The Undeniable Bond

Chapter 11- Beautiful Flower

Angela's POV

The second Amelia slumped over, everything went into slow motion. My heart plummeted into my stomach as I watched her, lifeless, sliding down the chair. The cookies…those damned cookies. I had a sinking feeling the moment they were delivered, but I’d brushed it off, thinking I was just being paranoid.

“Amelia!” I screamed, rushing to her side, my hands shaking as I tried to rouse her. Granny was already moving to steady her. Lia's skin was clammy, her breathing shallow. Panic flooded through me, and I turned to Deloris,“Call an ambulance, Deloris! Now!” I demanded, panic rising in my chest.

Deloris nodded and quickly dialed the emergency number, her hands shaking as she spoke to the dispatcher, her voice frantic as she called for an ambulance.“Please, hurry,” Deloris pleaded into the phone.

Granny was by my side, her usually calm demeanor shattered. She was murmuring something, maybe a prayer, maybe words of comfort, but I couldn’t focus on anything but Amelia’s pale face and her hand, limp in mine.

The paramedics arrived what felt like both seconds and hours later. They worked quickly, their faces masks of concentration as they strapped Amelia onto a gurney and loaded her into the ambulance. I climbed in beside her, holding her hand the entire ride, my mind racing with thoughts of David, the rogues, and that f**king gift coming out of nowhere.

Deloris had arranged for the chafer to take Granny and follow behind the ambulance to the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital, it was a blur of sterile hallways, bright lights, and the beeping of machines. The doctors took Amelia away almost immediately, and I was left standing in the waiting room, my hands still trembling. Granny came up from behind me, and we just broke down for a moment in time.

We weren't alone for that much longer, Adonis and Grandpop arrived, their faces etched with worry. I couldn’t even find the words to tell them what had happened. Instead, I just stood there, staring at the door they had wheeled Amelia through, hoping, praying that she would be okay.

Hours go by and the doctor finally comes out, her face drawn with exhaustion. I clung to her every word, my breath hitching when she mentioned that they had to do an emergency C-section because Amelia’s blood pressure had skyrocketed. But then, the words I dreaded hit me like a ton of bricks: "She’s in a coma, but both she and the baby are stable. "

The world tilted, and I had to grab onto the back of a chair to steady myself. No. This couldn’t be happening. Not to Amelia. Not now.

Roland burst through the doors just as the doctor finished speaking. His eyes blazed with fury and fear, his normally composed demeanor crumbling as the reality of the situation hit him. He shouted, a guttural sound of pure rage, and I watched as Adonis and Grandpop rushed to him, trying to calm him down.

"What about the baby?" I croaked out, my voice barely above a whisper. It was the one glimmer of hope I had left—the one thing I needed to know was safe.

The doctor nodded, her expression softening slightly. “She’s a little early, but she’s strong. We’ll have the delivery nurse escort you to see her.”

My legs felt like jelly as I followed the nurse down the hall to a private room. There, in a tiny crib, was the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen. She was small, but her little chest rose and fell steadily, and I felt a tear slip down my cheek.

Her skin was a warm caramel tone, delicate and soft like Amelia’s. Her tiny fists were curled up, resting against her cheeks. I couldn’t help but notice her dark, curly hair peeking out from under the little cap they had placed on her head. Her nose, a perfect button, reminded me so much of Amelia’s, and her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks as she stirred in her sleep.

Her lips, pink and full, parted slightly as she took slow, steady breaths, completely unaware of the world she had been born into. I felt an overwhelming surge of love, mixed with sorrow, knowing that her mother should be here, holding her. Amelia should be the one marveling at her daughter, not lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

“She’s perfect,” Granny whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she smiled through them. “Just like Amelia was when she was born.”

I gently reached out and touched her tiny hand. Her fingers were so small, but when I touched them, they instinctively wrapped around mine, gripping with surprising strength for someone so little. That’s when I knew—this baby was strong, just like her mother. She was going to survive this, and we would make sure she thrived, no matter what.

“She’s beautiful,” I whispered, choking back my own tears. “She’s... everything.”

Adonis stood behind me, silent but protective, as he always was. He hadn’t said much since he came in, but I could feel the tension rolling off of him. He was worried, just like the rest of us, but seeing Iyana seemed to give him a glimmer of hope.

