CHAPTER FOUR.

CHAPTER FOUR

CAROLINE

A baby.

I’m having a stranger’s baby.

What am I going to do?

“Do you want to talk about it?” Dr Vivienne asks tenderly, “Do you know the Dad?” 

I exhale, shaky and hollow, “Yeah, I know the dad. I had a one-night stand in New York, and now, I’m here. He … he is a … I don’t really know much about him, apart from the fact that he is a huge, strong guy who might be a billionaire.” I laugh dryly, chest stinging, “I don’t know. I think I’m gonna go home. I need to … I need to think.”

“Of course. Wait here, and let me call you a cab.” She whispers, and I nod.

I don’t even know his name, and now, I’m carrying his baby in my belly. I should be about two weeks gone. 

I’m a Doctor. I’ve spent years in school, trying to create a better life, and somehow, just because I couldn’t handle my emotions, I fell into bed with a stranger, and now, I’m pregnant.

What the fuck?

I go home, lock myself in the apartment and spend the next couple of days binging on junks, and thinking about my life.

I’ve never felt so alone, and yet, I’m not alone. I probably will never be alone again.

I let myself mourn the life I could have had, then step out of the apartment. Oddly enough, I find myself touching my belly. I have a baby in there. My baby. We’re going to be just fine. I don’t need to reach out to him, at least not yet. I don’t need anything from him. 

So, I settle into a new routine. I brace myself for the morning sickness, but it never comes, which I don’t mind. My appetite increases, and I eat everything possible. I don’t restrict myself. I have a big baby in me, so I do everything to keep my baby safe.

I go back to work because I need the money.

“How do you feel now, Caroline? Has the flu broken?” A nurse asks.

“It’s gone. I’m fine now.” I smile, lying.

I focus on work, checking on the patients. My next patient is a man in his forties who broke his leg in an accident last night. Surprisingly, when I check him, he’s healing quite well, at an accelerated pace. His swelling has reduced, and his skin feels warm, almost thrumming under my touch. I don’t think too much about it. The nurse fixes his dressing and leaves. 

I check his blood pressure and pulse.

Suddenly, warmth spreads in my lower belly.

“You have a strong baby, there, loud and kicking.” The man says out of the blue.

I look at him, shocked, because he was sleeping a moment ago, and how does he know I’m pregnant.

“What?” I frown, heart racing.

“Your baby, strong, just like the father.” He flashes a grin.

Nausea rolls in me like a tide, and I walk out. My pulse throbs loudly, and blood rushes to my ears. The nausea worsens, and I hold on to my stomach as I head to the restroom.

I step into the staff’s restroom and frown because the nausea is gone, just like that.

My mind is a jumbled mess, so I splash water on my face and reach for the tissue. I gasp in shock as it cuts through my thumb.

I quickly rinse away the blood and examine the cut, but I find nothing, no cut, no blood, nothing.

Dread rises in me, and I rush out of the bathroom.

My head pounds with a headache, and my heart is a talking drum.

It’s rush hour, so everywhere is jumbled. I push through the crowd, overstimulated, and bump into a man.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I apologise, look at him, and freeze.

The patient from earlier who broke his leg, except now, he’s walking on both legs, with no iota of pain on his face. He grins at me, eyes flashing with madness and smiles, “See you soon, Doc.”

Fear slams into me like a boulder. My eyes widen. I’m being watched. I’m being followed and hunted. 

I need to get out of here. 

I push through the crowd and pass the emergency exit. I call a cab, enter and tell him my address.

I keep looking around, trying to see if I’m followed.

My stomach tightens painfully with every street we drive past.

He’s a few seconds from my apartment when a sharp pain shoots through my stomach.

I gasp as pain washes over me. He glances at me, fear in his eyes, “Are you okay, ma’am?”

I can’t respond as the pain intensifies. Something bad is about to happen. I can’t stay here. I need to leave. I need to go to him immediately. Slowly, the pain leaves me, and I tell the driver, “I need to get my passports, then you’ll drive me to the airport.”

He nods and does as I ask. Thankfully, I grab everything I need in a small bag and rush outside. Then, he drives me to the airport. Sweat beads on my forehead even in the cool London air. I roll down the window for air and catch a glimpse of the man from the hospital in a car full of men like him, heading towards my street.

“Drive faster!” I squeak, and he floors it.

Thankfully, I get on an urgent flight, very expensive, but my safety is my concern.

I stay awake all through the flight, unable to bring myself to sleep. I kept looking behind me, trying to see if any of those men followed me onto the flight, but none did. 

I’m safe, or so I think.

The plane touches down around eleven in the morning because of the time difference. I rush out of the airport and get the first cab I see. 

“Where to?” He asks, glancing at me.

I’m about to respond when I see the man from the hospital, flanked by six huge men.

My heart sinks. My blood turns to ice.

He’s found me.