“Come on, keep walking.” Doctor Carson said to June as she limped around the house.
Today was physical therapy. One of the days she got to go out and exercise her body. The stab wounds were healing and so were the internal wounds.
Doctor Carson had taken responsibility for her and she was very grateful for his help so far. Her body was slowly but surely getting back to shape, and she owed it all to him.
After their session, they returned to the house and sat in the living room. “Thank you,” June said to the maid who served them a drink.
“How are you feeling?” Doctor Carson asked after he took a sip.
“I feel stronger.” She replied. “I just wish I could hasten up the process and get myself useful.”
“You will have all the time to do whatever you want when you are well and strong.” The doctor remarked, “Remember-”
“Health is wealth.” June finished for him and they shared a laugh.
Every time she spoke about how she hated the way her recuperation process made her feel, Doctor Carson repeated the words to her like a mantra. So much so she could hear it in her sleep.
“Exactly. When you are strong enough and back to work, you will definitely miss these days when all you had to do was rest and heal.” He said and she chuckled.
As if!
“Doctor Carson.” June called after a bout of silence.
“Carson.” He said and she sported a confused look. “I think we are past the stage of addressing each other formerly, Mrs. Ambrose.” He had a ridiculous look on his face.
June burst out in a laugh at the sound of him addressing her with such formality. “June. Just June.” She managed to say.
“You can call me Carson. You might not know it but I am a friend of your husband.” A scoff, “Although he forgot to invite me to the wedding, which I definitely nurse offence about, I am glad to meet you.”
June felt her heart prick with guilt. She was beginning to make a friend of Carson and she didn’t know if it would be a problem if she told him the truth about their ‘marriage’
Nevertheless, she decided against, knowing it was not her secret to tell. “I think you should take it up with Rafael.” She said with a smile on her face.
“Take what up with me?” A voice suddenly said and they turned to the door.
Rafael came back early.
“I was just airing my grievances to your wife,” Carson said, getting up on his feet with a shrug. “How you somehow forgot to inform your best friend about your remarriage.”
Rafael dropped a kiss on June’s forehead like it was a normal thing to do. However, June couldn’t stop her racing heart.
“I didn’t have the time to inform you between people trying to make me a widower yet again,” Rafael said in an offhanded way but his friend felt worried.
Rafael hadn’t been one to be open about his feelings. Even when he lost Luis’s mother, he hadn’t said a word about it to date. He could tell that the incident with June shook something within him and he decided to speak to him as both a friend and a medical practitioner lately.
“Did you carry out the tests I told you about?” Rafael sat beside his wife, who felt hot at his sudden closeness.
“Sure. They are still in process. I will have the report mailed to you by the end of today.” Carson said, getting up on his feet.
“What is that?” June asked when she felt they were talking about her.
Both men exchanged glances and after a minute, Rafael spoke.
“You said they tried to make you unable to conceive. I asked Carson to verify it, and find if it is something that could be remedied.” He said softly, it was clear he was navigating dangerous waters here but the last thing Rafael wanted was to have her second guessing him or his intentions by keeping secrets.
He figured if she didn’t like his inability to keep a line between them, she would speak and make it known to him. However, that was not the case.
“Thank you.” June appreciated his thoughtfulness. “I’d like to know what you find.” She said to Carson, hiding her fear at the thought of her truly being unable to mother a child.
Carson looked stuck between a rock and a hard place. He finally let out a sigh then spoke.
“I already had the document sent to you.” He said to Rafael, “Since we are all here, I might as well break the news.”
For some reason, June could feel the bad news coming. However, she sat tight, unconsciously drifting closer to her husband.
“The test results proved that your womb has been damaged.” His words cut her like a knife. “However, this is not a repercussion of any poison ingested but a direct result of the stabs you received.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You mean-”
“Yes. Your womb was perfectly intact. If there was a reason you couldn’t conceive in your previous marriage, it’s not because you couldn’t. However, one of the stabs affected your womb and as a result, zeroed your chances of giving birth.”
The news was devastating to both the bearer and the hearer. “I’m so sorry.” Carson said.
June swallowed, her throat tight. “You don’t have to be.” She managed to say, and Rafael held her closer. “I’m just glad I made it through alive.”
Although June tried to maintain a positive outlook, it was clear she wasn’t all to good about it. Their suspicions were confirmed when she stood up slowly.
“I will be in my room.” She said, a silent request to be alone.
Rafael remained rooted in his seat while she limped away from him. His anger was palpable and in that moment, Carson knew to give him some space.
“I’ll be on my way.” He managed to say, slipping out of the house.
That afternoon, June stayed holed up in her room with an unreadable expression in her face. Rafael who had intended to spend the day with her was forced to relegate to his office where he could barely get his job done.
Thankfully, Luis got off school and came out of his room in time to find his auntie who he presumed was in his father’s office. He had seen his father drive in and didn’t bother to check her room, believing the only reason his father would come in early was to steal some time with his auntie.
His father was getting too close for comfort with his auntie these days and as much as he permitted him, he didn’t want to risk his auntie preferring his dad’s company over his.
Not now, not ever.
When Luis pushed open the door of his father’s office, Rafael stood by his window with his hand in his pocket. Upon hearing the door open, he turned around and right then, met eyes with his son.
Luis’s face contorted when he noticed the emptiness of the room. His auntie was not there. He made to leave when his father called him back.
Although he hated to spend any more time where his auntie wasn’t, he obeyed and listened to what his father had to say.