My eyes widened in shock as I found Sarah lying on the bed, pale and motionless. In an instant, my heart sank, and my world crumbled around me.
“Sarah?” I whispered, approaching her cautiously.
My legs felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot, but I forced myself to move closer. William’s presence faded into the background, irrelevant to the only thing that mattered Sarah.
I gently sat beside her, my hand reaching out to brush away the strands of hair clinging to her forehead. Her skin felt cold and clammy.
“Sarah,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and our gazes met. For a moment, I saw a glimmer of recognition, a spark of life.
But it was fleeting.
Her eyes, once bright and full of laughter, now seemed dull and lifeless.
“Sarah, please,” I begged, my voice cracking. “Talk to me.”
“Sarah!” William, who had finally broken out of his stupor, rushed over to her side, shaking her gently, completely disregarding my presence.
Then he froze, staring at Sarah, as the reality of the situation settled in. His anger was now replaced by concern.
I watched William’s expression transform from defiance to alarm, his eyes widening as he took in Sarah’s frail state.
“Sarah, oh God,” William whispered, his voice laced with panic, his hands hovering over her as if unsure where to touch.
“What have you done?” I demanded, my anger reigniting.
William’s gaze snapped to mine, filled with a mixture of fear and desperation.
“I was trying to protect her,” he stammered. “I don’t know what’s happening.”
“Protect her?” I repeated, incredulous. And I spat, “She fainted! Are you happy now?”
William’s face crumpled, his composure shattered.
For a moment, I saw the William I once knew, the friend I had lost.
But the sight of Sarah, pale and motionless, brought me back to reality.
“Sarah, wake up!” William pleaded, gently shaking her. But she didn’t stir.
Then William looked up at me, his eyes filled with worry. “Call a doctor.”
If it weren’t for the dire situation, I would have rolled my eyes at what he just said. Call a doctor?
“William, I am a doctor, remember?”
“Oh, I forgot,” he muttered, his expression sheepish.
I sighed, pushing aside our differences. “Let me examine her.”
I quickly assessed Sarah’s pulse, my eyes scanning her body. William watched anxiously, his face etched with concern.
“What’s wrong with her?” William asked, his voice trembling.
I ignored him and continued with my work. As I held Sarah’s limp body, my hands instinctively went to her wrist to check her pulse. But it was her abdomen that caught my attention.
My fingers brushed against her stomach, and my medical training kicked in. I detected a subtle, slight firmness.
It couldn’t be.
I gently pressed my fingers against her belly, feeling the unmistakable curve. For now, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. But my fears and worry had slightly dissipated. She would be fine but would still need to go to the hospital.
But before then, I looked up at William, a subtle smirk on my lips. It’s probably time he starts getting the blame for what happened to Sarah.
“Sarah is experiencing stress-induced fainting,” I explained. “But there’s more.”
William’s eyes widened. But I continued without giving him the chance to speak, “The stress and arguments likely triggered the fainting spell.”
I kept looking at him accusingly. “You did this, William. It’s your fault Sarah fainted.”
He shook his head, feeling guilty. He wanted to speak, but I interrupted again, “We need to ensure Sarah’s health and well-being: bed rest and minimal stress. Now we need to take her to the hospital.”
William was lost for words to protest, and he was too concerned about Sarah to counter with arguments, so he turned and grabbed his car keys.
“Fine. Let’s take her to the hospital.”
——-
We rushed to the hospital, even when the tension between us was palpable. The medical staff quickly attended to Sarah. I briefed them on her condition, and they whisked her away for further examination.
William and I waited anxiously in the hospital room, our differences momentarily set aside. While I sat as if I had no care in the world-I knew Sarah would be fine-William kept pacing back and forth in the waiting room.
“What is taking them so long?” he muttered, glancing at the room they had whisked Sarah into.
“Calm down, will you? After stressing her out, you have no right to be-”
“Will you just shut up!” he snapped in anger, cutting me off.
I chuckled but managed to conceal my laughter. I was doing all of this on purpose in hopes of making him feel guilty for what he did. He had no right making decisions for Sarah.
“You know,” I began, a giant smile on my face, “haven’t you thought of how Sarah will feel if she finds out that she almost lost her baby because of you?”
William’s gaze snapped at me, filled with surprise, perhaps shock for what I just said. “What did you just say?”
