Chapter 292:

Steve’s POV

I was pacing back and forth in that narrow medical corridor with rapid, agitated, and erratic steps, my fists clenched violently inside my coat pockets in an attempt to control the trembling of my fingers. I was living completely on my nerves, every fiber of my being ablaze with anxiety. I didn’t know how I would endure these agonizing minutes, or how I would swallow the fact that I was standing helpless, my hands tied behind this fucking door, while Julie fought her battle entirely alone inside. Terrifying questions began to mercilessly gnaw at my mind: Is she afraid right now? Are her insides being torn apart by the pain? Is she screaming my name without me hearing her?

In the midst of those cruel moments that nearly drove me out of my mind, Olivia moved with calm, measured steps toward my tense spot. She lightly reached out and placed her warm palm over my rock-stiff shoulder, speaking in a quiet tone that carried a sincere consolation I wasn’t accustomed to from her: "Julie will be fine, Steve, don’t worry... she’s a strong girl."

I turned toward her slowly, the muscles of my pale, exhausted face relaxing slightly at the sight of her placid features. I spoke in a low voice: "I... I truly thought you had left the hospital and abandoned us the moment you dropped us off."

Olivia shook her head in a slow negative, her features softening as she replied: "In truth... my heart wouldn’t let me go and leave the two of you in this critical state."

I let out a deep, long breath of relief, feeling some of the weight lift from my chest. Then, I added in an exhausted, grateful tone: "Thank you so much, Olivia... thank you for pushing through and getting us here just in time."

She averted her gaze from me for a moment toward the cold tiles, trying to hide her emotion as she asked softly: "That doesn’t matter between us right now... so, is Julie expecting a boy?"

I knitted my brows in surprise and inquiry, my strained eyes widening as I looked at her: "Yes, that’s correct... but tell me, how did you know this secret when we didn’t tell you?"

She pointed her index finger gently toward the nearby plastic bench where our belongings lay, replying with a stroke of cleverness: "It’s not magic; I saw the color of the bag you brought with you it’s clearly blue. Add to that, you were repeatedly whispering the word ’boy’ in the car."

I nodded in agreement, clenching my jaw tightly as I remembered the details of this grueling pregnancy. Then, I commented in a tone heavy with worries and pain: "You’re right... yes, it’s a baby boy."

Olivia turned her face once more toward the closed wooden door of the delivery and operating room, asking with curiosity and concern: "How long has it been since she entered that room?"

I gripped the strands of my hair with my trembling hand, answering as I nearly collapsed: "Forty-five full minutes... but I am so terrified, Olivia terrified of this suffocating silence inside."

Olivia contemplated my worn face for a few seconds, her expression shifting to pity as she said: "Your skin has turned completely pale and yellow as the dead. Come with me right now to wash your face and regain some of your strength." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

I took a swift step back, shaking my head in absolute, decisive refusal: "I cannot move from the threshold of this door. I promised Julie before they shut the door that I would wait for her here and wouldn’t move a single step."

She grabbed my arm gently, attempting to pull me along, saying in an almost commanding tone: "What is wrong with you, Steve? Be reasonable... the restroom is right here at the end of the corridor, just a few steps away. Wash your face with water to regain your consciousness and focus, and I swear to you that I will stay standing in your place and won’t move until you return."

I let out a helpless sigh after feeling dizziness invade my head, and said: "Fine... thank you again, Olivia. I won’t be long."

I headed toward the restroom with heavy, broken steps, as if I were carrying mountains upon my back. I opened the metal faucet, pouring the cold water profusely over my face and head several times without stopping. I felt the harsh, freezing shiver pierce through my exhausted body, reaching my bones, and that suffocating tension began to lift from my chest a little.

I adjusted my disheveled clothes and wiped my face with my palms, then walked with faster steps back to the very same corridor where Julie lay. Olivia was still standing faithfully in her place. She turned to me the moment she heard my shoes and said, trying to soothe me: "See? You went and came back, and the doctor hasn’t come out yet. These things take time."

In that exact moment, the iron door handle let out a sudden screech, moving slowly as the doctor emerged with a tired frame and features draped in extreme exhaustion and grimness. I lunged toward her with my entire body like a flash of lightning, grabbing her forearm with a raw, violent force without realizing it. I locked my panicked eyes onto her displeased face, saying in a trembling, pleading tone: "Please... reassure me, Doctor. Is my sister Julie alright? Tell me!"

The doctor shook her head gently, attempting to absorb my fury and impulsiveness, saying in a low voice: "Your sister is fine physically, but she... completely lost consciousness in the final moments."

My chest clenched violently, and I backed away a step in bewilderment and shock: "What?! How did this happen? Did she bleed a lot?"

The doctor pulled her blue medical mask down from her face, answering in a dry, clinical tone: "She screamed a lot and expended all her energy, exhausting herself beyond her capacity during the continuous pushing in the delivery process. But don’t worry... her body is stable now, and she will regain consciousness in a short while."

I swallowed my saliva with immense difficulty, feeling my throat go dry. I asked with a violently pounding heart and trembling lips: "And the baby... my sister’s little boy, is he alright? Can I see him?"

The doctor looked directly into my eyes, and suddenly, her facial expressions changed completely, turning sorrowful, dark, and tragic. She lowered her head toward the floor, evading my eager gaze, speaking in a very low voice that was barely a whisper: "I am so sorry... we did everything we could, but the baby... was born dead."

In that black second, I felt as though a violent, monstrous iron hammer blow had struck my head to obliterate my sanity. The concrete floor began to spin and shake violently beneath me, and the blood froze completely in my veins and limbs; I absolutely could not believe what my ears were hearing in this moment. Every feature of my face contorted, my eyes turning to complete numbness, and my voice came out raspy, choked, and entirely unable to comprehend the catastrophe: "Are... are you speaking seriously, Doctor? Are you fucking playing with me?! How did he die?! The baby is dead?!"

The doctor averted her gaze from my face with immense sorrow and profound grief, saying in a tone filled with absolute helplessness: "I am so sorry for your loss..."