Author’s POV
The hospital doors opened.
Jay and Percy walked inside together.
Four guards remained outside.
The moment they entered the emergency reception area, Percy immediately approached the desk.
Percy: “She needs a checkup.”
The receptionist looked toward Jay.
Jay stood there calmly, one hand in her pocket, trying to look completely unaffected.
The receptionist nodded.
Receptionist: “We’ll need some basic information first.”
Percy answered before Jay could.
“She’s been feeling dizzy, weak, and she hasn’t been eating properly.”
Jay glanced at him.
Jay: “I can speak for myself.”
Percy looked at her.
Percy: “I know.”
Then he looked back at the receptionist.
“She needs a doctor.”
A few minutes later, a nurse came toward them.
Nurse: “The doctor will see her now.”
Percy immediately asked,
“Female doctor?”
The nurse nodded.
“Yes.”
Percy relaxed slightly.
Jay noticed.
She raised an eyebrow.
Jay: “Seriously?”
Percy: “What?”
Jay: “You specifically asked for a female doctor.”
Percy: “Yes.”
Jay: “Why?”
Percy looked at her like the answer was obvious.
“Because I said so.”
Jay rolled her eyes.
“Controlling.”
“Protective.”
“Same thing.”
“Not even close.”
Jay almost smiled.
They followed the nurse into the examination room.
A FEW MINUTES LATER…
The doctor entered.
She was a woman in her early forties, calm and professional.
She looked at Jay first.
Doctor: “Hi, Jay. I’m Dr. Meera.”
Jay nodded.
Jay: “Hi.”
The doctor looked at Percy.
Doctor: “And you are?”
Percy paused for half a second.
“Her guardian.”
The doctor nodded.
“Alright.”
She turned back toward Jay.
Doctor: “Tell me what you’ve been feeling.”
Jay shrugged.
“Dizziness.”
“Anything else?”
“Tired.”
“Headache?”
“Sometimes.”
“Nausea?”
Jay hesitated.
“A little.”
The doctor noticed the hesitation.
Doctor: “How has your appetite been?”
Jay remained quiet.
Percy answered.
“Bad.”
Jay looked at him.
Jay: “Perse.”
The doctor smiled slightly.
“Let him answer.”
Jay sighed.
The doctor continued.
Doctor: “How long have you been eating poorly?”
Jay shrugged.
“Maybe a day or two.”
Percy immediately looked at her.
“Jay.”
She ignored him.
The doctor looked between them.
“Alright. We’ll check everything properly.”
She began the examination.
Blood pressure.
Pulse.
Temperature.
Basic physical examination.
The doctor asked several questions and took notes.
After a while, her expression became more serious.
Doctor: “I want to run a few tests.”
Jay nodded.
“What kind?”
“Blood work, urine test, and an ultrasound.”
Jay looked at Percy.
Percy nodded.
“Do it.”
Jay gave him an annoyed look.
“I can answer.”
“I know.”
ONE HOUR LATER…
Jay sat on the examination bed.
Percy sat in the chair beside her.
He had barely spoken for the last twenty minutes.
He was waiting.
Watching the door.
Waiting for the doctor to return.
Jay looked at him.
“You look more nervous than me.”
Percy didn’t look at her.
“I’m not nervous.”
“You’ve checked the clock six times.”
“Because they’re taking too long.”
Jay smiled faintly.
“You’re worried.”
Percy finally looked at her.
“Obviously.”
Before Jay could answer— the door opened.
Dr.
Meera walked inside.
She held the reports.
Her expression was difficult to read.
Percy immediately stood.
“Doctor?”
She looked at Jay first.
Then Percy.
“Your test results are back.”
Jay sat straight.
“Okay.”
The doctor took a breath.
“There are several things we need to discuss.”
Percy’s expression immediately became serious.
“Is something wrong?”
The doctor shook her head slightly.
“Not exactly.”
She looked at Jay.
“First, your blood work shows that your body hasn’t been receiving enough nutrition.”
Jay stayed silent.
The doctor continued.
“You’ve been eating very little.”
Percy looked at Jay.
She avoided his eyes.
The doctor glanced at the reports.
“Based on your results and what you’ve told me, it appears you’ve been eating improperly for approximately three days.”
Percy’s expression changed.
“Three days?”
Jay said nothing.
Percy looked at her.
“Jay.”
She still didn’t answer.
The doctor continued.
“And there’s something else.”
Jay looked at her.
The doctor placed the report down.
“You’re pregnant.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Jay stared at the doctor.
Percy froze.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
The doctor gently continued.
“Approximately one month.”
Jay’s lips parted slightly.
“What?”
Percy’s face had gone completely blank.
“Pregnant?”
The doctor nodded.
“Yes.”
Jay looked down.
For the first time since entering the hospital— her calm expression disappeared.
Her eyes filled with tears.
The doctor continued carefully.
“And the ultrasound indicates something quite unusual.”
Percy slowly looked at her.
“What?”
The doctor turned the report toward them.
“There are five developing embryos.”
Percy’s eyes widened.
Jay stopped breathing for a second.
The doctor spoke gently.
