Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Leah
My eyelashes fluttered, but even though my eyes opened a crack, I didn’t really see anything.
The edge of my vision was pitch black. The rest of it was grey and fuzzy looking, like I was trying to peer through thick smoke. My nostrils flared, and panic sped up my heartbeat.
There was no smoke, so why couldn’t I see?
Panicked, I reached to scrub at my face, and strong hands gripped my wrists and forced my hands down to my sides.
“Easy, Leah.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I fell back onto the pillows. The thick accent of Viktor’s voice put me at ease, but it didn’t explain why I couldn’t see.
What was wrong with me?
“I—I can’t see.”
His hand, warm and rough, stroked across my hair. “It’s ok, Leah.”
I frowned, and pain lanced through my face. The skin felt tight. “What happened?”
Clearly something had happened because I felt off. My bones ached, and it felt like I had done ten rounds with a truck, and there was the fact that I couldn’t see. There was a sound to the left, like someone scraping a chair closer to the bed.
Viktor took my hand in his and gently held it.
“What do you remember?”
Wracking my brain, I tried to make sense of what I did remember.
“We were on a plane.”
His sigh was pained. “Is that the last thing you remember?”
Opening my mouth, I was going to say no, but that wasn’t entirely true. The private plane was the last thing I remembered clearly.
“It’s all hazy. You were taking me somewhere as a surprise?”
For a second, his hand flexed around mine, and he chuckled. “It’s just my luck that I do something romantic for you, and you don’t remember.”
“I’m sorry, wait. Did we go to the ballet?” It was still fuzzy, but it was getting clearer and clearer now. “What happened, Viktor? Why can’t I see?”
“There was a bomb.” His voice shook, and it was his tone more than what he had said that made me panic again.
“A bomb? Did anyone else get hurt?”
His laughter was like music to my ears. “A few cuts and scrapes, but no one seriously injured.”
“Oh.” I settled back down and tried to relax. “That’s good.”
“That is so you, Leah.” I couldn’t see him, but I could imagine he was shaking his head.
“What is?”
“Caring for other people more than you care for yourself.”
“I’m not totally selfless, Viktor,” I mumbled. “I’m worried about my eyes. Am I blind?” I couldn’t help it. My voice shook.
He might think I was this good person who only cared about others, but that didn’t stop me from being worried about myself as well. I didn’t want to be blind. The world was beautiful, and I wanted to see it all.
“I mean,” I took a deep, settling breath. “I’ll deal, it would just be— ”
“You’re not blind, Leah. It’s just temporary. You were thrown back from the blast and hit your head quite hard. The doctors think it will gradually come back over the next few hours or days. They should be able to know more now that you are awake.”
“That’s good then, but wait, how long have I been asleep?”
“Two days.”
Fuck, I had been unconscious for two days.
“Wow.” It was the only thing I could think about saying because words escaped me.
“You had me so worried, Leah.” Again, he smoothed his hand over my hair.
He kept doing that. Touching me like he couldn’t believe I was real.
“I haven’t left your side since the blast.
My head snapped in what I hoped was his direction. “You haven’t?”
“No, of course not.” He went back to stroking my hair. “I thought I had lost you when you were on that pavement bleeding, Leah, and it terrified me. I never want to feel like that again.” His fingers trembled. “You’re not allowed to leave me. Is that clear?”
I smiled with cracked lips, suddenly, it wasn’t just my body and head that ached, but my mouth and throat as well.
“It’s clear. Is there water, Viktor? I feel like I haven’t had a drink in days.”
Which was completely true.
“I’ll go and find the doctor and ask if you’re allowed. You rest now. Ok? I’ll just be a few minutes.”
There was the sound of him moving away and then silence that was periodically broken by the sounds of machines beeping to my right, machines I was hooked up to. Reaching up, I took stock of my body. Starting at my face and working my way down.
There were cuts on my face, my eyes felt really swollen, and my body was covered in scratches and bruises, but all in all, I had got off lightly.
Where the IV line was stuck in my hand itched, though.
I settled back down, with nothing but my thoughts for company .
Where was Viktor? He had said he would be right back, but that had been ages ago and—”
“Good morning,” a new cheery voice broke through my thoughts. “Mrs.—”
“Leah is fine.”
Viktor grumbled. “Yeah, I guess calling my wife Leah is fine, if she allows it.” Reaching down, he took my hand. “She wants to know if she can have water.”
“She can, but only a little bit. For now, anyway. We don’t know what other tests we might have to do.”
Viktor’s arm slid around my shoulders and helped me sit. The rim of a glass touched my lips. I gulped down the first mouthful of lukewarm, stale water like it was the best thing I had ever tasted.
“But water will be good for the scan we need to do. It’s always better to have a full bladder, and I think we all want to make sure that the baby is also ok. All the tests—”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“The baby,” the doctor said again. “You did know your wife is having a baby, right?”
I choked on the water, sending a mouthful down my chin to soak my hospital gown.
“Here.” Viktor wiped my chin. “Just breathe.”
Pregnant? Had he really said I was pregnant? How could that be?
“My wife is pregnant?”
“I’m sorry, did you not know?” Now the doctor sounded scared, and he had every right to be. Viktor sounded angry.
“No, I didn’t know.”
