When Ariana awoke from her slumber, she found herself in the bed. As consciousness gradually returned, she instinctively held her lower abdomen with nervous anticipation. The memory of the searing pain in that region before she succumbed to unconsciousness still lingered. Had she lost her baby?

"Fear not, for your baby is safe and sound." As if sensing her thoughts, a reassuring voice interrupted her anxiousness.

Relief flooded through Ariana, a cascading wave extinguishing her earlier fears. She suddenly became aware of a presence beside her. Turning, she saw a tall, slender doctor donned in a white coat, his gold-rimmed spectacles on. His youthful countenance spoke of a man in his mid-twenties.

“Are you okay? Do you still feel bad?" Inquisitively, the male doctor cast a sidelong glance at the array of medical apparatus. Every reading was within the bounds of normalcy, except for a slight drop in blood pressure—a common occurrence for those rousing from a coma.

It was this doctor's cool and collected voice that resonated in Ariana's ears as she stirred from her half-awakened state. Suddenly, she recalled that she had uttered some words during that haze, but she could not remember exactly what she had said and did not dare to ask the doctor in front of her.

Did the male doctor know that she was pregnant? And how was Theodore, her heart yearned to know. The train of thoughts sent bolts of pain through her head!

“You need to have a good rest these days. And try not to think too much." The doctor hit the nail on the head!

Ariana obediently adhered to the doctor's advice, banishing her thoughts. She gazed up at him, curiosity dancing in her eyes.

"How do you discem the tumult of my ruminations?"

“As a physician, you are but a patient under my watchful eye. I possess an intimate familiarity with your condition, even the worrisome whispers that permeate your mind." He cast a fleeting glance her way, deftly adjusting the infusion's tempo.

“Fear not, for though the reasons behind your plea to keep your pregnancy secret startle me, I honor your wishes and have not divulged this secret to another soul."

Ariana brimmed with gratitude toward him, marveling at his ability to perceive her afflictions with a mere glance. Casting her gaze on the nameplate on the doctor's white coat, she cleared her parched and raspy throat.

"I extend my sincerest gratitude, Dr. Chadwick."

Mitchel Chadwick maintained his professional countenance, unwavering in his serious demeanor.

"Also, don't talk too much in the coming days to aid your vocal cords in their gradual recovery. They were injured by the billows of smoke, necessitating a gradual convalescence."

“Okay.” Ariana replied hoarsely, her nod an affirmation of his counsel.

“By the way, is Theodore, who occupies the adjacent bed, your husband?” Mitchel queried as he drew back the white curtain.

The mention of Theodore’s name in such a detached and dispassionate manner caused Ariana to momentarily freeze, for others had always uttered his name with utmost deference and courtesy.

She turned her gaze toward the neighboring bed, finding it bereft of its occupant, yet the tousled quilt and disheveled pillow suggested recent occupancy.

"Theodore awoke prior to you and was escorted by the nurse for a thorough examination,” Mitchel explained.