Page 35 of Echos and Empires
As Emma settled onto the examination table, Alex took a moment to simply gaze at her, his heart swelling with the depth of his love. He reached out, taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze, his voice soft as he spoke.
“I love you, Emma,” he murmured, his eyes locked on hers. “More than I ever thought possible. And I’m so incredibly grateful to be sharing this journey with you.”
Emma’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, a watery smile spreading across her face. “I love you too, Alex,” she whispered, her fingers tightening around his. “So much.”
With a final squeeze of her hand, Alex set about conducting the check-up, his movements confident and precise. He started with her vitals, monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure, his brow furrowed in concentration as he jotted down the numbers.
As he moved on to the ultrasound, Alex felt a rush of excitement, his hand trembling slightly as he applied the gel to Emma’s abdomen. “Let’s see how our little one is doing,” he murmured, his voice filled with anticipation.
The steady thrum of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room, and Alex felt his own heart swell with pride and love. “Everything looks perfect,” he said, his gaze fixed on the screen. “Our baby is growing strong and healthy, just like their mother.”
But as he continued to study the image, Alex’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. There, nestled alongside the first heartbeat, was a second, equally strong and steady.
“Emma,” he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. “Hold on a moment.”
He double-checked the screen, his mind racing as he confirmed what he was seeing. Two heartbeats, two tiny lives growing inside the woman he loved more than life itself. He needed to hear it for himself.
Alex shifted the wand just slightly and a slightly quieter rhythmic sound filled the room.
“Holy fucking shit!”
“What? Alex, what?” Emma sat upright so fast she almost launched the wand from his hand.
“Emma,” he said again, his voice louder this time, giddy with excitement. “You’re going to need to have another talk with the guys. Because there aren’t just one, but two babies hanging out in there.”
Emma’s eyes flew wide, her mouth falling open in shock. “What?” she gasped, her hand flying to her stomach. “Twins? Are you serious?”
Alex nodded, a grin spreading across his face. “Absolutely serious. We’re having twins, Emma!” he gestured for her to lay back and set the wand on her stomach again, moving it so she could hear the difference in the two sounds.
Tears spilled down Emma’s cheeks, but the smile that lit up her face was radiant. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “Two babies. Our babies.”
He gathered her in to his arms, holding her close as they both laughed and cried, overcome with the joy of the moment. “I’m so happy,” Emma murmured, her face buried in his chest. “I never thought I could be this happy.”
Alex presseda kiss to the top of her head, his eyes stinging with tears. “Me neither,” he admitted, his voice rough with emotion. “But, I do need to report this because things could be very different now. Hang tight, Em.”
As Alex stepped into the backroom, the sound of hushed voices caught his attention. He paused, his brow furrowing as he strained to make out the words, a sense of unease settling in the pit of his stomach.
“...so many people came in, all with the same symptoms,” one doctor was saying, his voice laced with concern. “And all men, too. You don’t think we’re dealing with some kind of virus, do you?”
“I hope not,” the other replied, a note of weariness in her tone. “But we can’t rule it out. We need to stay vigilant and keep an eye on the situation.”
Alex cleared his throat, stepping further into the room. “Excuse me,” he said politely, drawing the attention of the two doctors. “I couldn’t help but overhear. When did this influx of patients with similar symptoms start?”
Rob, the more senior doctor of the two, sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Just today,” he admitted, his eyes shadowed with worry. “We’ve had over a dozen cases already, and it’s only getting worse.”
His thoughts drifted back to the conversation he’d had with Chris, about the vitamins they’d been distributing to the community. Could there be a connection between the supplements and the sudden outbreak of symptoms among the men?
Alex nodded, his mind racing as he processed the information. “I see,” he murmured, before straightening his shoulders and meeting the doctor’s gaze. “On a different note, I wanted to let you know that I believe Emma, the patient I was just examining, is carrying twins.”
Rob’s eyebrows shot up, a smile breaking through his troubled expression. “That’s fantastic news,” he said, his voice warm with congratulations. “I’m sure you’ll want to keep a close eye on her, given the current situation. Perhaps it’s best if she comes back later, with a mask to protect against anything airborne, just to be safe.”
“Sure, I’ll get her and we’ll go now.”
“With this illness going around, it’s best to limit exposure with what we need to do next. I’ll get her.” Rob didn’t seem nervous, but he did let his gaze go past Alex twice as he spoke.
Alex frowned, a flicker of suspicion darting through his mind. If Rob was only worried about a mask, why wouldn’t hegive Emma one? And why did it seem like he was trying to keep her away from the clinic?
The more he considered it, the more certain Alex became that something wasn’t right. If there was some kind of medical experimentation happening on the island, it would make sense for it to be centered around the clinic. And while he couldn’t be sure it was a virus or an outbreak, he wasn’t willing to risk Emma’s safety by keeping her in the dark.
