Page 183 of The Devil's Fire

“You have food poisoning.” The doctor said once she was back, and I looked at her, dumbfounded.

“I feel like dying and it’s just food poisoning?” I asked, half-expecting her to say ‘just kidding’ before giving me the actual answer. “But we had the same food. How come you’re not sick?” I wondered as I looked at Damiano. He was next to the hospital bed, gently caressing my hair in comfort.

“Did you have anything else for breakfast?” Damiano asked, and I shook my head. I looked at Lorenzo, who had come with us.

“Is Cara sick?” I asked, but he shook his head.

“When you're pregnant, your immune system undergoes changes, which can make you more susceptible to certain infections.” The doctor explained. “While your body prioritizes the baby’s growth and the baby’s immune system is still developing, it’s important to pay attention to what you eat and how it’s prepared. Contracting food poisoning during pregnancy can pose serious risks, including the possibility of miscarriage.”

I felt like I got punched in the stomach and my heart beat felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. I tightly gripped Damiano’s hand, feeling his body tense in response to the information.

“We’re going to check if everything is okay.” She said while she got the ultrasound machine ready. “Have you experienced any spotting?”

“No, I don’t think so.” I said, my voice shaking with nervousness. Overwhelmed by fear, I squeezed my eyes shut as the cool gel made contact with my stomach, and the transducer gently roamed around.

Please be okay.

I felt my throat tighten and my eyes burn with unshed tears.

“There you go. Everything is as it should be.”

I opened my eyes to see the doctor’s warm smile, and she turned the screen so we could see. Tears streamed down my face as I let out a small sob at the tiny circle.

Our baby is okay.

Seeing the tiny fetus on the screen brought me instant relief and made me momentarily forget about the pain I was experiencing.

I glanced up at Damiano and saw his expression soften as he kept his eyes on the screen. He then looked at me, a swirl of emotions visible in his eyes as he smiled lovingly before leaning down and kissing me on the forehead.

“Would you like a picture?” The doctor asked, and I nodded immediately.

“Yes, please.”

fifty-eight

Althaia

“Watching you suffer like this is making me wonder if it’s really worth it to be pregnant.” Cara made a face at how horrible I was looking; sweaty and exhausted while I was trying to carefully sip some water to rehydrate.

Thankfully, it wasn’t anything critical, and we were able to leave the hospital once I received IV fluids. Cara had been worrying and waiting since Lorenzo left in a hurry after he received Damiano’s call to drive us to the hospital. I usually don’t see much emotion from Lorenzo, but tonight I saw a flicker of worry in his eyes for me and the baby.

“One look at this, and it’s making me forget about everything else.” I handed her the sonogram and rested my head on Damiano’s shoulder.

“Funny how it’s the size of a pea and it can make you feel like that.” Cara’s smile lit up her face as she looked at the picture.

“Yeah, so funny. I’m laughing so hard right now.” I said sarcastically, which only made her chuckle.

Lorenzo took the picture out of her hand to have a closer look. I smirked as I looked back and forth between them.

“Hey, Lorenzo.” My face broke into a wide grin when he looked at me. “Keep your aim sharp. My baby is going to need a BFF soon.” I gave him a playful wink, and he responded with a subtle smirk before shifting his gaze towards Cara. Slowly, Cara looked at him with a blank face.

“No.”

“It’s going to happen, Cara mia.”

“Do you want me to suffer like this?” She pointed at me with her brow raised.

“I have food poisoning.” I retorted.

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