Chapter 216

“You don’t have to do this, Dee,” Yemi said, his voice strained with concern as he stood at the foot of the bed, watching me bundle Mia into her blanket. I could hear the panic in his words, the underlying fear that had been creeping in over the past few days. “Just stay with her. You don’t have to go to work today.”

I glanced at him briefly before turning back to our daughter, who was wide-eyed and peaceful in her little cocoon of warmth. “She’s fine, Yemi. You’re the one who’s not.”

The words hung in the air, heavier than I intended. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about him or his condition—it was just that, in this moment, I was so deeply focused on Mia’s well-being that I had started to distance myself from everything else. It had been that way for the past few days since Yemi had gotten sick. At first, it had seemed like a simple cold, something manageable. But over the past 48 hours, it had spiraled. His fever had worsened, his body weakened, and his energy had all but disappeared.

“It’s just a fever, Dee,” he protested, his voice a little hoarse, a clear indication of how bad it was. “I’ll be fine. You have to keep things moving for the baby.”

I could see it in his eyes—he was trying to downplay it. Yemi was always the strong one, the one who pulled through anything, no matter how tough things got. But this time, I could tell he was fighting something worse. The pale color of his skin, the deep exhaustion etched into every line of his face, all of it told me that this was no ordinary illness.

“Yemi, stop.” My voice was quieter this time, but firm. I turned away from him, taking a deep breath to calm my racing thoughts. “I can’t just sit by and pretend like nothing is wrong. This isn’t about the baby anymore—it’s about you.”

His expression faltered for a moment before he sighed and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to worry you. I thought I could just push through it.”

“You’re not supposed to do this alone,” I whispered, walking over and sitting next to him. “You don’t have to.”

Yemi didn’t answer right away. Instead, he just stared at the floor, his brow furrowed. I watched him, unable to shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. This was more than just a cold. I had seen him endure so much, but this was different.

“Dee…” His voice cracked a little, and I could hear the vulnerability that he usually kept buried deep inside. “I’m scared. What if it’s something worse? What if I can’t get better?”

I reached out to hold his hand, my thumb brushing the back of his as I searched his eyes for the reassurance I couldn’t find myself. “Don’t say that. You’re going to get better. You’re strong. You’re—”

Before I could finish, the sound of the doorbell cut through the moment. It was a strange interruption—something that immediately sent a chill down my spine. I hadn’t been expecting anyone, and with Yemi so sick, the last thing I wanted was to deal with outside distractions.

“Stay here,” I said quickly, rising to my feet. “I’ll see who it is.”

When I opened the door, I was surprised to see a nurse standing on the threshold, holding a clipboard and a bag of medical supplies. She looked professional, but there was a sense of urgency in her expression that made my stomach churn.

“I’m here to check on Mr. Yemi Alabi,” she said, her voice calm, yet authoritative. “Is he home?”

“Yes,” I replied, stepping aside to let her in. “But how did you know he was ill?”

The nurse glanced at the clipboard in her hand, her face unreadable. “We were notified of his condition. It’s standard protocol, given his symptoms. We’re here to run a few tests, if you don’t mind.”

I nodded, though I could feel my pulse quicken. Something didn’t feel right. Who had notified them? And why hadn’t I received a phone call to prepare me for this?

I led the nurse upstairs to where Yemi was lying, still looking exhausted but a little more alert now that there was someone else in the room. The nurse wasted no time in setting up her equipment and checking his vitals. I stayed by his side, watching as she worked with quiet precision, trying to read her expression for any sign of what was really happening.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Alabi?” she asked gently, taking his temperature again and adjusting the IV drip that had already been started earlier in the day.

Yemi shifted on the bed, his eyes darting between the nurse and me. “I’m fine, just… tired. I didn’t think I needed a doctor.”

“It’s not just about being tired, Mr. Alabi,” she said softly, her voice reassuring but firm. “We need to make sure there’s nothing more serious going on here. The fever’s been persistent, and your body isn’t responding as it should. We’ll need to run some tests.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, and Yemi, sensing my worry, reached out to squeeze my hand. “Dee, don’t worry. I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll be okay.”

The nurse shot me a quick glance before continuing with her work, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. I tried to push away the panic rising in my chest, but it was hard when every glance from the nurse made it clear that this wasn’t just a simple illness. Yemi’s condition had become something more, something that we weren’t prepared for.

When the nurse finished taking the necessary samples and preparing the paperwork, she turned to us with a more serious expression. “I’ve ordered an emergency scan for Mr. Alabi. He’ll need to be taken to the hospital right away.”

I froze. “What? What’s wrong with him?”

The nurse paused, her gaze lingering on Yemi, before turning to face me. “There’s something we need to confirm. It’s better to do it at the hospital. It could be a viral infection or something more serious. We just need to know for sure.”

The uncertainty in her voice made my heart race. This wasn’t what I had expected. This wasn’t the cold I thought we could handle.

“We’ll go now,” I said, my voice steady despite the panic flooding my mind. “Just let me grab a few things.”

As I gathered our things in a daze, Yemi’s voice called to me. “Dee… I’m scared.”

I turned back to him, my eyes filled with a mix of love and fear. “I know. I know, Yemi. But we’ll face this together. We always have.”

I kissed him on the forehead before rushing out to grab Mia’s things, the weight of what we were about to face settling in my chest.

When we arrived at the hospital, the tension in the air thickened. Yemi was quickly whisked away for further tests, and I sat in the waiting room, my hands trembling. The thought of losing him, of losing the love of my life, was more than I could bear.

Hours passed before a doctor finally approached me. His face was somber, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Mrs. Alabi, we need to talk.”

I stood, my breath caught in my throat. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with him?”

The doctor’s next words made everything inside me go cold.

“We believe it’s something serious, something we didn’t anticipate. You need to prepare yourself.”

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t speak. The words echoed in my mind as I staggered back, my heart pounding, fear consuming me whole.