I didn’t tell him, but the reason I was acting all calm and collected and a little over the moon was the fact that Sarah was pregnant.
William’s eyes widened, his face pale. “What did you just say?” he repeated, his voice trembling.
I leaned back in my chair, a sly smile spreading across my face. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking aloud.”
William’s gaze intensified, his eyes burning with curiosity. “You know something, don’t you? And aren’t you supposed to be worried for my daughter?”
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “There’s nothing to be worried about.”
William’s frustration grew, his fists clenched. “Xavier, tell me.”
I chuckled, enjoying the upper hand. “Patience, William. All will be revealed soon enough.”
Just then, the doctor emerged from the examination room, a gentle smile on his face.
“Mr. William, Mr. Xavier, Ms. Sarah is stable,” the doctor began. “However, we’ve confirmed she’s approximately 12 weeks pregnant.”
William’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Pregnant?” he whispered.
I watched him, my expression neutral, but my thoughts triumphant. You should be shocked, William. Now how was he meant to keep her and her unborn child in Paris away from me?
The doctor continued, “Stress likely caused the fainting spell. We’ll monitor her closely to ensure the pregnancy remains healthy.”
William’s face crumpled, his guilt and worry palpable.
I stood, my smile gone, replaced by concern. “What’s the prognosis?”
The doctor nodded. “We’ll keep her overnight for observation. But with proper care, both Sarah and the baby should be fine.”
As the doctor left, William slumped against the wall, defeated.
I glanced at him, doing my best to hide the triumphant smile on my face.
“What’s wrong, William? You should be happy you’re going to be a grandpa soon.”
“My best friend is the father of my grandson. How should that make me happy?” he fired back, his face scrunched up.
I raised an eyebrow, amused by William’s outburst. “Ah, but that’s the best part. You get to be a grandpa and a meddling father-in-law all at once.”
William’s face reddened, his anger resurfacing. “This isn’t funny, Xavier. You’ve ruined everything.”
I chuckled, my eyes glinting with triumph. “Ruined everything? You’re the one who’s been trying to control Sarah’s life. Now she has something that belongs to me, and you can’t take that away.”
William’s expression turned venomous. “You’re going to use this pregnancy to manipulate her, aren’t you?”
I shrugged, nonchalant. “Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing’s certain: Sarah and our child are leaving Paris, and you can’t stop us.”
William’s eyes narrowed, and he looked like he was ready to object but found no words.
Just then, the nurse emerged, a warm smile on her face. “Ms. Sarah is awake and asking for you, Mr. William.”
William smiled, victorious, and tossed a glance my way before going into the room.
I followed behind him. As we entered the hospital room, Sarah’s weak smile greeted us. William rushed to her side, taking her hand.
“Sarah, sweetie, how are you feeling?” William asked, concern etched on his face.
Sarah’s gaze shifted to me, completely ignoring him. Our eyes met, and I smiled, relief washing over me.
I rushed over to her side, and she enveloped me in a tight embrace.
“Why didn’t you come earlier?” Sarah whispered, her voice trembling.
I held her tight, unwilling to let go. “I’m here now, my love. And I’m taking you away from here.”
William cleared his throat, reminding us of his presence. “Sarah, sweetie, we need to talk.”
Sarah pulled back, her eyes never leaving mine, still ignoring her father. Now I was beginning to feel sorry for him, but he deserves it.
“Not now. I need a moment with Xavier. And why should I even talk to you?” she spat, and I grimaced at William’s face.
“Sarah, that’s harsh,” I whispered, but Sarah just rolled her eyes.
William’s face fell, but he nodded, stepping back. “Fine. I’ll give you two some space.”
As William retreated, Sarah’s grip on my hand tightened.
“Xavier, I’m pregnant,” she whispered, her eyes shining with tears. “The nurse told me.”
I smiled, pinching her cheek. “I know, my love. The doctor told us.”
Sarah’s gaze searched mine. “What does this mean for us?”
I leaned in, my voice barely above a whisper. “It means we’re starting a new life together: you, me, our baby, and the girls.”
Sarah’s face lit up with joy, and she couldn’t contain it.
Just then, William re-entered the room, his expression somber. “Sarah, we need to discuss your future,” he began.
Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “My future is with Xavier, Father. And our baby.”
William’s face paled, his eyes darting to me. “Yeah, about that.”