Page 39 of Echos and Empires (After #3)

TWENTY

The doctor’s office had become a shrine to her fears.

It had only been a week since the last appointment, but Doctor Rob—the one Alex trusted—stopped by the house to ask Emma to come in for just an ultrasound.

Just an ultrasound, as if they thought she might remember how much more they were doing to her, well trying to do.

Emma sat amidst the quiet sterility, the walls absorbing every desperate thought, amplifying the tension. Doubts twisted inside her, tangling with the fresh memory of just how much danger they were in. It followed her.

The fear.

No matter what she did, it seemed to whisper in her ear, reminding her that at any step of the pregnancy, Victor could try to kill her babies.

In a blink, he could determine something genetically off about them, and then a war they couldn’t win would start.

She loved her men, but they couldn’t hold off an entire army on their own, it’s why they needed to gather others open to the rebellion.

If they were going to win, they had to win through numbers.

Liam squeezed her hand, a touch meant to anchor her, but even he couldn’t reach the depths of her isolation.

She had felt alone before, but never like this. Never surrounded by people she loved and who loved her. It was as if the pregnancy separated them in ways she’d never thought possible.

A stifling silence hung in the air, each heartbeat echoing the growing sense of doom.

She wondered if she was strong enough to face the challenges ahead, if she could possibly bring a child into this world when each new attempt to gather allies seemed more futile than the last. Every meeting with new recruits replayed in her mind—so much desperation in their eyes, not enough strength in their numbers.

Liam sat close, his fingers entwined with hers, a silent reminder that she wasn’t physically alone. But Emma couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped inside a bubble, her thoughts spiraling in directions that she feared even voicing.

Emma’s heart ached with the effort to hold on to the optimism that had once defined her. Now, it was like an impossible burden, her determination crushed under the weight of doubt. She wanted to feel happy, to embrace the life inside her, but the gloom clung too tightly.

Every moment in the sterile room seemed to bring the walls closer, closing in on her as if the air itself was conspiring against her fragile sense of hope. She looked around, seeing nothing but stark white walls that offered no comfort, no relief from the churning storm within her.

Liam’s hand squeezed hers again, no doubt trying to bring her back.

But the despair was consuming, leaving her wondering if even his love could bridge the gap that fear had opened between them.

His loyalty, his laughter, everything she cherished seemed to slip away as she sunk deeper into her own desolation.

It terrified her how easily the darkness crept in, eroding the light they had fought so hard to keep alive.

Despite Liam’s constant reassurances, despite knowing she wasn’t truly alone, the quiet of the office mirrored the growing distance between what she wanted to feel and the reality of their perilous existence.

She could pretend, smile through the uncertainty, but inside, Emma wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on.

A different doctor, one she hadn’t seen around, entered the room with a congenial smile. “How are we feeling today, Emma?” he asked, his tone light. “My name is Doctor Dan Huey, two first names, like you have two kiddos in there.”

Emma’s lips curved into a faint smile, though it wavered like a shadow. “I’m doing okay,” she replied, the words carefully measured. She wasn’t certain what he would do to her.

“I know you were just in, but with twins coming, it makes the most sense to monitor your uterus as often as we can. As much as we know about infertility, there’s so much more we don’t know. I want to make sure these two join us as late in the game as possible.”

A flash of hope danced through her. Doctor Dan Huey didn’t seem to be on Victor’s side since he hadn’t mentioned the other room. Could there be doctors they could trust? People who could work on the extreme inside and protect her from the backroom?

The doctor nodded, but his eyes lingered, seeing through her fragile act. “You seem a little...distant,” he ventured, his tone probing yet gentle. “It’s normal to have concerns, especially with everything going on.”

Emma deflected again, her voice steady but her heart a chaotic storm. “It’s just a lot to take in. But we’re managing.”

She glanced at Liam, searching for something to ground her. He gave a reassuring nod, his silent support a comfort she couldn’t fully embrace in her current state. It made her feel guilty for not being more present, for letting her fears overshadow the happiness she should be feeling.

