Till Thee End Of Times

Chapter 14

Miranda, unable to stomach any food, decides to call it a night and retreat to her bedroom. She slips under the covers, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, trying to process all that has happened. She eventually drifts off into a restless sleep, haunted by dreams of Tucker and Ben, of her unborn child, and of a life that seems to be unraveling around her. As the morning light filters through the curtains, Miranda wakes with a start, her heart racing. She takes a moment to orient herself, her memories of the night before flooding back to her. She buries her face in her pillow, overwhelmed by a sense of dread and hopelessness.

The sound of her phone buzzing on the nightstand interrupts her thoughts. She reaches for it, her hand shaking slightly, and sees that it's a message from Ben. "How are you feeling?" it reads, followed by a string of heart emojis.

Miranda ignores the message from Ben, her mind spinning with the events of the past few days. She gets out of bed and begins her morning routine, the weight of her emotions making every movement feel sluggish and heavy.

She showers, brushes her teeth, and dresses in her scrubs, but her eyes remain distant, her mind still on Tucker and the terrible things she has done. She wonders what he is thinking, if he is still angry, if he will ever forgive her. She makes her way to the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee that she barely even tastes. The house feels empty without Tucker's presence, the silence almost deafening. She glances at the clock, realizing that she's running late for work, and hurries out the door.

The drive to the hospital is a blur of traffic and noise, her thoughts still swirling. As she walks through the hospital's front doors, she feels like she's walking into a different world, a world where she can pretend to be someone else, someone who hasn't made such terrible mistakes. Miranda makes her way to the nurses' station, where she's greeted by her colleagues, their cheerful chatter a stark contrast to the heavy silence that has followed her all morning. She plasters on a smile, trying to appear normal, trying to appear like nothing is wrong.

As she starts her rounds, she finds herself on autopilot, her mind still far away. She checks on patients, takes vitals, administers medication, all the while feeling like she's moving through a dream. She doesn't even notice when Ben approaches her in the hallway, his face a mix of concern and affection."Miranda?" Ben says, his voice gentle and questioning. "Are you okay? You seem...distracted."

Miranda looks up at him, her smile wavering. "I'm fine," she says, her voice trembling slightly. "Just a lot on my mind."

Ben's eyes search hers, his concern evident. "Is it about Tucker?" he asks, his voice low. "He knows, doesn't he? About us?"

Miranda's stomach drops, the truth suddenly feeling too heavy to bear. She swallows hard, her gaze dropping to the floor.She glances around the hallway, aware of the prying eyes and ears of the other hospital staff. "Can we talk in private?" she asks Ben, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ben nods, understanding in his eyes. "Of course," he says, leading her to a nearby empty examination room. He closes the door behind them, the click of the lock feeling like a confirmation of their secret.

Miranda takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "He knows," she says, her voice cracking. "He knows about us, about the baby.And he's definitely happy" saying it sarcastically

Ben's face transforms, his eyes lighting up with a kind of dark joy. "Well, well," he says, a hint of malice in his tone. "Looks like the truth has finally come out."

Miranda bristles at his smugness, her own guilt turning to anger. "Don't you dare gloat about this, Ben," she says, her voice low and fierce. "This isn't a game. This is our lives. Our daughter's life."