赤裸裸的滑稽故事

An emergency delivery had to be performed, but first, they would need to stabilize Bell.

The report from the doctor was that Bell had struggled to breathe on her own when she first arrived. She was screaming and clutching at her stomach. They were forced to sedate her to examine her properly.

The nurse who came to report to him gave him a sad look. She told him that she didn’t know Bell well but admired and respected her greatly. She promised Galen that the hospital staff would ensure she received the best treatment possible.

Galen nodded, and she left the room.

He was alone as Caleb had gone to update Corrine on Bell’s diagnosis.

He thought back over every moment of the fight with Roman. Every single hit, every stab, every punch. As the image of stabbing his eye fell over Galen’s mind, he let out a soft groan of guilt.

He clenched his jaw. It was stupid. He should have just let Roman go and stayed with Bell.

“Has it started already?” Caleb asked.

Galen looked up at the door where Caleb was walking in. Galen furrowed his brows at Caleb’s question.

“I mean the guilt trip,” Caleb smiled.

Galen looked away with a heavy sighed and leaned back in his bed. The doctor had insisted that Galen had lost too much blood and needed a transfusion. That meant he was stuck in this room until said transfusion was done.

“I shouldn’t have gone after him,” Galen replied through gritted teeth. “I should have stayed by her side.”

“You didn’t know,” Caleb said softly. Sitting down on the small stool beside the bed.

Galen scoffed.

“We all know what happens when one mate dies and the other lives,” Galen replied with irritation.

“Galen, if I had been in your shoes. If I had the chance to kill the monster terrorizing my wife… I would have done it too.”

Galen looked away.

Caleb sighed.

“Nothing can change what already happened,” he said. “But at least now, when Bell wakes up, she won’t have that darkness looming over her anymore.”

Galen closed his eyes and laid his head back.

“What if a new darkness looms over her…” he whispered.

“What are you talking about?” Caleb asked.

“What if….” Galen started to speak, but he couldn’t finish the words.

He could not bring himself to ask aloud whether or not Bell would ever forgive him if their son died because of him.

***

Galen’s treatment and transfusion had altogether taken up four hours. He returned to the waiting room.

Axel sat in the same chair by the window where he had seen him earlier. He leaned his head back against the wall for support as he slept. On the floor beside him, Corrine had curled up on her jacket.

Caleb and Ashleigh sat together in the corner of the room, holding each other closely as the time passed before them.

Galen sat down, unsure if he could even attempt to sleep. He had no idea how long he would be prevented from seeing Bell. It had already been several hours.

Galen laid his back against the wall, closing his eyes just a little to block out the fluorescent light above him.

Time passed within that blink of his eye.

“Galen,” came a whisper near his ear. “Galen, wake up.”

The voice called to him, pulling him away from the dark dreams of combat and back into reality.

Galen opened his heavy lids, fighting against the wave of sleepiness.

“Peter?” he asked.

Peter nodded and reached out his hand.

“Come with me,” Peter whispered.

Galen sat up and looked around. Everyone else was still sleeping.

“Right now, I just need you to come.”

Galen didn’t like the seriousness in Peter’s tone. Why was he calling only Galen back? Why didn’t he just say, ‘Bell has come through it’ or something else to indicate that she was okay? Why was Galen too afraid to ask why?

He followed Peter silently, preparing himself for the worst, unsure what he would do if Bell didn’t survive.

Galen took long, slow breaths to calm his nerves.

“Here,” Peter said, stopping a few steps later.

They were standing in a hallway. Beside them was an office, and across the hall was a large window with the blinds drawn.

Galen looked around with confusion.

“I don’t understand… what are we doing here?”

“Just wait right here, one moment,” Peter said.

He walked a little further down the hall and then entered a door. Galen did as he was told and stayed put. A moment later, the blinds in the large window were opened, and Galen could see inside.

Peter stood on the other side of the glass with a bright smile, pointing down. Galen followed his hand with his eyes. Beside Peter was a clear bassinet, and inside was a tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket.

Peter moved the bassinet closer to the window so Galen could see the small creature even more clearly.

He then motioned for Galen to come inside. Galen did as he was told. When he entered the room, a nurse was waiting for him. She gave him a pair of scrubs to change into before he could approach his son.

When Galen returned, dressed in scrubs, he approached with excitement and reservation.

“Galen,” Peter said. “I would like to introduce you to your son, Ren.”

Galen had no words; his entire body was frozen as he stared down into his son’s face.

He didn’t know the tears were coming until he felt them roll down his cheeks. A soft sob and a smile were the only reactions he could produce at that moment.

“Would you like to hold him?” Peter asked. “We have a little bit of time.”

“Time?” Galen asked, leaning forward to pick Ren up. It was awkward with one arm in a sling, but he managed.

Peter nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “Bell should be awake in just a few minutes.”

***

Bell was groggy, but slowly her senses were returning to her. She knew she was in the hospital; she could remember being dragged through the forest and seeing Roman waiting for her. But after that, everything became foggy.

She could reason that there had been an emergency delivery from the pain she felt over her body. But what she didn’t know was the result.

“Good morning,” Peter’s cheerful voice called from the doorway as he entered and moved beside her.

Bell turned to him and licked her lips before she attempted to speak.

“Where… is Ren?” she asked, swallowing down the fear she felt growing in her heart.

“He’s right here,” another voice came from the doorway.

Bell turned to see Galen smiling, his eyes beaming with love and warmth, and he carried a small blue bundle in his arms.

Tears filled her eyes as her heart filled with overwhelming joy at the sight of her two men.

***

The hissing sound fell over his ears. It was rhythmic. Every few seconds, another hiss.

How irritating.

He felt strange. His body was numb. He couldn’t move.

He tried to open his eyes, but something prevented him.

“Oh, are you awake?” an irritatingly familiar voice called out. “Hold still, let me help you with that.”

He felt a tug and a pinch on his eyelid, and then his eye fluttered open. He looked up. The ceiling was plain white. There were sounds he recognized, the hiss and beeps. He was in the hospital.

How?

His vision was suddenly filled with the Cheshire grin he hated so.

“Welcome back to the living, Roman.”