46: Welcome, my world.

The background noises of the hospital disappeared, and only the rhythmical tapping of the clock far away could be detected, along with the soft footsteps of a nurse passing intermittently. 

The fluorescent lights above buzzed softly, throwing a sterile light over the rows of seats, now vacant except the ones we were seated, and the scuffed linoleum floor.

Richard sat slouched in his seat, his hands heavy in his lap.

The sound of the ICU door was enough to tilt his head up, and he winced as hope flared in his chest. The same doctor who had been with them earlier had now stood in the doorway, his face well drawn with exhaustion but his eyes holding within them that thing which Richard clung to—hope.

Richard sprang to his feet as blood rushed in his ears as he hastened to close the distance between him and the doctor. Behind him, he felt Serina and Bettina rising from their seats, too, white and strained with anxiety over the critical condition of Khana, their two closest friends.

The doctor started placidly enough, but there was an edge in his voice as if this was it: "Rest assured, we tried all we could to save both lives. We are just doctors. We try as best as we can, but some things lie beyond our power. No matter what happens, it's part of the Lord's plan."

The doctor's words unwrapped a gut punch within Richard, and anger flared alive inside. "Don't speak like my wife is dying," he bit out, his tone harsh with raw emotion.

Heavier than expected, the sigh escapes the doctor as his expression suddenly turns soft. "I'm so sorry if I gave you that impression. That was not what I meant. I only wanted to remind you to be prepared for everything. But the good news is you can see her now. We shall transfer your baby shortly."

Relief washed over Richard as a fresh wave of anxiety readied him to meet Khana. Before he could take even one step towards the ward, a pair of worn-looking couples dashed past them - their faces etched with fear and concern.

"How is my darling? Why is she still asleep?" The lady, Karyle asked in urgency as she reached Khana's bedside, her hand trembling as she gently caressed Khana's pale cheeks.

Richard came closer and felt his heart wring at the sight of his sweetheart lying so still, her face so white and bloodless, without a single drop of its warmth and vibrancy. "She's just exhausted from giving birth," he mumbled, his voice tight as he struggled to control his emotions. "Let her rest awhile. I know she is alright. My love is a strong woman.".

While the people posted in circles around her were fast-uneasy, waiting for any sign of her rising to consciousness, unaware of the quiet battle inside, Khana drifted through some alien place. In the world, as it swirled haze-like about her—a dream—there were no edges or boundaries. It felt like floating—weightless—through an unknown space.

There was a fog over Khana's mind. She couldn't precisely feel the place or how she got there. All she felt was a presence of peace as if a heavy cloud of anxiousness and fear had lifted from her shoulders. Whilst she basked in the glory of this new calmness, a craving arose in her, pulling her towards something—somebody—she couldn't tell.

Suddenly, Khana saw a figure standing in the distance as she wandered in such ethereal land. He was standing alone, back toward her, yet something similar could be felt. She started walking fast, heartbeat almost popping out of her chest, containing hope and fear.

Almost instantly on finding him, he turned towards her, and Khana gasped because it was Henry, her childhood sweetheart, who once upon a time she loved dearly.

Henry dressed in perfectly radiated clergy robes, and a soft smile played on his lips as his eyes met hers with a mixture of regret and want. "I miss you so much," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I regret not fighting for you, Khana.

His words broke Khana's heart, and she felt a flood of tears spill down her cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to be able to stay here with him, to get lost in the warmth of his embrace, forgetting all the pain and heartache that had come between them. If an alternate universe exists, where she and Henry were free to love each other, she would have gladly remained trapped in this dream forever.

But just as she was about to reach out for him, to utter his name, a voice slashed across the haze, echoing. "Honey!" It was Richard's voice, thick with urgency and desperation.

Khana faltered between the past and the present, between the man she loved and the one who stood by her in everything. She kept hearing Richard's voice, growing louder and more insistent, to pull her back to reality.

Then, suddenly, she heard another sound—a baby crying plaintively. That single sound jolted her, piercing the whiteout fog that swirled through her mind. Reluctantly, Khana opened her eyes to slowly have the dream world fade away and was pulled back into the present.

The first thing she saw was the small, wriggling form of a baby that lay beside her, with cries filling the room. With Khana's eyes welling up, a rush of emotions flushed through her, overwhelmingly out of control from the glimpse of this tiny life she had brought into the world.

Gasps were heaved around the room, but suddenly relaxed and curved into beaming smiles once her eyes flickered open. Khana's eyes welled up as she reached out with trembling hands to gently caress the baby's sensitive skin.

It was a bittersweet moment—very joyful—but somehow tinged with disappointment that lingered and just did not go away.

With the hold of his tiny hand around one of her fingers, Khana felt a rush of love and protectiveness run through her so hard that it almost knocked her off her feet.

"Welcome, my baby Kharl," she whispered, her voice hoarse from emotion as she pressed a tender kiss on the forehead of the baby.

"I'll take care of you both," Richard's voice cut through her reverie, and Khana opened her eyes to find him standing at her side with a mixture of relief and determination on his face.

Her heart swelled in equal measure with gratitude and remorse. The dream remained before her: Henry's face, his words. It cast a shadow on the elation she felt at this moment. She knew she had to forget the past and move on to the future with Richard and their child. But that ache in her heart, deep inside, remained—like a bittersweet reminder of her lost love and her gained one.

She forced a smile, nodded her head, and said, "I will also look after our family.".

She knew, in Richard's eyes, that this was now her reality. They were a family, and she must take on her duties to be the wife and mother they expected of her. She felt so lucky to have somebody like Richard by her side, who was so supportive and loving—maybe one day she would wake up with her heart wholly devoted to the man who married her.

For now, she would take it one day at a time, learning to ride out the intricacies of her emotions and that new life she had brought into this world. In silence, Khana cradled baby Kharl in her arms, promising to do everything possible to give him all the love and care that he deserved