Daisy | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 43 - Love

[Naomi]

When I woke up that night, I felt something pressing down on my lower abdomen. I opened my eyes to the sight of Dr. Devinski, who was using a stethoscope on my stomach as I slept in my bedroom.

I blinked twice, finally separating the vision of her from the sheer drapes of my beige canopy.

"D-Doctor? W-What?"

"She's finding your baby, Your Grace." Vita whispered gently from her seat above my head, holding me by the shoulder supportively. "You calm down now."

As I returned my startled, still dazed eyes from her towards my doctor, I tried to take control of my breathing and my thoughts- picking up their pace.

"Is it true?" I asked weakly, as I watched Dr. Devinski draw away from me and take her stethoscope off. "Is it really there, doctor?"

"There's no doubt of it, Naomi." She answered softly.

I sighed out, closing my eyes in what felt like remorse. I felt guilty. For a moment of nothing other than helpless weakness, I considered that this was life inside of me, not some object I could discard in any second. And it trampled my conscience how much I thought about myself not being quite prepared for it to come.

Dr. Devinski excused herself outside, leaving me and Vita into our more friendly privacy. Though hers and Leila's presence always made me calmer, there was no point of solace in that moment to ease down. The only difference was that I could control my breath better now.

I stared blankly into open space, towards the wall across me.

"Your Grace, may I get anything for you?" Vita asked softly.

I shook my head. "It's alright. Just stay there."

There was a silence that settled within the room, reminding me of how alone I truly was in those darkest days of my life. To be given a child, during this time that I could not find the motivation to take care of even myself, when I do not plan on living longer anymore, made me feel conflicted.

It was one of those times when I just wished Uncle Erwin was here. He'd give me the best advice, better than anyone else in the world. Just like Levi would, if he was here.

If Levi was here...

"My lady, do you not feel that you should let this be known to Captain Levi?" Vita asked, as if reading my mind. "He ought to know. It would make him so happy amidst all this sadness."

"Perhaps." I answered blankly.

"My lady, he is the father... It is certain that he would be." She replied.

"You know, Vita..." I said, feeling my teardrops starting to fall from the edge of my eyes, as I faced the ceiling. "This situation reminds me of someone really dear and close to me."

"And who might that be, Your Grace?" She asked softly.

"My own mother." I answered.

I took a deep breath, and began my narration- thinking it would help in easing myself from the concealed, extreme emotion I was feeling just then. "When my mother found out she was pregnant with me, she was not married to Ivan. She was about my age, and my father was completely unaware."

I could feel Vita give me her whole, earnest attention; and so I proceeded on. "They were so in love. They planned to elope before knowing I existed; but everything was ruined when the Dietrichs discovered her pregnancy. They pressured my father, though he so wanted to keep my mother as wife, into thinking that we were parasites. All the love that used to be there so brightly... was lost when I came."