How could you!

Eleanor sat dazed in the labor ward, just staring after everyone had left. 

Several tests and medication later, she was not in as much pain anymore and could finally think. 

Kan was the father of her child obviously, and this had to have been a result of the few times they were together after his marriage, but before he decided he was in love with Ariel.

Was this it then? Was this the solution to her problem?

She knew how much he loved that boy who was not really his son. 

Was this baby how she would finally get Kan to herself? But last time they were together, they had not parted ways on happy terms.

She called him regardless. 

She inhaled as the phone rang. This was not the kind of news anyone expected, it would shake him to his core.

“Eleanor, now is not a good time,” he said as soon as the call connected, and she squeezed her eyes shut as a sharp pain seared through her heart all the way down to her belly. 

“I need you, Kan.” She said as a lone tear dropped her cheek. 

That got his attention, and she knew he was all ears now.

“Are you okay, Eleanor? Why do you sound like this?” His voice came out soft, and she pressed her palm to her lips to hold back her tears. 

Kan was usually so good. Why could he not just be like this all the time with her, caring and sweet?

“I cannot tell you on the phone. I will text you the address to meet me.”

“Not now, Eleanor. I am about to step out on a date with my wife.” His voice came back, and Eleanor felt her head jerk upward.

“Your wife?” She could not hold the words, as she felt possessive jealousy seize her throat. “I said, I need you, Kan. I need you.”

“Not now.” His voice came out sounding exasperated, and she knew he was about to hang up, so she blurted the words out. “I am pregnant, Kan. I am pregnant.”

The silence over the phone was so complete that she feared he had hung up before she said the words.

“Whaaat?” The word came out of his mouth like he had spat his drink out. 

She said nothing, waiting to hear his next words. 

She would curse him out for the first time since they met each other if he dared ask her who was responsible.

“Give me time to process this,” he said finally, and the line went dead. 

Eleanor’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped as she stared at the phone, speechless.

That was it? That was all?

She dialed the number again, but she heard the robotic voice tell her that the line had been switched off. 

She scoffed in disbelief, staring around the ward.

It was one thing to not want a relationship with her despite not wanting her to leave alone. But this? 

She understood the shock at suddenly hearing you were about to become a father, but to turn off your phone?

She did not have time to worry about this too much because the pain soon began to intensify again. 

She picked up her phone several times to call her mother and sisters, but all the time, she put it back down again.

Her family would be more of a burden than help, like they have been all her life. 

But she was so scared, here alone and in pain, about to birth a child she had no idea was in her belly yesterday.

When a nurse came in to check up on her, she gripped her hand, begging for relief, anything to take this pain away. 

She was completely clueless on anything labor and delivery. 

The nurse told her about the popular pain medication among women, an epidural, but as she listed out the cons, Eleanor shook her head. 

No. 

She had an illogical fear of needles. And all those other cons? 

No. 

She would try to tough it out for a few more hours. Although the thought of doing that was terrifying, she found this epidural more terrifying.

As the clock ticked away and her labor progressed, she realised that no place was comfortable, not the bed, chair, sitting on the medicine ball, nothing. 

She only got the tiniest relief from pacing about her private delivery ward.

In two hours, she decided she needed her mother. 

Regardless of how unreasonable the woman could be all the time, and the thought of how she would freak out at the sudden news, she was still her mother and loved her in her own twisted way.

And she could not stand being alone anymore.

She scrolled through her contact and just as she was about to dial, a call came in, overlaying the contact page. 

She sighed and bit down on her lip as she clicked receive, and brought the phone up to her ear.

“How could you!” Kan screamed into the phone, jarring her and somehow making her contractions hurt even more. 

She groaned in pain and reached out to grip the frame of the bed.

“Eleanor,” He said, his voice low now. “Where are you?”

She could not speak, she wanted to, but the pain that seized her now was worse than the one that had happened in her apartment. 

Kan went on a tirade again: “I told you to give me time to process this, and you thought it's best to send her the video. Do you think that would push me into your arms?”

All he was saying sounded gibberish in her ears because she could not make a head or tail of it. 

She wanted to curse him though. Curse him in Spanish and curse him in Japanese, curse him till her heart’s content for that last statement he just made.

~Push him into her arms?~ 

That was the last place she wanted to be in from now on. 

She would never let him into her arms again. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” She got out between groans. “I am having your baby.”