Don't Come Back

Friday, April 15, 2016

Highgate Hospital

9 weeks...

She found her eyes were heavy when she tried opening them, so she stopped. Trying again, she pried them open, only to close them at the sting of the bright lights overhead.

She tried for the third time, slowly, and looked around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The strong scent of cleaning agents told her she was in a hospital.

Her baby.

She remembered bleeding on the sidewalk and stopping a car. Had she lost the baby? Had it been too late? She tried sitting up, only to be pushed back down by Jason. Jason. She wondered what Trey's best friend was doing in the hospital.

“Hey,” he mumbled in greeting, pulling away and jamming his hands in his pockets. He looked sleepy. He'd probably been woken out of bed.

“Water,” she managed to get out in a hoarse, scratchy voice. She was thirsty, her throat dry. He moved toward the bedside table and filled a glass from the water jar that sat atop the stand, putting in a straw.

As he approached, she reached for it. But he smacked her hand away, scowling at her. He propped the pillows behind her with one hand and brought the water to her lips.

She rolled her eyes, mumbling, “I can drink it myself you know?” Her voice broke repeatedly, so much that she had to clear her throat noisily right after.

“Do you know you've been hooked to two IV's—both arms—because you're dehydrated and haven't eaten?” He looked so worried. “What were you thinking?”

“I had been waiting for Trey so we could eat together,” she muttered, then cleared her throat noisily, feeling hurt all over again. “Can I have that water now?”

Without another word, he brought the straw to her lips, making her take small sips till it was okay to gulp the water down and not hurt her throat. She pulled back when she'd had her fill. “Thank you.”

He winked—though it looked like an owl blinking since he was sleepy—flashing her a boyish grin as he set the glass back on the table. Alexandra felt eyes on her and turned towards the door, her heart skipping at the realization that he'd watching them this whole time.

And boy, was he livid.

Nodding at Jason, he mumbled, “Good to see you man,” unaware of the fact that his fists were clenched.

Jason scoffed. “I'm not the sick one. She is,” he said, pointing at Alexandra lying in bed.

She rolled her eyes, avoiding Trey's gaze at all costs. But the man's presence was imposing. “Why are you here?” she finally asked, keeping her expression blank.

“Isn't it obvious?” he gritted out, trying to rein in his jealousy at the fact that she was fine with Jason, just not with him. What had he expected?

“I wouldn't have asked if it was.” It irked him that she wouldn't look at him. It ripped into him and pushed his anger to the surface. He shook with it and he had to hold on to the doorframe to keep upright. He even forgot why he'd come; what he'd come to ask.

“Why can't you look at me?” he heard himself ask, anger, hurt and jealousy colouring his voice. Jealous of his friend who was getting married to the love of his life in a few months? Yeah, sounded like her husband alright. “Do I disgust you that much? Is that why you cheated on me?”

Jason, who had been in a corner watching, decided to intervene when he saw the angry spark her eyes. “Whoa mate, chill! Don't accuse your wife if you don't have concrete proof.”

“Some nerve you have coming here, wondering what's wrong with me, and why I'm not looking at you. I thought you said you didn't want to see me again?” She replied coolly, ignoring Jason.

“That was not what I said,” he replied clenching and unclenching his fists to get himself to relax.

Jason looked surprised. “Why come here then?” His brows went up as if realizing something, but before he could say anything, Trey cast a look in his direction and he got it. That was exactly why Trey wanted him here; to keep things from escalating.

Her chill attitude annoyed Trey, especially when she had been the one who had cheated; ruined their three year marriage. Did she not care? Before he could say anything, Jason pointed him outside. “Let's talk a bit, alright?”

He dropped the bag he'd brought with a huff and turned to leave the hospital room when Alexandra spoke again. “Don't come back. I don't want to see you again either.”

He spun around, with every intention of hurting her the way she'd hurt him. She didn't even look like she cared how he felt. Maybe she'd fallen out of love with him. Jason blocked his path, shoving him towards the door. “C'mon,” Jason grunted, “let's go.”

He stilled for a moment, shrugged Jason off and went out himself, slamming the door hard behind him. Jason sighed then looked at Alexandra. “This is worse than I thought, and you're not helping.”

“He was talking to me like my feelings didn't matter. And what, I'm supposed to let him?” she defended, not caring at the moment that she'd hurt his feelings. He'd hurt hers too. She didn't know if she still had the baby. “Get a doctor in here on your way out, please.”

“Sure,” he muttered, running a hand over his face. “I'll go talk to him. Will you be okay by yourself?” She nodded, shutting her eyes.

* * *

The door creaked a few minutes later and she opened her eyes to find a doctor closing the door behind him.

“Hello,” he greeted quietly, then got to work checking her vitals.

“Hi,” she replied nervously, wondering if her baby was alright. She was about to find out. A part of her didn't want to know. What if the baby was no longer alive? She chastised herself to think positively.

“How do you feel?” He asked when he was done, looking directly at her. It was unnerving, like he could see through her. Did he think she would lie? She needed this baby to keep her sanity in check.

“I'm okay. I just feel light-headed,” she replied honestly.

He nodded in satisfaction and wrote it down on his pad. He paused from his scribbling to look at her. “Are you aware you're pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“That's good. When I checked up on you earlier for internal injuries, I checked the baby too. The baby is fine,” he assured her, and she let out a relieved sigh. “But no more walking in bad weather or things like that. Don't exert yourself too much.

