Chapter 46 Awakening
Quentin followed the nurse closely to the Intensive Care Unit but was stopped outside the room. He watched helplessly as Lauren lay alone in the hospital bed.
He never left her side, reflecting on their two years of marriage and how little he truly knew her. How could such a small and slender girl unhesitatingly rush forward to protect him in a moment of life and death? How could he ever repay such devotion?
The following afternoon, Lauren slowly came to. Her eyes fluttered open, and her mind was still foggy, the sharp smell of disinfectants assaulting her senses.
Remembering the car accident, she instinctively reached for her belly. Only when she felt the presence of her child did her anxiety slowly subside.
Quentin realized Lauren had awakened and quickly called for a doctor to give her a thorough check-up, although he himself was relegated to waiting outside the hospital room.
Lauren became visibly anxious upon seeing the doctor.
"Doctor, is my baby, okay? Has he been affected negatively in any way?"
Her paramount concern was her child's well-being; she resented herself for repeatedly endangering her baby, feeling like she had failed as a mother.
To calm her, the doctor quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, the injury is on your head and hasn't affected your baby. We're going to perform a CT scan on your head soon to make sure you don't have a concussion. Just try to relax."
Lauren felt a huge relief wash over her; knowing her baby was safe allowed her to rest easy.
"Okay, thank you, Doctor."
"It's no problem, now cooperate with me for the examination. Besides the pain at the injury site on your head, do you have discomfort anywhere else?" the doctor began the examination.
"No."
"How about your eyes? Is your vision clear? Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?" The doctor held up three fingers.
"Three."
The doctor nodded, "Good, you can rest now. In a little while, we'll have your husband feed you some porridge, then we'll carry out a more detailed examination."
Husband...?
Suddenly, Lauren remembered Quentin. His presence in the hospital—did it mean he knew about her pregnancy?
Lauren became uneasy again as she scanned the room but couldn't spot Quentin anywhere.
The doctor kindly reminded her, "We're in the ICU, so he can't come in. Look at the window opposite us; he's waiting right outside."
Following the doctor's gaze, Lauren indeed saw a pair of profound eyes looking back at her.
Seeing Quentin settled her nerves even more. Although she had been trying to escape from him, she couldn't deny that he was still the person she wanted to rely on the most.
Quentin's eyes conveyed a mix of emotions—a blend of concern, anxiety, and joy.
A tear shimmered in Lauren's eye as she comprehended the depth of Quentin's gaze. They simply stared at each other in silence until the doctor left to arrange for Quentin to buy some food for Lauren.
Before long, he returned, following the doctor's instructions with a bowl of bland porridge. Lauren's lips were chapped from a day and night without water, and Quentin gently wiped her lips with a clean tissue dampened with warm water.
They were close enough that they could hear each other's breaths.
"I..." Lauren was about to ask Quentin what he thought about her being pregnant but hesitated, fearing his cruel response.
"What do you want to say?" Quentin felt displeased with Lauren's timidity. He wasn't a monster; did she really need to fear him so much?
Lauren dodged Quentin's gaze, fidgeting with her hands.
"I'm pregnant, and I want to keep the baby, is that okay?" Lauren asked with a near-pleading tone that struck a chord in Quentin's icy heart.
"Haven't you already decided? And you've kept it hidden from me for so long." Quentin's tone softened slightly; he wasn't as resistant as before.
Relief washed over Lauren's face; she continued cautiously, "Quentin, I promise I won't cause you any trouble. I just... want this child."
"Uh-huh."
Quentin didn't know what to say, realizing his own change of heart. Lauren had once asked what he would do if she got pregnant; without hesitation, he'd said he'd want her to abort it. Never did he expect his words to become reality, that she was truly pregnant. Now that he thought about it, she must have been carrying the child when she first brought it up.
So instead of anger at Lauren's deception, Quentin felt touched by her sacrifice and protective instinct.
And Lauren was overjoyed, feeling that everything she'd done was worth it. In the hospital room, they seemed like a normal couple. He took care of her tenderly, feeding her, giving her water—and she treasured this happiness.
How Lauren wished this moment could last forever!
Fortunately, the medical results came back quickly, and Lauren did not have a concussion. So, she was moved to a regular hospital room.
Quentin thought it necessary to inform Hannah about Lauren's injuries and her pregnancy. After Lauren was moved to the general ward, he shared everything with Hannah.
Hannah was both shocked and thrilled to hear about Lauren's condition and rushed to the hospital. Seeing the slender Lauren in bed, tears fell from her eyes.
"Lauren, my poor child."
Seeing Hannah's tearful face, Lauren felt a twinge of sadness and hurried to comfort her, "Dowager, please don't be sad. Look, I'm fine, really."
Hannah couldn't hold back her tears, "What do you mean you're fine? You're injured... Quentin told me that you got hurt trying to save him. How could you be so foolish? As a lady, why would you put yourself in front of danger for a man? If anything had happened to you, how could I live with myself..."
Lauren wiped Hannah's tears away while her eyes drifted over to Quentin standing nearby. She hadn't expected him to share everything with Hannah. How had he managed to do it? She was a bit curious.
"Lauren, Quentin said you're pregnant. Is it true?" Hannah laughed through her tears, taking Lauren's hand.
Lauren nodded shyly, "A little over three months."
"That's wonderful, Lauren. You need to take care of yourself, heal properly, and make sure the baby is healthy."
Quentin felt out of place and used work as an excuse to head back to the office.
Once Quentin was gone, Hannah comfortably broached a personal subject with Lauren.
"Lauren, do you think you and Quentin could start over? Now that you have a child, I believe he has feelings for you."
The baby... That was not at the forefront of Lauren's thoughts. She didn't want Quentin's pity or sympathy because of the child. She would rather forego a relationship built on that.
"I... I don't know."
Lauren forced a smile, feeling that saving him or carrying his child shouldn't be reasons to obligate him to her.
