Chapter 2 The unexpected pregnancy

Arthur's POV

At the hospital ; doctor's office

I would be lying to myself if I say I'm not scared to the core. What could it be that the doctor needed my presence before she could tell Catherine what the problem was.

My palms had become so cold as I held Catherine's hand and we both sat in the office, waiting for what our fate would be.

I heard the door opening, I turned around to see a lady I guessed to be in her late 20's in a lab coat entering the office. Catherine and I stood up but she asked us to take our seats.

I was so impatient I rushed to ask questions immediately.

"Doctor, what is the problem?. Why did you insist I come along with my wife before you say anything?" I bombarded her with questions after questions.

"Mr Arthur please I would like you to calm down. Actually there isn't any problem but good news" the doctor gave a big smile as she began to flip through some papers that were on her table.

"Good news?" I got confused.

Catherine, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly looked at me and smiled as if she knew what the doctor was about to say.

"So what is this good news?" I looked at the doctor confused and lost.

"Well Mr Arthur.. your wife is 4 weeks pregnant" she blurted out and looked at my face as if trying to guess my next expression.

"Pregnant? But how? She.. she was" I stammered trying to comprehend the entire scenario.

Should I be happy or not or maybe they made some kind of mistake because Catherine can never be pregnant again. At least that was what her reports said after her last miscarriage.

"Doctor, are you sure about what you are telling me?" I was in disbelief.

"Yes I am very sure. You can ask your wife over here. I had to conduct the test 3 more times after finding out" the doctor explained and I just couldn't help but to look at Catherine who was seated by my side

"Is that true Catherine?" I looked at her.

"Yes" she finally confessed.

So she knew all about this and she didn't tell me, I was almost angered.

"Arthur, please don't get mad. I just wanted to be sure before I tell you anything I didn't want to give you false hope" she pleaded and looked so innocent. She folded her heart shaped pink lips and looked down.

Well she is right though.

"Anyways that's not the reason I wanted you to be here before I tell her about the pregnancy" the doctor drew the attention of both Catherine and myself.

"So what is the reason?" I paid more attention to the doctor this time.

"Your wife's pregnancy is complicated due to her previous miscarriages. If we are not careful she might lose the baby again" the doctor was disappointed.

I closed my eyes and breathed out heavily, I knew that this miracle wouldn't just come like that.

"Please can I have an ultrasound?" Catherine was so excited. I wondered how she could be so excited.

"No not yet. You will have to wait till the pregnancy is 21 weeks then you can come for an ultrasound" the doctor advised.

Then the doctor's phone rang and she walked out of the room. If I guessed correctly she had an emergency.

Catherine's POV

*At the house of Catherine and Arthur"

"Arthur, you have to calm down. You just found out today and you are already giving me restrictions" I was happy and angry at the same time

"You heard what the doctor said. I cannot risk the life of this child so you have to stop working for now please" Arthur said in a low and appealing tone while he asked me to sit on the bed.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. The pregnancy journey went so fast and I was already in my 21st week of pregnancy.

At the hospital

"Please lie down and avoid moving your body too much Mrs Catherine" the doctor instructed as she conducted an ultrasound.

She didn't take her eyes off the screen and I was so tense. I wanted to know what I was carrying, a beautiful girl or a dashing and handsome looking boy.

"Congratulations, you are pregnant with twins. Two girls precisely" the doctor helped me stand up.

At Catherine and Arthur's home

Arthur was more than happy when I told him about the twins.

"So you mean I am going to have two beautiful girls running around the house and calling me daddy?" Arthur dropped the documents he was holding earlier and came closer to me.

"Yes" I laughed.

The joy in his eyes was simply something I couldn't ignore. I have never seen him this happy after my last miscarriage.

"So can I call my brother and tell him the good news?" Arthur looked at me as if asking for permission.

"No Arthur not yet. I still stand by my decision that no one would find out about my pregnancy till I deliver the babies safe and sound" I tried my best to explain things as best as I could.

I don't know why but ever since I found out about the baby Arthur has been so eager to tell the whole world but I have been insisting he waits. I don't even know the reason why I felt like it was the best choice, maybe it was because I was afraid of taking the shame of losing another baby.

"Okay as you please your highness" Arthur took a cheerful bow in front of me that made me laugh.

I have never come this far with a pregnancy before. In Fact my stomach had never been this swollen.

I never knew that pregnancy was this challenging. I got so many cravings and crazy mood swings.

I was in the 8 month already and so far so good.

Arthur's POV

At the office

Each and every day that passes by my fear gets bigger and bigger. I get so scared of losing the babies and what if I lose Catherine this time.

I wouldn't stop calling her more than five times a day anytime I'm at work..

"Arthur this is the 9th time you have called me to ask whether I have eaten" Catherine was complaining from the other end of the phone.

"I know but I cannot help but worry about you" I tried to defend myself knowing fully well that I was overreacting.

"Arthur you left the house 3 hours ago and it's not 12 noon yet" she sounded very sarcastic.

"I know that as well," I said.

"Ok. Do you even get any work done?" She was slowly becoming enraged.

"Ok bye" I ended the call trying my best to escape her anger.

The 8 month went by smoothly thankfully and finally we were in the 9th month and for some reason Catherine kept falling sick. It was from one problem to the other and I could tell that the doctors weren't even sure about the babies survival.

At the hospital

"What is happening doctor? Is my wife going to be okay" I waited outside the ER of the hospital. I rushed Catherine to the hospital for the 3rd time in the same week after she passed out suddenly.

"Is she conscious?" I asked the doctor again but she ignored me and kept on walking.

I couldn't sit or stand or do anything. I just kept on pacing outside the ER, nurses would rush out of the room and I would try questioning them but none of them gave me any reply. The ones who would try to reply to me would tell me to be patient that they were in a hurry. My palms were already sweating and I rubbed my hair with my palm vigorously.

A nurse holding a tray was approaching me, I was so absent minded that I bumped into the nurse

"I am so sorry" I helped her to pick up the items that fell on the floor. Although that nurse wasn't attending to my wife.

I still followed her and saw a little girl in a room. The girl should be around 6 to 8 years old. She was indeed beautiful and I wished that my daughters would end up being as beautiful as she was.

"Nurse, why is no one attending to that girl?" I tried to make inquiries.

"Her parents stopped paying her bills. They said they couldn't afford her surgery, she has very little time left as her kidney is failing her"the nurse's tone was more than sad and I could tell from her voice that she felt pity for the girl but yet there was absolutely nothing she could do about the entire issue.

I thought about it for a while and decided to pay the 1 million dollars that was required to carry out the surgery but I pleaded with the staff to keep my identity away from the parents of the girl no matter what happened. I already had media problems. I didn't want more issues.

Just then I took notice of the doctor coming out of the ER with some nurses, she seemed to be giving them instructions. Sweating, I slowly started to walk towards the doctor's direction and immediately she saw me, she wore a sad expression on her face.

"I'm really sorry Mr Arthur" she lowered her head in disappointment and just then I knew it was over. All my happiness would soon fade.