Soon after, Alexander changed into sterile scrubs and entered.
Evelyn knew he was there. She turned to look at him, her eyes calm.
“Wife, you worked so hard!”
That was the first thing he said to her, taking her hand.
Evelyn shook her head. “It wasn’t hard.”
She loved children. Not just now. No matter how much pain or exhaustion came, she never felt it was hard.
“Our son is adorable. His eyes look just like yours,” Alexander continued.
“Mom said he looks exactly like you when you were little,” Evelyn replied.
“His eyes are yours. The rest is all me. He’s beautiful. Perfect,” Alexander said with a smile.
Evelyn couldn’t wait to see her son.
“Can I move to a regular ward early?” she asked, looking at him hopefully.
“No problem. Tomorrow morning, you can leave here,” Alexander said. “How do you feel now? Is the pain bad after the anesthesia?”
“A little,” Evelyn admitted.
Alexander held her hand, staring at her abdomen. He couldn’t share her burden. That helpless feeling crushed him.
After a moment, he turned to her again.
“Evelyn, let’s just have one. One is enough.”
Evelyn looked at him, smiled, and said nothing.
The truth was, the physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. It was a pain she couldn’t describe. She didn’t know where it hurt or how much. That was the worst part.
“Evelyn, I’m sorry I broke my promise last night.”
“It’s fine. You had something more important,” she said.
“Evelyn, last night—”
“Alexander, can we talk about this after I’m discharged? I’m a little tired,” she interrupted.
“Okay. Rest first.”
“You should go rest too. The doctors and nurses are here. Nothing will go wrong.”
“I’ll wait until you leave here. Then I’ll go back,” he said, repeating himself.
Evelyn looked at him. He met her gaze quietly.
Finally, she lowered her eyelids, avoiding his eyes.
“I want to rest now.”
“Sleep. I’ll watch you. I’ll leave once you fall asleep.”
“Visiting hours are only five minutes.”
“Then I’ll leave in five minutes. You sleep. I won’t disturb you,” he said softly.
Evelyn said nothing more. She closed her eyes.
She wasn’t sleepy. She just didn’t want to talk to him. She needed an excuse.
Strangely enough, she wasn’t tired at first. But after avoiding his words, she drifted off.
She had a strange dream. She was walking along a riverbank. She couldn’t see clearly, but she could hear the water.
She didn’t know where she was going. She felt like she was searching for something, but she didn’t know what. She just walked aimlessly.
Alexander sat on a chair outside the ward, resting. Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the hallway. He opened his eyes, stood up, and walked to Evelyn’s window. A doctor was checking on her.
“What’s wrong with my wife?” Alexander grabbed a passing nurse.
“Mrs. Sterling’s blood pressure dropped suddenly. The doctor is checking her now. Don’t worry, Mr. Sterling,” the nurse said before hurrying away.
After the examination, they confirmed Evelyn had a coagulation problem. Internal bleeding. She needed another surgery to stop the bleeding.
During that time, a critical condition notice was issued.
Alexander tore it up. He grabbed the doctor, shouting wildly.
“As long as she lives! Contact the best doctors! Use the best medicine! I only want her to survive!”
“Mr. Sterling, calm down. The doctors in the operating room are the top experts in this field. They will do everything they can for Mrs. Sterling,” the hospital director said, stopping him.
Alexander’s fist slammed into the wall. A loud bang echoed.
Amelia Vance covered her mouth, afraid to cry. Victoria hugged her mother, equally worried.
Just before, she had gone in to see Evelyn. She spoke slowly, seemed weak, but her spirits were good. Victoria thought Evelyn would leave the ICU soon. How could this child suddenly become critical and need rescue?
Alexander turned to the director.
“Director, please ask a nurse to bring the baby to my wife. She loves the baby. She can feel it.”
“The baby is still in the incubator. I’m afraid it’s not good for him,” the director said, embarrassed.
“I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences. Just let my wife be okay,” Alexander insisted, staring down at him.
The director hesitated but finally contacted the pediatrics department. Soon, the head nurse came over, holding the baby in her arms.
Evelyn kept walking. She couldn’t find an exit or an end. After what felt like forever, she vaguely heard a baby crying.
“Baby—”
She stopped. Her eyes brightened. A smile spread across her face.
She almost forgot. She had a baby. She was a mother now.
After more than three hours of rescue, Evelyn was pulled back from the edge of death.
She was supposed to leave the ICU the next day. But because of the sudden change, she stayed in the ICU for another week. Finally, she was transferred to the VIP ward.
In the VIP ward, Evelyn seemed much better. She was half-lying on the bed, looking at photos of the baby that Victoria had taken.
“He hasn’t opened his eyes yet, but he’s very strong. You can see he’s not sleeping quietly. He’s kicking and punching,” Victoria said vividly.
Evelyn looked at the photos and videos, listening to her sister’s description. She laughed.
She turned her head and caught Alexander’s eyes. He was staring at her.
Evelyn felt a little embarrassed. She avoided his gaze and continued looking at the baby’s pictures on her phone.
Ever since she was transferred from the ICU to the VIP ward, she often saw Alexander staring at her like he was cursed. Like he had seen a ghost.
Later, Alexander went back to rest. Victoria stayed with Evelyn.
“Sis, what’s wrong with Alexander lately?” Evelyn couldn’t help asking.
“You scared him,” Victoria shrugged, half-joking.
Evelyn looked at her sister, confused. She didn’t understand.
Victoria told Evelyn what happened outside the operating room that day.
“At that time, Alexander was completely crazy. Honestly, I’ve never seen him lose his mind like that,” Victoria said. Then she added, “In that moment, I really thought Alexander loved you.”