Chapter 81 Things Starting To Go Wrong
Chapter 81 Things Starting To Go Wrong
POV: Lina
The next morning, Lina knew something was wrong before she even fully got out of bed.
At first, she ignored it.
Not because she didn’t care, but because pregnancy had already changed so many little things in her body that she’d stopped reacting to every discomfort immediately. Some mornings she felt tired. Some days her back hurt. Sometimes she woke up dizzy or uncomfortable for no reason.
So when she opened her eyes and felt the dull ache low in her stomach, she stayed still for a second and tried to convince herself it was nothing serious.
Maybe she slept badly.
Maybe she moved too quickly yesterday.
Maybe she was overthinking.
But when she finally sat up slowly, the pain tightened again.
Not unbearable.
Just enough to make her pause.
She frowned slightly and rested her hand against her stomach automatically.
“Okay…” she muttered quietly to herself.
The apartment was silent around her. Too early for anyone to be calling yet. Even Maya usually waited until after seven before starting her daily monitoring routine.
Lina slowly got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom.
Halfway there, another cramp hit.
Stronger this time.
She stopped immediately, gripping the edge of the wall for a second until it eased.
Her heartbeat picked up.
Not panic.
Not yet.
But enough to make her nervous.
“Please don’t start,” she whispered under her breath.
She stayed there for another few seconds before continuing into the bathroom.
By the time she washed her face and brushed her teeth, the discomfort still hadn’t gone away.
That was what bothered her.
It stayed.
Low.
Constant.
Like something pulling tightly inside her body.
Lina walked back into the room and picked up her phone from the bed.
For a second, she debated whether to message Daniel or not.
Or Maya.
Or nobody.
Because maybe she was being dramatic.
Maybe this was normal.
But before she could decide, another sharp pain hit her hard enough to make her inhale suddenly.
“Shit.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone immediately.
This time, she called Daniel without thinking twice.
He answered almost instantly.
“Lina?”
She swallowed.
“I think something’s wrong.”
The change in his voice was immediate.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted quickly. “I just… my stomach hurts.”
“How bad?”
“I don’t know.”
That answer clearly frustrated him, but he kept his voice calm.
“Lina, listen to me carefully. Is it cramping?”
“Yes.”
“Bleeding?”
Her chest tightened immediately.
She looked down quickly.
“No.”
He exhaled softly on the other side.
“Okay. Okay.”
Another pause.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“I’m coming.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I’m already leaving.”
And then the line disconnected.
Lina stared at the phone for a second before lowering it slowly.
The pain still hadn’t stopped.
Not fully.
It kept coming and easing and coming back again.
Her nerves started building quietly after that.
Not full panic.
But fear.
Real fear.
She moved carefully toward the living room and sat down slowly on the couch, trying to breathe normally while waiting for Daniel to arrive.
Her phone buzzed again almost immediately.
Daniel.
Unlock the door.
She got up slowly and did exactly that before sitting back down again.
Less than ten minutes later, he was already inside the apartment.
The moment he saw her face, his expression changed.
“You’re pale.”
“I’m fine,” she said automatically.
“You literally just called saying something was wrong.”
“I know.”
He crouched slightly in front of her.
“Talk to me properly.”
Lina looked away briefly before answering.
“It started when I woke up.”
“Pain?”
She nodded.
“Where exactly?”
She pressed her hand lightly against her lower stomach.
Daniel’s jaw tightened immediately.
“How often?”
“I don’t know. Every few minutes maybe.”
“Why didn’t you call earlier?”
“It literally started this morning.”
He ran a hand through his hair, already stressed.
“We’re going to the hospital.”
Lina looked at him quickly.
“Daniel—”
“No.”
His voice stayed calm, but firm.
“We’re not guessing with this.”
The seriousness in his tone made her stomach twist harder.
Not because he was overreacting.
Because part of her suddenly felt like maybe he wasn’t.
“I don’t think it’s that bad,” she said quietly.
“And I hope you’re right,” he replied immediately. “But we’re still going.”
That shut her up.
Because deep down, she wanted to go too.
She was scared.
Daniel stood up quickly and grabbed her bag from the chair nearby like he already knew she wouldn’t think about it herself.
“Can you walk okay?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, Daniel.”
He nodded once.
“Okay. Slowly.”
The drive to the hospital felt completely different from the previous appointments.
The silence in the car wasn’t calm this time.
It was tense.
Daniel kept glancing at her every few seconds while driving.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
A minute later:
“How bad now?”
“It eased.”
Then another cramp hit her suddenly and she shut her eyes tightly for a second.
Daniel noticed immediately.
“Lina.”
“I’m okay,” she said quickly, breathing carefully through it.
