The outcome was even more incredible than being diagnosed with late-stage gastric cancer. Elisa flipped through the examination report in her hand, but she had already read the three-page document several times, and the only sound in the room was the rustling of paper.
The doctor sitting in front of her entered the results into the computer and, seeing her staring intently, patiently asked, “Miss Powell, do you have any other questions?”
Elisa shook her head, her lips murmuring, “This can’t be possible. How could I be pregnant?”
“Your progesterone levels were a bit low. Did you experience any signs of miscarriage recently?”
“I thought it was my menstrual period.”
The doctor frowned upon hearing her words, looking Elisa up and down. “You’re married, right?”
Elisa honestly replied, “For four years.”
“After being married for four years, you still can’t distinguish between pregnancy and your menstrual period?”
It wasn’t that she didn’t know, but she never even considered it. Her menstrual cycle had always been irregular, and in addition, Hamish, during their four years of marriage, didn’t want her to get pregnant because he found her dirty. So, they always used contraception.
Contraception…
Elisa’s thoughts suddenly paused, and she finally understood where the problem lay. After being diagnosed with gastric cancer, she was afraid that the medication would harm her, so she stopped taking birth control pills. And Hamish didn’t take any precautions in the following instances.
Elisa asked, “Doctor, how many weeks pregnant am I?”
“Five weeks.”
Elisa calculated the time. It was the first time after she was discharged from the hospital, just that one time, and she got pregnant.
Elisa felt listless, like a frostbitten eggplant. Her whole being was withered. She hung her head and unconsciously murmured, “How could I be pregnant?”
The doctor couldn’t help but smile at her question. She had asked it so many times before. “From a physiological perspective, you do have the ability to get pregnant, so there’s no question of how. Besides, you’ve been married for four years, so it’s about time you got pregnant.”
Previously, she had only felt physically numb, but now her mind was also numb. She sat dazedly in the chair, watching the doctor’s mouth move as he analyzed.
In short, she was a hundred percent unable to escape this pregnancy.
“Can I terminate it?” Elisa asked.
The doctor thought she was worried about a miscarriage. She picked up her thermos and took a sip of water, moistening her throat. “Low progesterone can be adjusted. Don’t worry, as long as you take better care of your body in the future, it won’t be easy to miscarry.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to.”
There were many reasons why she didn’t want a child, but that was her own private matter. The doctor couldn’t ask too much, but she still had to advise, “Why don’t you discuss it with your husband? Considering your health condition, I don’t recommend an abortion. There are risks involved, and many girls have difficulty getting pregnant again after scraping the uterus due to a weak uterine wall.”
Discuss it with Hamish? Elisa’s mouth twitched with a bitter taste when she heard this. If Hamish didn’t care about her, how could he care about the child in her womb?
If he knew that she had accidentally become pregnant, she probably wouldn’t even need to go to the hospital. She would just take a pill and have a chemical abortion, and the risk would be even higher.
Just the thought of Hamish cursing her and the child in her belly made her heart ache. She clenched the examination report tightly in her hand and let out a heavy sigh.
“How about you discuss it with Dr. Baker later? She knows that your relationship with Micah is different. Perhaps Micah can persuade you to keep the child.”
Knock, knock, knock. A knocking sound came from outside.
The doctor looked over, and Micah’s face appeared through the door and window. “Just when we mentioned him, he’s here.”
After receiving a response, Micah slowly pushed open the door. “How did it go?”
The doctor pointed to the computer. “You can check the results yourself later. Micah is here, so there’s nothing for her to worry about.” She stood up. “The patient in bed 50 is looking for me. I’ll go and see the situation. I’ll leave it to you here.”
Micah went over and sat at the computer desk. “You go ahead, call me if you need anything.”
The doctor nodded reassuringly and left.
The computer screen went black, and Micah sat down but couldn’t see the examination results. However, judging from Elisa’s expression, it seemed like she hada hidden problem. Could her condition be severe?
He clicked on the computer and looked at the information: five weeks pregnant.
“Elisa, you’re pregnant?” Micah was somewhat surprised. For a moment, he didn’t know how he should feel. It was both sweet and bittersweet. The girl he had watched grow up was about to become a mother.
He reached out and took the examination report from Elisa’s hand, carefully examining it. Apart from the slightly low progesterone, there were no other symptoms, and the overall condition was still good.
“I’ll prescribe some supplements for progesterone later. Don’t worry,” Micah said with a sigh. “I’m finally going to be an uncle.”
“Micah, I can’t have this child.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she couldn’t. Her current situation simply didn’t allow her to have a child.
“Why?” Micah asked.
“Micah, I have cancer. I don’t even know how long I can live with this illness. Who knows if I’ll have an attack tomorrow and be gone?”
“Nonsense. The medication you’re taking now is a newly developed cancer drug. Medical science is advancing. You should think positively. Maybe tomorrow they’ll develop a cure for your disease.”
Every time they discussed Elisa’s condition, the atmosphere became heavy.
“It’s good to think positively, but it should also be based on reality. Micah, I don’t dare to take the risk. This child came at the wrong time. He shouldn’t have appeared in my womb.”
“But he’s already here. Are you going to get rid of him?” Micah held Elisa’s hand, his tone pleading.
Elisa’s hand trembled with coldness. She clenched her fist, unable to hide her trembling. She shook her head, her eyes already red. “Do you want him to become mine? To be born into a life of mistakes, without anyone to love or care for him?”
If her body were healthy, she would want this child no matter what. But she wasn’t!
If she were to pass away just after giving birth to this child, what would happen to him? Should she leave him to Hamish and Lila to raise?
If that were the case, her child would probably have a life worse than death. Just the thought of it sent chills down her spine.
Micah didn’t want Elisa to be overwhelmed by pessimism. Now that she had a child, he hoped it would give her the motivation to keep going.