Eve was sick.
Throughout her life, she could remember a time when she was so sick that she had to miss classes at school or college. She hated being sick. Maybe everyone hates being sick, but it seems like no one hates being sick as much as Eve does.
If there are doctors and medicine in this world, why do people still have to get sick?
If she was a doctor who used to treat patients, why did she still get sick?
"Oh dear," Eve grumbled as she ran to the toilet to spit out the entire sandwich she had made for breakfast.
She always looked miserable when she was sick, and she hated that.
She had a long schedule today—her work at the hospital wasn't something she could leave behind, as well as the biology exam she couldn't attend because she had vomiting. Unfortunately, she had already gotten two days off because she was sick. And to be honest, she didn't want to increase her leave anymore.
"Yes, Kai?" Eve reached for her cell phone with difficulty after she decided to get back into her warm blanket and closed her eyes for a moment to ease the nausea in her stomach.
Her cell phone rang, and the only person who had called her after finding out she was sick was Kaira.
"You sound worse," Kaira complained into the phone, "you're going to take extra days off today? I'll make Daxton work overtime for you."
Eve let out a long breath. "My shift is still an hour away. I think I'll be better."
"Are you sure?" Ka ira sounded unconvinced. "I'm on my way to your apartment, so I'll be the one to decide if you're cleared to work or not."
"I'll bring my own car."
"I don't take no for an answer. I'll be there in five minutes. Please give me access to the elevator."
Eve couldn't say 'no' to Kaira because that woman would still come there and do whatever it took to get into her apartment. So rather than spend time arguing and making her stomach worse, she hung up the phone and texted the receptionist to let Kaira use the elevator since she couldn't pick her up on the first floor.
Almost 20 minutes later, Eve was sitting nicely next to Kaira, who was preparing to drive to the hospital. Now, she was like a spoiled daughter waiting for her mom to take her to school.
Well, she couldn't remember the last time her mom drove her to school. She can't even remember the last time she called her mom.
Hell, it looks like she's a worse child for forgetting her parents.
Maybe she should call her parents tonight to ask how they are doing. She couldn't talk about her broken engagement over the phone, but she should at least know how her parents were doing.
There are many people in New York who always keep an eye on her parents' health, so she doesn't have to worry about the health of the two people. However, she still had to call her parents every now and then just to make sure that they were okay.
Back when she was a kid, she never went a day without chatting at the dinner table at night. However, years passed, and she realized that she was growing distant from her parents. When she was on vacation in New York a few months ago, she began to realize how much her parents missed her. They cleared their entire schedule just to sit with her all day in their back garden.
Eve has been very busy with her work and often spends weekends having fun with Andres because she feels that's what two engaged people should do. Without realizing it, she is spending a lot of her precious time with a jerk.
Oh shit, she shouldn't start her morning thinking about that.
Her morning mood was already bad, and now it was getting worse. Hopefully, nothing could make it any worse.
"You need to see a doctor," Kaira said as she shook her head when she saw her standing holding the door. She felt nauseous again when someone walked past her with a box of donuts that smelled really bad.
Damn, what was wrong with her nose and food?
"You're a doctor, aren't you? I didn't need to come to you, but you came to visit me yourself." She gave her answer after gaining control of herself and started walking with calm steps.
"I'm a dermatologist," Kaira placed both hands on her waist, "from what my eyes have seen, there's nothing wrong with your skin. But I advise you to visit the doctor and check your fucking stomach!" She continued with annoyance.
Eve hated going to the doctor even though she was a doctor.
Visiting a doctor will make her feel like she's a bad doctor who can't take care of her health when she's emphasizing the importance of a healthy lifestyle to all her patients.
Going to the doctor when you are a doctor sounds like licking your spit.
"Don't think too much, and just do what I say." Kaira pulled her hand away from the hallway that led to her room, "I'll make sure you see the right doctor!"
***
Eve sat awkwardly before the doctor who examined her. She was still wearing her scrubs because 30 minutes from now was her work time, but now she was still trapped inside the doctor's office with Kaira, who seemed more serious about explaining her illness than herself.
