Chapter 165
When Oscar returned to the hospital room, he had changed into clean clothes. There was no trace of blood on him, rather he smelled really nice.
He walked over and sat down beside me, asking with a smile, "How are you feeling now? Done with all the IV drips for today? I brought you some chicken soup. Can't make it here, so I bought some ready-made. Tomorrow I'll make it myself."
I looked at his face and gently touched it. "I'm fine, don't worry."
Oscar lowered his head, pressing his forehead against mine, and said quietly. "Emily, I just want to know if you're in pain, but you keep telling me not to worry. The more you do that, the worse I feel. I failed to protect you, but it won't happen again."
I reached up to touch the back of his head and smiled. "I'm not in pain anymore. The doctor gave me painkillers earlier. It's exactly because you always blame yourself that I keep telling you not to worry. It's my fault too, I was careless. I didn't think they'd make a move so soon."
Warm liquid dripped onto my face. Oscar was crying again.
I patted his back with a smile: "If you keep this up, I'm going to tease you about it."
Oscar shook his head. seeming afraid to lift it and let me see him cry. His voice choked as he said, "You don't understand, the more I think about it, the more scared I get. I didn't even notice you were pregnant. I'm so careless. If anything had happened to you or the baby, I couldn't go on living."
I placed a hand over my belly, remembering what the doctor had said about the pregnancy.
"The doctor said pregnant women should be happy, that babies can sense their parents' emotions. Are you sure you want to keep being sad?" I raised my eyebrows and smiled, reminding him.
Oscar looked up, his tear-stained face full of disbelief. His eyes widened as he asked: "He can sense my emotions too? I've never had a baby before, don't lie to me."
I burst out laughing and wiped the tears from his face. "He can't sense it, but I can. And if I sense it, doesn't he sense it too? So stop talking like that. Think about happy things."
Oscar wiped his face and smiled at me. Through the blanket, he gently placed his hand on my belly and said softly, "Can you hear me? You need to be good and grow in mommy's belly. Don't give her a hard time. When you're born, I'll give you all the precious things in the world."
A smile spread across my face. It was rare to see Oscar like this. "He's still just an embryo. I think... he probably can't hear yet?"
Oscar smiled. "That's okay. If he can't hear today, I'll tell him tomorrow. Eventually he'll be able to hear."
I laughed and reached out my hand to him. He naturally took it naturally, warmth flowing from his fingertips and spreading through my chest."Even if he can't hear, it's fine. I can hear. I'll remember it in my heart, and he'll feel it too."
Oscar held my hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it: "Emily, thank you."
I looked at him, confused. "Thank me for what?"
Oscar gently rubbed his cheek against the back of my hand: "Thank you for letting me feel so much love, and thank you for giving me a child."
Perhaps he had always longed for family love.
I joked: "The baby's still in my belly."
He shook his head. "What I'm thanking you for is being willing to give me a child. When we get back, you take good care of yourself. I'll make money,lots and lots of money, so our child will never run out in their lifetime."
I smiled. "Keep spoiling him like this, and he's gonna end up a pampered fool."
He smiled and tapped my nose: "Any child you give birth to couldn't possibly be a fool."
He sat at the head of the bed, letting me adjust to a comfortable position nestled in his arms. I slowly closed my eyes. After being up for a whole day and night, I was really tired. "I want to sleep for a bit. I haven't slept since you all left."
He gently stroked my hair. "Go to sleep. Sleep peacefully. I'm right here with you."
I curled up contentedly in his arms and quickly drifted off.
When I woke up the next day, I saw Nina sitting by the bed.
She was happy to see me awake. "How are you feeling today? I brought you breakfast. Oscar insisted you need more chicken soup and went out to buy some. This early in the morning - I told him it would be too greasy but he wouldn't believe me."
I smiled at her. "Not bad. My face doesn't hurt anymore, but my leg still does. How come you're here? Didn't Michael come with you?"
Nina helped me adjust to a more comfortable position before answering,"He said he still had things to deal with, so I came by myself first. I wanted to come see you yesterday, but it was too late and Michael dragged me back to the hotel."
I glanced at her. "When have you ever buttoned your shirt all the way up? Even like this, it doesn't hide the hickeys on your neck. Nina, take it easy. He's not a man you can control."
Nina's face immediately turned red. She looked at me and couldn't help but argue back: "You were the one saying he was violent and bloody. Didn't you see how scary your Oscar looked yesterday? He scared me too, okay? I was thinking of giving you some advice. Date him, sleep with him, whatever, but you need to think carefully. Do you really want to have a baby with him?"
I couldn't help but speak up for Oscar: "He's not usually like that."
Nina frowned. "That's what makes it even scarier, that he's not usually like that. Men like this have deep, hidden thoughts. Aren't you afraid of having nightmares?"
Just then, Oscar walked in carrying the chicken soup, interrupting our conversation: "Nina, I knew I shouldn't have left you alone with Emily. You're determined to break us up."
Caught talking behind someone's back, Nina awkwardly touched her nose. "How come you're eavesdropping on us?"
Oscar smiled. "This isn't eavesdropping. If you spoke any louder, the next room could hear you. We're doing great, so stop trying to stir up trouble."
Nina pursed her lips and said quietly: "I'm just reminding Emma to be careful. What if you turn out to be abusive?"
Oscar laughed. "Me? You'd be better off worrying about whether she'll abuse me. I can't beat her in a fight."
I smiled and tugged on Nina's sleeve: "Don't worry, he treats me really, really well."
Oscar raised his eyebrows with a smile. "We were planning to ask you to be the bridesmaid when we get married, but seeing how much you dislike me, you probably don't want to. I guess we'll have to find someone else."
Nina quickly said, "Don't you dare! We agreed long ago that whoever gets married first, the other one has to be the bridesmaid. Even though I don't think you're good enough for her, since she chose you, fine, whatever. I'm still going to the wedding, and I have to be the bridesmaid."