Derek's POV
The first thing Tabitha did when she woke up was jerk back, clutching her belly with her left hand she was facing some kind of danger.
Seeing her instinctively freak out around me, I felt my heart shattered into a million pieces.
"Relax, Tabitha. I just ... wanna feel the fetal movements."
Tabitha, however, didn't buy it at all. With a fierce look on her face, she hissed like a mother hen protecting her chicks, "Get out of here!"
"Okay, okay! Just chill, Tabitha. I'll leave right away."
Just when I turned around, I heard her wince behind me.
I stopped in my tracks and turned around, only to see her brows knitted, pain etched all over her face.
I immediately rushed over and asked, "What's wrong? Did the pups kick you again? Just now, I felt like they were moving very frequently."
"Ouch..." Tabitha held her belly, looking pale as a ghost.
I totally freaked out.
"Don't worry. I'm calling Dr. Evans right now to give you a check-up."
Luckily, I had prepped all the necessary medical gear in the house, so the medical team immediately conducted an examination on Tabitha.
Leo paced inside me, murmuring, "Please don't let anything happen to her or the pups."
Tabitha's POV
I tightly held Derek's hand, sweat pouring down my forehead like crazy.
The memory from over a year ago, when I lost my premature baby, came sweeping back. I trembled uncontrollably, calling out Derek's name over and over.
"Derek, the pups! Please save our pups."
"Tabitha, stay calm. You're not bleeding. It should be fine," he reassured me while gripping my hand tightly.
No matter how much he tried to soothe me, fear gripped me like a vice.
After what felt like an eternity of checks, the doctor finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Tabitha, relax. The pups are stable for now. The fetal heart monitoring shows they're quite active. I guess it's because of your emotions. Did something startle you today?"
Derek supported me and wiped the sweat off my forehead with a towel.
Hearing that everything was okay, I finally relaxed a bit.
"Yes. But are my pups really okay?" I asked tentatively.
"For now they are. But Tabitha, I gotta remind you something. Even though we're past the first trimester, you still need to be careful. Every little thing you do affects the babies. So try not to let your emotions swing too wildly, as it's not good for their development."
I nodded seriously before replying, "I get it, Dr. Evans. Thank you for coming over at such a late hour."
"Don't mention it. This is part of my job. Just take some deep breaths and get some rest."
"Okay."
Knowing that the pups were fine, I felt relieved. Derek then carried me back to my room.
After placing me on the bed, he sat down on the edge and looked at me tenderly, asking, "You scared?"
"Of course not," I shot back, awkwardly turning my head away.
Even though I wouldn't admit it out loud, every time I closed my eyes, I'd think about that dream I just had.
In that dream, I stood by the water, and all of a sudden, I heard an unfamiliar female voice calling me, "Sis."
I couldn't help wondering, 'Who is she? Why did she call me sis?'
When I turned around, I was dumbfounded.
Turned out it was a skeleton that had been calling me, the one that had been taken out of that wrecked boat.
I jolted awake in fear, feeling a chill running down my spine.
Was I obsessing over this too much?
Was that why I was dreaming about the skeleton?
Derek, noticing the look on my face, heaved a sigh.
"Don't be afraid. I'm right outside keeping watch for you. Try to get some rest. Consider it for the pups' sake."
With that, he left, giving me some space.
Confused but exhausted, I lay down without letting myself think too much more about it.