Chapter 5
780 Words
Chelsea nodded, the picture of helplessness. "Hudson, it hurts a little, but it's nothing serious."
Watching this play out, Celia felt drained.
The photo Chelsea had shown her earlier wouldn't leave her mind. She wanted to go back to the hospital and get her baby back.
She'd barely taken two steps when Hudson grabbed her arm.
His eyes were laced with undisguised impatience. "What are you trying to pull now?"
"Let go of me. You make me sick."
Hudson's pupils constricted. He pressed his lips together and turned toward Chelsea.
"Chelsea, head back first."
Chelsea froze for a second, then nodded and turned to leave.
Once she was gone, Hudson spoke, his tone helpless and explanatory. "Celia, Chelsea and I are nothing more than colleagues. You've got the wrong idea about us."
"I don't care anymore."
Celia wrenched her arm free, her gaze cold and detached.
"Hudson, I never want to see you again. A man like you—"
Before she could finish, her vision blurred. Her strength gave out completely, and she stumbled backward and collapsed.
*****
When Celia came to, she was back at Harborview General Hospital.
She was alone in the room.
She struggled to sit up, but her limbs felt weak and heavy. She fell back against the mattress.
A cold sweat broke out across her forehead. The image of that photo Chelsea had shown her resurfaced, and every breath she took ached with a dull, stabbing pain.
After a long while, she forced herself out of bed and tracked down the doctor who had performed her surgery.
"Doctor, what happened to the embryonic remains from my miscarriage?"
"All embryonic remains from hospital miscarriages are disposed of through standardized procedures."
Noticing her fragile emotional state, the doctor added gently, "Your body is still extremely weak. You need plenty of rest."
"Alright. Thank you."
Celia nodded numbly, then turned and stumbled back toward her room.
*****
The moment she stepped inside, she spotted an uninvited guest.
Chelsea was leaning against the wall, a small glass bottle in her hand, a faint smile on her face.
"Celia, is this what you're looking for?"
Inside the bottle was a tiny embryo, no bigger than a grape, bloody and raw.
Celia's pupils shrank. She lunged forward, desperate to snatch the bottle back, but Chelsea sidestepped her easily.
Her jaw clenched tight, Celia fixed her stare on the bottle in Chelsea's hand. "Give me back my baby."
Chelsea smiled and strolled over to the bedside table. She picked up a cup of water and held it out to Celia.
"Celia, have some water. Relax. You make me happy, and I'll give your baby back."
Celia's hands trembled as she took the cup. Her voice came out shaking uncontrollably. "What do you want from me?"
Chelsea raised an eyebrow. She lifted the glass bottle into the lamplight and gave it a gentle shake.
"Celia, what do you think would happen if I fed this to some stray dogs?"
Celia's eyes went red, as if about to bleed. She threw herself forward, both hands clamping down on Chelsea's wrists.
"Chelsea, you're insane. Give me back my baby!"
She had almost no strength left, but she fought with reckless, burning ferocity, her nails digging deep into Chelsea's skin.
The two of them crashed to the floor. Celia straddled Chelsea, struggling wildly to pry the bottle from her grip.
She landed frantic blows on Chelsea's face, quickly drawing blood from the corner of her mouth.
Chelsea winced in pain, but her smile only grew more unhinged.
'This time, Hudson will never side with Celia again.'
The next second, the ward door was hurled open.
Hudson stood in the doorway, his face livid. The moment he saw the chaos inside, he shoved Celia away, hard.
"Chelsea, are you alright?"
"Hudson, I... I don't know why Celia suddenly attacked me..."
The second Chelsea's innocent-sounding explanation was out, Hudson whipped his furious gaze toward Celia.
"Celia, you've crossed the line. I'm taking Chelsea to get treated first. We'll deal with you later."
With that, he bent down, scooped Chelsea into his arms, and rushed out of the room.
*****
Celia paid Hudson's threat no mind at all.
Her eyes swept the floor where Chelsea had just fallen, and finally locked onto the glass bottle tucked beneath the cabinet.
She crawled over unsteadily, her fingers trembling as she picked the bottle up with infinite care.
Dust coated the glass. Inside, the tiny life lay still and silent, like a dormant seed.
Celia stared down at it, and tears fell in thick, heavy drops, smearing the dust on the glass.
"My baby... Mommy's going to take you away soon."
- Writer
