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“I like cooking and it’s important for you to rest, especially given your situation. You have to be careful that you don’t do too much.”
I went and sat down at the table as I spoke. “I’m supposed to be seeing a specialist, but I am assuming that’s not going to happen.”
I knew that other women went through chemotherapy and had healthy babies. It was certainly possible, but they got full medical care. They weren’t trapped in a house getting looked at by a mafia doctor, which I had to assume wasn’t the best. It was another reason why I needed to get out of there. I needed to have the proper medical care for my child.
“The doc is set to come today to see you. He’ll know what to do and what you need for the baby.”
I highly doubted he was going to give me what I needed. Hell, I didn’t even know what I needed. At least I would be seeing the doctor and that was a start. Armando placed two plates down on the table before sitting across from me. This was new, as we had never eaten together before. It was progress, I just wasn’t sure what type of progress we were in.
“About last night,” I started because one of us had to.
“It doesn’t have to be a thing. We were both horny and in need of a release. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that.”
He was giving me an out and I appreciated it, but at the same time, I was a bit annoyed by it because I needed him to crave me. I needed him to develop feelings, which wouldn’t happen quickly without a physical connection. It looked like I had to keep our physical activities going until he took charge. I was hoping that wouldn’t take much encouragement on my part. I couldn’t push right now; it could look suspicious. I had to play this out naturally and wait for my next opportunity.
“I assume that Gabriele left.”
“He did late this morning after I woke up. He said everything went well last night while I was away. Were you ok with him around? You felt comfortable with him?”
I could hear that he sincerely wanted to make sure I was okay around Gabriele. It mattered to him.
“He was nice. I like him a lot better than Lorenzo.”
“You don’t have to worry about Lorenzo ever again. If I can’t be here, then Gab will be. You’re safe around him. Given your situation, I know that might sound ridiculous, but he won’t hurt you. He’ll keep you safe and ensure you are taken care of.”
“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
The last thing I needed was to rely on any of the guys here. I also couldn’t get used to having the help because once I left, I would be on my own completely. I had to be prepared to handle whatever came my way.
“Of that, I have no doubt,” he said with a small smile.
I couldn’t tell if he was placating me, but it didn’t matter. I would do this on my own and get free from this luxury prison. He had no idea that I was already on the path to freedom and he would be my key to getting out of here. I just needed to keep playing my part. Keep earning his trust, so he wouldn’t see the massive knife aiming for his back.
Chapter fourteen
Armando
It was after two when Dr. Holland came out of Natalie’s room. I couldn’t tell how everything went based on his face. The man was very good at keeping a poker face regardless of what was happening around him. I’ve seen him check his phone for texts while a guy had blood spurting out his neck. It was clear why he could no longer practice medicine in a traditional sense. The man had no bedside manner, no empathy, and little care for human life. He was the last doctor I wanted to treat Natalie, but he was the doctor we were currently stuck with.
“How is she?” I asked once he came down the stairs.
“Stable. Everything appears to be normal,” he answered as he looked down at his phone.
I ripped it from his hand, and his eyes snapped to look at me. “You know her medical history with chemo when she was a teenager. How likely will she make it to term with a healthy baby?” I demanded.
“How the hell should I know? I’m not a specialist. I’ll do my job to keep the baby alive, and outside of that, I don’t know. It could be born with all kinds of physical and mental complications or deformities. It could also be born perfectly healthy. Shit, she could die during the delivery. In this type of situation, she normally goes through a c-section around thirty-five weeks to ensure she and the baby survive. There’s no telling what chemo could have done to her uterus and birth canal. We don’t have that option, though. All we can do is wait and see if she makes it to term.”
“Is there anything we should be doing to better her odds?”
I wasn’t liking what I was hearing. This situation with Natalie was more dire than I had anticipated. I didn’t even think about the possibility of her not being able to deliver naturally. If I was going to ensure she and her baby lived, I had to get her out of here before the second trimester hit to guarantee she had the best care.
“Probably, but what does it matter? She’s just going to be killed right afterward, anyways. It would be easier for her to die during delivery than having to do it afterward,” he answered with a shrug.
“We don’t kill them all. Some hold value, and we don’t know if she will or not. Now answer the fucking question,” I growled.
Doc sighed. He actually fucking sighed at me before answering. “Make sure she takes her prenatal vitamins. Keep her from lifting anything heavy, and ensure she is eating properly and hydrated throughout the day. She should be moving to prevent blood clots, especially once she is bigger. All of the traditional methods to help get a woman to full term. Other than that, a doctor would typically closely monitor her with blood tests and ultrasounds. That’s something we don’t do. That’s all we can do.”
That wasn’t good enough for me. I would have to accept it, but it wasn’t good enough. I didn’t want her going without the tests that Natalie and the baby required. She deserved the best care, and she wasn’t getting it. She wasn’t even getting a good level of care. I just gave a nod because there really was nothing else I could say to him. He wouldn’t care; nothing I said would change how he handled these women.
