The Hospital Scare

As the car sped through traffic, Devon held Clara close, one hand pressed gently to her stomach. His heart was racing in a way it never had during the most high-stakes business deals.

He pulled out his phone and dialed his personal doctor.

"It's Cage," he said when the doctor answered. "I'm bringing in a pregnant woman who's been assaulted. Have a team ready at the emergency entrance. And if anything happens to her or the baby, your career is over. Understand?"

His phone rang again almost immediately after he hung up. It was Nana.

"Devon? Did you talk to her yet?" Nana asked.

"Someone attacked her," Devon said, his voice tight with an emotion he couldn't name. "I'm taking her to the hospital now."

"Oh my God," Nana gasped. "Is she alright? The baby?"

"I don't know," Devon admitted, looking down at Clara's pale face. "She's unconscious."

"I'm coming to the hospital," Nana declared. "And I'm bringing your father."

Before Devon could protest, she had hung up.

The car pulled up to the hospital's emergency entrance where, as promised, a medical team was waiting with a stretcher. Devon carefully placed Clara onto it, surprised at how reluctant he was to let her go.

As they rolled her toward the operating room, Clara's eyes flickered open. Her hand shot out, grabbing Devon's with surprising strength.

"Don't leave," she whispered.

Devon found himself walking alongside the stretcher, still holding her hand. "I won't," he promised.

At the doors to the operating room, a nurse gently but firmly stopped him. "You need to wait outside, sir."

Clara's fingers slowly relaxed their grip on his, and then she was gone, the doors swinging shut behind her.

Devon stood frozen in the hallway, staring at the closed doors. He'd never felt so helpless in his adult life—not since he was ten years old, watching his mother die from cancer despite all the money and power his family possessed.

"Devon!"

He turned to see Nana hurrying toward him, his father Richard Cage following close behind. Nana, despite her eighty years, moved with the energy of a much younger woman. Her silver hair was pulled back in its usual elegant bun, her eyes—the same steel gray as Devon's—sharp with concern.

"How is she?" Nana asked, reaching up to touch Devon's face.

And something broke in Devon Cage. The wall he'd built around himself since his mother's death cracked, and to his horror, he felt tears well in his eyes.

"I don't know," he whispered, his voice choked.

Nana pulled him into her arms, and Devon bent down to rest his head on her shoulder, like he had as a child. His shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Richard Cage stood back, watching his son with a mixture of shock and hope. The cold, ruthless businessman was gone, replaced by the boy Richard remembered—the sensitive child whom he was years ago.

"She'll be alright," Nana murmured, stroking Devon's hair. "They both will."

After a few moments, Devon straightened up, wiping his eyes. "I'm going to clean up," he said roughly. "I don't want her to see me like this."

As he walked away toward the restroom, Nana exchanged a look with her son.

"There's still hope for him," she said softly.

Richard nodded. "Maybe this is what he needed."

They sat together in the waiting area, and when Devon returned—face washed, composure restored—they were still there, offering silent support.

Twenty minutes later, a doctor emerged from the operating room.

"Mr. Cage?" he called out.

Devon stood immediately. "How are they?"

The doctor smiled reassuringly. "There's no cause for alarm. The mother and child are perfectly okay. There's some bruising, but no internal damage. She was very lucky—or very smart to curl up the way she did. She protected the baby."

Relief washed over Devon so powerfully that he had to resist the urge to hug the doctor.

"Can we see her?" Nana asked, coming to stand beside Devon.

"Yes, she's being moved to a private room now. Follow me."

Clara was propped up in bed when they entered the room, her face pale but alert. She looked surprised to see not just Devon but two strangers as well.

Nana immediately went to her bedside. "Hello, dear. I'm Eliza Cage, Devon's grandmother. And this is my son, Richard—Devon's father."

Clara's eyes widened slightly. "It's... nice to meet you," she said, clearly confused by their presence.

"Shhhh," Nana said gently. "You need rest, okay?"

Devon stepped forward then, his face composed but his eyes still showing traces of the emotion that had overwhelmed him earlier.

Clara looked at him, really looked at him, remembering how he had appeared at the shop just after the attack, how he had cradled her in his arms, how he had rushed her to the hospital. There had been genuine fear in his eyes—fear for her, for their baby.

Maybe he isn't as bad as I think he is, she thought. Or maybe he did all of that because I'm carrying his child.

"How are you feeling?" Devon asked, his voice calm but with an undertone of something Clara couldn't quite place.

"I'm okay," she nodded, wincing slightly as she shifted in the bed.

"The police are already investigating the attack," Devon said, his voice hardening. "But I won't be at peace unless I know you're safe."

Clara tensed, sensing what was coming next.

"You will move in with me," Devon stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And that's final."

“How do you get to make that decision all by yourself” Clara asked trying to seat up as Devon was about to speak, Nana knew he would blow the whole thing up so she answered, “I think he is right my dear, whoever did this to you we don’t know yet and we need to find that out so for that reason we will have to ensure your safety and the best way to do that is if you stay with Devon”.

She was about to speak when Sarah came in looking all worried, Devon and the others excused them so they could talk, after they left, Sarah hugged Clara with tears in her eyes as she asked her how all of this happened and she blamed herself for it all, “I wish I came by the store, maybe if someone was there with you none of this would have happened”.

Clara sighed as she said, “No need to blame yourself, maybe if you were there, who knows, you could have been hurt too”.

“Anyways, enough sulking” Sarah said, “When will you be discharged, because I will be staying with you till I am sure you are okay”, “Well…about that” Clara said as Sarah looked at her puzzled waiting to hear what she wants to say.

“Mr. Cage asked me to stay with him for a while, at least until the culprit of the attack is found”, Sarah smiled teasingly as she said, “Come again”, Clara tapped her jokingly as Sarah continued, “Maybe it is just me, but I believe this baby will bring you two close”.

“You know that’s impossible, he has a fiancée and I am not interested in him, I hate him remember”, Sarah smiled as she said, “Whatever you say my dear, but you know how the hate stories always end in romantic movies, the hate turns to love and I am sure that is what will happen here”.

For a moment, Clara was silent, she kept thinking about how Devon reacted when he saw her on the ground, the way he carried her and caressed her hair all through the drive to the hospital and also how he reacted when he got to the hospital. Sarah noticed she was lost in thoughts as she asked her what she was thinking, she nodded nothing as Sarah said to her, “Look my dear. Accept his proposal and just stay with him okay, I will come and visit you when I can but most importantly, I will be rest assured and at peace that you are safe”.

“But what about his fiancée, I can’t deal with that drama” Clara said as Sarah cut her off, “That is Devon’s responsibility, just go over to his place and let him take care of you, as for that witch” they both laughed, “Devon will handle her himself okay”.

Clara chuckled as she nodded, a nurse came in as Sarah had to leave the room for her to have her routine checkup done.