The Price of Pride

Chapter 38

"Anne. Don't. Please."

Emir had begged. Pleaded. Tried to appeal to her humanity. But his mother wasn't his mother at that point. She wasn't even human. Her eyes had gone dark, empty. And it was at that moment he knew nothing he said would have reached her. He knew that something bad was about to happen.

Like a terrible dream, time slowed. But only for him. He felt as if he was moving through quicksand trying to get to Reyhan. But she fell. Faster than he could get to her. His mother had run away. Faster than the police could catch her. But that didn't matter to him. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment except for Reyhan.

Cavidan's run from the police doesn't last long. It's barely a day before they catch up with her. And she isn't taken unharmed. She's shot and brought to the same hospital where Reyhan has been taken.

Emir doesn't care about his mother right now. He doesn't even go to see her when the police report she's been brought in. He doesn't have the time to think about why the police are holding her - the fact that she almost nearly killed his father. He only can worry about Reyhan. And their baby. Their son.

Reyhan's water had broken in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The doctors delivered the baby as soon as Reyhan got to the hospital. Emir was only barely able to catch a glimpse of him before he was rushed to NICU. Reyhan didn't get to see him at all. She remains unconscious from her fall.

Emir sits by her bed and takes her hand, pressing a kiss to it. This feels like deja vu. He can't help but think back to the last time she was like this. A whole year ago in Ankara. He thought it hurt then. But what he felt for her a year ago is not even close to what he feels for her now.

"I'm not living without you," he whispers, sweeping her hair out her face and revealing a bandage on her temple. "So don't leave me. Don't leave our children orphans."

If she dies, then he knows he won't be far behind.

One day goes by.

Two days. Three.

No change.

People have come and gone. Zafer and Defne. Murat and Barış. And Kemal even has brought Hikmet and Suna visits. But it's mostly been Emir and Emine taking turns between sitting with Reyhan and going to visit the baby in NICU whenever it was allowed. The baby had come about 3 weeks early, but he was at a good weight. The first day, he had trouble eating and lost a few ounces. But he seems to have gotten the hang of it and is now eating well. Emir and Emine are now allowed to give him his bottles at feeding time, milk that has been pumped from Reyhan. Emir knows it's what she would want.

His lung function has also greatly improved. The doctor has hinted that the baby might be able to be transferred to the normal nursery in another day or two. Emir couldn't be happier. Because then, the baby will be able to come to the room to visit Reyhan. Maybe feeling him, touching him, scenting him ... maybe then she'll wake up knowing her precious baby is near. Emir lets out a sigh that is both a silent prayer and a cry from his very soul.

Come back to me, he silently pleads.

"Have faith, Oğlum," Emine says to him, kissing him on the top of his head. They both look at their sleeping beauty. "She'll wake up soon."

Emir has no choice but to believe.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two days Cavidan has been in this hospital. Her flight from the police lasted only a day before they caught up with her. She didn't go easily, earning a bullet in her shoulder when she refused to surrender. The damage from the wound was minimal, but despite that, she has managed to extend her hospital stay to avoid the next step ... jail. She can't go to jail, so she has to drag this out for as long as she can.