Silence.
When she looked back, his expression was thoughtful.
"I did not plan for a child," he said quietly. "It was never part of my future. But that does not matter now. The child exists. It is half mine. And I will not abandon it. Or you."
She blinked.
"I stayed away because I did not know how to face you." His voice was honest "Not because I did not want the child. Because I did not know what to say to someone who had been so vulnerable with me. I told myself I would come when the time was right. And while I was waiting, you suffered alone."
Lin Yue's throat tightened.
"That will not happen again," he said firmly. "Whatever comes next, I will be here. For the birth. For the child. For you, if you will let me."
She stared at him through the glass.
No declarations of love.
No false promises.
Just a simple statement of intent.
He would be here.
"I understand if you do not trust me," he added. "I have given you no reason to. But I am asking you to give me a chance to prove that I will not run again."
Lin Yue opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
And opened it again.
"You are very honest," she finally managed.
"I do not see the point of lies." His gold eyes held hers. "Especially not now."
Lin Yue smiled, well at least they had crossed that bridge now.
They could co-parent together.
"Can I leave this place? I'm tired of staying inside this tube." Her voice came through the speakers, still muffled but clear enough. "I appreciate the whole saving me from pain situation, but I would really like to stand on actual ground right now."
Uriel nodded and stepped back from the tank.
He pressed a different panel on the side, and a soft chime sounded.
"I will call the physician to check your vitals first," he said. "If she clears you, we can remove you from the chamber."
He moved toward the door, but before he reached it, a figure appeared in the doorway.
The physician must have been monitoring from nearby because she entered quickly, her fox ears perked forward with professional interest.
"I saw her vitals stabilize," the physician said, crossing to the tank controls. "How are you feeling, young one?"
"Weird," Lin Yue admitted. "But better. Much better than before. The pain is gone."
The physician nodded and began tapping on a panel attached to the tank, pulling up data and readings. "Your fever has broken completely and your inflammation markers are down. The chamber did its job well." She glanced at Uriel. "With your permission, Prince Uriel, I will begin the removal process."
Uriel inclined his head. "Proceed, Physician Vethra."
Vethra pressed a sequence of controls, and Lin Yue felt the water around her begin to change. Slowly, gradually, it started to drain from the bottom of the tank. As the level dropped, she felt herself settling, her feet eventually touching the floor of the chamber.
Cool air hit her skin as the water continued to recede. By the time the last of it drained away, she was standing there dripping wet, her thin mother's attire plastered to her body, her rounded stomach prominent and bare.
One of the maids appeared with a large soft cloth and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Another brought a robe, thicker than the flimsy outfit she had been wearing.
"Come out slowly," Vethra instructed. "Your body has been through significant stress. Take your time."
Lin Yue stepped out of the tank carefully, her legs slightly unsteady. Vethra guided her to a nearby chair and began running a scanner over her body, studying the readings with a focused expression.
"Vitals are strong. Baby is healthy and active." She continued scanning, her brow furrowing slightly as she worked. "Your body has adapted well to the accelerated pregnancy so far. The second trimester reaction was severe but manageable. We will need to monitor you closely for the third."
Lin Yue nodded, pulling the robe tighter around herself. It felt good to be dry.
Good to be on solid ground.
Vethra continued her examination for several more minutes, asking questions about how she felt, if there was any residual pain, if she was hungry or thirsty.
Lin Yue answered as best she could, her mind still slightly foggy from the fever and the chamber.
Finally, Vethra straightened. "She is stable. Rest and fluids will be important for the next few hours, but she can resume normal activity." She glanced at Lin Yue with a slight smile. "Light activity. Nothing strenuous."
Uriel nodded. "Thank you, Physician Vethra."
He turned to Lin Yue, his gold eyes assessing. "There is a garden nearby. Private, not the one where you encountered my cousin. Would you like to walk? The fresh air might help clear the last of the fog."
Lin Yue hesitated.
She was tired.
Her body still felt wrung out from the fever.
But the thought of being outside, of moving freely after being trapped in that tank, was appealing.
"Yes," she said. "I would like that."
Uriel offered his arm. She looked at it for a moment, then took it, letting him help her stand.
They walked out of the medical room together, leaving Vethra and Magus behind.
The door closed softly behind them.
Vethra waited a moment, listening to the fading footsteps, then turned to Magus. The fox beastman stood near the examination table, his expression unreadable.
"She handled that well," Magus observed.
"She handled it better than I expected." Vethra moved to a terminal and began pulling up data, her fingers moving swiftly across the interface. "But we have problems."
Magus crossed the room to stand beside her, looking at the screens. "What kind of problems?"
Vethra pulled up a series of test results, highlighting sections with sharp gestures. "I have been running analyses on her biology since she arrived. Comparing her reactions to our standard pharmaceuticals. The results are not encouraging."
She pointed to a series of red markers on the screen.
"She is susceptible to almost everything we have. Look at these reaction markers. Her body rejects most of our standard compounds. The ones it does accept have unpredictable metabolization rates. If she ever falls seriously ill, treating her will be extremely difficult."