His grip tightened against the steering wheel.
“This is why I hate when you say ‘okay’ automatically.”
She didn’t respond.
Because honestly?
She didn’t know what else to say.
By the time they reached the hospital, Lina’s nerves were fully building now.
Not loud.
But impossible to ignore.
Daniel parked badly for probably the first time in his life and got out immediately before coming around to her side.
“You’re doing too much,” she muttered as he opened the door for her.
“I genuinely do not care right now.”
Despite everything, that almost made her smile.
Almost.
He kept one hand lightly against her back as they walked inside.
Not controlling.
Just steadying her whenever she slowed down.
The receptionist recognized them immediately.
“What happened?” she asked quickly after seeing Lina’s face.
“She’s having abdominal pain,” Daniel answered before Lina could speak.
The woman’s expression changed immediately.
“Okay. One second.”
Everything moved faster after that.
Too fast.
A nurse appeared.
Questions started.
How long?
Any bleeding?
Dizziness?
Fever?
Lina answered everything while Daniel stayed beside her so closely she could practically feel the tension radiating off him.
The nurse finally nodded.
“We’re going to check her immediately.”
Daniel looked at Lina.
“You hear that? Good.”
She stared at him.
“You’re acting like I’m dying.”
His expression tightened instantly.
“Don’t joke like that.”
The fear in his voice caught her off guard completely.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then the nurse gently interrupted.
“Come with me.”
Lina followed her down the hallway while Daniel stayed right beside her the entire time.
Inside the examination room, everything suddenly felt too bright.
Too quiet.
Too serious.
The nurse checked her vitals first while asking more questions.
Then she stepped out briefly to get the doctor.
Lina sat on the bed quietly after that, trying not to overthink every cramp that came and went.
Daniel stood near her this time instead of sitting across the room.
His arms were folded tightly across his chest, jaw tense, eyes fixed on her like he was monitoring every breath she took.
“You need to relax,” Lina said softly.
“You think I’m the one not relaxed right now?”
She sighed.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Before he could answer, the doctor walked in quickly.
And immediately, Lina knew something about this visit was different.
Because the doctor looked serious too.
The moment the doctor walked in, Lina knew this appointment didn’t feel like the others.
Not because anyone said something immediately.
Because everybody suddenly seemed too alert.
The doctor moved closer quickly, holding Lina’s file in one hand while looking directly at her.
“Tell me exactly what you’re feeling.”
Lina adjusted slightly on the bed before answering.
“Cramping mostly.”
“How strong?”
“It comes and goes.”
“How long has it been happening?”
“Since morning.”
The doctor nodded once before asking the next question.
“Any pressure? Tightness? Back pain?”
Lina hesitated briefly.
“My lower back hurt a little earlier.”
Daniel’s expression changed immediately beside her.
“You didn’t say that.”
“It wasn’t serious,” Lina replied quickly.
The doctor looked between both of them calmly.
“Has the pain increased since it started?”
Lina paused again.
“A little.”
That answer alone seemed enough to make the room quieter.
The doctor stepped closer.
“Okay. I’m going to examine you first, then we’ll do another scan.”
Lina nodded slowly.
Daniel stayed where he was while the doctor started checking her carefully, asking questions as she worked.
The more Lina answered, the tighter Daniel’s jaw became.
“How often are the cramps happening now?” the doctor asked.
Lina frowned slightly, trying to think.
“Maybe every few minutes.”
The doctor nodded again, thoughtful this time.
Not relaxed.
Thoughtful.
Lina noticed it immediately.
And unfortunately, so did Daniel.
“What?” he asked before Lina could.
The doctor looked up calmly.
“I just want to check a few things first before I say anything.”
That did not help.
At all.
Daniel looked even more tense after that while Lina tried not to let her thoughts spiral.
Because maybe it was still nothing serious.
Maybe they were just being careful.
Pregnancy complications happened all the time without becoming emergencies.
Right?
The doctor finished examining her and stepped back slightly.
“I want another scan immediately.”
Daniel spoke first.
“Is something wrong?”
The doctor answered carefully.
“I’m noticing some things I don’t completely like yet, but I need confirmation first.”
Lina’s stomach dropped instantly.
“What things?” she asked quietly.
The doctor’s voice stayed calm.
“Your body seems more tense than I’d expect right now, especially with the cramping you’re describing.”
Lina swallowed hard.
Daniel moved slightly closer to the bed.
“Can you explain properly?”
The doctor nodded.
“There are different reasons abdominal pain can happen during pregnancy. Sometimes it’s harmless. Sometimes it’s stress on the body. Sometimes it can suggest early complications.”
That word hit the room immediately.
Complications.
