MARA'S POV
White light, white walls.
Where am I?
I tried to remember what happened before I lose consciousness.
My eyes widen when I remembered what happened.
I touch my belly and shake my head. NO!!!
"Baby Tanya!" I shouted.
"Mara!" Maru hurriedly went to me.
He immediately clicked the buzzer to call for a nurse and doctor.
"My baby Tanya! Where is my baby?!" I asked him with fear.
"Calm down wife, calm down," Maru said trying to calm me.
I shake my head and my tears started to come out.
"How can I calm down? My baby Maru! Where is my baby?!" I asked him again while trembling.
"Calm down Mara. Stress is not good for you."
I just let myself cry hard.
"Mara-" I cut him off.
"WHERE IS MY CHILD?! WHY CAN'T YOU ANSWER ME?!!" I shouted at him.
"S-she is in the nursery." He said almost in a whisper.
My brow creased. "Why is she there? She's only on her 30 weeks. How come that she is in the nursery?!" I said with so much confusion.
"You lost a lot of blood. That's why the doctors need to do a cesarean or else you and the baby might die." He explained.
I stared at him coldly.
I can see sadness and remorse in him. I know that I should pity him but I can't feel anything.
"How is she?" I just said.
"She's in the incubator. Since our baby Tanya is premature, she needs to be in the incubator to serve as her oxygen," he said then he looked away.
"Until when will she be in the incubator?" I asked him seriously.
"Until she can breathe on her own." He said softly.
I remain quiet after that.
A few moments later, nurses and doctors came in to check me up.
"How are you feeling Mrs. Ottave?" The doctor asked me.
"I'm okay." I just said.
He checks me and asks some questions. After my checkup, I ask him about my baby.
"Since your baby is premature, she may neither look nor behave like a full-term infant. While the average full-term baby weighs about 7 pounds at birth, a premature newborn might weigh 5 pounds or even considerably less. But thanks to medical advances, children born after twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy, and weighing more than 2 pounds 3 ounces, have almost a full chance of survival; eight out of ten of those born after the thirtieth week have minimal long-term health or developmental problems, while those preterm babies born before twenty-eight weeks have more complications, and require intensive treatment and support in a neonatal intensive care unit." The doctor explained.
I am a bit at ease after hearing what the doctor has said. Though I still feel sorry for my baby for experiencing this.
I rested after the doctor's visit.
I did not talk to Maru all day. I just remain quiet while thinking about my baby.
I feel so nervous when I found out what happens to baby Tanya.
I'm still thankful to God because He did not make me lose my child. I long to have a child of my own. I don't know if I can take it if I lost her.
***
My room looks dark when I woke up.
I open my eyes and I saw Maru with Jana.
I felt pain in my chest. I chose to close my eyes again and went back to sleep.
I don't want to see them now. I'm still too weak to see them together and that close.
"Maru stop blaming yourself." I heard Jana's voice.
"It's all my fault. If I did not fight with my wife, these things will not happen!" Maru said.
"Still you didn't mean what happened," Jana said trying to comfort him.
"What will I do if Mara gets mad at me?! She did not talk to me the whole day."
I furrowed from all the things I'm hearing.
"Mara is just shocked because of what happened. Your relationship with her will be alright. Just remember that I'm just here for you." She said in a sweet voice.
I want to roll my eyes and cover my ears. Can't they talk somewhere else? They are so noisy!
A few minutes later I heard the door open.
"What are you doing here?!" Maru asked.
Who came? Why is Maru sound so angry?
"To visit my friend."
It's James! I'm sure that was him.
"She's resting. You can visit some other day." Maru said forcing him to leave.
My brow creased.
Why is he asking James to leave?
I pretended that I had just woken up.
I saw Maru's shocked face. I look at him and Jana coldly. Then I look at James and gave him a weak smile.
"James" I called him.
He came to me.
"How are you feeling?" He asked worriedly.
I smiled at him. "I'm feeling fine. Thank you."
"What happens? You look fine before you went home." He asked full of concern.
I shake my head. "I don't know also. As per the doctor, it was because of stress."
"Maybe because you are working too hard on your family's business that's why this thing happened!" He said scolding me.
I pouted. "It's not that."
"Then why are you stressed?" I shook my head and look away.
I don't want to answer him right now. Especially when Maru and Jana are here.
I look at those two. My eyes stop on Jana's hand that clings to Maru's arm.
I think Jana notices where I am looking that's why she slowly removes her hand.
"Why are you here?" James asked Jana.
I saw her eyes widen from James' question.
"She's my visitor. You don't have a say on it." Maru hissed.
I furrowed.
"Visitor? Why? Are you also a patient that needs a visitor?" James said in a serious tone.
Maru looks at me and our eyes met.
I smirked.
Go! Answer James!
He looked away from my stares.
I felt pain again in my chest.
Maru is about to answer when Jana already answered instead.
"I'm sorry. I'm just here as Maru's friend. I'm just here to comfort him because I know that he is going through something. I will take leave then." She was about to leave but Maru stops her.
I feel irritated by his action.
I look away from them.
"You don't need to leave. Don't mind my brother." Maru said to her.
Jana gave a forced smile. "I'm okay. I also need to leave."
"Are you sure?"
How sweet! Note the sarcasm.
She nodded and said goodbye.
After Jana left, Maru immediately went to James.
"Why did you do that to Jana?" Maru angrily said to James.
"What are you saying?" James asked innocently.
"You insulted her!"
James furrowed. "How did I insult her? I just ask her what is she doing here. You said she's your visitor, I'm just quite confused because you are not a patient who needs to visit."
"Your attitude towards her is not right." Maru hissed.
"What is the right thing then? To act sweet in front of your wife? And what's worst is that your wife is hospitalized!" His voice is almost a whisper but the seriousness in his voice is still there.
"What are you saying?! Don't put malice on my friendship with Jana!"
"Don't put malice on your face! If I only knew that you will treat Mara this way, I should have come back earlier and I did not let you marry her!" James shouted.
"What did you say?!" Maru asked.
"Why did you not do it?" I asked softly which made the two shut up.
"Why did you come back so late? Why did you let me marry your brother?"
"M-mara" Maru called me.
I just look away from his stares.
"If you just come back earlier, maybe this thing will not happen. Your brother will not be obliged to break up with her girlfriend. He will not be obliged to marry me. If you come back earlier, I will marry you instead of Maru. We will have a child and have a safe and normal delivery! Baby Tanya will not experience this!"