She was getting a thorough examination. That is, Kaira made Doctor Rebecca go through her entire body. Blood tests, body temperature, lab tests, and urine tests—which made her a little nervous. Kaira had also suggested X-rays, which were unnecessary since she didn't have any broken bones.
Kaira was a dermatologist, and this was the first time Eve felt that the woman was well suited to be a dermatologist.
She couldn't imagine what would happen if Kaira became a general practitioner and performed a vaginal ultrasound on a patient with a gunshot wound to the arm.
Hell, why would there be a patient with a gunshot wound to the arm?
Eve shook her head as she began to feel something was wrong with her mind.
It had been weeks since the patient with the gunshot wound came to the hospital. And since then, Eve has not seen a patient with the same wound. She hoped she would never get one.
Eve looked at the watch on her wrist and frowned again.
She had been experiencing symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and difficulty eating for three days straight. However, they only appeared in the morning, and she always felt fine after 9 or 10 am.
As a doctor, she was very familiar with these symptoms. However, she realized that a doctor could not cure her own illness. Even if she is a doctor, she cannot conclude her own illness.
In theory, she shouldn't. But of course, her subconscious sent out warning alarms when her mind started to recognize the symptoms.
"What did you eat this morning, Eve?" Rebecca, a female doctor who was also one of her coworkers, asked.
"A sandwich," Kaira had already given her answer before Eve could reply. "And she spit out her breakfast on the third bite. She also almost passed out just because someone with a box of donuts passed her at the hospital door."
Eve rolled her eyes. She should not have told Kaira anything if she knew that Kaira would act like a mother accompanying her 22-year-old daughter for a doctor's examination.
"Have you been having these symptoms for a long time?"
"Since three days ago," Eve interjected before Kaira could respond.
"Do you remember eating something you're allergic to? Maybe you're allergic to something?"
"I'm allergic to seafood. And I haven't had seafood since my 5th birthday."
"How about your sex life? When was the last time you had a period, and when was the last time you had sex?"
Honestly, it's a very common question. Eve often asked the same questions to her patients, and she took them for granted. However, for the first time, she felt dumbfounded when she was in the position of being the one who got the question, not the giver of the question.
"Oh sis, let's not talk about that. My friend is like the chaste Mother Theresa because she is still a virgin at the age of 28. She had a fiancé, but don't talk about that asshole. He's on his way to hell."
"Kai," Eve glanced at Kaira, who was rolling her eyes indifferently.
"But... I think there's a misunderstanding here." Rebecca replied hesitantly while reading something on her computer.
"Misunderstanding?" Kaira muttered.
Eve also waited anxiously as she somehow felt a little panicked.
"It's not like this would have happened if you didn't have a man in your life, is it, Eve?" Rebbeca shifted the computer so Eve and Kaira could read some of the information on it.
It took Kaira a little longer to read the report, but not Eve, who was used to reading similar reports.
And... damn. She felt like she was being dropped from a high mountain into a deep abyss.
"This examination shows that you are pregnant." Rebecca pointed at the last column of the examination, "I think we can trust the accuracy of the examination equipment in this hospital. So, maybe there is something you missed, Eve?"
Shit, a thousand shit.
What the hell is this?
She was pregnant?
"Eve," Kaira turned her head in surprise.
Eve let out a long breath.
She didn't have to think too long to find the answer to the question in Kaira's eyes. However, of course, she couldn't explain everything there—not when she knew that her story would take Kaira by surprise to the point that the fussy woman would be left speechless.
"Is there anything else I need to know, Rebecca?"
Rebecca typed something on her computer and then printed out a letter on the printer under her desk. Afterward, she handed the letter to Eve, "it might be best if you see an obstetrician and hear what you need to know from him. This is not an area I can handle, and I think we both know that."
Eve nodded in understanding.
As general practitioners, they did not examine problems related to gynecology. When a doctor found out that his patient was pregnant, then the only thing he needed to do was to make a recommendation letter to see an obstetrician immediately.
