Heartdriven

49. Yesterday

Trigger warning: This chapter contains content that some readers may find upsetting.

Sebastian woke up by a presence in the room. He was slouching in the chair, Alice sleeping on his hand. He just missed the doctor leaving the room, and he carefully removed his hand from Alice, to find the doctor.
Outside the room, Alonso was sitting in one of the waiting chairs... sleeping as well.
"Excuse me, doctor?", he jogged up to the doctor, who turned around to him.
"Are you the husband?", she asked.
"Boyfriend."
She suggested towards some chairs and he sat down, her following.
"I didn't even know she was pregnant." He leaned forward, folding his hands.
"Neither did she."
He looked at the doctor, nodding, "Is she okay?", and he rubbed his eyebrows.
"Her body rejected the pregnancy. In a way... it was a positive thing her own body terminated the pregnancy, or we would have had to perform a procedure," she was speaking very calmly.
"But is she okay?", he couldn't look back at the doctor again.
"She will be. But... there is a possibility she might not be able to conceive again. Be able to have children."
He closed his eyes and sat with them closed.
"Have you told her this?"
She leaned back and sat confused, "No, not yet. We thought it would be best to wait until she was feeling better."
Sebastian sat back and looked straight at her, "Don't tell her," pleading at her.
"We can't withhold information from patients," she was frowning but looked sympathetic.
"Please. Just... just for a while. Until she is well."
She nodded once and got up from the chair, "We will contact her own doctor with the information. Here," she handed him a business card, "This is a counselling hotline, in case you need it. And no intimacy for two weeks. I wish you both well."
She gave him a comforting squeeze on his shoulder and walked away, as he sat for a few moments regaining himself.

"Fernando, hey. Hey," Sebastian was rustling him by the shoulder, trying to wake him up.
"Yes yes, what? Oh."
He barely opened his eyes and looked up at Sebastian.
"Fernando, can you help me... pick up Alice's things at the motel and bring them here?"
Alonso got right up from the chair, "Yes, of course. I just need to call a taxi," and he walked off.
"Fernando?", he turned back to Sebastian, "Thank you."
Alonso nodded and continued on his way.

Having gotten a quick snack and a refreshing drink, Sebastian returned to Alice's hospital room. A nurse was walking around, cleaning up a bit.
"Do you want to keep this or shall we get rid of it?", she handed him a plastic bag.
He took it from her, "What is it?", and opened it up.
"It's the clothes she arrived in."
He was startled by sight of her bloody pants, his face went cold.
"I, uhm... I don't know if she wants to keep it, uhm... I can take it with me and, uhm... get it cleaned."
He quickly closed the bag and put it away.
"I will find some of our donated clothes for her to wear, then." The nurse left, as Alice started moving around in the bed.
He hurried over to her side and sat down next to her.
"Alice... how are you feeling?", he held onto her hands, and she looked at him with shadows around her eyes.
"My... I...", she grabbed onto the hospital gown covering her stomach.
"It's okay, Alice. We're going to go home, okay? You're going to come home with me."
He held tightly to her hand, kissing it, "Please, Alice. Just let me take care of you."
She laid just looking at his eyes filling up with tears, "Alice..."
She pulled his hands to her face and kissed them back, "I'm not going anywhere without you, Sebastian."

Alonso showed up at the same time as the nurse came back with some clothes. Alice stood up and pulled down her hospital gown, and Sebastian quickly stood in front of her naked body, as Alonso turned his back to them... she was still a bit affected by the sedatives.
Sebastian noticed a large bruise under her ribs, and instinctively placed his hand on her hips near it, but she moved slightly away from him, deliberately ignoring his questioning touch. She got a buttoned up shirt and sweatpants on and slowly sat back down on the bed.
"Fernando...", she reached for him and he turned back around. She held his hand and pulled him towards her, "Why are you here?"
He sat down on the bed next to her and she let go of him.
"I brought you your bags, Alice. Well, your camera and computer. I couldn't get into your motel room for the rest of your stuff." He looked over to Sebastian, standing in front of them.
"Alright, we will just go back to the motel to grab the rest of your stuff before we leave."
Sebastian grabbed her hand, kissed it, and helped her up from the bed again, as she paused for a moment holding onto herself.
"Ahhh..." she exhaled and held her stomach.
"Alice...", Sebastian out his arm around her.
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
He looked over to Alonso, both looking concerned.
"I just need to stand for a moment...", she held onto Sebastian's arm.
"I will find someone to get you some painkillers," said Alonso, and left the room.
Sebastian helped Alice sit back down on the bed, and shortly after Alonso showed up with a nurse, handing her some medication.