The convenient marriage - Chapter 1: Chapter 1
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'Beep!'
'Beep!'
'Beep!'
The heart rate machine could be heard clearly in the deafening silence, it was a sound that showed she was still alive, a sound that should have made the husband, who was looking down at her, sigh in relief. But in reality, this particular sound had no effect on the calm looking man.
The heart rate of this man was normal, and his heart would probably still beat at a normal rate even if hers stopped. His cold handsome visage would probably not sketch the slightest of emotions, even if she drew her last breath.
A stranger looking at them, could not even tell this was her husband, if it weren't for the matching wedding band he wore on his ring finger, mirroring the one she had on hers.
He kept fidgeting around with that said ring, as though he was feeling uncomfortable wearing it, and wanted nothing more than to take it off.
'So, you are saying she is pregnant?' He coldly asked, taking his eyes from the bed and directing them towards her attending physician, without giving her another cold glance.
'Yes, she is. I know you wanted to terminate the life-support, but we ran one last check to make sure there was indeed no brain activity left.
The blood work that accompanied the last checkup showed her body is producing the HCG hormone, or commonly known as the pregnancy hormone.
We also did an ultrasound to confirm it, and she is indeed pregnant.' The doctor briefly explained. He had already started to sweat since he came in the room, but now the air became even more chilling.
To inform one of the most powerful men in the country and the owner of the hospital he was working at, of his wife's state, he felt like he was testifying in front of a judge who was moments away from sentencing him to the death penalty, should some of his words slip in any way.
'Hmmm...' was the only vague reply he got from the stern man, signifying that he was listening and that he should continue.
'We have informed your assistant first, mister Jacobs, as we were instructed before, and the gentleman told us to also run a DNA test against your blood sample from the blood bank. The DNA matches with a probability of 99,999%. You are the father, sir!' The doctor explained.
It was the first time, any problems he had with a patient were run through an assistant rather the immediate kin, but he did not dare comment on it, nor on the fact that he was asked to do a paternity test as well.
The director of the hospital, who unfortunately was away traveling and was not here to give the news himself, had previously informed him that the patient's husband would most likely never come to visit, and any problems he might have to just discuss with that person's assistant.
A few days ago, unfortunately the woman's brain waves disappeared completely and the comatose state transformed into a persistent vegetative state.
As he was ordered to, the doctor called the assistant who, after consulting with the person in front of him, informed him to cut the life-support of the patient.
As the hospital's protocol dictated one last final checkup to be done, he performed all the necessary tests, concluding with the situation they were currently in.
'Alright, I understand. How far along is the pregnancy?' The gentleman asked, still devoid of any visible emotions on his face.
'From the ultrasound, the pregnancy is estimated to be at the end of the first trimester, In months that would be three months.' The doctor said, trying to maintain his surprised state hidden. He wondered what could possibly make this cold man show some kind of emotions. He reckoned that, even if one would point a knife at his neck, his expression would not change.
Three months, the man pondered. The time matched, the last night they spent together was indeed that long ago ... what a joke.
The political marriage he had with his wife had the sole purpose of producing an heir. They had tried for three years already, with no results for all this time. He was even beginning to give up since longer than a year ago, after two years of trying. And he finally gave up, when the accident one month ago, rendered her in the current comatose state.
The most expected baby, the child that would have solidified the bonds between their families would not see the light of day. It wasn't possible for a coma patient to give birth, right?
'So what happens now? Can a coma patient give birth?' The man asked casually, but did not have any expectations for a positive solution.
'It has happened before, the patient can still successfully carry the pregnancy to term, even in her current state. The probability is not high, but it is also not zero.
The major trauma your wife suffered during the accident was at her head, specifically her brain. The rest of her body had no major problems.
If her body is cared for appropriately there is a thirty percent chance of keeping the babies.' The doctor started to explain, he was not sure of what the man intended to do with the information, but he was certain that he must share all the data he held.
'Babies?' The man asked, interrupting the doctor.
'Yes, the ultrasound showed two heartbeats and, from the information we got from the OBGYN, the babies are identical twins.'
'Gender?' The man asked summarily.
'We cannot determine it accurately at twelve weeks, but from the look of the ultrasound they should be boys.' The doctor said, finally noticing a little emotion from the man's face, even though it was only his eyebrows lowered in a frown.
'Use all the money necessary, the cost is not an issue. Keep those babies alive, doctor!' The man said, giving one final look to the woman on the bed, before walking out the door.
The doctor was stunned, he had never seen a more concise person before this man. The talk took at most 10 minutes, and the man had already decided on the next course of action. He guessed the quote he was known of saying "time means money" fitted him like a glove.
