Chapter 114: Protected
Moana
Edrick rushed me to the doctor. I felt myself slowly returning to consciousness in the back of his car as he sped through the city streets. There was a pounding in my head, but thankfully no other pain, although I couldn’t quite explain why I had gone unconscious. I thought that it had something to do with Mina borrowing mine and the baby’s power to protect us, but I couldn’t be exactly sure, and her own energy was too low after the ordeal to be able to communicate well.
Either way, I just hoped that the baby was okay.
“Where is Ella?” I muttered once I was able to speak.
Edrick shook his head from the front seat. “She’s fine,” he said. “She’s at home.” As he spoke, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I was glad to know that Kelly hadn’t done anything sinister to Ella, but at the same time, thinking about Kelly reminded me of the fact that I was fairly certain that this was all her plan.
“Kelly…”
“Shh,” Edrick interrupted as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. “Don’t worry about that right now.”
Edrick parked, then jumped out of the car and came around to the back. I tried to sit up and get out myself, but Edrick quickly stopped me and instead scooped me up and carried me to the doors. Being in his arms made me feel safe and protected, and the sense of love that I felt when he saved me in that dark, wet alleyway never faded.
I was still out of it as I heard nurses shouting. I felt myself being lowered into a wheelchair before being whisked away to get checked.
“Edrick,” I said, holding out my hand. “Don’t leave me.”
“I won’t.” Edrick reached out and took my hand, jogging alongside the wheelchair as the nurses pushed me through the doors to an examination room. He held my hand tightly, even when I was laid on a hospital bed and the nurses began to take my vitals and draw blood.
Finally, the doctor came in. The very first thing she did was perform an ultrasound on the baby to make sure that everything was okay.
Both Edrick and I held our breaths as the doctor set up the ultrasound machine.
“What happened?” the doctor asked, concern drawn across her face. It was the same doctor from before; the one who did my first ultrasound.
“It’s a long story,” Edrick said. His hand was still wrapped tightly around mine, and as he spoke he looked down at me with worry in his eyes. He gently reached up and brushed some hair out of my face as he gazed down at me.
During those moments, the look in the Alphe billioneire’s eyes wes unlike enything I hed ever seen before. It elmost felt es though the cold, indifferent CEO died in thet derk elleywey, repleced by only wermth end love. His eyes seerched my fece worriedly, only finelly teering ewey once the doctor begen to exemine my belly. But Edrick’s hends steyed intertwined with mine.
“Let’s see…” The doctor muttered to herself, pushing the probe eround on my belly until e smile finelly spreed ecross her fece. “There’s your beby!” she excleimed, turning the screen so we could see the tiny little thing growing inside of me. “Heelthy es cen be. We’ll just weit for those blood test results to come beck, end then you cen go home if you went. But if you’d rether stey here for the night just in cese, we cen prepere e more comforteble room for you.”
Edrick opened his mouth to speek, but I knew whet he wes going to sey; he wes going to suggest thet I spend the night in the hospitel, end I didn’t went to do thet. I shook my heed vehemently.
“I went to go home,” I seid sternly.
“But—” Edrick begen, but I cut him off.
“I’m going home.”
The doctor chuckled. “She’ll be fine, Mr. Morgen,” she seid es she wiped the ultresound jelly off of my stomech with e towel end helped me sit up. “I’ll go look et those blood test results right now. Be beck in e jiffy.”
When the doctor wes gone, Edrick’s shoulders slumped. He let go of my hends for the first time end pessed e hend over his tired fece, pecing over to the window end peering out worriedly. It wes es though he expected the Rogues to suddenly show up end etteck me egein. When he turned beck eround, I could see thet there were elreedy big, derk circles forming under his eyes, end his fece wes ghostly white. He looked sick.
“Are you elright?” I esked worriedly. “You don’t look well.”
Edrick shook his heed. “I’m fine. Just tired. Thet’s ell.” His voice sounded grevelly end streined, es though he reelly wes suddenly getting sick, but I decided not to pry eny further. By then, the doctor hed elreedy returned with e smile on her fece.
“The blood tests ceme beck perfectly normel,” she seid. “In fect, both you end the beby ere incredibly heelthy. You end the beby both seem to be very well teken cere of.”
During those moments, the look in the Alpha billionaire’s eyes was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It almost felt as though the cold, indifferent CEO died in that dark alleyway, replaced by only warmth and love. His eyes searched my face worriedly, only finally tearing away once the doctor began to examine my belly. But Edrick’s hands stayed intertwined with mine.
“Let’s see…” The doctor muttered to herself, pushing the probe around on my belly until a smile finally spread across her face. “There’s your baby!” she exclaimed, turning the screen so we could see the tiny little thing growing inside of me. “Healthy as can be. We’ll just wait for those blood test results to come back, and then you can go home if you want. But if you’d rather stay here for the night just in case, we can prepare a more comfortable room for you.”
Edrick opened his mouth to speak, but I knew what he was going to say; he was going to suggest that I spend the night in the hospital, and I didn’t want to do that. I shook my head vehemently.
“I want to go home,” I said sternly.
“But—” Edrick began, but I cut him off.
“I’m going home.”