“You’re carrying quintuplets.”
Five.
Five babies.
Five tiny lives.
Jay stared at the report.
Her hands began trembling.
And suddenly— the tears came.
She covered her mouth.
Her shoulders shook.
Percy immediately panicked.
“Jay?”
She didn’t answer.
“Jay.”
She started crying harder.
Percy looked completely lost.
He turned toward the doctor.
“Doctor, what happened?”
The doctor remained calm.
“She’s overwhelmed.”
“But why is she crying?”
The doctor gave him a reassuring look.
“It’s normal.”
Percy stared at her.
“Normal?”
“Pregnancy can bring significant hormonal and emotional changes.”
She glanced at Jay.
“And in her case, the mood swings may be particularly intense.”
Percy’s eyes widened.
“How intense?”
The doctor smiled faintly.
“Let’s just say you’ll need patience.”
Percy looked at Jay.
Then back at the doctor.
“How much patience?”
The doctor gave him a sympathetic expression.
“A lot.”
Jay cried through the entire exchange.
Percy immediately moved closer.
“Hey.”
Jay wiped her face.
“I’m okay.”
Percy stared at her.
“You’re crying.”
“I know.”
“And you’re saying you’re okay?”
Jay tried to smile through her tears.
“I don’t know.”
That answer broke something inside Percy.
He sat beside her.
“Hey.”
His voice became gentle.
“You don’t have to pretend you’re okay right now.”
Jay looked at him.
Her eyes were full of confusion.
Fear.
Shock.
And something else she couldn’t explain.
Five babies.
She was carrying five babies.
Percy slowly placed his hand over hers.
“We’ll figure it out.”
Jay looked at him.
“You’ll stay?”
Percy’s expression softened instantly.
“Always.”
Jay started crying again.
Percy looked helplessly toward the doctor.
The doctor smiled.
“She’s going to need support.”
Percy nodded.
“She has it.”
The doctor glanced at Jay.
“She’s also going to need proper nutrition and regular monitoring.”
Percy immediately replied,
“She’ll get everything.”
Jay sniffled.
“Perse…”
“Hm?”
“Don’t turn into my full-time police officer.”
Percy stared at her.
“Too late.”
Despite everything—
Jay gave a tiny laugh through her tears.
The doctor was about to leave when she suddenly noticed Jay’s right hand.
There was a strange dark discoloration around part of the wrist and the back of her hand.
Not a normal bruise.
More like an old, deepened patch of bruising mixed with swelling.
The doctor stopped.
“Jay?”
Jay looked up.
“Hm?”
“What happened to your hand?”
Jay looked down.
She hadn’t even noticed it properly.
“I don’t know.”
The doctor came closer.
“How did this happen?”
“I don’t remember.”
She gently examined the hand.
“Does it hurt?”
Jay shook her head.
“Not normally.”
“When does it hurt?”
“Only when I pick up something heavy.”
Percy immediately looked at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jay shrugged.
“I didn’t think it was important.”
The doctor frowned.
“That’s strange.”
Percy’s expression became serious.
“What?”
The doctor examined the wrist again.
“I want an X-ray.”
Percy’s eyes widened.
“An X-ray?”
Jay looked at him.
“Perse.”
The doctor explained calmly.
“Given the appearance of the hand and the pain when lifting objects, I want to rule out a fracture.”
Percy immediately asked,
“But she’s pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“Is the X-ray safe?”
“We’ll take the necessary precautions and use appropriate shielding. The area we’re imaging is the hand.”
Percy still looked worried.
“And the babies?”
“The radiation exposure from a properly performed hand X-ray is very low, and we’ll minimize exposure.”
Percy looked at Jay.
Jay sighed.
“Perse, it’s fine.”
He looked back at the doctor.
“Do it.”
THIRTY MINUTES LATER…..
The X-ray results arrived.
Dr.
Meera looked at them.
Her expression changed.
She walked back into the room.
Percy immediately stood.
“What happened?”
The doctor looked at Jay.
Then at Percy.
“Her right hand is fractured.”
Percy’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Jay stared at her own hand.
“Fractured?”
The doctor nodded.
“It’s a fracture. The swelling and discoloration make more sense now.”
Percy looked at Jay in disbelief.
“When did this happen?”
Jay didn’t answer.
The doctor continued.
“It isn’t a severe displacement, so we’ll treat it with immobilization and a plaster cast.”
A nurse came in.
The treatment was done carefully.
Jay watched silently as her right hand was secured.
Percy didn’t move from beside her.
His expression had become increasingly darker.
After the doctor finished, she gave them instructions.
“She needs rest.”
“She needs proper nutrition.”
“No heavy lifting.”
“And if she experiences severe pain, bleeding, fainting, or anything unusual, you come back immediately.”
Percy nodded.
“I understand.”
The doctor looked at Jay.
“And please don’t ignore symptoms.”
Jay nodded quietly.
The doctor left.
The door closed.
Silence.
Percy stared at Jay.
Jay stared at the floor.
Neither spoke.
For several seconds.
Then Percy finally asked.
“Who is the father?”
Jay looked up.