“I hope you’re finding time to rest,” the doctor said, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. He was trying to reach her, to coax out the concerns she was keeping locked away. But Emma wasn’t ready to let anyone in, not when she herself couldn’t face the enormity of her own emotions.

“We are,” she said, her smile as thin as the veneer she struggled to maintain. “There’s just so much happening. But we’re keeping it together.” The lie twisted inside her, a reminder of how far she’d drifted from the optimism that once defined her.

“Alright then, we’ll keep this quick.” The familiar cart rolled closer to her.

“I can’t believe I’m about to see them.” Liam whispered, and she glanced at him, noticing the way he seemed to glow.

“They’re pretty incredible.” She squeezed his hand, a little of her darkness floating away.

“Okay then, little squeeze,” the gloop of gel plopped down on to her slightly growing stomach. “Here we go, I take it you haven’t seen them yet?” The doctor’s question was aimed at Liam.

“I haven’t. There’s five of us,” he shrugged and didn’t sound the least bit concerned. “We’re taking turns.”

The doctor didn’t comment on the size of her harem, but off the island there were traditionally multiple men sharing the same woman. It was only here that the concept seemed strange.

The grainy image flickered on the screen as the wand moved over her belly, fragile and full of promise.

Emma watched the growing orbs, her heart twisting with love and the ache of unfulfilled happiness.

Liam sat beside her, a reassuring presence she couldn’t completely embrace.

The joy that should have been overflowing felt damned by the weight of her own turmoil.

As the appointment ended, the sense of defeat clung to her, a reminder that each step forward was shadowed by the looming threat of falling back.

Her thoughts tangled in contradictions. She loved the life inside her, the anticipation of motherhood swelling with every flutter she felt.

Yet the fear of what lay ahead, the shadow of Victor’s reach, eclipsed the happiness she so desperately wanted to hold on to.

She squeezed Liam’s hand, a silent confession that she was struggling to balance it all.

“They’re amazing, like holy fuck, Em,” Liam said, his voice filled with a warmth that should have comforted her. Emma nodded, her eyes fixed on the screen even as they left the room. His hand squeezed tighter around hers.

She saw the future reflected in the small figures on the monitor, a future she longed for but couldn’t bring herself to fully trust.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” she murmured, her tone betraying the complexity of her emotions. It was hard to believe. Hard to believe that in a world so unpredictable, they could have something so pure, so hopeful. And even harder to believe that they could keep it safe.

Liam seemed to sense her inner conflict, the way her happiness was being drowned by a tidal wave of worry. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as they walked. “They’re going to be perfect,” he said, his conviction strong and unyielding. “And so are you.”

Emma leaned into him, grateful for the solidity of his belief even as her own faltered.

She wished she could be as sure, wished she could push past the fear that held her back.

But every time she thought she was moving forward, doubt dragged her back, leaving her feeling like she was running in place.

The emotional push-pull gnawed at her, the constant tension of wanting to feel joy and being overwhelmed by doubt.

She couldn’t escape the thought that she was failing, that her inability to fully embrace this moment was a sign of weakness.

How could she bring a child into this world when she herself felt so fragile?

“Okay then,” the wand left her stomach. “If you don’t mind the extra attention, I’d like you to come see me every week instead. You’re nearly to the second trimester and I’d prefer no surprises.”

She froze, terror clawing at her that he would monitor her so frequently. “Doctor Larsen said every two weeks. Where is she, anyway?”

“My wife,” his gaze fell to his feet. “My wife was pregnant with twins when the bombs fell. We lived in New York. The whole city was gone, but the bombs didn’t get my wife.

They got our babies, and she took her life, unwilling to survive without them.

” he cleared his throat. “Which is why I want to protect yours.”

Tears blurred her vision at his confession, the words twisting her gut like a towel and cutting off her air.

“I’m so sorry,” she choked out, tears sliding down her cheeks.

“We won’t let that happen to your babies. Doctor Larsen has been reassigned, they all know what twins mean to me.”

“No, we won’t.” Liam cut in. “Also, the vitamins, do you like them?”