“She’s a fighter, just like Amelia,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “She’s going to be okay.”

Granny placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I felt a surge of gratitude for her strength. Roland, however, was still visibly upset, but Adonis and Grandpop managed to soothe him enough to let us proceed.

As we gazed at the tiny, peaceful face, I felt a swell of emotions. This little girl was the embodiment of hope and resilience, a beacon of beauty amidst the chaos that had engulfed our lives.

“Iyana,” I whispered, the name that Amelia and I had chosen together. It meant ‘beautiful flower,’ and as I looked down at her, I knew no other name could fit. “Welcome to the world, Iyana.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and I gently placed a hand on the baby’s tiny form. “Welcome to the world, my precious great-granddaughter." Granny said softly while gazing at her.

I gently reached out and touched her tiny hand, my heart aching with both joy and sorrow. Amelia should be here, holding her, seeing the life she brought into the world. But instead, she was fighting for her own life, somewhere down the hall.

As I stood there, watching Iyana, I vowed that no matter what, I would protect her. For Amelia, for our family, and for this beautiful little girl who had already been through so much before she even took her first breath.

*********

After the doctor let us spend a bit of time with Amelia and baby Iyana, we all huddled in a private room that Grandpop had the doctor arrange for us.

As we all sat in the room, the atmosphere was thick with anxiety. The minutes dragged on, each one adding to the tension that gripped our hearts. Granny was holding onto my hand tightly, her knuckles white, while Adonis paced back and forth, his jaw clenched in frustration.

The doctor finally came in, clipboard in hand, his face etched with concern. He took a deep breath before speaking, his tone serious but gentle. "I have a few questions that might help us understand what happened to Amelia," he began, looking around at all of us.

Granny nodded, her voice trembling slightly as she responded, "Of course, Doctor. Anything to help."

The doctor started with the basics, asking about Amelia's recent health, if she had been under any unusual stress, or if she had experienced any physical trauma. Granny and I exchanged worried glances; we both knew that Amelia had been dealing with a lot lately—between the rogue sightings, the tension with David, and the overwhelming emotions of impending motherhood.

"She has been stressed," I admitted softly, "but nothing that we thought was too serious. It’s been an emotional time, but she’s always seemed strong."

The doctor scribbled a few notes before looking up again. "Was there any physical trauma that you’re aware of? Anything that could have triggered such a sudden spike in her blood pressure?"

Angela shook her head. "No, not that we know of. She's been careful, especially with the pregnancy."

Then the doctor asked the question that set Granny and me off: "What did Amelia eat before she collapsed?"

Granny’s eyes narrowed, and I could see her struggling to keep her composure. I, however, couldn’t hold back.

"Why does that matter?" I snapped, my voice rising with a mixture of fear and anger. "Are you suggesting something was wrong with her food?"

The doctor remained calm, nodding slightly. "It’s just a standard question, but in this case, it might be particularly relevant. If she consumed something that could have caused an allergic reaction or had any contaminants, it might help us understand her current condition."

Granny in shock looked at me and blurted out, "THE COOKIES!!!!" Tears began to form in her eyes. "Amelia received a package today, we just thought it was a late baby shower gift, it was a baby blanket and some cookies."

Adonis immediately took out his phone and called Deloris. "Deloris, we need those cookies Amelia ate. Get them over here to the hospital, now. Also, have the mages put together hospital bags for the baby, Angela, and Granny. We might be here for a while."

I could hear Deloris’s concerned voice on the other end, promising to get everything ready as quickly as possible. As Adonis ended the call, the doctor continued.

"We’re running tests on Amelia’s blood to check for any abnormalities or toxins. We’ll know more once the results come back, but for now, we need to cover all bases."

Granny was visibly shaking, but she kept her voice steady as she spoke. "Doctor, whatever it is, you need to find out. We can’t lose her."

"We're doing everything we can," the doctor reassured us. "Amelia is strong, and so is the baby. But we need to be thorough to ensure we’re not missing anything."

As the doctor left the room to check on Amelia, the weight of the situation settled over us like a dark cloud. The thought that something as simple as a cookie could have caused all of this was terrifying. We sat in silence, each of us lost in our thoughts, praying for hope in all this darkness.

"Please dear Goddess, hear our prayers and heal my sister."