Lina looked down at her hands.
Daniel looked ready to lose his mind.
“But,” the doctor continued quickly, “I’m not saying that’s what this is yet.”
Lina nodded slowly even though her chest already felt tight.
The nurse came back into the room a minute later to prepare for the scan.
Everything suddenly felt too familiar again.
Too close to the beginning.
Only this time was worse because Lina actually understood what could go wrong now.
The nurse helped her lie back carefully while Daniel stayed near the side of the bed again.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
Lina looked at him for a second.
“No.”
It was the first fully honest answer she had given all day.
Daniel’s expression softened immediately.
His hand moved slightly closer to hers on the bed.
Not fully touching.
Just there.
“I’m here,” he said quietly.
That almost made her emotional instantly.
The nurse dimmed the lights slightly before starting the scan.
The room went silent.
Everybody watched the screen.
The doctor’s attention sharpened almost immediately.
Lina noticed that first.
Then Daniel noticed too.
“What is it?” he asked carefully.
“Hold on,” the doctor replied.
Her voice stayed calm, but now it sounded focused in a way Lina didn’t like at all.
The probe moved slowly again.
Then again.
The doctor’s brows pulled together slightly.
And that tiny expression alone was enough to make Lina’s heartbeat start climbing.
“Please say something,” Daniel said.
The doctor finally looked at them.
“The heartbeat is still there.”
Lina immediately exhaled.
So did Daniel.
But the doctor didn’t look relieved enough.
And Lina caught that instantly.
“But?” she asked quietly.
The doctor paused briefly before answering.
“There’s some bleeding.”
The entire room went still.
Lina stared at her.
“What?”
The doctor kept her voice gentle.
“There’s a small subchorionic bleed.”
Lina barely processed the words.
Daniel did first.
“How serious is that?”
The doctor looked back at the screen again before answering.
“Some resolve on their own. Some don’t. It depends on whether it grows or stabilizes.”
Lina’s chest tightened hard.
“Is the baby okay?”
“For now, yes,” the doctor replied immediately. “The heartbeat is stable.”
For now.
That phrase settled horribly inside Lina’s chest.
Daniel noticed it too.
“What do you mean ‘for now’?” he asked sharply.
The doctor stayed calm despite his tone.
“I mean right now the baby is stable, but this is something we need to monitor very carefully.”
Lina looked back toward the screen again, suddenly feeling cold everywhere.
The heartbeat was still there.
Still steady.
But now fear had entered the room fully.
Real fear.
Not anxiety.
Not nervousness.
Fear.
The doctor continued speaking carefully.
“I need you on strict rest starting today.”
Lina blinked slowly.
“What?”
“No stress. No unnecessary movement. And if the pain increases or there’s any bleeding at all, you come back immediately.”
Daniel nodded before Lina even could.
“Okay.”
But Lina barely heard him.
Because one sentence kept repeating in her head.
There’s some bleeding.
The doctor removed the probe slowly after a few more moments while the nurse handed Lina tissues again.
Everything felt strange suddenly.
Like the room had tilted slightly without warning.
Daniel helped her sit up this time without even asking first.
“You okay?” he asked quietly again.
Lina looked at him.
And for the first time in weeks…
she looked scared again.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel didn’t let go of her hand after that.
Not while the doctor kept talking.
Not while the nurse cleaned things up.
Not even when Lina stopped responding properly and just sat there trying to process everything she had heard.
Bleeding.
The word refused to leave her head.
The doctor pulled her chair closer again, her tone gentler now.
“I don’t want you panicking yet.”
Lina gave a small, humorless laugh.
“I think that’s a little late.”
The doctor’s expression softened slightly.
“I understand this sounds frightening, but subchorionic bleeding can sometimes stabilize with proper care. That’s why I need you resting completely for now.”
“How long?” Daniel asked immediately.
“At least a few weeks of strict monitoring.”
Lina looked up quickly.
“Weeks?”
“Yes.”
Daniel nodded once like he was already reorganizing his entire life in his head.
Lina noticed it immediately.
Of course he was.
The doctor continued speaking.
“I’m also prescribing medication to help support the pregnancy and reduce the risk of things worsening.”
That made Lina’s chest tighten again.
Reduce the risk.
Not stop it.
Reduce it.
The doctor must have noticed her expression because she quickly added,
“The important thing right now is that the baby still looks stable.”
Still.
Another word Lina suddenly hated.
The nurse handed the doctor something quietly before leaving the room again.
Daniel finally spoke after a long silence.
“What caused this?”
The doctor exhaled softly.
“Sometimes there’s no direct cause. It can happen naturally. Stress on the body can increase risks, but many times it simply happens without warning.”