Eve also often did the same thing to her patients who were found to be pregnant while under examination. However, once again, she had to accept the fact that this time, she was not playing the role of a doctor but as a patient who received a letter of recommendation.
"I'll see a gynecologist if I can. It's a pity that my work hours will start soon, so I have to go back to my room and get ready for work."
"No problem. You can see the gynecologist whenever you want." Rebecca smiled understandingly, "My advice is to still see a gynecologist before you decide what you want to do. As general practitioners, we don't really understand this situation. And... as women, we need a gynecologist to handle this."
Eve nodded her head once again. After thanking her and receiving the recommendation letter and the complete examination results, she immediately grabbed Kaira's arm and pushed her out.
"Don't say anything to me because this is so shocking," Kaira said once they both walked out of Rebecca's room like two dazed women.
Eve shrugged, "shouldn't I be the one saying that?"
"Shut up, Eve. I told you not to say anything because I won't be able to understand it now."
"Alright," She relented in the end.
She walked behind Kaira who stepped very slowly like a snail.
One month had passed since she met Axel for the last time. And now... she had just discovered the fact that she was... pregnant.
One month passed and she never heard or saw Axel again. He disappeared as she expected, and she thought she would never have to deal with him again.
She just needed to stay away from nightclubs and the skyscraper where he lived to avoid another accidental encounter.
However, now... she was pregnant.
Oh God, could her life not get any worse than this?
"Tell me that you won't go back to Andres even if you're pregnant with his child!" Kaira turned around and grabbed her shoulder so quickly that Eve squealed in surprise.
She could have potentially fainted if she had a history of heart disease. However, thankfully, Rebecca did not diagnose her with heart disease, but she did discover the fact that she was pregnant.
Hell, that was much worse!
"Tell me you're not going back to him, Eve!" Kaira shook her arm again—this time with a harder shake.
Eve let out a long breath. She shook her head briefly before saying, "He's not my baby's father, Kai. So, I'm not going back to him. Calm down."
"WHAT?!"
Eve didn't know how long she sat in front of her computer on the lunch hour she deliberately spent locking herself in her room. She had refused to eat lunch with Kaira, and that woman had not forced her to because she knew that Eve was not in a state where she could be forced.Her computer was still on from a few minutes ago, but she didn't feel like she wanted to continue reading any of the articles in front of her. Her eyes were tired of reading long pages about the risks of having an abortion and the risks of raising a child as a single mom working long shifts.Damn. She couldn't find a single solution to her situation.She knew that she always wanted to have children someday. But not now, of course. Not when she was in the prime of her career at the biggest hospital in Seattle. She couldn't risk her life to take care of a child. She had never had a child and had no experience living for one day with a child less than a year old. She didn't know how to bathe them, feed them, or cha
Seattle’s air was getting colder as it entered the mid-winter period. The city streets were already covered with snowflakes on both sides, and everyone had to drive more carefully if they didn't want to lose control and end up crashing into the road divider.She once lost control of her car the first year she came to Seattle. However, she is grateful that it was not a bad accident and she did not get any injuries.Her mornings have been getting worse lately, and she has asked permission to work afternoon and night shifts for the next month. She was rather lucky that she had become close friends with Daxton when he first joined the hospital. His father, who was the director of the hospital, would always listen to whatever Daxton had to say, and yesterday, Kaira had just convinced Daxton to get permission from the hospital director so Eve could work the night shift only.Eve should be either happy or upset because of the advantage. In fact, Daxton would only help her get permission if h
Eve didn't know how long she cried in silence. Her eyes began to sting, and her breathing was shortness of breath because she was crying too hard.Her hands were pale due to poor blood flow, and it seemed like it was also happening to her feet. However, nothing had changed even though minutes had passed since the two horrible men at her side forced her into the car.There wasn't any conversation, so she couldn't guess what bad things might happen to her.Eve didn't really know how long she had been trapped in the car traveling through urban Seattle. However, at this time, the car started to slow down as they entered a territory that... felt unfamiliar. There were many trees on both sides of the unpaved road. There was only dirt and some rocks that made the car shake several times.The panic in her mind grew, and she knew why.Behind the lush trees, there was a gate that looked... unkempt as she could see some vines surrounding the large gate. Then, a large house—perhaps she could call
