Chapter 42: Arrival Of The Baby

NEIL'S POV

Nine months have passed. Today is the day the longest and heaviest day of my life. Today, Kiara is supposed to deliver.

I stand outside the hospital corridor. White walls, harsh lights, and the sharp smell of disinfectant surround me, making me feel suffocated.

My feet refuse to stay still. I pace back and forth restlessly. My heart pounds so hard it feels like it might burst out of my chest.

From inside, I hear Kiara’s screams. Screams filled with pain.

Each scream pierces straight through my heart. I can’t bear it. Every time, I wish I could take half of her pain, just so hers would lessen. I clench my fists tightly and shut my eyes, but her cries keep echoing in my ears.

Little Ria is in my mother’s arms. With her innocent eyes, she looks at me, then at the operation theatre door.

Maybe she can sense that something terribly difficult is happening inside. My mother holds her close, trying to calm her, but my gaze keeps returning to Ria again and again.

Only one thought keeps circling in my mind What if something happens to Kiara? What will happen to Ria? How will I manage everything alone?

Suddenly, the operation theatre door opens.

The doctor steps out quickly. Her face is serious. Her eyes search for me immediately.

“Mr. Martin,” she says.

My heart starts racing even faster. I rush toward her at once.

“Yes, doctor?” My voice trembles on its own.

The doctor speaks plainly, “Her condition is becoming very serious. She has lost a lot of blood. She urgently needs B+ blood. Please arrange it as soon as possible.”

Every word strikes my mind like lightning.

“B+?” I blurt out without thinking.

“Yes, doctor,” is all I manage to say.

Without wasting a single second, I run down the corridor. Kiara’s screams are still ringing in my ears. I rush toward the hospital blood bank. My breath is heavy, but I don’t stop.

Reaching the blood bank, I say without hesitation, “Take my blood. I’m a donor.”

The formalities begin, but it feels like time has stopped. The needle pierces my vein, yet I feel no pain. My mind is filled only with Kiara’s face weak, exhausted, and writhing in pain.

As soon as the process is over, I grab the packet of B+ blood and run back toward the operation theatre. The doctor meets me in the corridor. With trembling hands, I give her the blood.

She says only one thing, “We’re doing everything we can.”

And then she takes the blood and goes back inside. The door closes.

I remain standing there in the corridor completely alone, completely helpless.

My heart trembles violently. My hands turn cold. I lean against the wall and close my eyes. Once again, Kiara’s screams begin to echo in my ears.

Suddenly… a piercing scream echoes from inside.

The scream is so sharp that my heart trembles violently. My feet feel rooted to the floor. My breath catches in my throat. For a moment, it feels as if everything is over.

Then… all of a sudden, complete silence falls.

A silence so deep that I can hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. I keep staring at the operation theatre door in fear. A thousand thoughts collide in my mind at once.

And then… I hear a soft, delicate cry. A gentle, innocent sound.

So faint…

so fragile…

as if a tiny soul is speaking to the world for the very first time.

My heart starts pounding uncontrollably.

My eyes fill with tears.

Just then, the operation theatre door opens.

The doctor steps out, a calm, relieved smile on her face. In her arms is a tiny baby, wrapped in a white towel.

Smiling, she says, “Congratulations, Mr. Martin. It’s a baby boy and he’s perfectly healthy.”

For a second, I can’t even process what I’m hearing. I freeze completely.

My eyes lock onto the tiny baby. He is so small, as if he could fit into a single finger of mine. His face is round, his nose tiny, and his lips move slightly, as if he’s crying even in his sleep.

He is unbelievably cute… and incredibly small.

My mom immediately steps forward. Tears and joy shine together in her eyes. She gently takes the baby into her arms and says softly, “Thank God… he’s so beautiful. Oh my God… may God always protect you.”

Then she turns toward me, moving the baby closer and says, “Here… hold him.”

I step back nervously and say, “No… he’s too small.”

I’m genuinely scared. My hands feel too rough… I’m afraid I might hurt him.

Mom looks at me with an amused expression and a soft smile and says, “He’s a baby of course he’s small.”

I don’t reply. I just keep staring at that tiny face… as if my entire world has folded into him.

A little while later, we are inside the ward.

Kiara is lying on the bed, slowly regaining consciousness. Her eyes are half open, her face exhausted but she’s alive… truly alive.

I rush to her side and say gently, “Easy, sweetheart… take it slow.”

In a weak voice, she asks, “My… baby?”

Smiling, I gesture with my eyes.

She looks in that direction.

Mom is sitting there, holding the tiny little mischief in her arms, gently rocking him. The baby lets out a soft sound.

Seeing this, a peaceful smile spreads across Kiara’s face.

Tears roll down her cheeks tears of happiness.

I lean closer, softly caress her cheek, and ask, “You’re okay, right?”

She nods her head gently in a weak but reassuring yes.

Kiara slowly stretches her hand forward. Her voice is still weak, but it carries both a mother’s worry and a mother’s love. “Mom… give him to me,” she says with a faint smile.

Mom gently places the baby into her arms. The moment Kiara holds that tiny body against her chest, a different kind of light appears in her eyes. Caught between surprise and love, she whispers, “He’s… so small and so soft.”

Standing beside her, I watch the scene and say softly, “Really… just like cotton.”

Kiara looks at me and lets out a light laugh. “Ria was exactly like this when she was born.”

The moment Ria’s name leaves her lips, my heart skips a beat. My eyes immediately search the room. I look around anxiously… until my gaze stops near the door.

Ria is standing there silent. Her big eyes are filled with tears. She watches all of us Kiara, the baby, Mom like she doesn’t belong in this picture anymore. Confusion, pain, and a hint of anger sit on her small face. My chest tightens.

TO BE COUNTINUE...!!!

Will Ria Except The Baby ?