Arranged Marriage

Vol 1: It's about time (3)

As Karlyle slowly comes to his senses, the first thing he feels is the strong smell of disinfectant. His whole body is heavy, as if it's just been soaked in water, and his head is dizzy. Barely raising his eyelids, he sees a bright white light.

There is a curtain around his bed. He can hear whispering outside the room. He can't get up so he doesn't know how many people are there, but there must be more than five.

His brain gradually regains its function. Now... he's in a hospital. Something must have happened for him to be here. Only then does he remember the reason. It's because of the child. Because of the pain that almost tore his stomach apart.

His heart sinks, he hurriedly gets up. He needs to get up. At that moment, someone grabs his shoulder.

"Lyle."

Karlyle turns his head at the tired voice. There's Ash, who seems to have not slept a wink. Ash, with his hair drooping down on his forehead, looks thinner than the last time he saw him. Ash looks like the patient more than him.

"Ash, this place..."

He looks around, then he asks the most important thing.

"Is the child okay?"

As soon as he hears his question, Ash purses his lips. His thick eyebrows twist in pain, his blue and gray eyes turn red. The sky seems to be falling when he sees that sorrowful face.

Did the child not make it?

It's an ominous pain. Luther did say it. How could the child be okay when he raised his voice and lost his temper like that. Although he decided to proceed with the abortion, to think that the child is really gone....

"The child is okay."

Ash brings his heart back from the verge of collapsing. Turning his face away, Ash holds his hand tightly. He seems unable to control his emotions. Guilt fills his eyes.

"It was really dangerous, but the baby was strong, just like you. So it made it."

That's a relief.

Even before anything else, that's the first thought that comes to his mind. Thank goodness the child stays with him. His tense body finally relaxes. Ash supports him to lie down. Holding Karlyle's hand, Ash lets out a wet breath and lowers his head. Tears flow down his nose bridge.

Then a different thought occurs to Karlyle. Now that the incident has happened, it's natural for Ash and others to find out he's pregnant. He wants to ask about other things, but Ash's expression is so bad that he can't ask.

Do you....hate the child?

"I'm not crying because I hate the child, Lyle. Don't have weird thoughts."

That shocks him. Ash looks up. His handsome face is a mess. Ash clearly did not sleep a wink, and speaks to Karlyle without hiding his tears.

"I'm so happy, but at the same time, I can't forgive myself for putting you in danger."

The word "happy" calms his anxious heart a little.

"Lyle is like this, yet I....."

Ash grits his teeth and shuts his eyes. Ash clings to him, tightening his grip on his hand again even though they are already holding hands.

"I was wrong, Lyle."

Ash's voice sounds so sorrowful.

"It's all my fault. So please, Lyle, don't abandon me."

It's a strange feeling. He never imagined Ash could be this desperate. The Ash he knows is easy-going and gentle, always the one to show him the world.

"I should have taken time to listen to you, but I was a fool...."