'President, your mother called while you were in the room. I have informed her you will call her back!' His assistant informed him, as he handed him his phone.
The man took the phone, while he was still walking down the hallways, and directly put it near his ear, as the assistant had already dialed the number.
The ongoing call was picked up by the other person not even 2 seconds later.
'Well, how is it?' His mother asked, without even exchanging a greeting.
'I will still keep her on life-support. There's a thirty percent chance she will be able to bring the pregnancy to a full term!' He briefly informed his mother. He was not even surprised of how she knew of the pregnancy. Who else had the authority, other than him, to make his assistant order the doctors to do a DNA test ... She was a pragmatic person, just like always.
'A boy or a girl?' His mother simply asked.
'Two boys, twins!' He answered.
'Good. Then the chances should go up a bit. Perhaps, at least one of them might survive.'
'Yes.' He calmly answered, then lowered his hand and returned the phone to his assistant, he did not have the custom of personally carrying it at work.
There was no need to check if his mother had something more to say. The conversation between them had unfolded like this since childhood. One person would ask and the other would simply inform.
That was the norm between them. In fact just now, the conversation was a bit longer than it usual was.
'What's next on the schedule?' The man asked, as they waited for the elevator.
'A meeting with mister Michaels. I have already prepared the contract, it is in the car. There should be enough time for you to read it until we reach his office. Then lunch with Mister Jones, and after ...' The assistant swiftly informed him of his schedule, as the elevator's door opened, having finally reached their floor.
The man no longer spoke, only listened to the rest of the things that were on his to do list for the day. It seemed that even coming to the hospital was one of them.
Three months later
'Sir the hospital called!' Ryan Jacobs, informed, as he briskly entered. The news he was about to give his boss, had left him stunned.
'What is it? The caesarian was scheduled one month later, as far as I remember. Did they move it up?' Asked the cold man, frowning.
The pregnancy of his wife was only at six months currently. Against all odds, the doctors did indeed manage to keep both babies alive until now. A team of doctors cared for his wife 24/7. Could something have happened to them, or his wife?
'No sir, that's not why they called ... it is because?' Ryan said, trying to catch his breath.
' Speak up, Ryan, what is it?' Asked the man again, getting impatient.
'Your wife, sir. S-she woke up!'
'Beep!'
'Beep!'
The heart rate machine could be heard clearly in the deafening silence, it was a sound that showed she was still alive, a sound that should have made the husband, who was looking down at her, sigh in relief. But in reality, this particular sound had no effect on the calm looking man.
The heart rate of this man was normal, and his heart would probably still beat at a normal rate even if hers stopped. His cold handsome visage would probably not sketch the slightest of emotions, even if she drew her last breath.
A stranger looking at them, could not even tell this was her husband, if it weren't for the matching wedding band he wore on his ring finger, mirroring the one she had on hers.
He kept fidgeting around with that said ring, as though he was feeling uncomfortable wearing it, and wanted nothing more than to take it off.
'So, you are saying she is pregnant?' He coldly asked, taking his eyes from the bed and directing them towards her attending physician, without giving her another cold glance.
'Yes, she is. I know you wanted to terminate the life-support, but we ran one last check to make sure there was indeed no brain activity left.
The blood work that accompanied the last checkup showed her body is producing the HCG hormone, or commonly known as the pregnancy hormone.
We also did an ultrasound to confirm it, and she is indeed pregnant.' The doctor briefly explained. He had already started to sweat since he came in the room, but now the air became even more chilling.
To inform one of the most powerful men in the country and the owner of the hospital he was working at, of his wife's state, he felt like he was testifying in front of a judge who was moments away from sentencing him to the death penalty, should some of his words slip in any way.
'Hmmm...' was the only vague reply he got from the stern man, signifying that he was listening and that he should continue.
'We have informed your assistant first, mister Jacobs, as we were instructed before, and the gentleman told us to also run a DNA test against your blood sample from the blood bank. The DNA matches with a probability of 99,999%. You are the father, sir!' The doctor explained.
It was the first time, any problems he had with a patient were run through an assistant rather the immediate kin, but he did not dare comment on it, nor on the fact that he was asked to do a paternity test as well.
The director of the hospital, who unfortunately was away traveling and was not here to give the news himself, had previously informed him that the patient's husband would most likely never come to visit, and any problems he might have to just discuss with that person's assistant.
A few days ago, unfortunately the woman's brain waves disappeared completely and the comatose state transformed into a persistent vegetative state.
As he was ordered to, the doctor called the assistant who, after consulting with the person in front of him, informed him to cut the life-support of the patient.
