Trauma-Made Queen

s were restless, fiddling with the edge of her sleeve as she stared at the door. She hadn't expected to be facing thi

tered everything with his betrayal. And yet, despite all the pain and the confusion, part of her still felt the weight of what they had once shared. She ha

in this sterile, white-walled r

nto the floor, his expression guarded, as though he, too, was struggling with the same unspoken tension that filled

w he was holding up, the door to the room opened abrup

mergency," she explained, glancing between them with a hint of sym

o the feeling of unease that already clouded the day. She exchanged a glance with Brian, but neither of the

tepped into the room. He was dressed in a white coat, but his eyes were not

asked, his voice

from medical professionals, but somehow she had hoped that today might

lied softly, her voi

understand you've had a kidney transplant," he said, not looking up. "We'll take a quick look

ut her appointments, never wanting to take any chances, especially af

d, her voice bare

ings down. Brian, sitting quietly beside her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The tension between

ls, and inspecting the incision from her transplant. It wasn't long before his fa

on his tablet, "there's something we need to discuss. I've gone th

he past week-enough pain and uncertainty. She wasn't sure she could take much

our reproductive health," Dr. Roberts continued, his eyes flicking briefly toward Brian before

in her throat. She couldn't process the words. They felt

ctor, his face drained of all color. He wasn't looking at her now, but she could see t

he. The silence in the

ce trembling. "That because of my surge

possibility. The trauma during the surgery could have impacted your fertil

tion to make sure everything was healing properly after the transplant. Instead, she was hit with a diagnosis that s

oo tight, as if the air wa

mouth to say something, but no words came. His face was contorted with co

couldn't meet his eyes. She couldn't. Not now. N

hances of you fathering a child with Ms. Brown are also diminished. There's

hing than her own diagnosis. Brian flinch

y pe

d, thick and heavy,

l she hadn't expected. Her mind had already been so full of doubt and grief from everything that had happened between the

bbie said, her voice ba

d left the room, her heart racing. She didn't know where she was going or

but Abbie knew he would. He always di

room and the bustling of nurses and patients somehow distant, as if they bel

unmistakable, even from a distance, and she d

t into the cool afternoon. The quiet of the street was a relie

ay anything at first. He simply stood there, lo

h all the confusion, the pain, and the loss. He open

r voice shaking. "I can't do t

oarse. "I didn't know it would be like t

more. It was everything-everything that had been lost. She had given so much, truste

aid quietly, almost pleadi

and. I'll give you space, Abbie. But please know tha

er ears, Abbie didn't know if s

standing still, they both knew the truth: their lives were forever changed, an

s, they ne