"Get enough rest and eat frequently, but healthy. Also, here,” he handed her a sheet, “is a list of vitamins you need. I'm sure at every ultrasound you might be given more based on how far you are and what other changes you encounter.”

“Thank you,” she murmured scanning the list. Most of them were familiar.

He nodded, lowering the clipboard. “That will be all for now. Please make sure to set up an appointment before you leave.”

“I will, thank you.”

“The men with you—is one of them the father?” he asked, adding, “The father needs to fill out information for me.”

“None of them is,” she lied, surprised the doctor didn't know her. But then again, neither did she. Maybe he was new. Still. “Please don't tell them? I would like the father to know first before anyone else.”

“Sure, no problem.”

She smiled at him, stopping right after he exited, then started grumbling about how talkative the doctor was. She didn't feel like talking. Not right now.

She rubbed her belly adoringly; glad her baby was okay and looked down, recognizing the bag Trey had dumped on the ground before storming out of her room. She found herself wondering what was in it.

So unhooking the IV tubes from both her arms, she got off the bed to grab the bag. In it were her clothes—a white shirt with a jean jumpsuit of hers and a pair of sneakers. He'd also added her coat!

Her eyes watered at the thought. He had come because he cared—in whatever way—but she wasn't forgiving him anytime soon. He should've allowed her talk so they could solve their problems maturely.

She changed quickly and cracked open her room door, looking around. Dressed normally, without the doctor who checked on her in sight, she could pass as a visitor.

Stepping out, she made to head towards the stairs when she saw them—Trey and Jace—standing in the way. She turned around quickly, going in the other direction and into an elevator, which fortunately, was free.

She decided she going to spend the night at the apartment—at least, till she figured out what she was going to do. Trey wouldn't think of checking there because she hadn't been there since before they got married. She had time.

* * *

Jason stopped talking. Trey wouldn't listen to anything else he had to say anyway. He wanted a divorce because he was convinced by Lexi's 'actions' that she didn't regret anything she'd done, and that was what he spun around to go tell her.

That he was ready to free her if that was what she wanted.

He followed silently, slamming into Trey's back when he stopped suddenly at the door of Alexandra's room. “What the heck man?” he grumbled, holding his nose.

“She's gone,” Trey responded in a monotone, trying to look like he didn't care when deep down, he was freaking out. He never got to ask if she was pregnant or not. He could ask—Which doctor had attended to her? Had she gotten healthcare before leaving? He found his freakout morphing into anger. Did she ever take care of herself?

At least she'd changed her clothes.

He looked down at the empty bag on the floor, with the bloodied dress she'd been wearing previously lying carelessly on the floor. And she was still messy. He almost smiled, but schooled his features into an impassive one.

“What do you mean she's gone?” Jason shoved past him into the room when he got no response. The room was empty. She'd left. He shrugged. “Oh well, at least I won't hear you guys bickering. You know, you had me worried because I thought you meant gone like dead.”

Trey glared at him, and went inside, picked the dress off the floor and shoved it into the bag. Closing the bag, he moved away from the door to the elevator, growling upon finding it was occupied. Thinking she was probably the one riding it down, he went in the opposite and began jogging down the stairs, Jason right on his tail.

They made it in record time to find the elevator doors opening. He frowned, preparing to chew her ears off for leaving without discharge—the hypocrisy, considering he left without discharge all the time. He stood in front of the elevator with arms crossed over his chest, waiting.

The elevator doors swished open to reveal an old graying woman supporting herself on a cane, making him feel stupid. He mumbled an apology for standing in her way after she gave him a look that said 'you got a problem with me?'.

Jason couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of him after the old woman had left. He doubled over clutching his stomach, his other hand on Trey's shoulder to steady himself. Trey shrugged him off, feeling his irritation building.

“You think this is funny?”

Jason got himself together and wiped at his eyes to get rid of the little tears. “I'm sorry. It's just—you were so confident it was her and you'd caught her. I mean, you did drive her out, and you want a divorce. So why are you looking for her? And what would you have done if it'd been her?”

"It's none of your business," he grumbled, walking over to the receptionist to settle her bills. He mentioned her name, only to find it had already been taken care of. When had she left exactly?

* * *

Monday, April 18, 2016

Alexandra's apartment complex

9 weeks...

None of the occurring events stopped Alexandra from going to work. Not even the fact that everyone at the workplace was talking about the scandal.

In all honesty though, she dreaded having to go to every day. She worked in her husband's company, and it had been a week since he had asked her to leave.

She had heard from the gossip girls at work that he had gone overseas on a business trip. Probably to avoid her, she thought. But that was alright. She didn't need the drama.

The morning sickness had been getting worse. She always had saltine crackers on her for the nausea and she figured if he saw it, he'd be able to put two and two together. Especially since she hadn't packed up that dinner she'd had cooked, and had left the onesie on the floor.

Her pink blouse stretched tight across her slightly bigger bust—which reminded her that she needed to get new bras, as well as maternity clothes. She was putting on weight—fast.

She'd have to quit when she got another job or else he'd notice her growing tummy—if her pregnancy lasted that long, that is. She had to start searching for another job as soon as possible.

She pushed the thoughts aside as she stepped out of her apartment complex, and stood on the curb, twirling her rings around her finger. Why she kept them on was beyond her, especially when Jason had told her he kept speaking of divorce.

A small part of her was hoping he would pop out of nowhere and say 'it was all the prank' and that he was sorry, then take her and the baby back. The other more rational part of her said to get over it and move on.

She hailed a cab and went in after it stopped, giving the driver her destination. She needed the job to pull in money—for the baby's arrival.