You hurt me (but that's okay) | Bbangsaz

Chapter 14

It never ceased to amaze Hanni how life really could change in the blink of an eye, for better or for worse. When she'd been growing up, she'd gotten used to never having a moment of stability, and that had only continued when she'd finally run away for good, and met Max.

She'd had plans for a life then, safe and secure, with him, until she'd ended up pregnant and alone, in prison.

After she'd gotten out, she'd found stability, at least for a few years, until Rex had shown up and blew everything up, all over again. Suddenly, she'd found herself in a world with magic and parents and curses and a family. It was crazy and hectic but she wouldn't give it up for anything.

Earlier that morning, she'd been making plans to tell Minji the truth, finally, and now she was in a hospital bed, holding her infant daughter to her chest, in utter disbelief that any of that had just happened. She would have thought it was a dream, if it weren't for the immense pain she was still in.

Everyone was quiet, for a just a moment, but Hanni couldn't hold on to that moment long enough, as the nurse was coming to take the baby out of Hanni's arms and down to the NICU to have her checked out,

"The NICU?" Hanni repeated, her voice betraying her nerves as the nurse left the room.

Unconsciously, her hand went to the spot on her chest where the baby had just rested, and now she felt painfully empty.

"It's just a precaution, Hanni. She seems healthy, but a little on the small side, so the NICU doctor is the best one to look at her. You'll see her again shortly," Lee explained. "Now, as for you to ladies, I'll need you to leave the room."

It was Haerin who protested. "What? Why?"

"I need to check Hanni over," he offered by way of explanation. "It may come as a surprise, but women's bodies aren't meant to go from zero to ten centimetres and fully effaced in two point five seconds. Labour happens for a reason."

"She would have lost the baby," Haerin reminded him.

Lee sighed. "I'm not saying it was the wrong thing to do. I'm just saying that I need to make sure there were no unforeseen consequences."

"Minji, go with the baby," Hanni called out, as Minji neared the door - she too tired and sore to worry about what Lee was saying about her body - and Minji nodded.

"Did that really just happen?" Minji asked, aloud, once they were in the hallway, but she didn't really expect an answer.

Haerin smiled, however. "Come on, Mama, I'll walk you down to the NICU. I'd hate to see you faint along the way."

Minji scowled. "I'm not going to faint. Can you blame me if I'm in shock?"

"No. And I also wouldn't blame you if you're upset with me for keeping this from you. I really thought it should come from Hanni, though."

Minji nodded. "I'm not sure what I am, at this moment. This all just happened so fast… it doesn't feel real. I wish I'd had more time to adjust to even knowing first."

"Either way, I don't think Hanni ever had any real intention of telling you until she was on her way to the delivery room," Haerin said, shaking her head. "Though, in all fairness, she clearly had good reason."

"Haerin… do you think it was my fault?"

"That Hanni got pregnant? Yes, I think that's well established, actually."

"No! I mean… everything else."

Haerin let out a heavy sigh. "You mean that she almost miscarried? I don't know, Minji, but I think she came close to miscarrying on Christmas Eve, too. None of this was handled the way it should have been - you're both so damn stubborn - but it doesn't matter now, because I know you would have never put the baby in danger intentionally. And, more importantly, I think Hanni knows that, too."