With Every Beat of My Heart

Chapter Three: Silent Treatment

I had just returned from an MRI the specialist requested for me. Why did those machines feel like being buried alive? I shivered at the dreadful reminder of the experience.

I was staring at the boring program on the TV when my father walked back into the hospital room. The wonderful man had spent the whole night next to me.

"Bales, how are you feeling? Did that MRI thing go smoothly?" he asked me worriedly.

"Yes Papa, everything went fine. I'm just waiting for the specialist to check the images."

"Good, good." He scratched his neck and looked out the window. "Nico is still outside," he murmured. "He hasn't left all night."

"Sadly Papa, I don't really care."

"Do you not want to see him? Maybe, just reassure him you're doing okay. I haven't told him anything about your condition...not that I understand much of what these doctors say."

I blew out a breath and stared back at the TV. "Very well," I whispered. "I guess he can come in."

A few minutes later, Nico rushed into the room, panic shining in his eyes.

"Nina, my beautiful girl, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine," I replied in a cold tone.

"Baby, what's wrong? What happened? I've been so worried."

"Mhmm, could've fooled me,"

"Nina, baby please, I know you're upset with me but please tell me what's wrong," he begged.

"I have gallstones and one of them is blocking a duct. The specialist might have to remove it. He also wants me to remove my gallbladder," I explained in a robotic voice.

"What, remove your gallbladder? Is that a serious procedure?"

I shrugged my shoulders and looked back at the TV.

He approached me slowly and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Nina please, please don't shut me out. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you last night. But baby, I was at the site and my phone had died. When I saw your messages, I was so worried I don't even remember how I got here."

"I was scared," I snapped at him. "I was so terrified. I couldn't breathe from the pain and I was home all alone with the babies sleeping in their beds." Tears filled my eyes but I blinked them away. I didn't want to break down in front of him.

He reached for my hand but I pulled it away. "Nina, please beautiful girl, forgive me. I didn't know this would happen."

"I asked you to stay. I begged you not to return to work. I had a feeling the pains I had were not normal," I whispered back.

"Nina, I didn't know. That doctor assured us it was just gas."

"Yeah, and did you think that doctor knew my body better than I did?"

"Nina, I'm so sorry," his voice cracked as he pleaded with me. "Baby, I can't even describe how sorry I am."

I huffed out a breath and turned the TV off. Turning my back to Nico, I faced the other side of the room and shut my eyes.

Later that afternoon, I had just woken up from a nap, and Nico was trying to coax me into eating something. "Nina, baby, please take a bite of something. You haven't eaten anything in hours."

I ignored him and grabbed my phone to text my mom and check up on the kids.

"Nina, please don't ignore me."

I didn't give him a reply and continued to stare at my phone.

He touched my arm trying to get my attention. "Nina, is this the silent treatment? Are you planning on ignoring me the whole day?