I Hate The Way You Love

19 - A Little Hope

In one of Jeonghan's rooms, Seungkwan lay on the bed, now conscious but occasionally grimacing at the dull ache in his lower abdomen. Jeonghan sat beside him, biting his nails anxiously as he watched the doctor continue the examination.

Truthfully, Jeonghan wasn't too concerned about Seungkwan's condition—at least, not in the way one might expect. What had truly shaken him was the blood from earlier. It was just a streak, but still, he feared something bad would happen—and that his name would get dragged into it.

But that wasn't the only thing making him restless. It was the result of Seungkwan's anamnesis.

"Fortunately, the baby is still safe, Mr. Kim," the doctor said, scanning Seungkwan's abdomen with the ultrasound device connected to the monitor on his lap. "Judging by the size, it's about three weeks along. The bleeding earlier was caused by stress, fatigue, and lack of sleep. Your blood pressure was also low, which is especially dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy—particularly since this isn't your first."

The doctor's gaze softened. "If you don't want another miscarriage, you need to take better care of yourself. Pregnancies following a miscarriage often come with a higher risk of complications."

Baby.

Pregnancy.

Seungkwan is pregnant.

For a moment, Jeonghan could only freeze in his seat, his mind going blank. He had called Mingyu earlier when Seungkwan lost consciousness, but after the call was rejected, Jeonghan instinctively contacted his personal doctor instead—too afraid to take Seungkwan to the hospital and risk the paparazzi seeing him, turning it into a headline about him allegedly trying to harm his ex-husband's husband.

Seungkwan sobbed softly, his expression a mix of fear and guilt. He wiped his face with his palm, trying to erase the tears and exhaustion weighing him down. "So... I really am... pregnant," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper as he gently stroked his still-flat abdomen. 

Tears welled in his eyes as silent sobs wracked his body. He didn't know whether he should be happy about the baby or heartbroken over its condition.

Worry clouded Seungkwan's face as he looked up at the doctor. "I'll take better care of my baby, Doctor... I'm sorry," he whispered. 

Could he, this time, hold on to even a little hope that his baby would make it into the world?

"Of course you should. Make sure to eat more to keep your blood pressure stable, even if the nausea makes it difficult. Your body needs the nutrients," the doctor advised gently while printing the ultrasound results. After that, he asked the nurse who had accompanied him to tuck away his medical tools before jotting down a prescription. "These are the vitamins and supplements you need to strengthen your pregnancy. And you should get bed rest for at least three days," he added, handing the prescription and ultrasound photo to Seungkwan.

Seungkwan murmured a soft thank you, his fingers tracing the image on the photo with a small, wistful smile. The doctor returned the gesture with a reassuring smile of his own. "I'll take my leave now, Mr. Yoon." He stood and gave Jeonghan a polite bow before turning back to Seungkwan. "Once again, congratulations on your pregnancy, Mr. Kim."