THE DAY AFTER DISCHARGE
TOM SHIRE HOSPITAL, CHILDRENS WARD, 8:00AM
VANESSA'S POV
I held Murphy's tiny hand in mine as he smiled sweetly at me.
"Mama is so pwetty," he said, his big eyes wide and sincere.
I chuckled softly at his sweetness. "Thank you, baby. You are pretty too."
His smile grew even wider. He tried to clap, so I released his hand, and when he was done, he stretched both arms back toward me. I took one and lifted it to my lips, kissing his tiny fingers.
"Mama," he called gently. "Can I have an appul?"
"Of course, baby." I kissed him again before standing. "I'll be right back."
I stepped out of the section and headed toward the chief matron's desk. I needed to be polite. This was my son after all.
"Good day," I greeted.
She glanced up from the folders she was reviewing. "Murphy Styles. Where are you headed?"
"He asked for apples."
"Alright. I'll assign a nurse immediately to monitor him."
"Okay. Thank you."
I gave Murphy one more glance before stepping out of the ward.
***
I arrived at a nearby shopping centre where groceries and fresh fruits were sold. I scanned through the stalls, hunting for the freshest, juiciest green apples Murphy would love.
I picked out a few, turned toward the counter—
and froze.
A voice I had prayed never to hear again slipped too easily into the air.
"Nessa… is that you?"
My heart lurched. I walked quickly toward the counter and joined the queue.
But then a hand grabbed me.
"Nessa. It's me, Daniel."
Of course it's you, I thought bitterly.
I slid my hand out of his grip and turned to face him, my expression cold and composed.
"As much as I'd love to stay for a chat, my son is in the hospital and needs these apples."
I prayed for the queue to move—anything to get away.
"What's the problem, Nessa?"
"He has been frail since birth," I said sharply. "And stop calling me Nessa before someone thinks I'm onto you."
"But Nessa," he persisted, the idiot. "We dated in the past and..."
I cut him off. "Yes, we dated, until you looked me in the face and told me you didn't see a future with me. And that you were travelling abroad on a fully-funded PhD scholarship. Am I wrong? No. I'm not."
He went silent. What could he possibly say? I had spoken the whole truth.
The queue finally moved. I paid quickly and walked out before he could try again.
***
Back at the hospital, I took the stairs because the elevator light was red. As I reached the children's ward. I saw commotion.
Before I could react, the matron pulled me aside.
"Madam, the moment you left, your son became irritable and his body turned very cold. We checked his oxygen saturation—it was below 90%. We put him on oxygen and ran a haemoglobin test." She paused. "It showed that your son's blood volume is low."
My pulse raced. My worst fear… creeping closer.
"We need a blood transfusion right now."
I grabbed her hand, nearly begging. "Please, Matron. I can't call my husband now. He's... in the middle of something. And my blood doesn't match his. I'm AB+ and he's B+. Can the hospital give their own blood? I'll pay."
She sighed. "I'll talk to the medical team."
"And one more thing," I whispered urgently, holding her hand tighter. "I don't want the test results added to his folder."
"I'll talk to the team about that too."
She walked briskly toward the gathering of doctors. I turned away and shut my eyes. My heart was pounding faster than someone running a marathon.
"Madam."
I spun around.
"All your requests have been approved. You've been asked to make payment immediately."
I sighed in relief and nodded.
***
Two Days After the Transfusion
Tom Shire Hospital — 9:00 AM
"Your son is alright now," the paediatrician said warmly. "He'll be okay to go home tomorrow afternoon."
"Alright. Thank you very much. I'm grateful for your help."
He smiled and walked out.
Murphy was sleeping peacefully, his soft breathing making my heart bloom with relief. For the first time in days, I felt at peace.
Then I heard heels approaching. I turned and saw Mrs. Styles and Julian walking toward us.
She stopped in front of me, offering no greeting.
"You have worked hard, as you should. Julian and I will take over till tomorrow. Go home and rest."
I nodded. Julian gave me a gentle smile—though the dark eyebags under his eyes made my chest tighten. Whenever he looked like that, it meant he was handling a huge business deal and he didn't want to mess up.
"The driver is waiting for you, my love," Julian said as he stepped closer. "Make sure you rest." He kissed my forehead softly.
I smiled, said goodbye, and left.
The drive home was quick. I showered, changed, and collapsed into bed.
I woke up exactly at 3:00 PM. I was about to stand when Felicity burst through the door.
"Miss Vanessa! Sir Julian called. He said you should come quickly to the hospital."
I jumped out of bed, dressed hastily, and ran to the car. A huge trailer had broken down on the road, causing terrible traffic. My leg bounced the entire journey.
The moment we arrived, I rushed into the elevator—thankfully free—and went straight to the children's ward.
Mrs. Styles walked up to me. Before I could speak—
SLAP.
The sound cracked through the ward. My face stung sharply.
"Oh dear… painful, is it?" she asked slowly, almost gently. "Well, that is how my son felt when the test results showed that Murphy isn't his son."
My ears rang. My cheek throbbed. And my pulse raced.
My greatest fear…
had come true.