"Alia! How are you feeling?" Matteo murmured in fervent desperation. "Did he―" He didn’t even want to voice out his worst fears, but Alia quickly shook her head, understanding what he was trying to say.
"I’m okay now," Alia said, wrapping her arms around him as though he was a security blanket, and maybe he was. She imdiately felt safer in his presence, and she instinctively cuddled closer to him.
After the doctor had done the necessary tests, she wanted― no, needed him to hold her close and reassure her that everything would be alright.
Aiden clenched his fists as he watched them with barely concealed envy in his eyes. It was as though he was simply wallpaper. He was the one who did all the hard work, but Alia only had eyes for his brother. All Matteo had to do was show up, and he imdiately got the lion’s share of her love and attention.
"He didn’t manage to do anything to . Aiden saved just in ti. He’s really good at brawling."
Matteo reluctantly nodded at his brother in lieu of thanks. Aiden rolled his eyes.
"Thanks for rembering I exist," Aiden said dryly. "What did the doctor say?’
At his words, Matteo’s attention was concentrated back on Alia.
"Oh, the superficial wounds will heal in no ti at all," Alia said. "And she has given dicine for my... condition."
Her eyes darted over to Aiden, whose ears perked up with interest. Alia cleared her throat and quickly continued.
"But she does recomnd that I go to see a therapist, just to get my mind in order. Apparently, it’s not uncommon for won that have experienced sothing similar to... to have so form of PTSD, or negative experiences with intimacy," Alia said the last part quietly, half-embarrassed at the trouble she was about to cause.
Matteo shot her a heartbroken look. "I’ll support whatever decision you make. Do they have a therapist in mind? I can help you look."
"I know you will, but that’s a problem for to handle tomorrow," Alia said, hugging him again. "I’ll go and get my prescription filled first. I can’t wait to turn in for the night."
Matteo and Aiden could only follow Alia to the counter, where she chatted with the pharmacist. The pharmacist was cheerful, and she told Alia it wouldn’t take too long for them to get the required dicine. It would be best for Alia to take a seat due to her condition.
Alia could only give a wan smile in response and sat down.
The minutes ticked on and on. However, Alia felt she needed to use the washroom. As such, she told the n to keep an eye out for her place in the queue before leaving, handing them her queue slip for safekeeping.
Her number blared loudly through the waiting room.
"Miss?" The pharmacist asked. "Number 59? Will number 59 please co over to the counter to collect your dication?"
Matteo looked at the number in his hands. It was Alia’s. Seeing that she wasn’t returning anyti soon, Matteo decided to go to the counter on her behalf. Alia did ntion that she wanted to go ho early, so he might as well help her by picking up her dication.
"Hey, you should wait for Alia to co back to pick up her own dication," Aiden said, stopping him with a hand.
Matteo raised an eyebrow. "Why? I can pick it up for her. It’s more convenient since she’s still in the bathroom."
"dical privacy?" Aiden ntioned. "Does that ring a bell?"
Matteo’s face imdiately darkened as his mind went to the worst-case scenarios. "And why would Alia need to keep her dical history private from ? I’m her husband!"
"You’re not her husband yet, and even if you were, spouses keep secrets from one another all the ti," Aiden pointed out viciously. "All I can say is that Alia would not be too pleased with you snooping on her private business."
"You’re being utterly ridiculous," Matteo scoffed and shoved Aiden aside, going straight for the counter. The pharmacist paused at the glower on his face.
"Mister?"
"My wife is number 59, and I’m here to pick up her dication," Matteo said, handing over the queue slip. He schooled his face into a more welcoming expression.
"Oh then allow to tell you congratulations! You must be delighted to find out your wife is pregnant! Here are the prenatal vitamins she should be taking for healthy fetal developnt, and we also have gynecologists on standby if she wishes to make an appointnt. Here are so pamphlets―"
"What?" Matteo said as he stared blankly at the woman. Her mouth was moving a mile a minute, but Matteo could not register anything short of the word ’pregnant’. Static noises filled his mind, and he felt like an old computer desperately trying to reboot. "What did you say?"
The pharmacist blinked. "Oh, I said it’s best for her to take these vitamins in the morning, and to avoid a list of all these substances―"
"No, before that," Matteo demanded, planting both hands on the counter. He lood over the poor pharmacist, causing her to sweat nervously.
"Congratulations on your wife’s pregnancy?" the poor woman said. She cast Aiden a pitiful look, begging him to help.
Next to him, Aiden groaned and slapped his hand over his forehead. "Ah fuck. The cat’s out of the bag, the paper bag is on fire. I knew this shit would happen. You know what, fuck it― I don’t care anymore. Good news, Alia is pregnant. Bad news, Alia is pregnant. Now stop staring at the poor woman who is just trying to do her job!"
"Pregnant." Matteo mouthed the word carefully as his mind tried to wrap around this new fact of existence. "Alia is pregnant with my child."
For the second ti today, his mind had stopped working. He knew what the words ant separately, but when they were put in this particular arrangent, suddenly he seed to have lost all coherent train of thought. There was only static in his brain.
Pregnant!
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