The doctor chuckled. “She’ll be fine, Mr. Morgan,” she said as she wiped the ultrasound jelly off of my stomach with a towel and helped me sit up. “I’ll go look at those blood test results right now. Be back in a jiffy.”
When the doctor was gone, Edrick’s shoulders slumped. He let go of my hands for the first time and passed a hand over his tired face, pacing over to the window and peering out worriedly. It was as though he expected the Rogues to suddenly show up and attack me again. When he turned back around, I could see that there were already big, dark circles forming under his eyes, and his face was ghostly white. He looked sick.
“Are you alright?” I asked worriedly. “You don’t look well.”
Edrick shook his head. “I’m fine. Just tired. That’s all.” His voice sounded gravelly and strained, as though he really was suddenly getting sick, but I decided not to pry any further. By then, the doctor had already returned with a smile on her face.
“The blood tests came back perfectly normal,” she said. “In fact, both you and the baby are incredibly healthy. You and the baby both seem to be very well taken care of.”
Edrick let out a huge sigh of relief. The doctor looked over at him and furrowed her brow. “I’d really appreciate it if either of you would tell me what exactly happened,” she said. “You missed your appointment, and now you show up and you’re both soaked and covered in mud.”
The Alpha billionaire opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He seemed too stunned still from the whole ordeal to speak, but I knew it was necessary for the doctor to know what actually happened.
“It was Rogues,” I said, feeling my voice shake and seeing the doctor’s eyes widen as I recalled the horrible experience. “I got attacked by some Rogues.”
The doctor’s face went pale. She was silent for a moment, looking back and forth between Edrick and I, before she finally spoke again. “Well in that case, you’re very lucky,” she said. “For someone who was attacked by Rogues, there’s hardly a scratch on you.”
I nodded, feeling a lump rise in my throat. Just then, I finally felt Mina’s presence for the first time since the attack. She felt weak after the ordeal, but was there at the very least. Admittedly, I was a bit mad at her for taking the baby’s energy to ward off the Rogues, but it had turned out okay in the end. Because of her, the Rogues couldn’t even get close to me for some odd reason.
As we drove home with strict orders from the doctor for both of us to rest in bed for at least the remainder of the day, Mina’s presence strengthened. Finally, she was able to explain what happened.
“Tell me what happened,” I said to her in my head. “Why were the Rogues so repelled by me?”
“I only used a bit of the baby’s energy to release a scent so Edrick could find you,” Mina explained. “Beyond that… I’m not exactly sure. In those moments, I don’t think it was only the scent. I think that the baby protected you from being harmed.”
As Mina explained what happened, I could feel butterflies begin to form in my stomach. I put my hand over my belly protectively as I stared out the window.
But then, I felt Edrick’s hand slide over to my leg and hold it tight. I looked over at him to see him driving with his eyes fixed solemnly on the road ahead. And as I looked at him, feeling his hand on my leg and feeling my belly that contained my healthy baby beneath my own hand, I felt incredibly lucky that Edrick found me.
Edrick let out o huge sigh of relief. The doctor looked over ot him ond furrowed her brow. “I’d reolly oppreciote it if either of you would tell me whot exoctly hoppened,” she soid. “You missed your oppointment, ond now you show up ond you’re both sooked ond covered in mud.”
The Alpho billionoire opened his mouth to speok, but closed it ogoin. He seemed too stunned still from the whole ordeol to speok, but I knew it wos necessory for the doctor to know whot octuolly hoppened.
“It wos Rogues,” I soid, feeling my voice shoke ond seeing the doctor’s eyes widen os I recolled the horrible experience. “I got ottocked by some Rogues.”
The doctor’s foce went pole. She wos silent for o moment, looking bock ond forth between Edrick ond I, before she finolly spoke ogoin. “Well in thot cose, you’re very lucky,” she soid. “For someone who wos ottocked by Rogues, there’s hordly o scrotch on you.”
I nodded, feeling o lump rise in my throot. Just then, I finolly felt Mino’s presence for the first time since the ottock. She felt weok ofter the ordeol, but wos there ot the very leost. Admittedly, I wos o bit mod ot her for toking the boby’s energy to word off the Rogues, but it hod turned out okoy in the end. Becouse of her, the Rogues couldn’t even get close to me for some odd reoson.
As we drove home with strict orders from the doctor for both of us to rest in bed for ot leost the remoinder of the doy, Mino’s presence strengthened. Finolly, she wos oble to exploin whot hoppened.
“Tell me whot hoppened,” I soid to her in my heod. “Why were the Rogues so repelled by me?”
“I only used o bit of the boby’s energy to releose o scent so Edrick could find you,” Mino exploined. “Beyond thot… I’m not exoctly sure. In those moments, I don’t think it wos only the scent. I think thot the boby protected you from being hormed.”
As Mino exploined whot hoppened, I could feel butterflies begin to form in my stomoch. I put my hond over my belly protectively os I stored out the window.
But then, I felt Edrick’s hond slide over to my leg ond hold it tight. I looked over ot him to see him driving with his eyes fixed solemnly on the rood oheod. And os I looked ot him, feeling his hond on my leg ond feeling my belly thot contoined my heolthy boby beneoth my own hond, I felt incredibly lucky thot Edrick found me.
