The Billionaire's Baby

49| Vante

6 hours...

It's been six hours since my wife passed out in my arms. And the moment still haunts me.

I'm sat in a chair outside her hospital room, staring angrily into the air while my foot impatiently taps on the floor. Thousands– no –millions of thoughts run through my head. So many that I can barely form sentences because one overlaps the other. It drowns out my surroundings and I can only think of Delilah. About how she's doing, what's going through her mind, why she didn't say anything...

"Mr Riccardo?"

My eyes shoot up. I stand up slowly when I greet the doctor. "How is she?"

I hate the question itself. I hate not knowing how she feels. I hate feeling so stupid.

"Well," the doctor begins as she scans through the papers on her clipboard. "Mrs Riccardo's situation isn't critical, though the risks to both her and the baby at this time are. You said she spoke about her lungs before she passed out?"

I nod my head silently, not wanting to bring up that situation.

"Shortness of breath..." the doctor mutters as she writes on her board. "Mrs Riccardo is a small woman and carrying twins is bound to put a strain on her—"

"Twins?" I tilt my head, stopping the doctor in her tracks. "What do you mean 'twins'?"

She looks at me dumbfounded. Her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. "You didn't...know?"

I crane my neck, getting a good look at Delilah's unconscious frame. Yes, her stomach is a lot bigger than it would normally be at 9 months. But the doctor never said anything about twins.

I let out an irritated sigh. "Clearly not."

"W-well, Mr Riccardo...the fact stands that Mrs Riccardo is carrying twins and this has put a strain on her body. More importantly her lungs and heart. With the babies turning and the added pressure on her lungs, Mrs Riccardo won't be able to breathe as easily as before. And her heart..." the doctor trails off.

When I turn back to her she almost jumps in fear. "What about her heart?"

She adjusts her glasses and clears her throat before she speaks. "Her heart is struggling to pump enough blood to the re- rest of her body."

"Will this affect the pregnancy?" I demand though concern laces my words.

Regretfully, she nods. "Although Mrs Riccardo is unconscious now, her body will react to the labour thus waking her up. If that does not happen, a C-section is about the best way to safely get the babies out. On the chance that she does wake up, it will be a risky labour due to the lack of blood and air in her systems. We might not even be able to give her Epidural," she states.

Heels can be heard rushing through the hallway and Sofia's voice soon fills the air. "How is she? Is she fine? Where's Dee? How's the baby? Will she wake up?!"

Sofia's panicked state draws everyone's eyes towards her but she doesn't care. When she reaches us and sees Delilah through the glass, her bags and coat drop to the floor. Her knee almost follow after as she covers her mouth with her hand.

I reach over to catch her in time and pull Sofia into a tight embrace. "Sorella, Delilah's still out. But she'll wake up soon..."

My attempt at reassurance doesn't even calm Sofia down. Hell, I wouldn't calm down from just hearing that. My little sister sobs into my chest and I couldn't care less if she's soaking my shirt. I know she's just as worried and just as hurt as me.

"When are the babies due?" I ask, keeping my sister in my arms.

The doctor purses her lips. "She is reaching the 40-week mark in two days. The babies can be expected anytime between today, Tuesday, and next week Friday. Though, it's highly possible she'll go into labour in the next 2 days, seeing how her body's reacting to the children."