As the hospital's protocol dictated one last final checkup to be done, he performed all the necessary tests, concluding with the situation they were currently in.
'Alright, I understand. How far along is the pregnancy?' The gentleman asked, still devoid of any visible emotions on his face.
'From the ultrasound, the pregnancy is estimated to be at the end of the first trimester, In months that would be three months.' The doctor said, trying to maintain his surprised state hidden. He wondered what could possibly make this cold man show some kind of emotions. He reckoned that, even if one would point a knife at his neck, his expression would not change.
Three months, the man pondered. The time matched, the last night they spent together was indeed that long ago ... what a joke.
The political marriage he had with his wife had the sole purpose of producing an heir. They had tried for three years already, with no results for all this time. He was even beginning to give up since longer than a year ago, after two years of trying. And he finally gave up, when the accident one month ago, rendered her in the current comatose state.
The most expected baby, the child that would have solidified the bonds between their families would not see the light of day. It wasn't possible for a coma patient to give birth, right?
'So what happens now? Can a coma patient give birth?' The man asked casually, but did not have any expectations for a positive solution.
'It has happened before, the patient can still successfully carry the pregnancy to term, even in her current state. The probability is not high, but it is also not zero.
The major trauma your wife suffered during the accident was at her head, specifically her brain. The rest of her body had no major problems.
If her body is cared for appropriately there is a thirty percent chance of keeping the babies.' The doctor started to explain, he was not sure of what the man intended to do with the information, but he was certain that he must share all the data he held.
'Babies?' The man asked, interrupting the doctor.
'Yes, the ultrasound showed two heartbeats and, from the information we got from the OBGYN, the babies are identical twins.'
'Gender?' The man asked summarily.
'We cannot determine it accurately at twelve weeks, but from the look of the ultrasound they should be boys.' The doctor said, finally noticing a little emotion from the man's face, even though it was only his eyebrows lowered in a frown.
'Use all the money necessary, the cost is not an issue. Keep those babies alive, doctor!' The man said, giving one final look to the woman on the bed, before walking out the door.
The doctor was stunned, he had never seen a more concise person before this man. The talk took at most 10 minutes, and the man had already decided on the next course of action. He guessed the quote he was known of saying "time means money" fitted him like a glove.
'President, your mother called while you were in the room. I have informed her you will call her back!' His assistant informed him, as he handed him his phone.
The man took the phone, while he was still walking down the hallways, and directly put it near his ear, as the assistant had already dialed the number.
The ongoing call was picked up by the other person not even 2 seconds later.
'Well, how is it?' His mother asked, without even exchanging a greeting.
'I will still keep her on life-support. There's a thirty percent chance she will be able to bring the pregnancy to a full term!' He briefly informed his mother. He was not even surprised of how she knew of the pregnancy. Who else had the authority, other than him, to make his assistant order the doctors to do a DNA test ... She was a pragmatic person, just like always.
'A boy or a girl?' His mother simply asked.
'Two boys, twins!' He answered.
'Good. Then the chances should go up a bit. Perhaps, at least one of them might survive.'
'Yes.' He calmly answered, then lowered his hand and returned the phone to his assistant, he did not have the custom of personally carrying it at work.
There was no need to check if his mother had something more to say. The conversation between them had unfolded like this since childhood. One person would ask and the other would simply inform.
That was the norm between them. In fact just now, the conversation was a bit longer than it usual was.
'What's next on the schedule?' The man asked, as they waited for the elevator.
'A meeting with mister Michaels. I have already prepared the contract, it is in the car. There should be enough time for you to read it until we reach his office. Then lunch with Mister Jones, and after ...' The assistant swiftly informed him of his schedule, as the elevator's door opened, having finally reached their floor.
The man no longer spoke, only listened to the rest of the things that were on his to do list for the day. It seemed that even coming to the hospital was one of them.
Three months later
'Sir the hospital called!' Ryan Jacobs, informed, as he briskly entered. The news he was about to give his boss, had left him stunned.
'What is it? The caesarian was scheduled one month later, as far as I remember. Did they move it up?' Asked the cold man, frowning.
The pregnancy of his wife was only at six months currently. Against all odds, the doctors did indeed manage to keep both babies alive until now. A team of doctors cared for his wife 24/7. Could something have happened to them, or his wife?
'No sir, that's not why they called ... it is because?' Ryan said, trying to catch his breath.
' Speak up, Ryan, what is it?' Asked the man again, getting impatient.
'Your wife, sir. S-she woke up!'
End of The convenient marriage Chapter 1. Continue reading Chapter 2 or return to The convenient marriage book page.