Chapter 56 Hospitalized Again
For the first time, Quentin felt utter panic regarding Lauren. Gazing at the passenger seat stained with blood, his heart twisted in his chest.
Pain made Lauren's forehead bead with sweat. With her eyes shut, she couldn't bear to see the state of her baby, feeling as if every second mattered for its life.
Quentin glanced at Lauren, his heart breaking. He pressed harder on the accelerator, and the car vanished into the night.
Arriving at the hospital, Quentin hurriedly opened the door for Lauren. Without waiting, he instinctively picked her up. Lauren offered no resistance, her only thought was to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, and the hospital wasn't busy. Lauren was taken in for emergency care immediately.
"Just lie down, try to calm down. Don't be anxious; stress will only make things worse. Now, breathe with me—inhale—exhale—inhale," the doctor guided Lauren through each breath.
Lauren followed the doctor's instructions, and her emotions gradually stabilized. Eventually, she hardly noticed the doctor placing an instrument on her abdomen.
"There you go; if you control the rhythm, you'll feel much more at ease."
The doctor administered an injection, and thankfully, Lauren's bleeding stopped.
After an emergency intervention, Lauren's unborn child was temporarily out of danger.
Lauren asked anxiously, "Is the baby going to be okay, doctor?"
The doctor nodded, "It seems there's nothing seriously wrong at the moment. However, to be safe, you need to be hospitalized for a few days. You've lost quite a bit of blood, which can affect the baby."
"All right," Lauren sighed with relief.
"Have you had a miscarriage before? Or experienced any bleeding during previous pregnancies?" the doctor inquired, aiming to provide the best care possible.
"No, this is my first child, and my first time bleeding..." Lauren said with a sad look in her eyes, feeling that Quentin truly disliked her, otherwise he wouldn't have forced himself... Sigh.
"Why do you think the bleeding happened this time?" asked the doctor earnestly.
Lauren was at a loss for words, feeling too ashamed to speak about such a matter in front of others.
The doctor, seeing Lauren's discomfort, had a good guess.
"Intimacy with your spouse?"
Blushing, Lauren nodded, "Yeah."
"In the future, you need to be careful. It's possible during the middle stages of pregnancy, but moderation is key."
Lauren's face turned even redder; she didn't want any form of intimate relationship, but that man just wouldn't cooperate!
Quentin stood outside the hospital room, anxiously fretting. He never imagined that both of Lauren's urgent visits to the hospital were because of him. Was he some sort of jinx in her life?
As nurses came and went from the treatment room, Quentin seemed even more out of place standing there. He was internally nervous about the child, a being he never anticipated.
Two hours later, Lauren was wheeled out. The doctor looked sternly at Quentin, stating, "Even though the baby is over three months and intimacy is possible, you both should act in moderation and be gentle."
Quentin instantly understood what the doctor meant and, unusually for him, blushed.
"Understood."
"Alright, go help your wife with the hospital admission forms. We'll move her to her room now," said the doctor, handing Quentin the paperwork.
Quentin gave Lauren a concerned look, but she deliberately avoided his gaze, feigning rest, and let the nurse wheel her away.
By the time Quentin had completed the admission process and returned to the room, Lauren was already asleep.
He stood by her bed, heart aching at the sight of her pale face.
She loved him so desperately; was she completely disappointed now? Was she ready to let go?
Quentin's expression sharpened suddenly, realizing he didn't want Lauren to leave his side. The impulsive act the night before was just a result of his anger when Lauren attempted to run away from him again.
Whether out of shame or not, Quentin decided he would take good care of Lauren, at least until she was healthy and happy again.
Quentin stepped out of the hospital room to make a call, and at the moment he left, Lauren opened her eyes.
She wasn't ready to face Quentin, and she didn't know how she could.
Lauren felt heartbroken. She had almost miscarried, nearly losing the baby, which fueled some resentment toward Quentin.
Forcing herself not to dwell on her troubles, Lauren knew she needed rest. It was only with proper rest that she and the baby could be well. Finally, after what felt like ages, she fell asleep.
After finishing his call, Quentin returned to Lauren's bedside. He listened to her steady breathing and couldn't resist reaching out to touch her pale face. Ultimately, he stopped himself, instead tucking the blanket around her before he left the room again.
The next day, Lauren woke up to Quentin's deep eyes. A bit dazed, she had always admired his eyes – wondering how the world could house such beautiful ones on such a cold man.
Quentin, too, looked into Lauren's eyes. She seemed like a startled deer, eyes shimmering with alertness and unease.
"Time to eat," Quentin said, breaking the silence between them.
Lauren noticed the millet porridge and buns on the bedside table. Without hesitation, she got up, washed up in the bathroom, then came out to devour the breakfast.
Quentin noticed Lauren's cooperation and her reduced wariness toward him, putting him in a great mood.
A short while later, a knock on the door led Quentin to step out, where Cecilia was waiting with a pile of documents.
"Quentin, here's your work for today. Do you have any other plans?" Cecilia inquired.
Quentin took the documents and responded, "No, just have Mr. Martin cover for me at the meetings for the next five days."
"Alright, Quentin," Cecilia nodded, puzzled. Whoever was in that hospital room must be someone significant to make Quentin willingly keep company. And it seemed this person was someone to note.
However, as just a secretary with no permission from Quentin, he dared not peek inside to see who it was.
Although curious, he prioritized his well-being above all, so Cecilia left the hospital and went straight to the office to get back to work.
Lauren watched as Quentin brought over his materials and laptop, a hint of surprise crossed her face, however, she kept it to herself.
After Quentin set down his items, he grabbed the thermos and went to fill it with water, an action that took Lauren aback even more.
Could he really be going to get water? Did he even know how to use a thermos? Was he capable of fetching water himself?
Five minutes passed, and Quentin returned to the room with a thermos full of water. Without a change in his expression, he poured Lauren a cup of hot water then returned to his chair and concentrated on his work.
Lauren gazed at the cup of steaming water, somewhat in a daze. It dawned on her that this was the first time Quentin had poured water for her, the first time he had taken such care of her.
But what did it all really mean? Was it simply guilt that he felt toward her? Just guilt, and nothing else, wasn't it?