Lina stared down at her hands.
Her mind immediately started replaying everything from the last few weeks.
Every stressful moment.
Every panic attack.
Every time she cried.
Every time she forgot to eat before Maya forced her to.
Daniel noticed the shift in her face immediately.
“Don’t.”
She looked at him.
“Don’t start blaming yourself,” he said firmly.
“I wasn’t—”
“You were.”
The scary part was that he knew her well enough now to recognize it immediately.
Lina looked away.
The doctor nodded slightly.
“He’s right. This is not automatically your fault.”
Not automatically.
God.
Nobody was saying reassuring things properly anymore.
The room stayed quiet for a moment before the doctor stood.
“I want to keep you here for observation for a few hours.”
Lina’s head snapped up immediately.
“What?”
“Just to monitor the cramping and make sure the bleeding isn’t worsening.”
Daniel answered before she could react again.
“That’s fine.”
Lina looked at him in disbelief.
“You don’t get to answer for me.”
“No, but right now I’m definitely not supporting you leaving.”
The firmness in his voice caught her off guard.
Not aggressive.
Not controlling.
Just scared.
Actually scared.
The doctor looked between both of them carefully.
“I strongly recommend observation.”
Lina pressed her lips together.
Everything suddenly felt like it was moving too fast again.
Hospital rooms.
Monitoring.
Complications.
This was exactly where she never wanted things to return to.
“I don’t want to stay overnight,” she said quietly.
“You’re not staying overnight yet,” the doctor replied calmly. “I just need to watch you for now.”
Yet.
Another horrible word.
Daniel squeezed her hand lightly.
“Lina.”
She looked at him again.
And for the first time all morning, she realized he looked just as shaken as she felt.
That scared her even more somehow.
Because Daniel had spent weeks becoming calmer around her.
Steadier.
More careful.
But now the tension was back fully in his face again.
He was terrified.
And trying very hard not to show it.
Lina looked down briefly before nodding once.
“Okay.”
The doctor relaxed slightly after hearing that.
“Good.”
She explained a few more things after that, but Lina barely absorbed half of it.
No stress.
Rest.
Monitoring symptoms.
Come back immediately if anything changes.
It all blended together after a while.
The nurse returned soon after to move Lina into a private observation room.
Daniel stayed beside her the entire walk there.
One hand lightly against her back.
Steady.
Protective.
Like he was scared she might collapse if he stopped touching her for even a second.
Once they entered the room, Lina sat carefully on the bed while the nurse connected monitors and checked her vitals again.
The silence afterward felt awful.
Not peaceful.
Heavy.
Daniel stood near the window for a moment, rubbing both hands over his face before finally turning back toward her.
“I’m calling Maya.”
Lina immediately groaned.
“Daniel.”
“She’s going to kill both of us if she finds out later.”
“That’s not the issue.”
“She should know.”
Lina leaned her head back slightly against the bed.
“She’s going to panic.”
“She already panics normally.”
That was true.
Unfortunately.
Daniel pulled his phone out anyway.
Lina watched him quietly while he called.
Maya answered immediately.
“What happened?”
Daniel blinked.
“How do you know something happened?”
“Because you don’t randomly call me during work.”
Silence.
Then her voice sharpened instantly.
“What happened?”
Daniel looked toward Lina briefly before answering carefully.
“We’re at the hospital.”
Everything changed immediately on the other end.
“What?”
“There’s some bleeding.”
The silence after that was terrifying.
Then—
“I’m coming.”
“You don’t need to—”
“I said I’m coming.”
The line disconnected instantly.
Lina closed her eyes.
“Great.”
Daniel slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“She cares about you.”
“I know she does.”
“That’s why she’s reacting like this.”
Lina swallowed hard and looked away.
“I know.”
Another cramp hit suddenly before she could say anything else.
This one stronger than before.
Her breath caught immediately.
Daniel was beside her instantly.
“What’s wrong?”
She grabbed his wrist tightly without meaning to.
“It hurts.”
His entire expression changed.
“How bad?”
Lina shut her eyes briefly as the pain tightened harder across her stomach.
Different.
Definitely different.
Daniel immediately reached for the nurse call button beside the bed.
“Daniel, wait—”
“No.”
The firmness in his voice shut her up instantly.
A nurse rushed in less than a minute later.
“What happened?”
“The pain increased,” Daniel answered immediately.
The nurse moved closer quickly.
“How strong is it?”
Lina struggled to answer properly through the cramping.
“I—I don’t know.”
The nurse checked the monitor quickly before looking back at her.
“Any bleeding?”
Lina froze.
Then slowly looked down.
And felt her entire body go cold.
Because this time…
there was blood.