Chapter 6: What happened to her?
"I am sorry, Enzo," she said, watching as he took the stairs. His silent treatment was the worst punishment he could have inflicted on her, but at that moment, that really wasn't the issue. What was really going on in his mind, and what plans did he have for her?.
She watched as he took the steps, feeling really powerless and empty. She asked herself if she should just stand there or follow.
Her mind was racing with anonymous thoughts as she searched for the best option to take. She finally heaved a sigh after concluding on the best thing to do: she had to follow, because remaining downstairs might trigger his anger.
With this settled thought, she held her stomach, which looked like it would fall out at any moment. She whispered to her baby, "You will be fine, okay? I will protect you with everything in me." She leaned towards the stairs, trying to take her first step, when she suddenly felt a sharp pain under her abdomen.
She tried to control it, but it seemed to be getting out of hand with every passing minute. When she couldn't control it anymore, she let out a loud and painful scream.
She let out a scream loud enough to send every soul in the house rushing to her direction. In less than a minute, she was already surrounded by the maids, who tried to help.
"We need to take you to the hospital ma" one of the maid uttered pulling her up gently but then a voice interrupts.
Even in pain, her eyes scrolled around the room in search of Enzo. She believed he had heard her scream as well, but the fact that he wasn't there yet was alarming. She felt sad and drained, never having thought that his hatred for her could be at this level.
"Let her stay there and rot in her own misery," a sharp and abrupt voice pierced Kira's ears, and she knew immediately it was Enzo. "She isn't going anywhere; that's her price for acting stubborn."
In panic and fear, she lifted her gaze to where he was standing at the far end of the stairs, his hands buried in his pockets.
"What do you think? That I will let that child live?" His words were like a sharp needle to her skin, and for a few minutes she tried to remember if he had given her any sort of concoction. He seemed to know too much about her current situation.
"The water the steward gave you on the plane was no ordinary water, and in no time that baby will be out of you." His voice was cold and calculated.
He read the pain in her face and excitement set in – this was just the perfect way he liked seeing her: in pain.
"You are so heartless! Even if you hate me so much, there's no need to extend it to the innocent baby." Kira spoke to him fearlessly for the first time in her life. At this point, she wasn't thinking – the motherly love in her was controlling.
"If anything happens to my baby, I swear you will pay…" She couldn't complete her statement when she dropped to the floor. She looked dead as she lay still on the cold floor.
Enzo stared at her, fear written all over his face. The anger was gone, replaced by great fear.
He rushed towards her, grabbing her hand. "Quick, open the door," he barked, and a maid rushed to carry out his instructions.
He picked her up and carried her on his back, rushing out of the gigantic parlour. "Stay with me, please, stay with me, Kira," he stammered, placing her on the back seat of his car.
He rushed to the driver's seat and, once his seat belt was on, he hit the road. His hands were shaky as he drove through the busy street.
Guilt was really eating him up. For a moment, he wished he had never been mean to Kira. Suddenly, he found himself appreciating her.
Little did he realize, a car was rushing toward him at full force. He was so lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear the other driver's yells: 'Hey! Watch where you're going, you mad man!' The other driver added, 'You almost got me killed!' before driving away."
In realization that he could have put his life and the lives of his wife and child in danger, he focused solely on the road. He didn't want any harm to come to his wife and child.
He gasped In joy as he finally arrived at the hospital. He hurried to Kira's side of the car and, with the help of the nurses who noticed his predicament in time, she was taken into the hospital.
"What happened to her?" the nurse questioned as they rushed into the hospital. But he was too ashamed to admit that his stupidity and quest for vengeance had put his wife in this state, so he came up with a lie.
"She fell down while trying to take the stairs. Please, I just want to hear good news. Do everything humanly possible to keep my wife and child safe," he mumbled, watching as the nurse nodded slowly before moving Kira into a ward.
He watched from his spot as his wife was moved into the ward, and more guilt and shame flooded through him. "All she ever wanted was my love and attention," he thought with deep regret.
He took a seat In the waiting room after Kira was totally out of sight and prayed to hear a very positive news. His legs were shaking with anxiety, and his ears were itching to hear from the doctors.
He looked up every time he heard footsteps, hoping it would be a doctor, but disappointment always set in when he discovered it wasn't. Was his wife and baby really still alive? Why hadn't he heard from anyone yet?
2 hours later…..
Enzo was already so restless that sitting down wasn't working for him anymore. This time around, he was pacing back and forth in the waiting room.
"Where the heck are all the doctors?" he thought. "Why isn't anyone responding yet?" His head was exploding with different thoughts and possibilities.
Even though the possibility was strong that his wife and child were alive, he refused to believe it. The drugs he had the steward put into the water he gave Kira were really effective and fear is all he feels.
His hope and fear mingled as he noticed a nurse walking towards him. Before she even got close, he rushed to meet her and bombarded her with questions: "How is my wife and baby? Are they okay? Are they breathing? Is everything fine? Why the hell is it taking so long?" His questions were endless.
"Can you please calm down and ask your questions more gently? I promise to answer all of them," the nurse admonished in a calm voice, trying to prepare him for the news he was about to receive.
She noticed fear already creeping into his face. His once agitated expression was now one of fear and terror, and she feared that her next words would only bring him more terror, not comfort.
Seeing that he was calm enough, she cleared her throat, figuring it was time to spill the beans. After taking a deep breath, she proceeded: "Mr. Enzo…" She paused, then continued: "Your wife and son are in a very critical condition. As we speak, their chance of survival is really low." She spilled the beans, then bowed her head, not wanting to see the reaction on his face.
Enzo was already losing it. He felt like he was dreaming and drowning at the same time. If anything happened to his wife and child, he would never forgive himself. But his eyes lit up as he realized something: "Did you say son?" he questioned the nurse, trying to clarify his curiosity.
"Yes, it's a boy," the nurse replied immediately. "You mean she's already given birth? Has she completed her nine months or…?" He stammered.
"I was coming to that, Mr. Enzo," the nurse said. "Your wife didn't complete her full term. She would have been due in five weeks, but due to the situation surrounding her, she was booked for a C-section."
The nurse explained, glancing at Enzo's face to make sure he was following, before she continued: "If only we had left the baby in her womb, she and the baby would have died."
"Like I said, Mr. Enzo, their chance of survival is really low. They only have a 30% chance of survival, but we hope that God will help." The nurse concluded with a sweet smile, gently patting Enzo's shoulder before leaving.
Enzo watched as the nurse walked away, feeling totally useless. Of course, he blamed himself for everything that had happened. If anything happened to his wife and child, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
He returned to his seat, praying for a miracle to happen. For the first time in 25 years, he was praying to God for a miracle. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd called upon the Almighty.
"Mr. Enzo! Mr. Enzo!!" he heard, and he immediately jumped to his feet. He saw a doctor rushing towards him. He tried to guess the news he was about to receive from the doctor's expression, but it was unreadable.