"She doesn't want to eat; she didn't even glance at the food when it was brought over and just went to sleep."
Blinking her eyes open and staring directly into the wall opposite to the door, Eve slowly sucked into her mouth her upper lip and sighed profoundly as the hushed voice of Maryse penetrated deep into her head.
No, despite what her friend was saying she was far for sleeping, and since she was not deaf she could hear perfectly fine the things she was telling John. It was like this, ever since he walked back into the room and asked how she was doing, the French Canadian began to rant about her not wanting to eat; she also told him that she just got out of the shower and that the doctor came to check on her a little over an hour ago and deemed that she was as good as anyone who delivered a baby the day before could be.
John sounded satisfied about the last part, but then Maryse told him the rest of the 'diagnosis' and his tone changed, he wanted to talk to the doctor himself.
It didn't surprise Eve that he would say that, especially after what the doctor said. According to him, she was not presenting any sign of physical trauma and since the hemorrhage could be controlled soon after the delivery she was perfectly fine. But even though, he still wanted to keep her under observation for six more days because there was always the risk of a postpartum hemorrhage and in case that happened she was going to need a blood transfusion.
"A blood transfusion? But she's alright, isn't she?"
"She's alright, the doctor said that it probably won't come to that but in case it did it was best for her to be here under hospital care. What she needs is to eat, the last thing she ate was a toast and that was this morning. I basically had to push it down her throat."
"That bad?" John asked, his voice low and sounding tired.
"You know how she is, it's a miracle I was able to make her eat at least that."
"Maybe I should I buy her something else." John said, mimicking Maryse's whispering tone and Eve could see them in her mind's eye, standing close together while talking about her. "Maybe she just doesn't like this stuff."
"Maybe, I mean this food is awful." Maryse said and then as an after-thought she added. "But maybe she's like that because she went to see the baby."
"Oh," John said almost in a growl and Eve closed her eyes tight as she automatically brushed her hand to her stomach. It felt weird not to feel a baby bump there; it was almost as if she lost a part of herself that she will always miss. "How did she take it?"
"I don't know… not so good I guess, she hasn't said much since then."
Dragging her hand from her stomach to her face, Eve used the tip of her fingers so she could wipe her stinging eyes. She tried to it without John and Maryse noticing because she didn't want them to know that she was awake.
Yeah, it would have been best if she didn't move at all, but it was just that the memory of that first visit to the NICU was a bitter-sweet memory for her and her eyes were unable to control themselves from tearing up a bit.
Sure, like a nursery nurse kindly told her before taking her to the incubator where her baby was, it was a miracle on itself that the baby survived the trauma of delivery and only for that she should be thankful. And she was, the day before she could only go to sleep when John told her that the baby was alive and even a day after that she couldn't be grateful enough for that miracle…
But earlier that day when she finally saw the baby for the first time it felt as if her heart broke in a thousand pieces and she still wasn't feeling like herself.
Yes, at only two and a half pounds her baby girl was alive, but she was hooked to innumerable machines, her eyes were covered up so the light wouldn't blind her and she was so tiny that she was sure John's hand was bigger than her entire body. She hadn't even been able to hold her delicate little body and she had to be content to watch her through the glass of the incubator while caressing her little arm with one of her fingers.
It was heartbreaking, Eve never considered herself to be a person who would easily allow things to beat her down but in all honesty, seeing her baby like that really got to her.
Maybe it was karma, as she remembered that when she first started to suspect that she was pregnant, the first though to cross her mind was that it better not be true or else she was screwed. Now life was making her pay that thought by putting her baby in a situation where she had to fight for her life.
Feeling the mattress of her hospital bed sinking under the weight of someone sitting on it, Eve opened her eyes as this someone's hand brushed the hair out of her face. "Eve-"
It was John, his voice was unmistakable and when he leaned into her she could even distinguish the scent of him. "Como on, you have to eat something."
"I'm not hungry." The new mom mumbled under her breath and John's hand slid to her arm so it could settle there. She was still showing him her back so she couldn't see him, but she definitely could feel him.
It was funny, that was how it all started. With Eve unable to see him but feeling him nonetheless.
"What about a coffee? I saw a Starbucks down the street; do you want me to get you one?" That was Maryse and without opening her mouth to speak, Eve shook her head no.
She didn't want food or coffee or anything.
"Get her one, she'll drink it." John said and Maryse said something about getting three coffees, one for each.
Once she was gone, John used the hand he had on Eve's arm and gently forced her to sit down. Maybe she didn't know it, but he was going to make her eat her food whether she liked it or not.
"Come on, you know you have to eat something. Let's make a deal, eat half of this and I'll get you one of those ketchup chips you love so much."
"Are you going to Canada to buy them?" Eve asked just because she didn't think he was going to do that.
