"I'm confident that everything will be fine." As they drove to the hospital, Damien kept assuring Madison, his hands intertwined with hers.
It was as if he could sense her anxiety and the nagging reminder that she might get some bad news today.
She'd avoided going to the hospital for years after being treated there when her child died.
Since then, she'd vowed never to set foot in a hospital building to check on herself, regardless of whether the situation was critical.
But, with Damien's constant words of encouragement and kisses on her knuckles every minute, she was doing her best to remain calm.
They'd agreed to go to the hospital to be safe after she'd expressed concerns about not being able to have children, among other things.
Damien, on the other hand, had suggested going to the hospital so they could both get some checkups and talk to the doctor.
His suggestion was good, and she could use it...
"What's going through your mind, my love?" Damien's voice jolted Madison out of her reverie, and as she shook her head, she noticed that the car had stopped moving.
They were already at the hospital, and her breath caught in her throat when she looked out the car window to face the large building.
'You got this, Maddie.' Her inner voice spoke to her, and she could only nod in response.
"What's the matter, Madison?" Damien inquired once more, squeezing her hands and gently shaking her shoulders as the driver opened the door.
"It's... nothing." Her lips stretched into a fake relaxed smile as she muttered.
She couldn't be calm about it, but she had to put on a brave face because she didn't want Damien to be concerned about her.
"Are you certain nothing bothers you, Maddie?" You know you can talk to me at any time, love."
"I'm fine, D." Madison responded sharply.
"All right. Shall we?" Damien inquired, and she nodded before stepping out of the car, followed by him.
The next few minutes saw them both entering the hospital, meeting the doctor in charge, and Madison being directed to the scan room after some brief discussions.
Damien stayed behind; he wanted to follow her, but the doctor opposed the idea, so he had no choice but to wait.
Laying stiffly, with her eyes closed, Madison exhaled slowly as the nurse and scan technician rubbed some oily ointment between her thighs and stomach.
"Please spread your legs, ma'am." The nurse gave the order, and she did as she was told.
This and other instructions she dutifully carried out until she was told to return to the doctor's office, where Damien was waiting for her.
As she walked in, he spread his arms out for her, pulling her into a warm embrace when she got close to him, and then he asked, "How was the test? I hope they didn't bother my lady?"
Rolling her eyes as she pulled out from his embrace and sat straight in her seat, Madison laughed and blushing uncontrollably when he kissed her knuckles softly; she replied, "Not really. Not much was done with me. Just some blood samples, some ultrasound scans, and the like. Though I'm trying to be optimistic, I feel like we wasted our time coming here, D."
"Why?" He asked, brows raised as he reached out with one hand to caress her hair, and she sighed loudly.
"I don't know. I feel like nothing's changed with me. We might resort to adopting a child since I want one and...."
"Shhhh..." Damien quickly shushed her up, his concerned gaze boring into hers as he said, "Keep being optimistic and stop having such negative thoughts, okay? Whatever happens, I'm here for you."
Bringing her knuckles to his lips again, he pressed soft kisses on them, and Madison's gaze watered at his affectionate gestures.
At every turn, he showered so much love on her that sometimes Madison thought it was unreal.
"What about the doctor? He isn't here with you and...."
"Here I am, now." A voice interrupted her, and both of them turned to look at the door where the older man was coming in from.
In his hands, he held some files, a bag that looked like it contained some drugs, and a stethoscope hung around his neck.
Madison's heart plummeting instantly; she could already guess that he was here with news of her scan.
The nurse had told her the results wouldn't take up to 30 minutes before it was ready, and as she felt sweat drizzle through her skin, her hands which were intertwined with Damien's, shook heavily.
The doctor smiled warmly as he approached his seat, and clearing his throat; he apologized for the little time he must have wasted.
"It's nothing, doctor. You can take your time." Damien retorted after the doctor's apology, and at the same time, Madison felt him squeeze her hands again.
"So, are the tests out yet?" She began to ask eagerly, her heart pounding still.
Suddenly she was curious to know, and luckily the doctor obliged her by saying, "Yes, the test is ready, and allow me to take a seat before I share the information with you both."
"Sure, sure." Madison replied again, eyes blinking, and her breath suddenly becoming a bit shallow.
It felt like ages, watching the doctor sit, and finally, when he began to open the files he brought, she let out a sigh of relief.
"So we'll start with Mr. Damien first." The doctor started, and with a smile, he went on and on about how the sharp tests run on him didn't show anything positive.
"... however, you should be wary of your sugar levels. It's not steady, and I recommend limiting sugar intake during this period."
When the doctor finished talking, Damien only nodded, and turning to face her, he winked and said, "You know this is your fault, right?"
"What? How?" She asked with a light chuckle, her eyes twinkling mischievously even though she knew what he was talking about.
However, it was not her fault that he was a glutton and stuffed his stomach with the sugary snacks she made for his sister some days.
"Now, back to you, Miss Connor." The doctor interrupted, and dragging her gaze away from Damien, Madison fearfully looked at the smiling older man.
"Well, from your blood samples, we didn't discover any waning health issue, and that's a very good sign."
"Yes, it is." Damien chimed in while she still kept mute.