I could feel Viktor’s eyes scan my face, and more than anything, I wanted my vision back at that moment because I needed to see his face. It was the only way I could tell what he was thinking.
“That’s not possible.”
A sinking feeling filled my stomach.
Ok, maybe I didn’t need to see his face to know he was disappointed.
“Right well, yes. I can see this is a shock, but— ”
“How far along am I?” I cut him off.
“Around two months.”
My eyebrows shot up. Two months meant I had conceived pretty much as soon as I had met Viktor.
I was going to be a mom.
Instinctively, I pressed both of my hands to my stomach. Buried deep inside my body, I was making a baby. A precious little child for me to love and who would love me in return.
“Are you sure?” Viktor said quietly. “My wife has not missed any—”
“Sometimes it happens like that. And yes, I am sure. It came up on the blood test, and we did a preliminary scan, but we will need to do another one. I’m taking it from your reaction that this isn’t expected.”
He said the word expected, but I could tell he wanted to say wanted, and that wasn’t true.
I wanted this baby. Sure, I might not have planned it or expected it, but now that I knew it was in there, I wanted it more than anything.
Viktor, though?
“There are options and—”
“No,” I said quickly.
“Excuse me, I need to go.” Without another word, Viktor left the room.
“Well, ok, let’s check you over.” The doctor sighed. “How are you feeling, Leah?”
Heartbroken, scared, and confused. “Like I was blown up,” I said instead. “Honestly, I don’t feel bad at all, considering, apart from my eyes.” I tapped my temple gently.
“Let’s have a look at them. I’m going to flash a light in them. Ok? Just let me know what you can see.”
A light flashed, sweeping across my face, and I blinked at the sudden brightness.
“I can see that. It’s just sort of grey and hazy.” Even as I said it, I realized the blackness was almost all gone, and the greyness was fading.
If I concentrated, I could actually see outlines .
“But it’s better than when I first woke up.”
He clicked the light off. “That’s good. I think you should have some sight back in a few hours and full vision back in a few days. The rest of your injuries are pretty superficial. But I do want to take a look at the baby.”
“Me too.”
“I can arrange for the scan to be now, or would you want to wait for your husband to come back? There are—”
If he said options again, I was going to take a swing at him. There weren’t any options for me. Even if Viktor hadn’t been happy about the news, it wouldn’t stop me from loving this baby.
“I can see by your face that you want to wait, and that’s fine. I’ll arrange something for this afternoon. You should rest now, Leah. Your body needs to heal. I’ll have a nurse look in on you in a little while.”
He left, and I fell back onto the flat pillows with a sigh. I was pregnant.
Knocked up by a man who was my husband, but not really. No wonder Viktor had freaked out. Ours was an arrangement that was meant to be over next year. Having a child together complicated matters.
But it didn’t have to. If Viktor didn’t want to be involved, then I wouldn’t force him to be.
My eyes closed, and I sighed. I was tired, which was crazy because I had been asleep for two days. Surely I should have been wide awake?
Something touched my arm, and I shifted away, still half asleep.
“Sleeping—” I said to the nurse. I knew it was rude, but I wasn’t in the mood to be prodded and poked.
“I know, Printsessa.”
My eyes flew open to find Viktor hovering over me. I could see his face creased into a wide smile as he ran his fingers over my face and hair.
Everything was a little blurry, but I could see again. I let out a sigh of relief that was partly because I had my sight back and partly because he was back .
Back and calling me Printsessa, which meant he wasn’t mad anymore.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, in shock,” I added honestly. Letting my eyes sweep across his face, I took a deep breath.
“Look, I know this is a shock to you, but I want you to know that it doesn’t need to change anything.
You don’t need to be involved.” Another shaky breath.
“And if you don’t think, well, I don’t need the money. I can manage.”
“Be quiet, Leah.” His lips thinned, and I fell silent. “Yes, it was a shock, and yes, it changes everything, but not in the way you are thinking.” Bending over me, he pressed his lips to my mouth in a feather-light kiss.
“I’m happy you are pregnant, Printsessa.” Another small kiss. “Yes, it was a shock, but the only thing that it changes is how long I get to keep you.”
I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
“Forever, Leah.” He smiled against my mouth. “At the very least, we have to be in each other’s lives.”
“But you ran out of here?”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have done that.” He backed away. “I was in shock, and I wanted to make some arrangements for when you were discharged, which will be today. The plane is waiting to take us home.”
“What did you need to sort out?”
“Doctors, vitamins. You’re going to need looking after.”
He nodded his head firmly.
“Viktor, I’m fine.”
He stared at me like he didn’t believe it. “Yes, you are, and I’ll make sure you and my baby continue to be fine. Things are going to change now, Leah. I’m going to look after you.”
The way he said it made me do a double-take. He looked like he meant it.
“I see there are smiles on your faces now.” The doctor said with a laugh from the doorway. “Has the shock worn off? Are you both ready to see your baby? ”
I nodded.
“Yes. Yes, we would like that.” Viktor spoke for both of us. He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. “Wouldn’t we, Printsessa? We want to see our baby?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”
Five minutes later, I was in a wheelchair with Viktor pushing me up a sparse hospital corridor.
He was pushing me, not the hospital staff, but my husband.
Things really were changing.