WHAT IF

Chapter 22

At the hospital, Babe had been thoroughly checked over. Luckily, there were no major injuries-just a few bruises that were treated. He thought that was the end of it, that everything would go back to normal. But just as he was about to leave, the doctor's tone suddenly shifted.

"May I ask how you've been feeling lately?" she asked, her voice soft but serious.

Babe blinked, caught off guard. Why was the doctor asking him this now? "I'm fine," he replied, trying to mask the confusion in his voice.

"Are you sure? Nothing unusual over the past few days?" she pressed, her gaze searching his face.

Babe frowned, trying to recall any recent oddities. "I mean, nothing really," he said, hesitating. "Maybe... this morning, I felt a little dizzy, but it's probably just the heat."

The doctor's expression remained unreadable. "It's not just the heat," she said, her voice dropping, her eyes sharp.

"What do you mean?" Babe was bewildered now, unsure where this conversation was going.

The doctor took a deep breath, her voice steady. "Babe, we made a discovery during the tests we ran. You're pregnant."

Silence. Babe's entire body froze, the words hanging in the air like a heavy fog.

"What?" He whispered, his voice barely audible. His mind raced as he tried to process what the doctor had just said. Pregnant? How was that even possible?

***

The drive home was unnervingly quiet. Babe sat in the passenger seat, staring out of the window, his mind in a whirlwind. Charlie had no idea what had happened; he just assumed Babe was tired from the accident. He didn't push, leaving Babe to his thoughts.

But the truth was, Babe couldn't stop the chaos in his head. How could he be pregnant? The doctor must be joking, right? They hadn't even talked about starting a family, let alone prepared for it. And they haven't been intimate-after Charlie's rut-how could this be possible?

His head ached with the questions, but no answers came. The uncertainty gnawed at him, making it impossible for him to relax, to let go.

When they finally arrived home, Charlie opened the door and stepped out. Babe, however, remained rooted in the car. He couldn't bring himself to move.

"Babe?" Charlie called out, turning to look at him. But Babe didn't respond.

Charlie frowned, his voice tinged with concern. "Babe, are you okay?"

Only when Charlie approached and touched his shoulder did Babe snap out of his daze. His eyes were distant, his hands trembling slightly as he stepped out of the car, following Charlie like a ghost.

As Charlie walked inside the house, Babe stood frozen by the door. He could feel the weight of the news crushing him. When Charlie turned around and saw Babe still standing there, he called out again, worry deepening in his voice. "Babe!"

This time, Babe didn't even move. Charlie rushed over, in front of him, shaking his shoulder gently. "Babe, talk to me. What's going on?"

Babe finally looked at him, but his eyes were full of pain. He didn't say anything, only reached into his pocket with trembling hands and pulled out an envelope. With shaky fingers, he handed it to Charlie.

Charlie's heart raced as he took the envelope, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Babe? What's this?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.

Babe crouched down, his head dropping into his hands. His body shook as sobs started to escape him, his entire frame wracked with emotion. The sight tore at Charlie's heart, and fear gripped him. Had the accident left Babe worse off than he'd admitted? Was he seriously injured?