Thanks for your reviews Kelly & EC Brenway!

Kelly - I love Hetty too looking after our Chloe!

EC - Elly losing her mind by claiming the baby is hers...why would any of her friends and family think that lol!?

The Chemistry In Darkness

Chapter Eighty-Six

Monday 3rd March 2025

Elly wanted to burst into tears when she walked into Chloe's hospital room, seeing her unconscious, hooked up to a bunch of monitors and the dressing covering Chloe's stomach where the bullet had been removed from her mate. Elly fought the feeling of wanting to cry, especially in front of the doctor before he left her with Chloe.

Elly immediately brought the chair sitting by the window over next to Chloe's bed, sat down and took Chloe's hand in her own, then found herself leaning forwards and burying her head against Chloe's shoulder, sobbing gently at how close she'd come to losing Chloe. Pleading for Chloe to wake up soon so she could be reassured her mate would recover from Pierce's attack on them.

Elly soon fell asleep against Chloe, exhausted from worrying about what her future might hold with Chloe or their baby.

Nurses came and went over the next couple hours, checking on Chloe, waiting for her to wake up whilst letting the woman beside her sleep peacefully.

Several hours later, Chloe's eyelids finally started fluttering open. She barely had a chance to take in her surroundings when a nurse, already tending to her, came to her aid, and explained where she was and the surgery that she'd just endured.

Taking it all in that she'd been shot and had surgery to remove the bullet, with her memory of the moments hazy, Chloe took a sip of water that the nurse offered her before she went off to let the doctor know she was awake.

Chloe knew she should've asked about the baby, it was the only thing on her mind as soon as she recognized she was in hospital, but she was too scared that she's only end up heartbroken by news that she'd lost the baby.

Chloe blinked then smiled as she finally realized that Elly was lying against her, with her head buried against her shoulder. She felt some wetness against her shoulder, realized Elly had cried herself to sleep.

As Chloe was about to reach out her hand to stroke Elly's hair and wake her up, the doctor strode into the room and was soon checking her over. Elly sleeping through when the doctor started talking to Chloe about the surgery and asking how she was feeling, convinced Chloe to leave Elly sleeping for now, whilst the doctor gave her all the medical jargon spiel. She'd wake Elly when the doctor was gone, feeling like Elly needed as much sleep as she could get.

Even though she wasn't even sure how much sleep werewolves really needed compared to humans. There was still so much about Elly's life as a werewolf that Chloe needed to find out about.

Holding her breath and finding herself squeezing Elly's hand, surprised the move didn't wake her girlfriend, Chloe finally asked the doctor if the baby survived the trauma that she'd endured been shot.

In the few seconds when the question was out of her mouth, Chloe worried that she should've woken Elly first so she had her support if what the doctor told her was that they'd lost the baby.

Is that why Elly was crying? We've lost our miracle baby and she's heartbroken like I'm about to be…?

Chloe wasn't expecting the doctor to tell her that they had yet to be able to confirm if the baby had survived the shooting, that they had been waiting for her to wake up from the surgery before they would do an ultrasound to see if they could see the baby's heart beating.

"Okay," was all Chloe could mutter to the doctor, not sure what else she could say, realizing that Elly didn't know either if their baby was okay.

The doctor then told Chloe that her brothers and some other friends were in the waiting room, that he would let them know that she was awake, beginning to recover from the surgery but that he'd prefer her obstetrician was called in to perform the ultrasound before any of her family clambered in.

Especially if the news wasn't what they were hoping for, Chloe could take some time before wanting to see her family.

Chloe then bristled when the doctor asked her if she wanted to wait for her baby's father to arrive to be there for the ultrasound or if she knew if he'd be expected to be in the waiting room as he didn't really get an answer from her brother the cop.

Are Elly and I gonna face this question every moment of our child's life?

Chloe confidently tilted her head towards the slumbering Elly, "My baby's other parent is here."

The doctor opened and closed his mouth before muttering his acceptance of a child having two mothers.

Chloe nearly rolled her eyes at him as he exited the hospital room but then realizing no one was clambering over her with medical jargon or checking to see how she was feeling, even though the idea of recovering from a gunshot wound spun her out. Chloe leant over to her good side where Elly was sleeping and brushed her hand through Elly's hair.

Elly soon rustled awake, blinking gently, before she panicked remembering where she was.

"Hi," Chloe whispered, smiling softly at Elly.

Elly's eyes widened as she stared at Chloe, "Hi…you're awake…and alive…and smiling at me?"

"Yes, to all of those," Chloe replied gently.

"I should get a nurse and the doctor and get them in here so they can tell us-" Elly started panicking.

"Already done," Chloe revealed "I let you sleep whilst the doctor and nurse gave me the once over and confused me with all their medical terms and exhausted me with…my own inability to be brave enough to…ask them about the baby."

Elly took Chloe's hand, "You should've woken me. I would've been able to tell you we didn't know about the baby yet if we…if the baby is…"

"We're waiting for my obstetrician to arrive to do an ultrasound to tell us the baby is…and I couldn't wake you, you looked like you needed the sleep," Chloe told her, "Like you'd been waiting for me to wake up for hours…and that now I am…I had the feeling you were gonna want to stay up all night long to make sure I stay breathing and you don't lose me."

