1.1 | The Yakuza Bride

Chapter 49

Visiting the gynecologist's office with Juan was a surreal experience. She didn't want him with her, yet she couldn't get rid of him either.

She had been made to lie on an examination chair beside the ultrasound machine. Then, a nurse had swiftly lifted her dress up to her bra to expose her stomach. The action had been too quick for her to cry out, and her face had turned hot and red after that, but thankfully, she was given a sheet to cover her legs. The nurse didn't seem perturbed at all, it was probably what she did to all the 'new mothers' anyway.

After that, a cool gel was applied over her abdomen, and the gynecologist brought the scanner over her skin. It took a few seconds before a tiny, peanut shaped, moving blob came into view.

'Your baby is moving now, and listen, can you hear the heartbeat?'

She listened. Quick thump thumps filtered over the speaker, pulsing at a rate twice that of hers.

'And look, that's the arms and legs. We'll do a blood test to check how along you are, alright?'

She nodded. Hana had been too amazed to speak. Arms! Legs! A heart! She wished Leon had been there to watch, he'd probably be speechless too.

'Are you okay?'

It was then she realised she'd been crying. She swiped at her eyes, then nodded her head hastily.

'Yeah.'

The gel had been wiped off, and a picture of the scan had been printed. Then, the nurse had to draw blood from her arm. The test took about two hours, and she sat with Juan in the waiting room, her arms crossed about herself, and the picture of her baby grasped tight in her hand.

'You're two months along,' the doctor had said. 'Come back in another month for a check up.'

Two months!

She rested a hand on the spot over her baby as she looked down at herself. She had a bit of a bump now, and it resembled the kind of bulge that came whenever she ate too much. At least no one would suspect anything, and she could keep her secret from the rest of the house for another few more weeks. By then...by then I would have formed a plan and be out of here.

~

' – kid, wake up!'

There was a desperate hand on his shoulder.

Leon woke up in a shock. The dregs of his dream were instantly banished as he stared wide-eyed at Owen, who was currently bent over him. Or what he thought was Owen. It was too dark to tell, and he was grumpy at having left such a wonderful dream.

'Keep quiet,' Owen whispered. 'The electricity's been cut.'

Electricity?

The patch of light that usually occupied the floor was gone, replaced by a black abyss. The lights in the corridor were out as well, and all was eerily silent. His cell mate tugged at his sleeve.

'Go up. Safer.'

Leon followed after him, clambering up the metal rungs to Owen's bunk. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the pitch darkness, and he could just make out the mess of blankets and Skittle packets.

'What happened?' he whispered after they were settled on his bed, their backs against the wall, with a blanket around them.

'Someone cut the electricity. Five minutes ago. The guards have left.'

'Why?'

'Quiet. The gate's unlocked. Listen out.'

Leon sat and listened. The room was getting colder, since the heaters were off. He wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees, trying not to fall back to sleep. Occasionally, the high-powered search beam that made its way around the compound passed by their window, illuminating the fact that there was indeed a space between the metal door and the door frame.