Chapter 35 Percy
Percy’s POV
The penthouse has been transformed. It was no longer a bachelor pad; it now looked like a recovery ward. Pillows were everywhere, and my coffee table that used to be filled with legal briefs was now filled with medicines and some old cases that Adeline insisted on reviewing to keep her brain sharp while she was recovering in bed.
And there is Adeline herself. Currently, she's asleep on the sofa with her casted leg propped up on a cushion. She looks peaceful, her breathing steady. Satisfied that everything is in place, I go to the kitchen to make some coffee.
The thought of being a father still makes me stop in my tracks. For the last three days, it’s been the only thing on my mind. We haven't talked about it much, too focused on pain management and getting her settled, but the reality of it hangs in the air between us.
When I walk back to the room, I observe her stomach. It's still flat underneath my shirt, which she's been hearing, but we both know it's only a matter of time before she starts to show. It still terrifies me how close I was to losing them both.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I quickly silence it before she wakes up.
It’s a number I don't recognize, but I answer it anyway as I step out onto the balcony.
"This is Akilov."
"Mr. Akilov? This is Dr. Evans, the Chief of Medicine at St. Jude's," a nervous voice says, and I raise a brow. My grip tightens on the phone. "Is something wrong? Did you miss something in Adeline’s scans?"
"No, sir. Her injuries are... well, her injuries are exactly as we diagnosed. This is about a different matter." He clears his throat. "Mr. Akilov, we conducted a thorough audit of our trauma intake logs from the night of the accident. It’s standard procedure for high-profile cases such as this."
"Get to the point, Doctor."
"There was, um, a clerical error in the lab," he stammered. "During the chaos in the trauma ward, multiple blood samples were processed simultaneously. There was a mislabeling incident involving Patient 404, Miss Volkov, and Patient 405, a woman admitted for a separate emergency.
My stomach drops. "What kind of error?"
"The pregnancy test. The positive result we saw belonged to Patient 405. We re-ran Miss Volkov’s retained samples this morning to confirm."
"And?"
"The result is negative, Mr. Akilov. Miss Volkov is not pregnant."
I stand there numbly, trying to process my feelings about this unexpected news. Not pregnant. It should be a relief. It means that we don't have to be scared of her recovery anymore. It means we don't have to keep it a secret from her mother, and there's no rush to figure out how to be parents while our parents aren't speaking. It should be a relief, so why does it feel like the end of the world?"
"Mr. Akilov?" the doctor prompts nervously. "We are incredibly sorry for the undue stress this may have caused. We are prepared to..."
"I don't care what you offer," I growl at him. "Just send the corrected file." I hang up.
I stay on the balcony for a long time, just staring out into space. I let the disappointment wash over me. I'm disappointed that there's no baby. I was already thinking of either building a space for a crib or finding a new home with a nursery. I was looking forward to seeing who our baby would look like, and now that was gone.
I take a deep, steely breath before I go to break the news to Adeline. I know I have to be strong for her.
When I reenter the house, I find Adeline awake and trying to reach her glass of water.
"Hey," I say, rushing over to help her. "Let me get that."
"I’m not an invalid, Percy," she grumbles before taking the cup and downing it in one gulp. "Who was on the phone? Bad news?"
I sit down next to her on the bed, and I take the glass from her.
"That was the hospital."
"Is something wrong with my leg?"
"No," I assure her, taking her hands. "Your leg is fine. It’s... it’s about the blood work."
"The blood work?"
"There was a mix-up in the lab," I say gently. "The night of the accident, it was chaotic. They switched your sample with another woman’s."
She stares at me blankly. "Adeline," I say, squeezing her hands. "You’re not pregnant. The positive test wasn't yours."
I watch as she goes through the motions that I did before she finally settled on disappointment. Her shoulders slumped, and a light went off in her eyes.
"Oh," she whispers.
"The doctor apologized," I say because I don't know what else to do. "He said it was a clerical error. You’re not high-risk anymore. You just have to heal the bone."
She looks down at her stomach, and she goes to touch it before she stops herself.
"So there’s no baby," she says, her voice hollow.
"No, baby."
She nods slowly. "That’s... that’s good, right? I mean, with the leg and Mom and everything being so messy. It’s good."
"Yeah," I lie. "It simplifies things."
She looks up at me then, her eyes swimming with tears.
"It simplifies things," she repeats. "So why do I feel like crying?" I pull her into my arms and bury my face in her neck. She clings to me, sobbing quietly against my chest.
"I know," I whisper, holding her tight. "I know, baby. I feel it too."
"I was scared," she admits, her voice muffled by my shirt. "But... I think I wanted it, Percy. I think I really wanted it."
"I know." I kiss the top of her head. "I did too."
We sit there for a long time, mourning a future that never actually existed. This moment is proof that we were ready for the long haul. If our relationship were less shallow, we would be celebrating this news.
Eventually, she pulls back to wipe her tears. She looks defeated. "At least we don't have to lie to Mom," she says, trying for a weak smile.
"True," I agree. "And I don't have to worry about you stressing yourself into a medical emergency every time she calls."
She lets out a laugh. "Silver linings."
"We have time, Adeline," I tell her seriously, framing her face with my hands. "That’s what this gives us. We can heal. We can deal with Mason and our parents. And then, when we’re ready..."
"We try again?" she asks softly.
"We try again," I promise. "For real this time."
"Okay," she whispers. "For real."
"Now," I say, standing up to change the subject. "Since you are no longer medically restricted from caffeine or sushi, I am going to order the most expensive sashimi platter in the city, and I’m making you an espresso."
"God, I love you."
"I know," I smirk, walking toward the kitchen. "I’m lovable."
But as I turn my back to her, the smirk fades. The baby was a mistake, but Mason Bernard is real, and now that I know Adeline is safe, now that I know she isn't carrying a fragile life inside her, the gloves are coming off.