Fate || PART 2 of 'Good Luck, Babe!' (Bbangsaz)

8. Shame And Concern

M I N J I

I pulled up to the clinic, my heart racing as I glanced over at Hanni, who was pale and trembling in pain.

Without wasting a second, I rushed out of the car and hurried to Hanni's side. I gently helped her out, supporting her as we made our way through the clinic doors.

As soon as we stepped inside, Karina, dressed in crisp scrubs, spotted us and rushed over. "What happened?" Karina asked, her voice calm but urgent.

"She's in severe pain—lower abdominal cramps," I replied, my voice steady despite the panic I felt. "She's four months pregnant. It started about an hour ago."

Karina nodded, her professional demeanour taking over as the both of us guided Hanni into an examination room.

"We'll get her checked right away. I'm going to need to ask some questions. Please help her lie down." I said to Karina.

Karina helped Hanni onto the bed, carefully arranging pillows to keep her comfortable, while Minjeong came in and began to take Hanni's vitals, checking her pulse, blood pressure, and temperature.

Her movements were efficient yet gentle, trying to make the process as easy as possible for Hanni.

"Do you feel any vaginal bleeding?" I asked Hanni, I couldn't ask her the detailed questions earlier as she was still stressed.

Hanni, still gasping from the pain, shook her head. "N-no, not yet."

"Alright," I said, "We need to do an ultrasound to assess the baby's condition and check your cervix to see if there's any dilation or signs of bleeding. This sounds like it could be a threatened miscarriage, which means your body is showing signs that it might miscarry, but it hasn't happened yet. We're going to do everything we can to prevent that."

Hanni nodded weakly, her eyes filled with fear.

Karina gently pressed her hands on Hanni's abdomen, palpating to check for tenderness or any abnormalities. "How would you rate the pain on a scale from one to ten?" she asked.

"Eight," Hanni groaned. "It's worse than anything I've felt before."

She squeezed Hanni's hand reassuringly as me and Minjeong I prepared for the ultrasound.

Minjeong dimmed the lights, and a more senior doctor stepped into the room, guiding the nurse as they carefully applied gel to Hanni's lower abdomen. The ultrasound probe slid across her skin, and the screen flickered to life, revealing the grainy image of the fetus.

Me and doctor exchanged a look. We both knew what this meant.

"The baby is still moving, and there's a heartbeat," the doctor said calmly. "That's a good sign. But we can see that there's some separation between the placenta and the uterine wall, which is likely causing the pain. We call this a placental abruption. It's mild at this point, but it's a risk factor for miscarriage."

Hanni took my hand in hers and squeezed it.

"We're going to monitor you closely," the senior doctor continued. "Right now, there are no signs of immediate miscarriage, but we need to be careful. We're going to give you an injection of progesterone, which should help support the pregnancy and relax your uterus. You'll also need to be on strict bed rest for at least the next few days. No heavy lifting, no stress, and no movement unless absolutely necessary."

The nurse nodded and prepared the injection, gently explaining as she went. "Progesterone will help prevent the uterus from contracting and might reduce the risk of further separation. It's crucial for stabilizing early pregnancies like yours. We're also going to give you fluids through an IV to keep you hydrated, as dehydration can sometimes trigger uterine contractions."