Famished

Chapter 16

Sania opens her eyes to the white ceiling and blue window curtains. The smell of disinfectant was wafting in the air making her instantly nauseous. Her throat fell extremely dry. She gulped heavy trying to create some wetness but it was of no use. Sania looked around for help and then her eyes land on the Angel who transmogrified her life to a bed of flowers, who instilled life in her when she went almost dead and made her dreams beautiful.

Henry Rodriguez became her saviour from problems and brought the most intense feelings of power and valor in her. He is her strength as well as her weakness, her prayer as well as her penance, her wish as well as her vigour. "Henry" she mutters soft with her eyes shutting off unable to keep them open and extends her hand for him to hold. Sania's voice was too low but Henry could hear it. He rushed to Sania capturing her hand in his. "Help me to sit." Sania asks in fragile tone trying to make her vision stable on him like he was a magic that would slip away from her. Henry presses a button on the bed and it comes to a sitting position. 

Holding her close to him, Henry sits beside her. "What have you done to yourself?" He asks her with his eyes red in unshed tears. Sania doesn't reply. She slowly raises her shivering hands to Henry's stubble cheeks and runs them soft on him. "I thought I lost you." She tells him tender with a lone tear crossing her eye. Henry shook his head. "How can I leave you here and go to another world. If we need to cross the bridge, we will cross it together." Sania simply nods and brings her face closer to peck his cheek.

"The aircraft?" He put a finger on Sania's lips supporting the back of her head with his other arm. "It was a fake news." He stops Sania abrupt. Both of them knew there was more story to add but neither of them were ready to face the truth.  Sometimes sweet lies are more welcoming than naked veracities. Sania was relishing to stay in her own happy bubble and Henry wanted her to stay happy even when he knows that it is only a fantasy he is creating in her. Giving Sania facts is not going to make her condition any better.

Sania's eyes crawl down to her belly. "The baby?" She asks pushing her hand to her now flat stomach. There was instant fear located in her eyes and the ECG monitor was recording aggressive reading. Henry notices the change and hugs Sania. "Sania you're fine, the baby is also fine. You had a caesarean section because of the sudden trauma you suffered. The baby is born slightly premature. So the doctor has put him in the incubator." Though her face was drowned in fatigue Sania pulls a little away from Henry's hug and asks in a glowing vibration. "It is him?"

Henry nods. "Yes, it is a male baby." Her hand slowly reaches the oxygen mask and pulls it down. "Sania what are you doing. You were not able to breathe and the mask is provided for an assistance." Henry speaks agitated trying to place back the mask to Sania's nose but she holds his hand. "I have a wish." She breaths the words trying to stable her voice. Henry kisses the fatigued countenance of Sania. "What is it my love, anything for you, you only have to ask." Sania brings her trembling fingers on his neck and slowly crawls them up closing her eyes as though she was memorizing the feel of his skin under her palms. "I want a kiss."

"Sania you may not be able to breathe with the kiss." Henry tells her in agitation. "I almost lost you. Even if something happens to me now...." Henry doesn't let her complete. "Stop it please...." He tells her in an agony. Bringing himself closer, he brushes away the hairs falling on her face. Holding her head in his warm hands Henry slowly dips his head down and licks her lower lip with the tip of his tongue.

Sania takes a staggered breathe feeling the passion in her man's smooch. Capturing her soft lip between his, Henry slowly sucks on it. Sania slightly parts her lips electrified by the invoking sizzle. Her hand slowly travels upwards on his muscled sternum feeling the rich mane on his brawny chest.  Immersed in the intensity of pleasure she fists his collar tight. Henry plunges his tongue inside her parted lips and allows himself to travel every corner of her oral cavity. Sania kisses him in equal passion exploring deeper into chasm folds of the inviting canoodle. "Don't ever speak such things my love." Henry warns soft between their kiss and notices Sania already heaving for want of oxygen.

He quickly attaches the mask to her face and was about to call the doctor. But Sania stops him. She pats the space beside her. "Lay here, I want to rest my head on your chest. "You are so adamant in certain things you know that?" Henry asks and obliges her request. Sania stays in silence, lands her head on his chest closing her eyes in serenity. He brings her closer putting his arms around her as if sealing her from the world. With the warmth of protection derived by his touch Sania's heart beat gets back to normal and he releases a huge sigh.

Fifteen days later.

After the baby was fully grown he was brought from the incubator and handed to the parents. Sania observed how caring and gentle was Henry with the baby though it was not his. He loved him like his own. Mr Walkhart along with his wife came to see their grand child. They still do not have any idea about the doomed destiny of their son for meddling with Sania once again. Being his last wish Henry promised Abraham not to divulge his reality to his parents.

Two days later it was finally the time for the discharge. Henry had packed the bag of Sania and also the baby to take them home. He hired an interior designer and got one of the rooms in the first floor to be converted as a baby room. Everything was set but when he was about to pick the baby from the crib, he found red rashes everywhere on his skin like somebody scratched him accompanied by a rise in temperature.

Henry went alarmed and immediately called the doctor. The pediatrician examined the skin rash and diagnosed it as an allergy. "Does any one of you have allergy to any kind of food stuffs?" Sania immediately responded negative but then as she thinks cautiously further something strikes her mind and her eyes shine like a Christmas star. "Doctor Henry is allergic to peanuts and I had peanut butter with sandwich for today's breakfast. I gave baby the breast feed after an hour of having the breakfast." The middle aged doctor smiled. "Well then the information solves your problem, like daddy like son." She says as a matter of fact and prescribed a lotion to apply on baby's skin. When she was about to walk away from the room, Henry stops.

"Can I have a paternity test done?" He asks in expectancy and Sania bursts to laughter. The doctor watches Henry and Sania slightly perplexed. Probably they were the first couple during her practice where the father asks for the paternity test of the child right in front of the mother and the mother is highlighted to cackles of happiness. "Of course Mr Rodriguez. You can drop your sample at the laboratory and the baby's we already have."

Two days later the result was confirmed and the very end of sentence brought both Henry and Sania in a sugary amazement. "This baby...." Henry looked at the infant sleeping peacefully in the crib. "Is mine". The doctor looks at him slightly bewildered. "Of course it is yours Mr Rodriguez." He said slightly bewildered as the doctor did not know about the past of Henry and Sania.

On the day Henry's happiness knew no bounds. He declared bonuses to all his employees on receiving the happy news of becoming a father. The Rodriguez house was decorated with balloons, candles and Teddy's everywhere to welcome the heir of multimillion worth business.

Henry's parents Arianaa and Allen along with his brother and sister came with their respective spouses to join the celebration. Sania had nothing more to ask God than what she had received today. The only test left is - her family.

How can Sania Witmore give birth to Henry's baby when they weren't physically involved with each other until fifteen days ago?