The car was speeding along the road and came to a dead stop in front of the hospital. Climbing out of the car, Chips went to the back door and opened it. Helping Gun out who could barely walk while a nurse came running out with a wheelchair.

  “Hurry.” Chips ordered with a growl.

  A car stopped behind him and out jumped Troy, asking, “What happened?”

  He shook his head, “I don’t know, he just started screaming, his bleeding too.”

  Troy’s heart dropped to his stomach. They made it to the private room where Dr Cassidy was ready and waiting for him. Gun was pced in the bed with sweat dropping from his forehead.

  Looking at her, he asked, “What’s happening to my baby.” “

  Just try to stay calm, Mr Laedeke. I’ll do a scan right now.”

  She walked out of the room while they cleaned him and dressed him in robes.

  “Dr Cassidy?” One of the doctors called, rushing to her.

  She looked at him confused, “Yes, do you need anything?”

  “That patient, Mr Laedeke?” What about him? I heard him screaming. Is he okay?”

  “What is your retion to my patient?”

  The man stood nervously. “No, no, I just know him. He was on the news that one time.”

  She nodded her head, “Well excuse me, I need to attend to him.”

  The man walked up to the door and saw that the curtains were closed already. He looked at the nurse walking away with the bloody clothes and rushed after her. “Excuse me.”

  She looked at him. “What’s going on with that patient?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not allowed to tell. Go ask his doctor, Dr Cassidy. You know the protocols. Patient privacy.”

  “I’m a doctor here too. I can help.”

  She shook her head and walked away. “I’m sorry.”

  He looked around, confused, then saw a scary man looking at him. Chips approached the man and grabbed him by the colr. He dragged him to Dr Cassidy’s office, surprising her, who was busy making a phone call.

  She dropped the call asking after he shut the door, “What’s going on?”

  “He’s asking too many questions. Get out and go do your job or you are next.”

  When she left, she looked at her colleague and saw that he was frightened. She didn’t know who Chips was, but he looked like he cared about Gun. She was going to ask him to not harm him, but her patient mattered right now.

  Gring at the man, he asked, “Save yourself the trouble and tell me why you are asking questions.”

  “I’m a doctor. The patient sounded like he was in pain. I can help.”

  Chips smmed his body into the wall and looked down at him when he sat down on the floor, saying, "One st time, tell me something I’ll believe.”

  Returning to Troy’s side, who was now outside the operating room, waiting. Seeing the troubled look on his face, he asked, “Why are we here?”

  “Gun’s being operated on. The child didn’t survive.”

  Chips stared at him, and after a moment he asked, “What’s going to happen now?”

  He shook his head. “I expected this, but I had hope too. Gun got better. He was doing good, but this came out of nowhere.”

  “This shouldn’t have happened Troy, your boy shouldn’t have interfered.”

  “What am I going to say to King when he asks me why I didn’t look after him properly?”

  Troy’s trail of thought stopped. He turned to Chips, who was staring at him for answers, and stared back at him. His words didn’t make sense. “Wh—why are you talking as if he’s alive?”

  “In the afterlife, Troy. King made me promise to look after him after they broke up. Why else do you think he went so crazy after he got shot? I was supposed to be there looking after him, but instead he took me with him.”

  Troy nodded his head, but he had an unsettling feeling in his heart. Knowing Chips, when someone is dead, they’re dead to him.

  *

  Lovely walked into the room and saw Gun standing in front of the cold bed. Stopping beside him, he saw the foetus that was the size of an orange ying in the pcenta.

  Gun turned to him with red eyes and he could tell from the look in his eyes that his mind wasn’t here. “Don’t be angry that I’m here. I heard from Troy that you lost your child. Is it a girl or a boy?”

  Looking down at his child, he mumbled, “A girl. She would have been so beautiful.”

  Looking down at his stomach, he rubbed it. “My first was going to be a boy, the second a boy, too. I don’t know what gender is this one in my womb though. Truthfully, I started this journey long before I told Troy, sometimes I wouldn’t even see him because I was ashamed of all the bruises.”

  He sighed and pced a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry this happened to you, but at the same time, I’m not sorry. This is the only way I can spread the goodness within my heart. Not everyone has the access to information like we do, but I hope that one day other males like us can bear the children of our loved ones.”

  Gun looked at him expressionlessly, asking, “Who asked you to do this to me? Out of the goodness of your heart? It’s like you knew I wouldn’t give up the child. But now look, my heart is crushed and I don’t have any tears left to cry. My man died and now my daughter died too. What’s left for me in this world? My memories, the pain? How many counselling sessions will it take to rid me of the pain you put me through? You took advantage of me and selfishly did what you think is right. No one is going to be happy with this, knowing that they’ll suffer.”

  “Why do you have to look at it like that?”

  “How else should I look at it? I’m in pain here, Mr Panich.”

  “And it’s a pain I’ve felt before.”

  “No, I don’t think you understand what I am saying,” he said as he walked towards Lovely, who was backing away. When he stopped with his back against the wall, he started to panic but remained calm as he stared at Gun, who looked like he was nearing the edge of a cliff in insanity.

  “I’m on the verge of breaking and I have so much anger and sadness in side me with no one to direct it at. Your only saving grace is that you are pregnant. I hate you for doing this to me, so I suggest you take your kindness elsewhere before I really lose my shit!”

  After Lovely left, Gun stood over the cold bed and watched his child. It almost looked like she was sleeping. ‘As much as I was hesitant to have you, now that you’re here and I won’t even be able to hold you, I don’t know what to do. You’re so tiny, you don’t even have a name.’

  He walked to the window and looked up at the sky. Looking back at his child, he asked, “Are you with your father?”

  MyLadyQueen