Hey."
I crash onto the seat beside Selena, my body heavy with exhaustion. Every inch of me feels drained, like the weight of the world is pressing down on my shoulders.
She turns to look at me, her brows knitting together in concern. "You look drained. What's going on?"
I lift my gaze to her, my red-rimmed eyes barely holding focus. My voice comes out hoarse, barely above a whisper. "I don't feel good."
Selena's expression softens, her hand reaching out as if she wants to comfort me but hesitates. "Helen, I am so sorry. All of this... it's been too much for you."
I shake my head weakly, my breaths coming in shallow gasps. "I can't go home. I refuse to go home."
The world tilts. My head spins, my vision swims, and the voices around me become distant, muffled.
I try to focus on Selena's face, on something, anything, to ground me, but the effort is futile.
Dark spots dance in my vision, growing larger, swallowing everything. My body feels weightless, detached from reality.
I don't even register the moment I slip from the seat, my limbs giving out, until I crash onto the floor.
Distantly, I hear Selena scream my name.
Faint figures gather around me, their faces blurred, indistinct. I want to speak, to tell them I'm still here, that I can hear them, but no sound escapes my lips. My body refuses to move.
"Give her space! Right now!" Dom's voice cuts through the chaos. I see his figure pushing people back, his expression one of urgency.
I try to hold on, but the darkness creeps in, swallowing me whole.
And then, nothing.
"Helen."
I hear my name being called in unison, the voices urgent yet filled with relief. My eyelids flutter open, the world around me blurry and distorted.
A dull, throbbing pain pounds inside my skull, each beat of my heart amplifying the sensation.
Selena makes the first. She rushes to my bedside, dropping to her knees, her hands trembling as they reach for mine. Dom follows closely behind, his eyes filled with something between worry and exhaustion.
"I thought we lost you... I thought—" Selena's voice cracks, and I watch as a single tear rolls down her cheek. She clutches my hand tightly against her chest, as if afraid to let go.
I blink, trying to make sense of my surroundings. The walls, the sterile scent, the dim lighting—it's all unfamiliar.
Panic rises in my chest as I glance down at my arm. A thin tube is taped to my skin, connected to a fluid-filled IV bag. The slow drip of liquid disappears into my veins.
"Where... where am I?" I manage to whisper, my throat dry and scratchy.
Selena sniffles and squeezes my hand. "You're at the school clinic... the ICU," she tells me softly.
ICU? My mind races, but the pain in my head is unbearable. I shut my eyes for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts.
"I think we should call the nurse. She's awake," Dom finally speaks, his deep voice steady but tense.
Selena nods in agreement, and I watch through half-lidded eyes as he strides toward the door, disappearing into the hallway.
"What... what happened, Selena?" I struggle to form the words, every syllable feeling like a battle. My head pounds relentlessly, and I weakly raise my hand to my forehead, pressing against the pain.
Selena hushes me gently. "Shhh, don't talk anymore. Just rest." Her voice is soft but firm, filled with concern.
A few moments later, Dom returns, the nurse following closely behind him. Their figures blur together as they approach my bed. I try to focus, but my vision refuses to cooperate.
I feel a cool touch against my arm as the nurse adjusts the IV, lowering the pressure of the fluid flowing into me. Then, she pulls out a syringe, carefully injecting something into my IV line.
I squint, trying to read the label on the small bottle she had drawn the liquid from, but my eyes fail me. The letters swim across my vision, impossible to decipher.
A sudden wave of exhaustion crashes over me. My eyelids grow heavy, blinking rapidly as the room fades in and out. My body feels weightless, sinking deeper into the mattress.
"You all should go home. This will keep her asleep until evening," the nurse says, her voice distant, as though she is speaking from another world.
I want to hold on, to hear what Dom is saying in response,
Darkness cradles me once more, pulling me into a restless void. Time loses meaning. I drift in and out, my consciousness floating between the present and something else—something deeper, heavier.
Then, suddenly, like a violent gasp for air after drowning, my eyes snap open.
This time, I can see clearly.