"Don't you know? I bought like two dozens of them and have them hidden somewhere in my bags… you know, after the first time you said you wanted some of those things and they were nowhere I could find them, I decided to be prepared in case you would ask me once again for them. Sure, that first time I drove to ten different gas stations only to find out they were not sold in the USA. Not that you would know that, I mean when I came back empty handed you were already gone with Maryse."
Shaking her head and smiling a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, the brunette Diva shrugged. "You are crazy," She didn't remember asking John to buy her Ketchup Chips that first time he was talking about, but she did remember that in a few occasions she would mention to him how she would love some and John going away for a while only to come back with a bag for her.
It was amazing, but she never put too much thought to it.
Smiling, John lowered his eyes and moving his hand away, he took hold of the spoon that was set in the tray next to her bed. With it he took some of the potato salad and brought it close to her lips. "Three of these and I'll let you off the hook. Now open up."
Rolling her eyes, Eve opened her mouth and ate what John gave her. It was cold already and the taste was horrendous, but after repeating it three times he did like he said he was going to do and pushed the tray away, leaving only the juice that Eve took to wash down the taste of the food.
Once that was done and still sitting next to her, John fixed his blue eyes on her warm green ones and Eve tilted her head. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," He responded with a sigh as his hand went to scratch his jaw.
Watching him, Eve noticed that he looked as tired as she was feeling. After all he spent the night at the hospital and only when Maryse came back that morning and convinced him to go and rest was when he left, saying that he was just going to take a shower, change and eat something.
He was gone for around four hours and by the looks of him, he didn't spend them sleeping.
"What did you think when you first saw the baby?"
Pushing the corner of his lips with the tip of his tongue, the WWE wrestler arched an eyebrow while keeping his eyes glued to hers. "I thanked God that she was alive… but at the same time I couldn't help but to think that she was so… small."
Feeling his hand slid to hers, Eve nodded, glad that his thoughts were similar to hers.
"I also thought that she was perfect… and that she looks just like you."
"You think so?" She asked because to her to the baby didn't resemble anyone in particular as she was too little to tell. But… "I did notice that she didn't have your ears."
"The Cena ears? These ears are perfect." He said squinting his eyes; then he puffed out a breath and snorted. "Let me see yours." With his other hand he brushed Eve's hair behind her ear and through half closed eyes he observed her. "Meh, they are so and so,"
Eve arched an eyebrow, feeling very aware that even though John lowered the hand away from her hair, his other hand was still taking hers in; his fingers lacing with hers as he focused his eyes back to her face.
In that moment she wanted to ask him if he thought the baby was going to be alright, but instead of doing that and for some reason she couldn't understand, she ended up leaning against him so she could rest her head to his shoulder.
At that unexpected movement, John's free hand went back to her hair, only that instead of brushing it away he just rested it to the back of her neck. For what felt like the longest time ever, the two of them remained like that, each one submerged in their own thoughts.
"John-" Eve started to say and this time she was going to ask about his take on their baby's health; but before she could finish talking, John lifted her face towards his and taking her by surprise but without being forceful, he pressed his lips to hers.
It wasn't the first time he did that… and when she said it she meant kissing her after their fateful night together several months before. Just the previous day he has done it and not once or twice but three times. Back there she hadn't been in her right mind to put too much thought to it but she noticed, something like John kissing her on the lips was hard to overlook.
But this time… this time it was different because one, his lips were lingering longer and two, because… well, because it just felt different.
This time she was more aware of the way his very uncommon stubble was brushing against her skin, on the way his lips were so soft and yet firm and especially on the way his hand was holding her head to his while his fingers delved into her hair.
This time it definitely felt more personal and she was secretly enjoying it. After all it has been a while since she has been kissed like that in that moment more than ever, the human contact was more than welcomed.
Breathing into his kiss, she felt John nudging at her lips with his teeth and soon after his tongue was seeking entrance. She granted it, not even thinking about it, she just parted her lips to him so he could deepen the kiss and entice her with the warmness of his mint flavored tongue.
Tilting her head to the right while he moved his to the left, the two of them kissed long and deep, tongues melting and fusing against one another as they shared the same breath, just like they did on a night long ago; but then, as if the contact was burning her, Eve pulled away from the kiss and before John could say or do anything, she went back to lay down over the bed.
"You shouldn't have done that." She said while turning to her side. Nope, he definitely shouldn't have and she shouldn't have kissed him back.
It was just wrong, their baby was at the neonatal intensive care unit trying to survive so the last thing they should be doing was kissing… and stuff.
Instead of kissing they should be worrying about her and waiting for the next visit so they could see her once again.
John didn't respond to that and after some time where she could still feel him sitting on the bed next to her, he finally got to his feet and left…