Elly leant her face to the crook of Chloe's neck, burying her head against her again, "How do you know me so well?"

"Because you're the love of my life and I'd be doing the same thing if you were in this hospital bed," Chloe admitted.

Elly tried not to burst into tears as she brought her head back up staring at Chloe, "I am and you're the love of mine. If it wasn't for you…I wouldn't be in a hospital bed…it'd be so much worse…do you remember what happened?"

Chloe frowned at Elly saying it would be worse had she been in her position, "They just told me I'd had surgery for a gunshot wound."

Elly ran her hand through Chloe's hair comfortingly, "Pierce shot you, Chlo."

Seeing Chloe's eyes widen in shock, Elly pressed her lips to Chloe's forehead before continuing, "Pierce found us on the Island together…we'd been kissing and…he must've seen…"

"And Pierce shot me in revenge?" Chloe wondered, trying to wrap her head around her husband violently attacking her.

Elly took a deep breath, "Pierce was trying to kill me, Chlo…you stepped in front of me and took the bullet for me."

"I did?" Chloe whispered, knowing deep down that she would've done that for Elly to save her.

"It was a silver bullet, Chlo. I don't know how you knew it was a silver bullet…but you did and you knew what would happen to me if he'd shot me with it…you saved my life," Elly admitted.

Chloe reached up, kissing Elly gently, "I don't remember it…but that sounds like something I'd do because I could never live without you, Elly."

Elly rested her forehead against Chloe's, "That's all well and good but I need you to know I can't live without you either…so don't ever do that again, my love."

"I promise," Chloe agreed, then chewed on her lip, "What does silver do to werewolves…? You said I'd have known what would happen but I don't…there's still so much I don't know about you…"

"Silver is poisonous to werewolves…much like most of the lore about us says. Been shot with a silver bullet…there wouldn't be much chance of surviving it…and it'd be a painful…long drawn out…death," Elly revealed sadly.

"Keep all silver away from my werewolf girlfriend," Chloe decided, trying not to dwell on the mere thought of Elly been poisoned.

Try as she might, Chloe's thoughts then turned to Pierce, as she struggled to ask, "Did Pierce…survive…the shooting? I just want to know if I need to be scared that he's still out there and could do this to us again."

Elly nodded, knowing opening up to Chloe about the reason why she'd been shot was because of Pierce meant she was going to have to come clean about what she'd done to Pierce, "Pierce is alive…I didn't kill him…I wolfed out at him for what he did shooting you and our baby…he's here in the hospital. Far as I know, he's been arrested…but there's a complication that I created because, Chlo, the truth is…"

Elly and Chloe turned to the doorway as they were interrupted by Chloe's obstetrician coming into the room. Chloe greeted the woman, suddenly terrified of what she might tell them about their baby within moments, squeezing Elly's hand. The obstetrician explained the ultrasound machine would be brought in within a moment or two and she'd be back with the pair soon to find out if the baby had suffered any trauma.

As the doctor walked back out of the room, Elly looked at Chloe, "Breathe."

"I'm trying to, Elly, what if our baby is…?" Chloe couldn't finish the thought.

"Whatever happens…we will get through this together with Aster," Elly reassured.

"We will," Chloe prayed, then sighed, "I wish I could tell my doctor you're the baby's Mum…wait I kinda did…"

Elly frowned, "You did?"

"My obstetrician is the one doing the DNA and the Huntington's test…which we're still waiting for. I kinda told her that my ex-girlfriend was my baby's parent when I realized it couldn't be Pierce's," Chloe admitted, then added with her tongue against her front teeth, hoping Elly wouldn't be mad at her, "She thinks my ex-girlfriend is…pre-transition."

Elly raised her eyes at Chloe, "This doctor thinks I'm trans? And that I have a penis that impregnated you?"

Chloe raised her shoulders in innocence, "The doctor made the assumption when I said my ex-girlfriend is the baby's parent because I was in shock at knowing it wasn't Pierce's baby and said girlfriend before I thought what it would look like …I just didn't correct her…and tell her you're a werewolf."

Elly shook her head at Chloe, teasingly, "You are so lucky I love you enough to pretend to be whomever I need to be for your doctor to get I'm the baby's Mum."

The couple were soon interrupted again as the doctor returned with one of the nurses dragging the ultrasound machine into the room. The nurse left the room after setting it up, ready for the obstetrician. The doctor greeted Elly, confirming Chloe wanted the woman there during the ultrasound.

Chloe smiled up at Elly, "This is my baby's parent, Elly. I know we're still waiting for the DNA test but…she needs to be here because we both know she's the baby's Mum."

"Ah, the ex-girlfriend," the doctor exclaimed.

"Current and future always girlfriend," Elly corrected confidently, then swallowing deeply, "Can you tell us if our baby is okay?"

The doctor smiled pleasantly at the couple, as she shifted to begin the ultrasound, "As soon as I determine if I can see and hear the baby's heart beating, you two will be the first to know."

Elly froze at the doctor's words.

Idiot! How did I completely forget about our baby's heart beating and the fact that I can hear it…except I haven't heard it since I've been here with Chlo…is it because I've been too distracted worried about Chloe's condition or because…the baby's heart isn't beating…?

Next time - Elly's just having a momentary deafness due to her stress over Chloe's shooting, #ChellyBaby's okay, right?