The rescuers from the ambulance rushed in the door four minutes after Lia had passed out on top of Lazzáro's body, such was the pain that she couldn't bear to keep her eyes open or conscious.
While the young woman was receiving care, still unconscious, other doctors tried to revive Lazzáro inside the ambulance, he had lost a lot of blood, that's why his body was cold, but his heart was still beating, very weak but beating.
After several and several failed attempts to try to get him to open his eyes on the way to the hospital, they decided to get him in the same way to the operating room urgently. His life was hanging by a thread.
Lia was still unconscious in a hospital bed after being taken away in a police car. Magdalena arrived at the place desperate not knowing what was going on, she had just received the news at work through an anonymous call that something serious had happened to Lazzáro and Lia.
She was asked to stay in the waiting room until there was news from one of them. In the bedroom, when Lia opened her eyes, she was begging that everything had just been a horrible nightmare, but it wasn't. She broke into a continuous cry as she found herself in a hospital bed, her mind forcing her to think the worst about Lazzaro and the baby inside her.
Mrs. Fabree was called to see her, when she found her feeling her belly in despair, she soon welcomed the girl into her arms in a silent but almost comforting embrace, since nothing would take away the destructive pain she felt from her chest.
"Mag..." she whispered, but her voice barely came out. "Lazzaro... My baby..." She buried her face in the woman's chest, who pressed her against her.
“Lazzaro is in the operating room now. - he pronounced calmly in an attempt to calm her down, stroking her curly hair.
"S-so he's not dead?" he questioned, the breath of life seeming to want to run through his veins again.
“No, but I shouldn't lie to you and say he's not in danger. You need to be strong, daughter. You said something about a baby…” Before Magdalena even finished the sentence, Lia shook her head in a frantic yes.
— There's a baby inside me... Mine and Lazzáro's. I need to know if he's okay too. I can't take any more suffering.
"It's going to be okay, baby girl. Have faith in God. I will be here for you no matter what the circumstances.
At that time, a doctor came in accompanied by a policeman, each holding a clipboard in their hands.
“Hello Lia Hamilton. How it feels? the woman asked doing her job.
- In truth? Terrible. As if I were alive and dead at the same time. She swallowed back the melancholy cry that wanted to dominate her again.
He knew well that that was a rhetorical question and deep down nobody really wanted to know how anybody was doing.
The three looked at her with pity. But she ignored it. He was aware of the dire situation he found himself in. The doctor asked permission to draw blood from her for testing while the officer asked standard questions that he should ask since she was at the scene of the crime and at the exact moment it occurred.
"That's all and I really hope you catch him and make him pay!" All of them, Hayden, Nadia, Joyce, the doctors who took bribes to lie. They must be punished for what they did! he exclaimed angrily.
At all times he had his left hand held by Magdalena, silently giving him strength because he knew that no words would ease the suffering that girl was going through.
"We'll do it, don't worry. - the lawman asserted and left.
— The exams will be out in an hour and a half. After confirming the pregnancy, since you said you only did pharmacy tests, we will refer you to a transvaginal ultrasound. You can rest in the meantime. - informed the doctor and withdrew too.
Lia rested her head on the pillow and couldn't hold back any more tears. I really didn't want to contain them. Magdalena was crying internally so as not to make the girl's condition worse, she loved Lazzáro like a son and Lia too.
Hours later, the young woman insisted that Magdalena go home to rest after having accompanied her during the ultrasound and having received news that she was indeed pregnant. The baby was fine, Lia was four weeks old, very recent.
The doctor had said that she still couldn't hear the heart because of the short gestation period, however she assured that life was starting to generate and that everything was fine in her womb.
Hours later, it was dawn and she was lying down, rubbing her stomach, still unable to stop crying. Her head was nearly bursting with pain, constantly reliving the terrible times she'd spent with Hayden and the moment of the shooting. If she felt guilty, her love was willing to give his life for her, if he died, he would never forgive himself. Her heart grew in size with the love that grew, for the being she carried and for the man in her life for whom she would be capable of anything, just as he was for her.
— We need to have faith, Mag said... Your daddy is going to be all right. Please God... -begged looking at the sky.
The next morning, the doctor came back to the room to check on her and tell her she was free to go home at noon. At that moment two other doctors entered with unreadable expressions. Lia has already begun to panic, suspecting the worst.
“Lia Hamilton? said one of them.
- Yes. It's me, what happened? He could already feel the desperation setting in.
— Mr. Bartholomeu left the operating room a few hours ago, we left him resting so that nothing got worse, everything went well, we managed to revive him and now he's awake. Exactly ten minutes ago and all he says is your name, Lia Hamilton. We ask that you go see him before he becomes agitated and complicates the surgery.
- Oh my God! - exclaimed smiling - Thank you very much. He thanked the heavens and hurried down from the bed.
- Come with us. — the doctors guided him to the top floor of the hospital in a room far from the others.
- Feel free. Anything press the help button. - she then entered.
With tears in her eyes she approached him on the bed that was still babbling Lia Hamilton incessantly.
— My love, I'm here... —she said with her chin trembling — Lazzaro... —she smoothed his face, almost bursting with happiness to see him alive.
"Lia..." She smiled. Always loved hearing his name being pronounced by him.
- Everything will be fine. Oh God, thank you! — he thanked again looking up and then looking back at him — Rest... I'm here, I'm not going anywhere and I hope you aren't either.
He hugged the body lying down with all the affection and care, he could feel his chest rise and fall quickly and hers imitating his. Lazzáro at that moment could feel his insides burning with love, he was again with his wife in his arms, even if he didn't want to, but he was there. With her. If he found himself thinking he'd be able to face it all again, Lia was worth every breath that came out of him.
The moment he saw her in danger, he thought of nothing else but the good of his beloved, as had happened from the beginning. For Lazzáro Bartholomeu, all that ever mattered from the beginning was her, Lia Hamilton, her happiness, her life. Everything he had done was for her and he regretted nothing, absolutely nothing.