She stared at him.
Then, despite everything— a small smile appeared. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“What silly question is that?”
Percy frowned.
Jay answered calmly.
“I loved Keifer.”
Percy’s jaw tightened.
“So who else could be the father?”
Percy looked away.
His hands curled into fists.
But he controlled himself.
For now.
Then his eyes moved toward her plastered hand.
“When did this happen?”
Jay’s smile faded slightly.
“That morning.”
Percy looked at her sharply.
“That morning?”
Jay nodded.
“The morning Keifer revealed his plan.”
Percy’s expression hardened.
“What happened?”
Jay took a breath.
“I met with an accident.”
Percy froze.
“Accident?”
“A truck.”
His eyes widened.
“You were hit by a truck?”
Jay nodded.
“There wasn’t much visible damage.”
“Jay.”
“I know.”
“You got hit by a truck.”
“I said there wasn’t much damage.”
Percy stared at her.
She continued quietly.
“I was so happy that I am going to met him.”
Her voice became softer.
“I was thinking about Keifer.”
“I wasn’t paying attention to what my body was telling me.”
She looked at her injured hand.
“I didn’t realize I was hurt.”
Percy remained silent.
Jay smiled sadly.
“And then…”
She paused.
“Then he gave me something much worse.”
Percy’s eyes sharpened.
“Mentally.”
Jay looked at him.
“The pain he gave me was so much bigger than the physical pain.”
She gave a small, almost bitter smile.
“So I stopped noticing my body.”
Percy’s face slowly changed.
Jay continued.
“I didn’t realize I was physically unwell because I was already trying to survive what he had done to me emotionally.”
Silence.
Percy’s breathing became heavier.
Jay looked down.
“And then everyone started humiliating me.”
Her voice remained surprisingly calm.
“Insulting me.”
“Judging me.”
“Talking about me.”
She gave a tiny laugh.
“You know what’s funny, Perse?”
Percy didn’t answer.
Jay looked at him.
“Not one person stood up for me.”
Her smile remained.
But her eyes were filled with pain.
“Not a single person from that whole school.”
Percy’s expression broke.
Jay continued.
“Nobody.”
“Not one.”
She looked at her plastered hand.
“And nobody even realized I was in pain.”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
She wiped it away immediately.
“Funny, right?”
Percy stared at her.
His eyes were no longer simply angry.
They were devastated.
Because suddenly— everything made sense.
The dizziness.
The exhaustion.
The lack of food.
The hidden fracture.
The accident.
The emotional pain.
Jay hadn’t been ignoring her body because she didn’t care.
She had been so busy surviving emotionally— that she hadn’t realized her body was breaking down too.
Percy’s fists tightened.
His voice came out low.
“Who did this to you?”
Jay looked at him.
“Perse—”
“Who?”
She stayed quiet.
Percy stood.
His chair moved backward sharply.
The anger in his eyes was frightening.
“Who watched you get humiliated and did nothing?”
Jay didn’t answer.
“Who saw you suffering and decided it wasn’t their problem?”
His voice shook.
“Who let you walk around injured?”
Jay looked at him quietly.
“Everyone.”
That one word destroyed whatever control Percy had left.
He turned away.
His hand went through his hair.
He took several breaths.
But the anger didn’t disappear.
It only grew.
Because Percy had spent years protecting Jay from enemies.
From criminals.
From people with guns.
From people who wanted power.
But he hadn’t been there that morning.
And while he had been somewhere else—
Jay had been hit by a truck.
Broken her hand.
Been emotionally destroyed.
Stopped eating.
And somehow still walked around pretending she was fine.
Percy turned back toward her.
His eyes were wet.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Jay looked at him.
“Because I knew you’d come.”
“Yes.”
“And I didn’t want you to.”
“Why?”
Jay smiled faintly.
“Because I wanted to handle it myself.”
Percy shook his head.
“You don’t always have to.”
Jay looked down.
Percy stepped closer.
“You can be strong.”
“You can be the strongest person in the room.”
“You can handle an entire army if you want.”
His voice cracked.
“But you don’t have to handle everything alone.”
Jay looked at him.
Percy gently touched her shoulder.
“Not with me.”
Jay’s eyes filled again.
Percy swallowed hard.
“Never with me.”
For a moment—
Jay simply looked at him.
Then she leaned slightly toward him.
Not breaking.
Not collapsing.
Just allowing herself one moment where she didn’t have to pretend.
Percy stayed beside her.
His eyes moved toward her plastered hand.
Then toward the medical reports.
Five babies.
One fractured hand.
Three days without proper food.
And a heart carrying wounds nobody had noticed.
Percy whispered,
“We’re going home.”
Jay looked at him.
“To the mansion?”
He nodded.
“To your home.”
Jay looked down at her stomach.
Five tiny lives.
Then toward Percy.
For the first time since the hospital visit began— she didn’t know what the future was going to look like.
But she knew one thing.
She wasn’t walking into it alone.
And Percy?
He had just discovered that protecting Jay wasn’t going to be enough anymore.
He was going to have to protect six people.
And somehow— that realization frightened him more than any enemy ever had.