Chapter 319 - Save The Baby!

Three days later.

The couple's entourage left the hospital and went home.

Caroline becomes a hands-on mom again to the newborn babies aided by the housemaid.

She was putting baby Jasmine to sleep, rocking the crib gently, and hummed a lullaby. She glanced at baby Gabriel's sleeping soundly in his crib.

Alex already reported to his office for work.

The housemaid entered the bedroom to take the baby's laundry. She was now using soft cotton clothing for the twin's diapers, based on her sister Catherine's suggestion because the twins developed rashes on their bottoms against commercially made diapers.

As soon she used clothe diapers, their rashes disappeared.

~

One week later. Weekend.

Early morning.

Caroline was relaxing in the garden near the pool area with the twins, accompanied by the housemaid. The babies need to get their early morning sunshine.

Her phone rang suddenly. She checked the caller - it's just her twin sister.

"Hello, sis! Good morning!" she greeted her.

"Good morning, sis! Wazzup? Hows the baby's rashes?" Catherine asked.

"The rashes were gone the moment I switched to the cloth diaper. Thanks for your advice, sis!" she said.

"Don't mention it. So, how's life with Alex?" Catherine asked again.

"So far, so good...he is an attentive father to the twins and a perfect husband to me. I couldn't ask for more," she answered.

"That's good! Are you happy with him?" Catherine gauged deeper, trying to gauge the condition of the couple's relationship with each other.

"Yes, I'm happy with him. I finally found the peace that I'm craving for," she answered with a smile.

"Nice to hear that. I hope Alex will not change with his treatment towards you," Catherine said.

"I hope too," she replied.

"Okay, since everything is good at your end, I'll say bye for now. I'll talk to you some other time. Bye, sis!" Catherine said.

"Bye, sis! Take care!" she said and ended their conversation.

She placed the phone on the side table. She saw Alex coming to the garden.

Alex smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead. He lifted baby Gabriel from his crib and put him in his arms, then faced the sunshine while kissing the baby's covered hands. "How are you, son?" he asked, initiating a conversation with his baby.

Caroline smiled and looked at her daughter, baby Jasmine in her arms. "Baby, daddy is here!" she said.

Alex put baby Gabriel gently back into the crib and took baby Jasmine in his arms. "Ah, my beautiful daughter who looks like her mother. How are you, baby?" he asked while nuzzling on the baby's feet.

Caroline smiled and picked up baby Gabriel in her arms and faced the sunshine together with Alex.

She looked at him. "Are you going somewhere today?" she asked him.

Alex shook his head. "Nah, I will stay here the whole day, including tomorrow. Saturday and Sunday are strictly family day for me. While Monday to Friday is working days. As much as possible, I would like to spend quality time with my wife and my twins," he said. He used to dream about this scenario for a long time... the twins, Caroline and him. And now it's finally happening in real life! He's a complete person now.

Caroline beamed. Alex's attitude never changed. He stays the same towards her. He's always been a family-oriented man. When she was still pregnant with the twins, he seldom goes outside during weekends and always stays with her in the house, unless some instances require his urgent presence. Most of the time, it's all about work and business, and nothing more.

She was thankful that his life only revolves around work, her, and the babies. He is a perfect husband to her and a perfect father to their children.

"Where do you want to eat breakfast? In the dining room or the gazebo?" he asked.

"In the gazebo," she replied.

Alex instructed the maid to bring the breakfast dishes to the gazebo. "Josie, we'll have breakfast in the gazebo," he ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" The housemaid nods her head and left the garden, going to the house.

A few minutes later.

The housemaids already finished arranging the food on the table inside the gazebo.

The couple entered the gazebo to eat breakfast while the maid watched over the twins.

Alex and Caroline enjoyed eating the breakfast dishes consisted of fish steak, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, ham, and slice bread with strawberry jam.

After eating, the housemaids took the dirty dishes, bringing them to the kitchen.

The couple stayed in the garden until 9:00 in the morning and went back to the house for the twin's bath and feeding.

The day went well for the couple. They were happily contented spending time with their twins and the company of each other.

~

Meanwhile, at the Glory Tower.

Mike and Althea were sitting on the couch watching a movie together, when suddenly...Althea's tummy, the lower part of her abdomen, began hurting.

"Oh my God, my tummy is painful! The baby is kicking my tummy hard," she complained.

Mike looked at her worriedly. "If the pain persists, I'll bring you now to the hospital. This week is your expected delivery of the baby. You will be giving birth anytime," he said.

"Okay, let's just observe my situation for a few hours," she replied.

The second contraction came again, and this time Althea was reduced to tears. "I'm getting scared to give birth!" she said aloud.

"Calm down...stay here... I'll get your bag from the room!" he said. He stood up and went to the kitchen to inform the maid that they are going to the hospital. "Bring the bag to my car in the parking lot, hurry up!" he ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" the maid left the kitchen and went to the room to get the bag.

Mike and Althea went to the elevator.

Fifteen minutes later.

Mike and his entourage are on their way to the nearest hospital where Althea usually goes for her monthly prenatal check-up.

When they arrived at the hospital, Mike booked a private room for Althea, located on the 5th floor of the building.

Althea only stayed in the private room for one hour because her OB was worried about her condition. Althea was having difficulty with her breathing due to pain, anxiety, and panic attack.

Althea was immediately brought to the delivery room. During labor, she undergoes cardiac arrest... there is no time left...if the mother can no longer push the baby out of her w.o.m.b...

The OB was shaking her head in alarm and decided to save the baby. "Let's perform a cesarean operation, now!" she told everyone around the table.

The OB and the nurses work immediately with rapid precision making an incision on Althea's abdomen to save the baby without informing the husband outside.

A few hours later, they finally saved the baby, and miraculously, Althea's heart began beating again. However, it's just a faint beating, which means she's still not out of danger yet. The OB and the nurses still feel worried.

The OB exited the delivery room, tired and feeling fatigued. She motioned for Mike to sit down with her on the bench. "Mike, I'm sorry to tell you that Althea suffered cardiac arrest while in labor. Her heart stopped beating for a few minutes, so I decided to perform a quick cesarean operation to save the baby. Thankfully the baby is saved..." she said.

Mike's face paled paperwhite as panic and fear gripped his entire being. "W-what about my w-wife, doc?" he asked in a trembling voice.

The OB sighed. "I have to be honest with you, even though your wife's heartbeat miraculously returned... we still need to observe her condition in the next 48 hours," she said.

"If there are no complications in the next 48 hours, she will survive...but she needs to stay in the hospital for one week because we will run several tests on her to assess her condition better so that we can give you a clear diagnosis..." she explained.

After she finished talking to Mike, the OB returned to the delivery room.

A few minutes later, a flurry of activity took place outside the room. Althea was taken out of the room and transferred into the ICU for further observation. The baby was delivered to the nursery room.

Silence took over the hallway.

Mike sat on the bench, still railing from what just happened to Althea.

A few minutes later, he fished out the phone from the pocket of his pants and placed a call to his mother.

Susan's voice came at the other end. "Hello...son...how's it going?" she asked.

"Mom, Althea suffered cardiac arrest while in labor. They performed a cesarean operation on her. The baby is alive, but Althea is in serious condition. She was transferred to the ICU for further observation. The OB says that if she survives in the next 48 hours, there's a big chance that her life can be saved, if not...." he choked on his last words, unable to go on.

"Son... calm down...take a deep breath... everything's going to be fine. Stay strong for Althea and your baby. I'll come to the hospital right away!" Susan said in a calm voice.

"Thank you, Mother," Mike said and ended the call.