Tom followed the nurse down the hallway, his heart pounding in his chest. The tension in the air was thick, and every step he took felt heavier, like he was walking toward a truth he wasn't ready to face. The nurse led him into a small office, its walls lined with medical charts and sterile white furniture. She closed the door behind him, leaving a thick silence in the room.
Dr. Leah Walker was seated at her desk, her expression serious. She motioned for Tom to sit, but he remained standing, his mind racing. What could this be about? What new twist awaited him in this never-ending nightmare?
"Mr. Tom," Dr. Walker began, her voice steady but soft, "I know you're anxious about Anna's condition, but there's something important we need to discuss."
Tom's stomach clenched. He could feel the weight of her words before they even left her mouth. He braced himself, but nothing could have prepared him for what she said next.
"When Anna was brought in," Dr. Walker continued, "we discovered she was pregnant. I understand this may come as a surprise to you."
Tom's breath caught in his throat. Pregnant? He had no idea. In the chaos of the accident and everything that had followed, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. His mind spun, the image of Anna—his Anna—suddenly overshadowed by this new revelation. She had been carrying a child. Their child.
"I—I didn't know," he managed to say, his voice strained. "I didn't know she was pregnant."
Dr. Walker's expression softened, though there was an undeniable sadness in her eyes. "I understand. It's often hard to keep track of such things in the midst of trauma. But I'm afraid there's more you need to know."
Tom felt his chest tighten, the sense of dread growing with every word.
"Due to the nature of the accident and the injuries Anna sustained, she lost the baby." Dr. Walker paused, allowing the weight of her words to sink in. "I'm truly sorry, Mr. Foster. The trauma was simply too much for the pregnancy to survive."
Tom's legs buckled as the room seemed to spin around him. The words echoed in his ears, but they felt distant, as if he were hearing them from underwater. His mind raced back to that night, the crash, the blood, the chaos. But now, all of that seemed insignificant compared to this loss. Anna had lost their child. Their future together had just been shattered.
"Is she… is she going to be okay?" Tom asked, his voice barely a whisper. The question hung in the air, fragile and fragile as glass.
Dr. Walker nodded slowly. "Physically, she's recovering. But emotionally, this will be a very difficult journey for her. And for you. The loss of a child—whether it's early or not—leaves deep scars. I just wanted you to know so you could prepare yourself for what's coming. Anna may not understand what's happened just yet, and when she does, she may need time. Time to grieve, time to heal."
Tom's heart shattered as he processed the enormity of it all. Anna had already been through so much—now, this. How could he tell her the truth? How could he explain this loss when he had already lied to her about the accident?
As if on autopilot, Tom nodded. "I'll make sure she's taken care of."
Dr. Walker stood and placed a hand on his shoulder, a silent gesture of empathy. "I'm sorry for all you're going through, Tom. But you need to be strong for her now. She's going to need you more than ever."
Tom stood in the office for a long moment, unable to move, unable to think. When he finally made his way back to Anna's room, the weight of the world pressed down on him. He had already betrayed her trust with a lie—how could he possibly bear this new truth?
The lie he had told about the accident was now a mountain too tall to climb. But the truth about their child was an even more daunting reality, one he wasn't ready to face. How could he be the man Anna needed when everything he had done so far was built on a foundation of lies?
When he entered Anna's room, she was still asleep, her face pale and exhausted. He stood by her side for a moment, watching her, his heart breaking for her and for the child they would never have.
He wasn't sure what came next—how he could face her with the truth, or if he could continue living with the lies that had already come between them. All he knew was that Anna was still his world, and he would do whatever it took to protect her.
Even if it meant losing himself in the process.