The sterile white walls. The rhythmic beep of the monitor beside me. The slow, steady drip of the IV fluid seeping into my veins.
The fluorescent light above my bed flickers slightly, casting an eerie glow over everything. A hospital. Again.
I try to move, to adjust myself on the bed, but my body feels like lead. A deep ache spreads through me like fire licking at my bones.
I try again.
Nothing.
The weight of my own body is unbearable, as though gravity itself is working against me. Frustration surges through my veins.
"Damn!" I scream, the pain slicing through my core like a blade.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoes outside the room. Moments later, the door swings open violently, and my mother rushes in, her eyes red and swollen.
"Oh, Helen!" Her voice trembles as she practically runs to my bedside.
"Please, don't move!"
She reaches for me, trying to hold me down, but I instinctively recoil. The contact feels too much, too overwhelming.
"Helen, please." Her voice cracks, her hands trembling as she clasps them together. Actual tears spill down her cheeks, tracing desperate paths down her face.
I stare at her, confused, disoriented. My heart pounds against my ribs. What was going on?
"I must have fainted… but why are you acting like this? What's the pretense for?" My voice is hoarse, barely a whisper.
She bites her trembling lip, struggling to hold herself together.
"What's happening? Where's Sel and Dom?" I ask, my throat dry.
Mom clears her throat, her voice unsteady. "I told them to go home." She hesitates before reaching for my hand again. I flinch away, and something inside her shatters.
Her body trembles violently as fresh sobs wrack through her.
"I failed you. I—" Her voice breaks, her tears falling freely now.
My patience snaps. I don't understand.
"What are you talking about?!" I scream, despite the sharp pain rattling through my chest.
She exhales shakily, her gaze falling to the floor as she clutches her stomach, as if physically trying to contain the truth inside her.
"Helen, I…" She swallows hard, fighting against the words.
Desperation claws at my throat. "Do you also want to keep this away from me?" I demand, my voice cracking.
Mom sniffles, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Her lips part slightly, but she hesitates. Then, finally, the truth spills from her lips like poison.
"You just lost a baby."
Silence.
Everything stops.
I blink at her, my mind struggling to process the words.
"What?" My voice is barely audible.
"You lost a baby, Helen."
I shake my head, my breath hitching. A hollow, empty laugh escapes my lips.
"What are you talking about?" I whisper.
She blows her nose again, the sound grating against my nerves.
"What child? Whose…?"
My voice trails off as the reality crashes down on me, suffocating.
Mom's face crumples, her lips quivering. "Helen, it was yours."
A sharp, piercing ache settles deep in my chest. The realization crawls over my skin, wrapping itself around my throat like a noose.
I was pregnant.
And now, I wasn't.
Something inside me crumbles, but I force myself to hold it together. I won't break. I won't fall apart.
"How long was it?" I ask, trying to sound indifferent, though my voice betrays me.
Mom inhales shakily. "The nurse said it wasn't that long ago."
I nod, turning my head away from her. So much for acting tough.
The overwhelming weight of it all sits heavy on my chest. I try to roll onto my side, but the sharp pinch of the IV in my arm stops me.
A strangled groan escapes my lips. Frustration surges through me like a wildfire, burning away at my insides.
I turn my gaze back to her, my teeth clenched, my voice laced with venom.
"Don't you want to know whose child it was?" The words spill out before I can stop them.
Mom doesn't respond. Her head drops, shame pooling in her eyes.
I scoff. Typical.
"It was your beloved son's child," I spit, my voice sharp enough to cut. "The son you and your husband have been chasing after all this time."
Her entire body stiffens.
"Oh, Helen…" She buries her face in her hands, embarrassment washing over her.
Before she can say anything else, the door opens again. The nurse strolls in, her lips curling into a small smile.
"Ah, you're awake?" she asks, glancing at me before moving to check the IV flow.
I don't answer.
She taps the bag of fluid before nodding in satisfaction.
"Almost done."
Then, she turns to my mother.
"Ma'am, the doctor would like to see you now. And your husband just arrived."
My heart drops at the mention of Dad.
I watch as Mom slowly rises from her chair, with so much hate filled inside me