Chapter 412: Chapter 412

The hospital room was too bright.

Not in a clinical sense; everything here was sleek, modern, and softly lit, but the air itself had a sterile calm that made every sound seem amplified. The shuffle of shoes in the hallway. The hum of the heart monitor. The low murmur of nurses outside the door.

Lucas sat propped against a line of white pillows, the faint scent of antiseptic threaded through the cool air. His hospital gown was loose around his shoulders, the cotton pale against his skin. He looked tired, yes, but there was a calm under the fatigue, the same kind of quiet resilience that had unnerved half the court and charmed the other half.

Trevor was standing beside him, because of course he was.

He hadn’t sat down once since they’d arrived that morning. He’d checked the paperwork himself, confirmed every line of the consent forms, cross-checked the bloodwork results against the copy Dr. Marin sent, and was currently standing so close that Lucas could feel the heat of him even through the layers of linen.

"You know," Lucas murmured, watching the reflection of his husband pacing in the window’s faint glass. "If you walk another lap, the floor’s going to wear a groove."

Trevor stopped mid-step, looked at him, then pretended to readjust the cuff of his sleeve. "Just stretching."

Lucas smiled faintly. "You’ve been stretching for forty minutes."

"Better than sitting."

"Not for the staff," Lucas said dryly, glancing toward the door where a nurse had already peeked in twice, probably to confirm that the Duke of Fitzgeralt wasn’t about to inspect the entire department.

Trevor ignored that, stepping closer to adjust the blanket over Lucas’s legs for what must have been the fifth time. "Are you comfortable?"

"Trevor," Lucas said patiently, "I’m scheduled for abdominal surgery. Comfort isn’t part of the experience."

Trevor’s eyes flicked to his face, expression softening immediately. "You’ll be fine. She’s the best surgeon in the city."

Lucas hummed. "You checked."

"That’s reassuring." He shifted slightly, grimacing when one of the monitor leads tugged at his wrist. "Is she still operating on the earlier patient?"

"Yes." Trevor glanced at his watch. "We’re next. Serathine and Cressida are already in the lobby. Mia just texted, they’re ten minutes away."

Lucas tilted his head, a small, knowing smile curving at the corner of his mouth. "You told them to wait downstairs, didn’t you?"

Trevor hesitated for just a fraction of a second. "...They agreed it would be less crowded this way."

Lucas’s brows rose. "Did they, or did you inform them of it as a decision already made?"

Trevor didn’t answer, but the faint twitch in his jaw was enough.

Lucas sighed, half fond, half frustrated. "You’re incredible. I don’t even know if I should be impressed or terrified."

"Preferably both," Trevor murmured, reaching out to smooth the collar of Lucas’s gown. "You look pale. Want some water?"

"I want you to stop hovering," Lucas said, though his voice had softened.

Trevor poured the water anyway, holding the cup firmly against his lips. "Just drink."

Lucas rolled his eyes but took a sip, if only to make him stop fussing. The water was cool, and it helped clear the dryness in his throat. The faint beeping from the monitor matched the slow rhythm of his pulse.

When the door opened, it was Dr. Marin, efficient as ever, her tone professional but warm. "Everything’s ready. We’ll take you in within the next ten minutes."

Trevor straightened immediately, the full force of his composure snapping into place. Lucas groaned softly. "You’re doing that thing again."

"The one where you look like you’re about to negotiate a merger instead of attend your child’s birth."

Dr. Marin smiled politely, clearly used to them. "The procedure should take about forty minutes from incision to closure," she said. "We’ll keep you awake, Mr. Fitzgeralt, and your husband can stay by your side the entire time. You may feel pressure, but no pain."

Lucas nodded, calm and pragmatic. "Good to know."

"You’ll spend a few hours in recovery, then we’ll move you to a private suite," Dr. Marin explained. "Everything’s prepped. I’ll send someone in for you shortly." For origınal chapters go to NoveI(F)ire.net

When she left, the room fell quiet again.

Trevor stood near the bed, fingers tightening around the rail as though anchoring himself. Lucas reached for his hand, squeezing once until Trevor looked down at him. "Stop worrying," he said softly. "You’ll scare the child before he even sees daylight."

Trevor’s throat worked once before he managed to smile, the expression small but real. "I’m not worried. I’m..."

"...completely out of your depth?" Lucas supplied helpfully.

Trevor’s low, unguarded laugh soothed something in the air. "Possibly."

"Good. Then we’re both human today."

The knock on the door came lightly. A nurse stepped in, wheeling the gurney forward with practiced hands. Lucas shifted, while Trevor helped adjust the lines and blanket. The movement was calm, but under it, the weight of what was about to happen pressed gently against both of them.

As they guided the bed down the hallway, Lucas caught sight of the waiting room through the open glass doors. Serathine was standing by the reception desk, Cressida beside her in tailored navy and pearls, and Mia was leaning against the counter scrolling through her phone. All three looked up at once when they saw him pass.

Serathine smiled, and it managed to be both calm and proud. Cressida gave a brief nod, imperial approval, measured but real. Mia waved, mouthing something that was probably "You’ve got this," before Serathine swatted her arm lightly.

Lucas smiled back faintly, his hand tightening around Trevor’s.

In the elevator, the silence returned, filled only by the hum of the machinery and the faint scent of disinfectant. Trevor’s hand stayed on his, thumb brushing across his knuckles in quiet rhythm.

"You’ll be fine," he said again, softly this time. "I’ll be right here."

Lucas turned his head just enough to meet his gaze. "I know," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "That’s why I’m not afraid."

The elevator doors opened onto the surgical floor, bright and silent. The air carried a faint chill from the operating wing’s sterile, humming.

Dr. Marin was waiting at the end of the corridor, mask already in place, her eyes kind above the fabric. "Let’s meet your son," she said.

Trevor looked down at Lucas, and in that moment, between fear, awe, and disbelief, something in him stilled completely.

Lucas exhaled once, slow and steady. "All right," he murmured. "Let’s get this over with before someone arrives and insists on rearranging the surgery schedule."

Trevor’s laugh came low and quiet, his forehead brushing Lucas’s briefly before the team guided the bed through the doors. "Deal."