I think we know what's coming up.

Year Two: Blood on Their Hands

Wakanda's Palace - 4:06 AM

Iqadi wakes up in the dark. Her torso and lower are burning. When she tries to move, those parts tense like they're scrunching up into a ball but she forces herself to sit up. This pain isn't real. It's from the dream. Iqadi exhales once she's sitting on the edge of her bed. When she leans forwards to bunch her hair up above her head, the pain is still there but she feels something damp on her torso.

She must've sweated in her sleep but that's fine. That dream was over-exerting her mind anyways. Iqadi figures she'll just rinse off and change before going back to sleep.

When she stands up by sliding off the edge and landing on her feet, her head spins a little. The lightheadedness and dizziness aren't new to her. She just had a haunting dream and she's pregnant.

This is normal, but why doesn't it feel that way? Because of the dream, right?

Iqadi slowly walks to the bathroom, striding through the pain in her body. Turning on the light almost blinded her and her eyes needed a moment to adjust. Iqadi heads over to the sink and turns on some cool water. Her body shivers as she rubs her hands under the tap but, to her surprise, the water running from her hands is tinted red.

Iqadi blinks a few times, thinking her eyes didn't adjust or she was still haunted from the dream. But then she notices some streaks of red along her arms. Iqadi turns off the water, watching the tinted water swirl down the drain. Once it's gone, Iqadi follows the streaks along her arm which eventually end at her body.

That's when she notices her body. Her light-grey pyjamas are stained with blood, darkest around her abdomen but has spread out in all directions. The fabric underneath her breasts is red like her thighs, wrapping around her hips and waist. When she twists her body to see her back, it wasn't as red but there are still some traces.

It becomes more real when Iqadi looks at her reflection in the mirror behind the sink. She sees the red, the blood, all over her torso. There are red streaks on her forehead and temple from when she handled her hair earlier. She feels like she's still in the dream, staring at herself in her worst.

The fire in her body had gone out. She's gone cold from paralytic shock.

No, this can't be real. She's still dreaming. This is just her nightmare. She's looking at herself. This has to be fake.

Iqadi starts pinching herself on the bare parts of her arm. She has to wake up. This has gone too far. Her heart starts racing and tears form in her eyes. Why isn't she waking up? Her body starts to shake and she's struggling to hold back a building pit inside of her that can only be described as a crying scream. Why. Is. She. Not. Waking. Up?

She doesn't know what to do. She can't fathom what she's seeing or what's happening.

It all becomes too much. She can't wake up.

Iqadi backs up to the wall, still being able to see herself. She gives in to her body and screams a sob before sliding down the wall. She still hasn't woken up and she can still see her head in the mirror.

Iqadi turns, blinking out tears as she hears someone rush over to the door. She can hear her breathing and it sounds blocked. She sees her husband and watches his entire face pale in the blink of an eye. Iqadi tilts her head a little, eyes widening when she sees some of her blood dried on his arm that would've been beside her body in bed.

"Imanu…" Iqadi mutters, looking up at him. "This is a dream. Just wake me up. Everything's fine."

Tears fall out of Imanu's eyes as he shakes his head. Why won't he wake her up? He kneels by her side, gently holding her shoulders. He's saying something but nothing registers to her. She only watches his mouth move and, based on reading his lips, he's asking her how long she's been here and what happened. Why doesn't he believe she's dreaming?

Instantly, Iqadi turns over to the side and hurls on her other side. She feels Imanu bunch her hair back with one shaky hand and rubbing her back with his other shaky hand. She isn't sure what came out of her but at least it wasn't blood. Once she thinks she's done, she spits before wiping her mouth with her wrist.

She can't wake up because she's already awake. This is real. Oh, no … it can't be. She won't let this be real but she doesn't know what to do. She can't wrap her head around what happened. Can she cover the baby's ears? The baby!

Iqadi looks at Imanu who's crying as he tries to get her attention. Suddenly, her mind opens up and she hears everything he's saying.

"Please tell me you weren't here for a while…" Imanu mutters, holding back his sobs despite him already breaking down beside her.

How long was she dreaming? Iqadi opens her mouth to respond but nothing comes out. Instead, her body starts to shake as she erupts into a loud cry. She leans into him and he gently wraps his arms around her. She knows that he wants to get help. He should get help but what's stopping him? Does he think he's dreaming? Does he not want to leave her side? Does getting help make this realer?

"Iqadi…" Imanu whispers into her hair. He shushes her comfortingly, kissing her head. "It'll be okay…"

No, it's not and they both know that. She heard his voice crack as he said those words. He can't even convince himself because who can? He takes a deep breath that she feels but then she explodes when the fiery pain returns in her body.

"Imanu…" Iqadi barely says, his name feeling faint on her lips. She raises a hand to hold on to the arm that's wrapped around her, on top of her collarbones. "I had a bad dream and now it hurts everywhere."

"Stay put, I'm going to get someone."

His arms don't even leave her body before Iqadi's body curls into itself, keeping a hold of his arm.

"Save our baby!" Iqadi screams at him.

-o-

Save our baby…

Imanu knew this wasn't good when he heard Iqadi's scream from the bathroom. He never moved so fast in his life but when he reached the bathroom, life has never moved so slow for him. Seeing Iqadi on the floor, covered in her own blood, sweat, tears, and eventually vomit, looking up at him with not a clue in the world as to what's going on … he could never stomach that sight.

Before they were engaged, he saw Iqadi bleeding before him and he had to apply stitches to her forehead ... but this can't compare. The moment right before his eyes makes that memory look like a good day.

Iqadi was out of it, thinking she was dreaming. She even seemed like she was in a trance because when he tried talking to her, easing her, comforting her, she looked at him spaced out.

"Just wake me up…" Iqadi pleaded, folding her hands together and holding them up at him. "Everything will be fine."

She didn't believe it. She thought this was a dream. He knew it the moment he saw her. He wanted this to be a nightmare. There was no recovering from this. This will not be fine.

There's no sugarcoating this. There was no royal protocol or drill or training in the lessons that could've prepared him for this.

Their baby is gone.

He can't say that aloud. He doesn't want to.

Imanu knew he had to get help. But what could they do? There was no recovering from this. It's too late. Damage has been done. Iqadi's still in a trance of denial and he can't leave her. He can't move. He doesn't want to move. He can't leave Iqadi's side like this and he doesn't want to. He doesn't want her to process this reality, not yet, not while she's like this.

But then she said it. She yelled it into the universe, into his face.

"Save our baby!"

She wanted him to do it, not anyone else.

Hopelessly, Imanu bites down on his lips. Iqadi screams in pure agony in his arms, wailing as she grips on his shirt, pulling in it tightly for help. Imanu exhales a bigger cry, holding her close, resting her head against his. She wanted him to do something but he can't, no matter how much he wanted to. What he would give to make all this a dream…

But when he feels Iqadi's grip loosen, he looks down and sees her hand drop to his lap. Imanu starts shaking his head, feeling a panic build from inside of him. He repositions himself on their bathroom floor, gently cupping her head in his hands. When he makes her face him, he sees her eyes closed.

No, no, no, no!

"Help!" Imanu screams as loud as he can. He feels his lungs burning, almost exploding underneath his straining throat. Someone's bound to hear him. "It's my wife!"

I remember planning this chapter. Writing the outline really fucked me up. Writing the actual chapter fucked me up even more.

I hate that this got published on Valentine's Day. I seriously rooted for it to be the chapter where Angela and James got back together.