Love Unspoken

Quinn found herself staring at her now-empty suitcase, its contents reduced to a mere handful of undergarments. A wry smile tugged at her lips as she chose silence over protest. The woman who had just left had no idea that the few pieces of clothing she'd just acquired could have covered the down payment for a decent apartment.

However, Quinn's mind was not preoccupied with clothes. Her thoughts were consumed by the child growing inside her.

It was only after the woman had departed that Quinn summoned the strength to visit a doctor. The local clinic was unimpressive, a simple two-story building where the first floor served as the outpatient area and the second housed infusion and inpatient care. With only five doctors working in shifts, it was far from bustling.

Finding no other patients around, Quinn quietly knocked and entered the consultation room. The doctor looked up in surprise. He recognized her from the previous night when she had been rushed in, causing him and his colleagues to work overtime. The initial plan was to transfer her to a larger hospital, but with no next of kin, she ended up being treated here.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, sliding a pen and paper across the table toward her.

Quinn picked up the pen and wrote, "Doctor, how is my baby?"

After reading her note, the doctor hesitated before answering, "Well, your baby's been a fighter, but the pregnancy is at risk. Even if we manage to save it, you're likely to face complications, possibly even a miscarriage." He paused, then added, "My advice is to consider a termination for both your well-being and the baby's."

Quinn was torn between relief that her child was still alive and distress at the doctor's words. She wrote again, "Why?"

Patiently, the doctor explained, "The fetus isn't developing well, which could be related to your lifestyle and diet and the recent stress. Honestly, it's better to deal with it now than suffer more down the road if it has to be done later." Quinn bit her lip, taking a moment before responding. She didn't immediately agree with the doctor. Everything she had done was for this child, her beacon of hope. If she was meant to lose the baby, she wouldn't have risked everything the night before. She would rather perish alongside her child.

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The doctor continued to persuade her, but Quinn wrote one final line on the paper, "I want to keep it."

The doctor frowned, "You're a stubborn one, aren't you? If you decide to keep it, the suffering will be on you."

Quinn nodded and scribbled a note, "I know, thank you, Doctor. I'm ready to face the consequences."

Upon reading her words, the doctor sighed. "Well, if you're set on it, I won't try to stop you. Go rest up for a bit, and then you can be discharged. You'll need a bigger hospital. We can't handle this here." He then asked, "Do you have any money?"Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Quinn was taken aback. She was broke, without a penny to her name. She had even left her phone back in the storage room at the villa.

Standing at the hospital entrance, Quinn clutched the handle of her empty suitcase. After a moment of contemplation, she decided to go back for her phone. She walked slowly down the road, mindful of the dull ache in her lower abdomen. Not daring to hurry, Quinn stopped to rest periodically, not reaching the villa until four in the afternoon.

At this hour, Alexander was likely not home. Reassured, she boldly entered the code, pushed open the door, and rummaged through the clutter of books in the storeroom to find her phone.

She grabbed her phone and headed upstairs for the charger but froze as she nudged open the door. The sound of running water came from the bathroom inside the bedroom.