Chapter 373
Chapter 373
“Try to stay in as much as possible,” my dad warned us.
I nodded, my hand instinctively rubbing my belly, filled with unease as if someone were coming to snatch my babies away.
“Alright, they’re probably just passing by. I’ll stay in for a few days.” I responded.
Despite my words, everyone looked grave. Some emotional entanglements that should have ended long before just never seemed to go away from our lives.
Ever since we found out Neil and Karina were in town, we kept our doors closed for three days, and Russel rarely dropped by.
“You’ve got your prenatal check-up today; are you all set?” my mom asked me early in the morning.
Despite my reluctance to go out, I had to keep up with my prenatal appointments. The doctor warned that twins were prone to premature birth, requiring stricter conditions during delivery and weekly check- ups in the latter part of pregnancy, ideally twice a week.
That was about the health of me and my babies. I had to step out.
Dad had the car ready, and we set off for the hospital.
Upon reaching, I felt a bit hungry, but some tests required fasting, so I asked my dad to grab some food for me, while my mom helped with the payment and paperwork.
After the check-up, the doctor told me, “The babies are a bit oxygen-deprived. You need to take oxygen. If you can do it at home, do it daily; otherwise, you’ll have to come to the hospital.”
“Is it that serious?” I gasped.
“It’s mild for now, but you need to keep track of the babies’ movements, frequency, and count. If there’s any anomaly, come to the hospital immediately,” the doctor advised me meticulously, “Why are you here alone? Don’t you have someone to accompany you? Look at your belly; what if something happens?”
Just as I was about to answer that my family was outside, I suddenly heard someone say, “Dr. Karina, this is our obstetrics department.”
The name ‘Karina’ conjured up the image of Karina in my mind.
She was a doctor. She was an obstetrician to be precise. And she had recently been spotted in the area. Was she here for some temporary voluntary work?
Regardless, my priority was to avoid her.
Thankfully, I had worn a mask and a hat when I left, and my figure had changed, so she probably wouldn’t have recognized me.
The door opened, and, with my back to it, I caught a glimpse of Karina from the corner of my eye. She was indeed in the hospital’s white coat and looked quite official.
“Dr. Karina, reporting for duty? Welcome!” The doctor who examined me greeted Karina with a smile.
“Thanks! Looking forward to working with you all!” Karina responded cheerfully. The doctor’s coat gave her an even more professional aura; she seemed more serious than Bonnie Tueley, even though they looked similar.
I stood up, gathered my paperwork, and left. As I brushed past Karina, she glanced at me with a stranger’s gaze and then quickly looked away.
Once outside, I let out a sigh of relief, but soon enough, the anxiety returned. Why was Karina working at that hospital?
Moreover, all my prenatal records were with that hospital, and I was likely to deliver there. If Karina saw my records, wouldn’t she know everything?
As I approached the elevator, I saw my dad and mom coming towards me. Seeing my troubled face, my mom quickly asked, “What happened? Is there a problem?
with the babies?”
“No, I need to take some oxygen; we’ll leave as soon as I’m done,” I replied, shaking my head.
Dad and mom exchanged glances. As I entered the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor, I caught a glimpse of Neil through the closing doors, heading towards the department I just left.
I hadn’t seen Neil for more than half a year, and I didn’t expect our reunion to be in a hospital.
He looked thinner than before. I only saw his side profile, his high-arched nose, and his deep-set eyes.
I could always see him clearly in an instant, a special skill I had honed over the years.
Dad and mom didn’t notice Neil. They were focused on me, and their faces filled with concern when I mentioned taking oxygen.
“Ah!” I suddenly cried out, my attention being drawn away from my emotions by the babies in my belly.
“What’s wrong?” my mom asked, holding my hand with concern.
“The twins are having a fight inside; they keep kicking me!” I laughed, rubbing my belly.
.I wondered if they sensed Neil passing by and reacted. Could they sense a blood relative at such a young age? My mind was wandering.
After I finished with the oxygen, we left immediately. To make it easier for me to take oxygen at home, my dad purchased some equipment and planned to have me use it at home.
“Let’s change hospitals. I don’t want to give birth there.” I told my mom.
“That hospital is great, isn’t it? Their obstetrics department is the best around here. We have peace of mind knowing you’re doing your checkups and delivering
there. What happened? Tell me,” my mom gently asked, holding my hand.
I sighed, “Karina is going to work there as an obstetrician. I saw her today, but she didn’t recognize me. I don’t know if she will check the archived files.”
“What?!” my mom exclaimed in surprise.
“I also saw Neil, just as we were taking the elevator down,” I added.
Mom immediately stood up and said, “I’ll ask your dad to look for other hospitals and see if there are any suitable ones.”
Whenever Neil and Karina were involved, my mom’s decision was always to cut off any contact with them.
Lagreed, especially considering my twins might require a C-section. What if Karina was the one operating? I was on high alert. That was my only chance to have children. Any accident, however small, would have been unbearable.
I was going to deal with the other issues once the babies were born.
Just then, Russel showed up, still carrying Boomer in his arms. Boomer was pregnant, lately lounging around the house and not venturing out. The word on the street was that she got knocked up by a tomcat at the pet store, and then she was showing a big belly.
Seeing me, Boomer let out a happy meow, then started rubbing against my pant leg. Daisy, hearing Boomer’s voice, immediately dashed over to join in on the fun Watching the harmonious scene, my mom sighed, “This is the life
