Somehow Saving You

I sighed, twirling my hair around my finger. I was in the same exact hospital room. It was like they left it on reserve for me. Brian sat on a chair next to my bed, his left leg bouncing anxiously. I think he was freaking out about this far worse than I was. I had been pulled into the operating room as soon as Brian ran into the hospital. I was put under only a minute in there so I have no idea what happened. All I know is I woke up with no pain in my stomach, no fever, and no migraine.

“This is ridiculous! Can’t I just go home?” I whined, more to myself than Brian.

“No. Not until the doctor says so Cat,” Brian droned. Don’t think this was the first time I said this in the twenty minutes I’ve been awake. I rolled my eyes, slipping further into my pillows. As if on cue Doctor Edwards opened the door. He looked at me hesitantly before adverting his attention to Brian.

“Mr. Haner, could you please come talk to me in the hallway?” he asked, almost desperately. Brian nodded, standing to his feet.

“Oh come on! I have to stay longer?” I complained. Brian kissed my forehead before following my doctor out the door. As soon as it clicked shut I sighed. I flipped on the television, trying to find something interesting to watch.

- Brian’s P.O.V. -

When the door clicked shut behind me, Doctor Edwards took a deep breath. I raised an eyebrow as he paused. Finally he licked his lips nervously before talking.

“Mr. Haner, what I am about to tell you is very serious. I thought it would be better if you told Catherine than me.” My heart began to beat faster at this. What could possibly be wrong?

“What’s wrong with Cat?” I asked quietly. His eyes sparkled with sadness and regret.

“Catherine will have to take some pills for the aftermath. She should be perfectly fit physically health wise in about three weeks or so. For now we just have to make sure she gets better after it making her immune system crash-”

“From what, doctor?” He took a deep breath before staring into my eyes.

“She had a miscarriage Mr. Haner.” My breath caught in my throat. Miscarriage? But that would mean-

“Wh-what?” I stuttered out. Doctor Edwards smiled sympathetically at me. I sat on one of the uncomfortable, plastic chairs as I let this sink in. She couldn’t have been, could she?

“She was barely pregnant, but her body rejected the baby. Her immune system began to attack it, in turn attacking her. She must have been around something to break out in a fever. The attack had to have caused a pain she failed to mention to us. She will have to eat plenty to replenish what the baby had taken from her. It passed straight to the baby as it tried to fight to stay alive.” I nodded numbly. The baby that was growing was trying to kill Cat to live.

“Is there any way to know who the father was?” I asked. He simply shook his head.

“It was much too young to be able to do any tests.” I just nodded again. “I am really sympathetic for her loss, but I think it would be much easier for you to do it than me.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

“Thank-you Brian. I hope it goes well. Whenever you two are ready to leave just stop by the reception area to sign out and pick up her prescriptions.”

“Okay/” He nodded once more before disappearing down another hall. I sighed, rubbing my hands up and down my face. It was my kid, I know it. I took a deep breath before standing and opening the hospital room’s door. Mexican accents reached my ears. I stepped inside the room to see Cat staring boredly at the TV connected to the ceiling.

“Hey Bri. Can I leave now?” she asked hopefully.

“What on Earth are you watching?” I questioned as I shut the door and sat back in my chair. Her eyes traveled back to the TV where they were dramatically zooming in on some girl’s face.

“A Mexican soap opera called Amarte es mi Pecado, or To Love You Is My Sin. Quite fitting, huh? It’s like the Latino group knows you’re here. Really I lost track with what was happening after Nora got sold by her step mom,” Cat explained.

“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish,” I said with confusion.

“Eso es porque tienes los genes de la gente estúpida, el amor,” Cat spoke with a slight accent. My confusion just grew which caused her to laugh. I loved her laughter. It reminded me of ringing bells, as cheesy as that sounded. “So what did the doctor say?”

“I- I-” I fell silent which caused Cat’s eyebrows to wrinkle in confusion. She flipped off the TV and looked to me fully.

“Brian, spit it out. Tell me,” she urged. Her gaze went behind me and her frown somehow grew. I turned in my seat to see nothing behind me. Just the white walls of the hospital. I turned back around and her gaze was back on me. “What is going on Brian?”

“Cat, this is serious. I don’t know how to tell you, but…” Cat’s eyes filled with desperation. “You had a baby. Your body’s immune system attacked it and the baby was killing you. It died. I’m sorry baby.”

Cat was silent, unmoving. She blinked before a single tear fell down her cheek. I stood, quickly embracing her. Cat continued to silently cry. The only reason I knew she was because of the moisture that dripped onto my neck. After a few minutes she stopped.

“Do we know anything about the baby?” She questioned.

“No. It was too young to know anything.” She nodded.

“It was your baby, I know it was. I’m sorry Brian.” I shushed her before she could begin to talk.

“I don’t care right now Cat. You are alive and that’s all that matters,” I told her sternly as we parted. She nodded in defeat. “You get dressed and we’ll go sign out.”

“Okay.” I left the room to wait outside. I know Cat still felt guilty, but there was nothing she could have done. Within two minutes Cat was dressed in shorts, a tank, black Converse, and a purple zip up hoodie. She nodded before I grabbed her hand and led her to the exit. We stopped at the reception area where she signed out and got her pills. Soon we were in my car on the way back to her home. “Can we go to your house Brian? I don’t want to be home.”

“Okay baby girl.” I peeked over to see Cat’s eyes out the window. Her left hand was rubbing circles on her belly though.