Unremitting Love

Chapter 12

Daniel

"That's bullshit!" I say, standing up. "She's young! She's healthy!"

"Well, sir, I understand that, but-"

"But she's going to die." I say simply.

"Not necessarily. While, her chances for survival are slim, there's still a chance."

"There's not something that can suck the venom out?" Mrs. Warner asks.

"I'm afraid not. We're doing everything we can. For now, she's not awake, and, she might now wake up..."

"You're a shit doctor, you know that?" Roxy says.

"Well, do you know what bit her?" I sigh.

"A mosquito." He says.

"A mosquito?" I ask.

"Yes sir."

"So, my wife got bit by a mosquito, which put her in a coma. She has a slim to none chance of survival. Am I understanding correctly?"

He sighs.

"Yes sir. I do have good news though."

"There's no way you can have good news in this." I grumble. "Honestly."

"Well, I do." He says. "Somehow, the baby is still healthy."

I stare at him.

We all stare at him.

"Baby?" I repeat.

He hesitates.

"You didn't know? Your wife is twelve weeks pregnant."

Pregnant.

Aubrey is pregnant.

"And she's going to die." I whisper. "Oh god."

"Not necessarily."

"So, uh," Dad clears his throat. "Say Aubrey stays in this coma until she reaches forty weeks." He says. "What happens then?"

"We'll have to do a C-Section." The doctor says.

"And how is Aubrey going to handle that?" Finn demands.

The doctor sighs slowly.

"She's too weak to handle it. My wife is too weak to handle it." I say.

The doctor sighs.

"Chances are, Aubrey's heart will stop." He whispers. "Unless you get an abortion."

Silence.

"So you're telling me-" I cut off, laughing humorlessly. "That either my wife lives, or my baby?"

"Yes sir. The baby will kill your wife."

But then if I kill the baby...

I shake my head slowly.

"But she could wake up." I say.

"She could wake up, but if she's not awake in the next three months, we can't legally do an abortion."

"So I have three months to decide if I'm going to kill my wife or if I'm going to kill my child." I whisper.

"Well..." the doctor sighs. "Yes."

I know what Aubrey would want.

She'd tell me to save the baby.

But then I lose my wife.