The world returned to Catalina slowly.
White light. Beeping monitors. The faint antiseptic sting of hospital air.
Her eyelids felt heavy, her throat dry as she blinked against the brightness. The first thing she saw when her vision cleared was her mother, slumped in a chair beside the bed, fingers loosely holding Catalina’s hand as if afraid to let go.
“Mom…?” Catalina’s voice came out weak, hoarse.
Maire’s eyes flew open instantly. “Oh, thank God—sweetheart!” She was on her feet in a second, cupping Catalina’s face with trembling hands. Tears welled as she pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re awake. You’re okay.”
Catalina frowned softly, trying to piece together the fragments in her mind. “What… happened? Why am I here?”
Maire hesitated, eyes flickering toward the window before she whispered, “You don’t remember?”
Images flashed in Catalina’s mind like broken film — gunfire, shouting, Kerian’s voice calling her name… and then, nothing.
Her father stepped forward from the corner, his usually calm face shadowed with fatigue. “You fainted after the fight, sweetheart. We got you out of there and brought you to the hospital. You’ve been out for almost a day.”
“A day?” she echoed, her heart quickening. “Is everyone…?”
“They’re fine,” he assured her. “Kerian, his sister, that friend of his — they’re all here. Kerian hasn’t left the hospital since we arrived.”
Catalina’s lips parted slightly, surprise flickering in her eyes. “He’s here?”
Her father nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “He’s been pacing the waiting room like a caged lion. If I hadn’t told him to give the doctors room to work, he’d have never left your side.”
Maire chuckled softly, brushing her daughter’s hair from her face. “He’s been a nervous wreck, honey. You should’ve seen him when they wheeled you in — I thought he was going to tear down the entire ER.”
Catalina smiled faintly at the thought, emotion tightening her chest. “He’s probably blaming himself…”
“He is,” her father admitted quietly. “But he also loves you, Cat. That much is clear.”
Her eyes misted over, heart swelling and aching all at once. “Can I… see him?”
Before either parent could answer, a light knock came at the door. A doctor stepped in, clipboard in hand, a gentle professionalism in his expression. “Ah, you’re awake. Good. That’s a very positive sign.”
Behind him, through the narrow glass window, Catalina caught a glimpse of Kerian pacing — hair disheveled, eyes wild with worry. Erica stood beside him, one hand on his shoulder, Jonathan leaning against the wall nearby.
“Can we let them in?” Maire asked the doctor quietly.
“Of course,” he said with a nod. “They’ll want to hear this too.”
A nurse opened the door, and within seconds, Kerian was there — moving faster than anyone else.
“Cat…” His voice broke as he stopped beside her bed. He reached for her hand, hesitated, then took it gently, as though afraid she’d vanish if he squeezed too tightly. “You scared me half to death.”
She smiled weakly, brushing her thumb over his fingers. “You look worse than I feel.”
He let out a shaky laugh, but the emotion in his eyes didn’t fade. “Don’t ever do that again, okay?”
“I’ll try not to,” she whispered.
Erica and Jonathan stood close behind, quiet and solemn but visibly relieved. Catalina’s parents lingered near the foot of the bed, watching with protective tenderness.
The doctor cleared his throat softly, drawing everyone’s attention. “I know there’s been a lot of confusion, so let me explain what’s going on.”
The room fell silent.
He flipped open his chart. “Catalina, when you were brought in, you were suffering from extreme fatigue and mild dehydration. Those factors, combined with adrenaline exhaustion, caused your collapse. However…” He paused, glancing up at her with a small, cautious smile. “There’s something else we discovered during our evaluation.”
Kerian’s hand tightened around hers instinctively. “Something else?”
“Yes,” the doctor said gently. “Catalina, you’re pregnant.”
The words hung in the air — weightless and heavy all at once.
No one moved.
Catalina’s breath caught in her throat. Her mother gasped softly, covering her mouth. Her father’s eyes widened with shock, flicking briefly toward Kerian.
Kerian stood frozen, his world spinning, eyes locked on Catalina’s pale face.
She stared back at the doctor, barely able to find her voice. “P-pregnant?”
The doctor nodded. “Roughly five months along.”
A stunned silence fell again — the hum of the monitors suddenly deafening.
Kerian’s hand trembled slightly in hers. “Five… months?” he whispered. His mind replayed every moment — every stolen meeting, every whispered night — and realization hit him like a storm.
Catalina blinked, dazed, tears welling as her lips parted in disbelief. “But… I didn’t even…”
The doctor offered a soft, reassuring smile. “It’s unusual, but not impossible. You’ve kept remarkably fit and under stress, which can mask the typical signs. But the baby is healthy — strong heartbeat.”
Catalina exhaled shakily, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Kerian brushed one away with the back of his hand, his eyes filled with awe, fear, and unfiltered love. “You’re carrying my child…” he murmured.
She nodded faintly, still in shock.
And as everyone in the room tried to process what they’d just heard, Kerian realized something deeper — something chilling beneath the wonder:
If his enemies weren’t done coming after him…
they now had something far more precious to threaten than his own life.
YOU ARE READING
Curves For The Agent Cowboy
Romance"I'll be right back.. I need to go and find out what's taking Nick so long. I'm thirsty!" With that being said she ignored the scared look on Catalina's face and walked away. Catalina watched her go and when she turned back around she was surprised...
