WHAT ON EARTH IS ENZO DOING WITH MY BABY?

Chapter 7: What on earth is Enzo doing with my baby?

 Enzo watched as the doctor rushed toward him, uncertain of the news he would receive. His heart skipped a beat with each movement the doctor made, and his ears were alert, waiting to hear what he would say.

"Mr. Enzo!" the doctor said, catching his breath as he stood just an inch from him.

"I must say, your wife is a fighter," the doctor said, smiling reassuringly as Enzo's face grew calm. "And you are a lucky man."

"Your wife is strong and healthy now, and so is your child," the doctor said, watching as Enzo's eyes lit up with delight.

All his fear, tension, and worry were suddenly gone. He exhaled in relief, placing his right hand on his chest to steady his racing heart.

"Can I see them?" he asked, and the doctor nodded in confirmation.

"You can see them, but you can't take them home for now," the doctor clarified. "Your wife and son will have to remain here for a while." Enzo's smile was replaced with worry.

"Why can't I go home with my family?" he asked after a few minutes of thinking hard. He couldn't wrap his head around the reason, but he hoped there was no issue.

"You can't go home with them because your wife lost a lot of blood and is currently on a drip," the doctor explained, trying to sound comforting. "And as for your son, he's in an incubator because he's still premature."

"I'll take my leave now, Mr. Enzo," the doctor concluded, leaving Enzo to himself.

Enzo felt drained. He sat back as all the happiness drained from him.

"The baby looks exactly like you," he heard, and he turned his eyes to where the voice was coming from. His eyes fell upon two young couples, holding a baby.

From the look of things, the man's wife had just given birth, and they were leaving the hospital happily. He watched as they walked away, and regret began to set in.

Once the couples were out of sight, he stood up from his seated position. He realized he had to go see Kira and find out how she was doing.

He walked towards the ward where she had been admitted. Standing in front of the door, he let out a deep sigh and pushed it open.

There on the bed, Kira lay, exhausted and drained of her strength. It seemed she noticed his presence, as she slowly turned her head to the door.

Her gaze stayed on him for a while, and she fought back tears that were gathering at the corners of her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she said. "Are you here to kill me and the baby?" She blamed him for the fact that she'd given birth to a premature baby. She tried to attack him, but she fell back on the bed immediately.

She was too weak to even carry herself, let alone fight. "I told you not to harm the baby," Enzo said bitterly. "I wanted to stay far away from you, and I did."

"I know you hate me and like to see me in pain," she said, her face soaked with tears. "But you would have waited until the baby was out before punishing me, Enzo." Her face was filled with anger. "What have I ever done to you? Is it my fault that my mother ruined you?"

As he watched her lament, guilt got the better of him. He knew he'd done a lot of bad things to her.

He knew an apology wouldn't set things right this time. She was in pain and wouldn't want to hear anything he had to say.

"Nurse! Nurse!!" she yelled, her voice breaking through his thoughts. Before he could process what was happening, nurses were already rushing into the room.

"Please take him out of here," she said bitterly, turning to the other side of the bed. "I don't want to see him."

"Sir, please, you need to leave," the nurse explained calmly as she led Enzo out of the room. "We don't want her condition to worsen. I'm sure you can sort out any differences you have at another time."

"Can I see my baby?" he asked, interrupting the nurse as she led him out. She gave him a friendly nod before asking him to follow.

They walked down the hall until they reached a room. It was filled with machines, the lights were dimmed and exclusive.

Enzo followed like an obedient sheep, all his pride and stubbornness gone. The nurse pointed to a baby in an incubator and said, "This is your baby."

Enzo stood speechless, staring at the baby for a while. He couldn't believe the condition of his child. "It's all my fault," he cried out in pain. "A father is supposed to protect his child, but I put mine in danger." He felt completely useless.

"It's okay, Mr. Enzo," the nurse said reassuringly. "The most important thing is that your child is alive and healthy. Believe me, this isn't a time to blame yourself, but a time to set things right."

"I'll leave you and your child now," the nurse said. "I have other patients to attend to. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need any help." She patted him on the back, then left him alone.

He watched as she walked away, and once he was sure she was out of sight, he fell to the floor and began to cry heavily. He had wanted to cry his eyes out, but he couldn't do it in front of the nurse. He didn't want to be seen as weak.

"I'm so sorry, my son," he said, speaking to the baby in the incubator as if he could hear him. "I was blinded by vengeance, and I put your life and your mother's life in danger. I've been a useless man, but I'm ready to change my ways if given the chance."

"I promise to love you, fight for you, and protect you if given another chance," he pleaded. "I'm so sorry, and I regret all my past actions so dearly. Please forgive me." Tears continued to stream down his face.

...…

Kira watched as the nurse led Enzo away, and she tried to fight back her tears. But when it was clear she couldn't hold them back any longer, she let them fall. "How did I ever get entangled with this man?" she thought.

All she felt was regret. If only she hadn't married him, she wouldn't be in this condition. It would have been better for her to stay with her father than to live with Enzo. He was the worst decision she had ever made in her life.

Thoughts to escape crept into her mind again, but then she thought about her baby and couldn't bear the thought of leaving him in the hands of such a wicked man.

She didn't want him to turn her child into a slave, and she believed he hated the baby just as much as he hated her. If she left the baby with him, his life would be in danger.

She had never met anyone as heartless as Enzo in her entire life. "Mother, if only you were here, none of this would be happening to me," she whispered in pain, suddenly blaming her mother for her predicament.

"You shouldn't have given birth to me in the first place," she said. "Not only did you leave me to suffer in this world, you also made me the object of mockery by sleeping around. What kind of legacy did you leave behind?" She paused for a moment before continuing.

"I'm paying the price for your crime, you jerk," she said, wiping tears from her face. "Because of you, I'm suffering at the hands of Enzo. He believes it's because of you that his father died, and now I'm paying for it. How long will this go on?"

"You promised me a better life, you said everything would be better, but then you died," she said, her lamentations interrupted by the sudden opening of the door.

She tried hard to hide her tears before turning to face the door. When she turned, her eyes landed on a nurse who was holding a tray with a cup of tea and some bread.

"I thought you might be hungry, so I brought this for you," the nurse said, walking toward Kira, who stared numbly.

"I'll sit here and make sure you eat every piece of it," the nurse said, setting the tray in front of Kira after helping her to sit up.

Kira nodded slowly, reaching for a piece of bread. "How is my baby?" she asked, searching the nurse's eyes for an answer before she could speak.

"Your baby is doing great, Mrs. Kira," the nurse replied. "Your husband is with him right now."

"Husband? What on earth is Enzo doing with my baby?" Kira exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.