The blood tests were the least of her concerns now. She wanted to know what they'd seen during the scan, and instinctively, her hands went to the left side of her stomach, where the scar from years back lay proudly.
Rubbing it gently and inhaling tightly, Madison looked at the doctor, but this time he had his eyes glued to the files and papers splayed out in front of him.
"So..." He began, looking up from the file with a rather tense look, and then he announced, "This is a miracle, Miss Connor."
"Huh?"
"Your blood test, again, showed that your fertility rate is high and okay. For both of you, that is. And then the scans...." The doctor paused for a rather long time before he then said, "Suffice to say there's a miracle, ma'am. Just like I said. Your womb is in healthy condition and enough to breed an egg. You can get pregnant, Miss Connor, and your uterine walls have healed significantly over the years."
"What?" She gasped, her hands falling from her stomach, as she stood up from her chair in shock.
"Yes, ma'am. However, there might be precautions to take, but...." The doctor continued to speak, but Madison had already zoned out.
Her whole body shook heavily, tears streaming down her face; she stared straight ahead as different scenarios whirled in her head.
She was taken back to the same day the doctor told her she wouldn't be able to give birth for life and...
"Madison." Damien called out, his voice snapping her out of her hazy trance as he tried to get her to sit, but she wasn't budging.
"Are you sure you're saying the right thing, doctor? I... I..."
"I'm saying the right thing, ma'am. It's all in the scan papers here, and if you want to see, then I can show you." The doctor offered, but Madison said nothing.
However, her lips were quivering, tears streaming down her face, as the older man stared back at her awkwardly.
"You're fine, ma'am. I suppose this is good news too."
Good news? This was the best news she'd heard in a while, second only to Damien's recovery some days back.
"Maddie, say something...." Damien called out, still standing with her as he placed his arms around hers, and sharply she turned to face him.
"I can give you a child."
"Yes."
"I will hold my child in my arms and... Oh, Damien, this is... I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say a thing, love."
"Damien, I..."
"Come here." He urged, and with a gentle pull, he dragged her closer to him, hugging her tightly.
Tears still streaming down her face profusely, and already forgetting that she was still in the doctor's office, Madison kept blabbing inaudible words and shedding tears of joy.
She couldn't believe this!
.......
"The last trial starts tomorrow. The prosecution team has requested you both attend. They believe that it will be better if there are people representing both parties present. Most especially the victims."
"...No, Mr. Paul, I've told you this countless times. Madison and I want nothing to do with that lady anymore. We won't be coming for the sentence."
"But..."
"No buts. That's final. You'll be representing me, and any member of Madison's family that wants to attend should be allowed too, but exclude the both of us."
"Okay then."
"How about her rehab?" Damien finally asked, exhaling heavily, and he felt Madison squeeze his thighs gently.
They were currently on their way home, having just finished some time ago from the hospital, and now he was talking to his lawyer about Katherine's impending case.
It was enough that they'd agreed to grant her a more lenient sentence, given her deteriorating health, and now they were both letting bygones be bygones.
Katherine was surely getting punishment for her sins in the worst way possible, and even though it wasn't enough for Damien, he was choosing to respect Madison's decision in this case.
Also, with the good news they'd just received, it was best to bask in only positive things now and leave the past behind.
"Erm... The last time I saw her, she wasn't looking good at all, and it's sufficient to say that she's getting worse, although she's taking treatment. She's now at the prison's rehabilitation center, under watchful eyes." Mr. Paul cut through Damien's thoughts, bringing him back to the present, and as he listened to what the young man said, a sigh escaped his lips yet again.
"Okay then. Should in case you need my help with anything, just holler me. I've left the case of Miss Smith in your hands." Damien finished, and Mr. Paul replied enthusiastically in agreement.
"I guess this is all right?" He asked again, and when the lawyer affirmed, Damien bade farewell and sharply hung off the call.
"About Katherine, right?" Madison asked, and Damien nodded, bringing her palms to his lips and placing a soft kiss on them.
Proceeding to tell her all that he had discussed with his lawyer, when he was finally done talking, she just sighed and gave him a sad smile.
"I wish her all the best, and I pray God heals her from her sickness the same way he healed me from mine."
"You know your problem, Maddie...." Damien began with a light chuckle, "You're just too good for this world."
"Huh, and how's that a bad thing? How is it a problem?"
"No, it isn't. It's just that sometimes I wonder just how I still got you after everything. I tell myself I don't deserve you at all. It's baffling, you know."
He waited for her to say something, but she didn't; instead of smiling, she looked out of the speeding car's window, and that's when she said something.
"Damien?" She called out, "Where is the driver taking us? Where are we going to? This isn't the route home and...."
'Finally, she'd noticed.' Damien thought as he chuckled heavily.
"We're not going home."
"Huh?" She queried, turning to look at him, but he just gave her a mischievous look and pulled her close, "Chill, it's a surprise!"
With that said, he kissed the top of her hair, allowing her to rest her head on his chest, and he inhaled blissfully, his hands going to his left pocket, where the ring lay.
Soon, Madison Connor would be his forever.
.......
Thanks for reading. 💕
A/N - Two more episodes till we're done with Yours, Forever. I'm excited about the ending, how about you? 🥰