7+zYRFhJBpH6pAMQU0Pbai4GAZHNPOgLKRvikoaFzUnz9jYSu5VjuKUegfyoIQGtE2fhXtM9YuMIyhoY4SHN+IwndgUoe6TTY835AyvxFPDY1EvEdu258tuMMoKoIO8rTJbLuDkqMaUr7zhudFRuRDW0KAtjhlrOy9Wjae1QXxmNAnsyH9AJeo7TNW1DD5GOT9VCTz1EF2KfpaFRZ27HXiZDRQqiWgZQLwyY38CsZoMTKIj6kSjiUgrzNrlBJ9FkW55uc+bQoc/2rzWGGai+ulVxwAwKXrVJTvBcJ2Mb/sL9dStYExRk10i5+zkjZfZ6lWBMTXAAY74VB5n/MPgpCpmZ+Kx9xrV6Dd2feShtqC3juISBBQ+mDBkWIfYUlPc3Y+hTER+kE5sFCTQZBLYzzLg6l4xl7XhT14EWuFmA5KW4CXG2gIzaPf3Rnd+k2lbusv3x6KjOf6597elY4eKjk5WD9nbYqOWnTAyCqUREXWX+jbSGGjU+UWea7JCpUPsAYYAU0dxn259w4yL/Am2YAdVuMeqvxez8BGqosHUmOpjcH6lTqysKPeA62S731Et9F8x532GhhQZKdEXg9YR/LJibOTxfFeyFjcvOOWJIPHczDTA=
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