The night air stung Kiara's skin as she lay crumpled on the porch, every breath rattling in her chest. Her body screamed in pain, but the agony in her belly was worse—sharp, relentless, tearing her apart from within. Something was terribly wrong.
Her trembling hands pressed against her stomach. "Please, not my baby… not my baby," she whispered, but the darkness gave no reply.
Summoning the last of her strength, Kiara dragged herself upright, swaying as the world spun around her. She flagged down a cab, the driver frowning at her bloodied appearance but saying nothing when she pressed money into his hand. Her voice was broken, desperate: "Hospital. Please."
She couldn't think, even breathing seemed like a battle. How could he do that? How could he leave her out there in the cold, pregnant? Her baby, she thought again with fear. She silently prayed that it was okay but deep down, somewhere she dared not acknowledge, she'd lost hope. She began to blame herself, thinking of what she could have done to avoid this but it seemed too late. She thought about calling Vivian bit it was really late in the night. Besides, what if the baby.... No, she refused to think in that direction. Her baby was alive and well. All she had to do was get to the hospital and let the doctors confirm it. She could call Vivian tomorrow. Then they would start planning how she would divorce him. She'd let this drag on for too long. She'd been holding on because of her baby but now, it was obvious he didn't even care.
On reaching the hospital, the pain seemed to worsen, snagging out breaths out of her. She paid the drivernas fast as she could. Luckily, she saw Dr. Angelina, her friend, very close to the entrance.
As if she felt her presence, the doctor turned in her direction and she rushed to meet Kiara, eyes full of worry.
"The baby." was all Kiara could manage
The doctor nodded and got her a stretcher, calling her colleagues.
Dr. Angelina rushed her into an examination room. Machines beeped, nurses swarmed, voices rose and fell in hurried tones. For one fragile moment, Kiara thought the pain might pass. It did ease—for a few breaths. But then it came back, fiercer, consuming her whole body.
Dr. Angelina's face hardened as she studied the scan. She was a doctor who had seen these situations countless times but that didn't make telling her friend easier. She couldn't mince words, not in this kind of situation. She turned to Kiara with eyes full of sorrow.
"Kiara… I'm so sorry. The baby didn't survive."
The words crashed over her like a tidal wave. Her body went cold. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to scream, but no sound came. Darkness swallowed her before the tears could fall.
When she woke, it was night again. The sterile hospital room smelled of disinfectant and sorrow. Her arms were empty. Her womb was empty. She had carried her child for eight long months, endured Rick's fists and her mother's silence, and now—there was nothing left.
Her sobs filled the empty room. The only sound that answered was the steady beeping of the heart monitor, a cruel reminder that she had survived when her baby had not.