Eve spent her senior year of high school reading and studying every medical book she could find in New York. She had been interested in medicine since she was a little girl—a doctor was the answer she always gave to anyone who asked her about her dreams.The entrance exam to medical school was a very difficult one. Even though she came from a prominent family with a lot of wealth, she couldn't use that as a guarantee to get into medical school. She had to work hard on her own. And for the first time in her life, Eve was able to accomplish something on her own—without the influence of her family's last name. However, she also realized that she might not have been able to clear her exams so easily if she hadn't had good educational facilities since she was a child.Her parents made her attend a renowned private school with the best educational facilities in New York. She had unlimited access to books and could buy anything she needed to support her learning. Money was no object, and she
Eve was not an easy person to get close to and get along with. As far as she remembered, Kaira was her only close friend, so she could trust her with some of her personal stories. However, that didn't mean she was someone who was against strangers. Since last night, she had had a lot of shocking events, or at least she had had them since last month. All of these things made it difficult for her to trust anyone—anyone. However, she had thought that she could trust Cassy and Taylor. And now she has just discovered another shocking fact. Is Eve really not allowed to trust anyone? Including herself? "Don't think of me as evil just because my husband did something bad to you. Believe me, this is not something I can control." What should she do when she discovers that the woman she thought was good to her was the wife of the man who kidnapped her? Well, Anthony didn't kidnap her directly. However, he did order three other men to kidnap her and take her as if she were a worthless prison
Eve got a tray of food at lunchtime. There were clothes in the closet, soap and bathroom stuff in the toilet, a television, a comfortable bed, a heating machine that warmed the tiles, and thick blankets. Then, the food came back to her room at later meal times.Honestly, she didn't want to eat anything—not when she had just discovered that a group of strangers had kidnapped her and their leader was keeping her in that... strange place.She didn't want to eat, but her stomach was hungry, and she knew that her baby needed something to eat after a long night without proper sleep and rest.In the end, she chose a bowl of soup, which was easier to swallow. There was a glass of juice, and she also gulped it down before she decided to sit by the window and looking at the vast yard in front of her.There were trees growing thickly as far as her eyes could see as if this place had been built in the middle of a wilderness far away from the city. This place was a fortress—a grand, gloomy buildin
As a child growing up in a prominent family, Eve was used to many unusual lessons. Actually, they were not strange lessons but simply lessons that other children did not get at school or in their lives.From a young age, her parents brought in a private tutor who taught her about manners. There were rules when they were sitting at the dinner table in the evening, and there were rules when they were sitting down for afternoon tea like British royalty. Her mentor taught her how to walk with graceful steps, how to use a knife, spoon, fork, and how to grip the edge of her cup.She remembers getting a long scolding from her mother just because she chose to wear trousers to dinner instead of the dress her mentor had prepared.When she was 15 years old, her mentor started to reduce their class hours and replaced them with counseling hours every 5-7 pm. The counseling hour ended just before dinner time, so she always felt sick when she had to sit with her back straight at the dinner table wit
Eve returned to her room after she finished re-stitching Axel's wound and giving him his medicine. He was doing very well—much better than Eve had expected. And to be honest, she was grateful for that even though she also felt annoyed when she remembered her last conversation with him. She didn't have to clean up anything in this room because the maid always did it when she wasn't there. As soon as she came back, everything had been changed—the sheets, blankets, even the window curtains had been opened by the maid. Someone must have raised the room's temperature, so at this moment, she felt warmer than usual. "Doctor Evangeline," someone knocked on the door of her room, and soon a maid appeared behind the door. "Mr. Axel called for you. Can you come to his room?" "Where are Cassy and Taylor?" Eve did not allow Cassy and Taylor to accompany her even though she knew that they wanted to be with her and give her a comforting word after her conversation with Axel. Sometimes, being alon