The Love We Choose

Chapter 58

"We hear congratulations are in order, Dr. Zhang!" Dr. Hatcher told Huan as he sat down next to his bed. "Both for coming out of the coma yesterday and the baby." Dr. Rollins, the other doctor from the Surgical Recovery Unit that had ridden the elevator with Lynne the day before, entered behind him, carrying a large bouquet of flowers and a card signed by their entire department. Prior to them entering, Huan had been alone with his thoughts as his mother had gone down to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee with Auntie Lijuan who came to visit.

"Thanks. But how do you know about the baby?" Huan asked them, eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh you know how things spread around here," Dr. Rollins answered as he placed the flowers on the table next to Huan before handing him the card. "The rumor mill was already flying around once one of the nurses overheard the hubbub in your room. It was something private yet scandalous that happened in our humble little metropolitan hospital, so naturally everyone knows about it. It's not like you were going to keep it hidden from us anyway. We're your brothers-in-surgical-arms."

"I have to say, I was a little shocked when you brought her to the gala. How'd you manage to snag a gorgeous woman like her for a baby momma?"

"Hey! Lynne is not just a baby momma." He snarled at him angrily, hissing at the pain his outburst caused. "Don't call her that. Yes, she is the mother of my future child, but she is first and foremost my best friend. Has been for most of my life," he finished, rubbing at his temples.

"Alright man, calm down. I didn't mean anything by that. I'm still trying to figure out why she's having a kid with you. I mean, she isn't anything like your last couple of girlfriends." Realization dawned on Dr. Rollins's face, "didn't you just start things up again with Veronica?"

Huan scrubbed a hand over his face as he thought about Veronica and informing her about the baby. "Yeah. I did. Have you seen her around? I forgot to ask Lynne or my mom if she had been by."

Both doctors shook their heads 'no' at him. That's odd. I would have thought she would have been by at least once. It's not like there's no way she would have heard about the accident.

"Also, is everything with your baby and Lynne ok? A few of the nurses were talking about how she was admitted into the ER a few days ago. She was bleeding out supposedly," Dr. Hatcher piped in as he sat in the empty chair next to the bed.

"They are fine for now. She wasn't bleeding out, that's a bit of an exaggeration. She had a threatened miscarriage according to Dr. Nettle."

"Damn. Sorry to hear that. But at least everything is fine now, right?"

"It seems so. I mean her hCG levels are steadily rising as they should, but we won't know for sure until her follow-up ultrasound next week."

"Sending you good vibes for a positive outcome."

"Thanks, man."

Dr. Hatcher had a calculative look on his face, "you didn't waste any time with getting her pregnant either. Didn't you just break things off with your girl Veronica a couple of months ago and then get back with her after the gala?"

"Yeah. It was an unexpected occurrence."

"That's what you're going to go with?"

"Yup. Unexpected, but welcomed."

"This shit seems really messy."

"Tell me about it," Huan said on a sigh as he adjusted to a more comfortable position on his pillows.

Stretching out his legs in front of himself, Dr. Rollins plastered a slick grin on his face. "Do you know how many hearts you've broken now that word is out you've got a baby on the way? Just a few days ago they were swooning over "the Hero Surgeon" after the accident was on the news, now they are lamenting the loss of 'Dr. Daddy-to-Be.' I don't know if I should feel sorry for you or thank you for sending them my way."

"You can gladly have them. I don't need any further complications in my life at the moment."

"Speaking of complications, did you hear about.."

XXX

To say that Lynne was tired when she grabbed her go-bag out of the car outside of Huan's apartment was an understatement. The more apropos descriptor was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Instead of going straight to his apartment, as she had been instructed to do by Mama Ying, she had made a pit-stop at a luncheonette and sat down for a good meal. On true auto-pilot she made her way to Huan's apartment and made it as far as the couch before her body forced her to sit down.

In the solitude of the apartment, she pulled her sweater over her head, unhooked her bra, removed the belly band she had been using, and laid down. Pulling the blanket that sat on the back of the couch over her body and turning on the television, she fell into a dreamless sleep five minutes into the episode of a local chat show.

Down for the count, her body got the much needed rest it had been deprived of for the past few weeks. It wasn't until late the next morning when she finally woke, the television now playing the news. Sent to the bathroom by her bladder, she missed the follow-up report on the "Hero Doctor" of Kensingtonna Hospital.

XXX

"Mama, I'm fine. You don't have to stay with me 24/7 since Lynne's not here. I'm sleep for most of the day. Anyway, there are plenty of hard-working people in the hospital that can help me when I need anything," Huan told his mother as she fussed with his pillows. "You should take your own advice and go home. It can't be comfortable being here all night and day."

"Bah," she admonished, refilling his water cup and offering it to him. He declined and she placed it back on the rolling table. "You act like I'm an old woman or something. Unlike Lynne, I have been going home each night. Spending last night here was no hardship for me. Besides, Lijuan brought me my things so I'm fine," she told him as she fixed his hair. "Now, are you in any pain? Should we call the nurse to see if you're due for your next round of medication?"

"Ma," he started before he was interrupted by the voice of an older gentleman.

"Good afternoon Dr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang," Dr. Sanderson announced as he entered the room, with a nurse in tow. "It's time for another neurological evaluation."

Huan sent a grateful smile toward his colleague. "See ma, it's time for an evaluation, you can take this time to go downstairs and get yourself something to eat."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"I'm fine, ma."

"No, no you're not. That's why you're in the hospital."

"You know what I mean. Nothing crazy is going to happen in the next fifteen minutes, you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm your mother," she told him as she bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I will ALWAYS worry about you." Turning to Dr. Sanderson, she told him, "I leave him in your hands sir. I'll be back soon."

Dr. Sanderson had a twinkle in his eye as he looked at Huan. "Are all the women in your life forces to be reckoned with?"

"You don't know the half of it, Alan. This was tame because you were in the room."

Dr. Sanderson chuckled and shook his head before a look of seriousness fell over his features. "Alright Huan, today we're going to test your reflexes, coordination, and nerve function."

XXX

A/N: Greetings and salutations dear readers. I have had a hectic year and had to put this story down in order to get my own life in order. I have found a few moments of solitude to myself and was able to put my mind back to this story.

Thank you for sticking around.

And as always. Don't forget to choose love. :)