Page 48 of Hunted By the Bratva
I waited patiently. Every day, I would confess my love to her, begging her not to give up. On the afternoon of the second day, the doctor came in later than usual.
“I think it’s time to wake her,” he said, smiling at me. He turned some knobs on the machine she was connected to and injected a liquid into her IV. “This will take a while, but she should wake up soon,” he added as he turned to leave.
“Doctor,” I said, getting up. “What if she doesn’t wake?” I asked, swallowing hard.
He squeezed my shoulder and nodded. “She will, Iosif, have some faith,” he said before leaving.
I sat back down and held her hand. “Printessa,” I whispered, kissing her fingers. “I’m here for you.”
She didn’t move, but there, her fingers twitched. Standing up, I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Clara, I love you, please wake up,” I whispered into her ear. “Please don’t give up, please come back to me.” I felt ill with worry. My stomach was a tight fist. Tears pushed at my eyes as I watched her face.
She looked like she was sleeping, peaceful and calm. Yet, I knew that wasn’t the case. I squeezed her hand as I sat down, waiting for her to wake up. To come back to me.
Chapter 26 - Clara
Opening my eyes, I looked around. Iosif jumped up out of the chair next to the bed. He was holding my hand so tightly that it felt like he was strangling it. “Ease up on the hand,” I mumbled, still feeling groggy.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, leaning in. I felt his tender kiss on my forehead and smiled. “The doctor will be here shortly,” he added as I looked at him.
The door opened, and I felt like screaming at the doctor. I wanted to know what was happening. He lifted his hand as I opened my mouth, and I bit back my words.
“Good morning,” he said, stepping to my side. “Please lift your top so we can do a scan. The preliminary scan showed all was good, but I want to confirm.”
I lowered the blanket and raised the top I was wearing. The doctor squeezed some gel onto my belly. I felt my stomach pulling from the cold and breathed out heavily. My head was aching, and so was my shoulder, but other than that, I actually felt reasonable.
“Sorry for that,” the doctor added. “I should have told you it might be cold.”
I smiled weakly at him, nodding my head. He placed the sonar head on my belly and rubbed it in circles. Next to us was a large monitor, which he switched on. As he slowed the movement of the sonar head, a picture started forming.
There was a faint heartbeat coming from the monitor as well. “There you go,” the doctor huffed. “See, your baby is growing nicely and is healthy.”
I felt relief washing over me like a big wave. I glanced at Iosif as he squeezed my hand. I held his hand tightly, not wanting to let go.
The doctor wiped the gel off as he spoke. “I’ll be back with you shortly. We must check your wounds and do some basic tests. We will have to schedule a follow-up, but I’m sure you’re eager to get home.”
“Yes,” I huffed, shaking my head up and down. I wanted to get out of there and be with Iosif. I wanted to feel safe again. Shifting up in bed, I turned to Iosif as I spoke. “Did you mean everything you said?”
He turned his head to one side, smiling at me. “Said about what?” he asked.
Looking at our hands, I spoke more softly. “What you said about loving me?”
Iosif took my head into his hands and turned me to face him. He stared into my eyes. As he spoke, I could hear a tenderness in his tone. “Clara, everything that I said was the truth. I have never loved anyone the way I love you.”
Grinning, I responded eagerly. “I feel the same way about you. You make me very happy.”
Iosif kissed my forehead, then my lips, before replying. “You must never forget, you are my one and only. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I do not know how I would ever be able to live without you.”
Iosif placed his hand on my stomach as he continued to speak. “I will take care of you and our baby. I will protect the two of you with my life.”
I pulled him closer so quickly, he almost lost his balance. I hugged him tightly, inhaling deeply. “I want to go home,” I whispered in his ear.
As he pulled back, the doctor returned. “Let’s get those last tests done so we can send you home,” he said.
“I’ll be waiting,” Iosif added as they pushed me out.
Once all the scans and bloodwork were done, the doctor sent me back to my room with a release note. Iosif helped me get back into my own clothing so we could go home. One of the male nurses pushed me to the nurse's station. They gave my medication to Iosif with a card for our follow-up appointment.
At the door, Iosif assisted me up and held me close as we walked to the car. He opened the door, and I slid in. Before closing the door, he opened the back and took out a bouquet of flowers, which he gave me.
