Chapter 687 Meryl Gives Birth

Dalton also hoped nothing would happen to Meryl.

Having witnessed the accident firsthand, Dalton couldn’t help but worry about her.

He could completely relate to Chandler’s anger.

Chandler let out a bitter laugh. “Punish her? But what about Meryl’s pain? Will punishing that woman take away what Meryl’s going through?”

No one could say for sure how this incident might have affected Meryl’s unborn child.

Punishment wasn’t what Chandler really wanted.

All he wanted was for Meryl and the baby to be safe! He would’ve gladly taken all the pain himself!

Her prenatal checkups had been regular, and she should have carried to full term, but this senseless disaster forced her into premature labor.

It broke Chandler’s heart to see her suffering so needlessly.

What killed him most was that he hadn’t been by her side when it happened. He, her husband, wasn’t there when she needed him.

It would forever haunt him, a guilt he couldn’t shake. The overwhelming feeling of helplessness crushed him, but he couldn’t turn back time.

He should have been the one shielding Meryl. It should have been him.

Chandler couldn’t understand it. When he left the house this morning, Meryl had been fine. How could she end up in surgery after he’d only been gone for a short while?

But now, no words or actions could make up for his absence. He wasn’t sure if Meryl would blame him for this or how it might affect their relationship.

Chandler stared at the operating room, his eyes bloodshot. His fists were clenched tight, and murderous intent blazed in his eyes.

“You better pray that Meryl and the baby are okay. Otherwise, I’ll kill your woman with my own hands, no matter who tries to protect her!”

Chandler’s hand moved to his waist.

Dalton froze as he clearly saw the gun holstered there.

Since Chandler’s return from military service, Dalton had never seen this side of him.

It was clear that this time, someone had crossed his red line.

Dalton silently prayed that Lydia wasn’t involved in this because if she were, no one would be able to save her.

Three full hours passed, and night had fallen entirely.

It was now midnight, and Chandler had been standing outside for as long as the operating room light had been on.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a nurse walked out.

Chandler, his eyes still red, immediately ran over.

“Are you the patient’s family member? Come with me to sign some papers.”

Chandler froze, his fingers trembling slightly. His face showed apparent confusion and, looking closer, there was a hint of fear in his eyes.

“Sign what?” he asked nervously.

Being called to sign papers at a time like this couldn’t be good news.

Back when he was at the police academy, he’d had a fellow officer who was critically injured during a mission… Being called to sign papers then meant the person wasn’t going to make it.

A sudden wave of fear washed over him.

The nurse paused, realizing she hadn’t been clear.

“The baby’s been delivered, but since it’s premature, weighing less than five pounds, we need to transfer him to the NICU for treatment. We need the father’s signature for that.”

Hearing it wasn’t what he’d feared, Chandler let out a sigh of relief.

“What about her? How’s the mother doing?” Chandler asked anxiously.

“She’s still under observation. Though the car accident gave her quite a scare, fortunately, she only had minor injuries. However, the baby’s condition is a bit more serious.”

Due to placental abruption and being deprived of oxygen for too long in the womb, plus inhaling some amniotic fluid during delivery, the little one needs to stay in the hospital for treatment.

Learning that Meryl was okay lifted a massive weight off Chandler’s shoulders, and he exhaled deeply.

Walter asked, “Nurse, did Mrs. Aniston have a boy or a girl?”

“It’s a boy, but because adults carry many bacteria and his lungs aren’t fully developed, he’ll likely need a ventilator. We can’t bring him out for the family to see just yet.”

Chandler nodded in understanding.

“Boss, congratulations! You have a son!” Walter exclaimed from the side.

But Chandler’s emotions were a tangled mess.

He was more worried about Meryl’s safety. She hadn’t come out of the operating room yet, and he couldn’t bring himself to feel happy.

After signing the papers, Chandler returned to his vigil outside the operating room.

It was a full hour before Meryl emerged.

She seemed deeply asleep, her eyes tightly closed from exhaustion.

Chandler rushed to her side, grabbing her hand.

“Meryl!”

She was sleeping too deeply to respond, her eyelashes resting still against her cheeks.

Chandler couldn’t tear his eyes away from her face, afraid to even blink.

Only now that Meryl was back by his side did his heart finally settle.

“Meryl, I’m sorry, I…”

He could tell by the pallor of her face that she had lost a lot of blood.

Chandler could no longer contain his guilt and self-reproach.

He held his beloved’s hand tightly, feeling how cold her palm was, and tried to warm it between his larger hands.

Chandler kept his eyes fixed on Meryl, terrified she might vanish if he looked away for even a moment.

She was his weakness.

He sat motionless by her hospital bed, his gaze never leaving the woman he loved.

The night was deep when Walter quietly walked in.

“Sir, you’ve been up most of the night. The doctor just said Mrs. Aniston’s surgery was successful, and she’s out of danger. Why don’t you rest a bit on the couch?”

Walter brought over a soft blanket.

Chandler shook his head gently.

“I’m not tired. I want to stay with her.”

Walter’s lips twitched, clearly wanting to say more, but seeing Chandler like this, he held back.

Chandler asked, “What about Felix? How is he?”

Walter froze for a moment. “I just checked on him half an hour ago. He’s still in surgery.”

“Still in surgery?”

Chandler glanced at the time.

Felix had been in the operating room for precisely six hours now, while Meryl had been out for three hours already.

“It’s getting late, and you’ve had a long day. Go home and get some rest.” Chandler nodded to Walter.

Walter closed the door as he left, leaving only Chandler and Meryl in the hospital room.

Chandler stayed by Meryl’s side, watching her peaceful sleeping face.

Early the following day, just as dawn was breaking, a phone call came through.

Chandler pressed his lips together, worried about disturbing Meryl’s rest, and immediately stepped out of the hospital room into the hallway to answer.

“We’ve found Rachel’s location, but I’m afraid the situation doesn’t look good.”

The caller ID showed it was Alvin Ashwood from the police department, who was in charge of the kidnapping case. Alvin had also been Chandler’s classmate back at the police academy.

“What do you mean by ‘doesn’t look good’?” Chandler asked.

“Our team has pinpointed the kidnappers‘ hideout, but… according to reliable intelligence, I’m afraid your sister…”