Darker The Forbidden Berry

Chapter 9

Aja was floating in sweet, silent warmth. It felt like arms around as someone whispered sweet nothings in her ear. When her heavy eyes fluttered open, she realized someone did have their arms around her. Their lips were pressed to her smoothed back hair. She groaned a little and looked side to side, taking in the outdated wallpaper speckled with pastel birds and dots. The fluorescent lights made her head pound and all she could do was groan and turn over as her stomach lurched.

Finn held a garbage can for her as she emptied the contents of her stomach, rubbing her back gently.

“They said the medication might make you sick.”

“Medication?” Aja gasped between heaves. “I-I’m in the hospital.”

Finn nodded solemnly, stroking her hair gently.

“You’re anemic, apparently.”

“What? No one…I’ve never been diagnosed as Anemic!”

Aja had a slim frame, but she’d always been told she was healthy. Why the hell was she suddenly Anemic now?

“It’s because of the pregnancy,” Finn said softly, answering her silent question.

Aja groaned and flopped back onto her back, one arm over her forehead as she finally started to catch her breath.

“What happened, Finn?” She whispered softly.

“You passed out on the trail. We had not eaten enough that day, and you in particular had not had enough protein.”

She wracked her brain to try and come up with what she’d eaten that day, but before she could finish the thought, a woman with braided hair, dark skin and a long white lab coat entered. She smiled pleasantly at both of them, looking between them.

“How are we doing today?” She asked, pulling her clipboard to her chest and crossing her arms over it.

“I’ve been better,” Aja murmured, her eyes closed as she tried to ease the rolling of her stomach.

The doctor smiled and walked over, setting down a muffin wrapped in plastic.

“Make yourself eat that and you will feel worlds better.”

Finn helped her sit up and opened the muffin, offering it to her as the doctor continued.

“You’re okay and your baby is okay,” she started, sitting down in the second chair in the room, crossing her legs. “But you need to make sure that you are eating appropriately. It can be hard for new mothers to gauge how much food they should be eating. You need to make sure you’re eating an extra 500 to 1000 calories a day depending on how active you plan on being. My guess is, that your short hike was too much exertion. Your body went into shut down. Luckily it was not too bad by the time you got to us. You’ll recover just fine.”

“So will Bean,” Finn said, taking her hand and patting it.

“Bean?” The doctor asked.

“It’s what we call our baby,” Aja said, her head and hands starting to steady as she ate the muffin. “We don’t want to know if it’s a boy or girl, so we just call them Bean for now.”

The doctor cracked a smile and nodded.

“Bean will be just fine. Just make sure you’re meeting those calorie needs,” she said, handing a stack of pamphlets over to Finn.

He took them gratefully and tucked them into his jacket pocket before putting his arm back around Aja. The doctor stood and looked between them.

“You will be okay to leave in a few hours Aja,” she motioned to an IV pump. “We gotta get the rest of that in you,”

Aja nodded and her whole body became steady as she ate the last of the muffin. The doctor turned and left and Aja put her head on Finn’s shoulder.

“I did not realize I was not eating enough,” she murmured.

Finn nodded and kissed her forehead. “I did not either,” he said softly, falling silent.

Finn was far from the quiet type. He usually filled empty space and silence. He was the type of guy who would crack a joke and lighten the mood when things got too tense, but not today. Today he was silent, his arm curled around her as he rocked her back and forth, his eyes closed.

“Are you okay?” Aja asked gently, looking up at him.

For a long moment he did not answer, and when he finally did, his voice was tight with emotion.

“I got really scared,” he whispered, looking at her. “I was terrified that something was going to happen to you or Bean, and I…I wouldn’t get to tell you what I’ve been thinking about the past few weeks.”

“Well… I’m okay now. We can talk all you want,”

He turned to look at her, his eyes bright with what she was shocked to realize were tears.

“I care about you, Aja. Sh*t, I think I love you,” he whispered, running his hand up and down his cheek. “I think I really love you. My heart aches when you aren’t around and I just want to spend all my time with you. I’ve never felt that for anyone before.”

Aja’s heart nearly stopped at the admittance. She wrapped her arms around Finn and pulled him close, chewing on her lower lip. Her heart had started back up again and was beating just a little too fast.

“Say it again?” She whispered.

“I love you,”

“Again,” she pleaded, planting a gentle kiss on his lips.

They went back and forth like this for a while before Aja finally pressed one last kiss to his forehead, a smile on her face and tears running down her cheeks.

“I love you too,” she finally murmured. “I think I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you.”

“And you did not say anything until now?” He teased.

She put her head on his chest and closed her eyes. They sat in that warm silence for a long time, taking in what they’d just admitted to each other. She had his hand tucked between her own hands and gently rubbed it, humming softly.