delicate

32

-

Kai

-

I stared at the doctor as she listed off everything that's right with Evelyn, waiting for her to say what's wrong.

"Complications?" Caroline's voice was high and shaky.

The doctor turned to me. "Are you the boyfriend?"

I furrowed my brows. "Why does it matter?"

A frustrated look crossed her face before she sighed. "During surgery, she miscarried. The pregnancy was very early, but due to the stress that was put on her body, she lost the baby." She looked at Caroline, "I'm sorry."

"Pregnancy?" Caroline's voice was laced with fear. The anger resting behind my grief was manifesting further. I bit down on my tongue. "Can we see her?"

The doctor tilted her head, a sympathetic look on her face. "She's in the ICU right now. She's stable, of course, but that may change." She paused for a beat, swallowing. "You need to prepare yourself for that possibility."

After telling us we should go home and that we'll be the first to know we can see her, she walked away.

"She was pregnant?"

I glanced at Caroline before looking at the floor. "I don't know." I looked at her. "I wouldn't know." I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat.

She shook her head, "But you're together."

"We aren't together. We never had sex. We never even kissed."

The look of disbelief on her face made my stomach turn. My nerves danced in circles, making it hard for me to stay still. I watched as the emotions played out on her face. She mindlessly followed her feet to a chair. She rested her face in her hands, her elbows propped on her knees.

I shifted from one foot to the other and looked at the door. I was stuck between wanting to go find Joshua and Lilly to make sure they were thoroughly tortured and staying here to wait for Evelyn.

Even the thought of her made my chest ache. Caring for someone is so much worse than I imagined.

"She'll be okay, right?"

I took a second before turning back to her. "She has to be," I nodded.

She sucked in a breath of air as her eyes scanned my face. She crossed her arms on top of her knees and tilted her head. "You can feel her. Do you know if she... um -" Her voice broke.

I stepped closer. "She's not awake, and she's not in any pain."

The tears welled in her eyes again. "She's okay."

I nodded slowly. "She's okay."

The door opened. I turned my head as Damon, Stefan, Bonnie, and Elena piled through the door. Caroline rushed to Stefan, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Is she okay?" Elena's voice was epitome of sadness, along with the look on her face.

I nodded, "Yeah."

She sighed in relief as the tears in her eyes broke free. She turned to Damon, who held her tighter.

The dried blood on me felt nauseating. It only made me feel worse. This room is hell to me. Being away from her is my damnation.

I walked out of the room and made my way down the hallway, searching for her. I stood in front of the elevator, waiting. The impatience in my bones ushered me towards the stairs.

I fought harder to keep my breathing steady the closer I got to her. I froze at the end of the hallway, catching myself on the wall. I could see the chords connected to her, the IV in her arm, the oxygen they were giving her. There was a frail look to her, but it was a facade. The strength she had to have to go through what she did was unfathomable.