All Out of Love

"Lucille, why are you crying? Baby Selwyn's fine," Colin said as he came into my hospital room, holding a thermos. "He just needs a few more days in the nursery. Don't worry about it!"

He saw my tears and rushed over, fumbling to wipe them off.

I pulled away from him, my stomach turning. I turned to the side and gagged, using the moment to break free from his arms. His touch made me feel sick.

Colin pulled back his arms, looking uncomfortable. Then, he picked up the thermos.

"Drink some water, Lucille. I got these pills from the nurse. Take them and get some sleep. You'll feel better after a rest."

I stared at the pills in his hand, his words to the doctor still ringing in my ears. Just when I thought my heart was completely numb, a fresh wave of pain hit me.

"What are these?" I asked, staring him down.

Colin avoided my gaze, looking uneasy.

"It's just some cold medicine. You fell in the pool and were really shaken up. You should take something so you don't get sick," he explained.

"I'm not taking them. I need to breastfeed Baby Selwyn. I can't just take any medication."

Colin paused for a second, his voice softening as he said, "I get that Baby Selwyn's important, but your health comes first. I'll make sure he gets fed. You just focus on getting your strength back. I know someone…"

He glanced at me, then quickly turned his gaze away.

"Yeah, you know, Sandy. Her baby was born too early and didn't make it, but she's still producing milk. It'd be a shame for it to go to waste, so I asked her to help feed Baby Selwyn."

Colin's words hit me like a punch to the gut. I never imagined he would be bold enough to go this far.

I was so stunned that I didn't resist when he shoved the pills into my mouth. The bitter taste coated my tongue, sinking like a weight in my chest.

A second later, a sharp pain sliced through my abdomen. It was so intense, I thought I might black out. A warm rush of fluid ran down my legs, and in no time, bright red blood soaked through the clean sheets underneath me.

In my foggy state, I heard Colin's frantic voice. "Doctor! Get over here! She's bleeding out!"

They rushed me back into the operating room. I could hear frantic footsteps and nurses shouting in tense, urgent voices.

"Get to the blood bank. She's losing too much blood!"

"This is bad. We're running low…"

Then, everything went dark.

…

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Colin, his face drained of color.

"Lucille, you're awake! You lost a lot of blood. The blood bank was low, so I gave mine to help save you. How are you feeling?" he asked.

He glanced at me, shifting awkwardly as he continued, "The doctor said falling into that freezing pool in the dead of winter messed up your uterus. That's why you hemorrhaged. You won't be able to… have kids anymore."