It had been almost two weeks since Daniel came back and he had been staying with the Kims since then. He had been busy with work in the Cho Corporation once again but he always made time for his family. In the middle of the night when Samantha was already asleep, he slipped in the bed and was just about to pull her close but stopped when he heard his son's cry.
Ashton's cry was soft at first but then it grew louder. Samantha stirred before her eyes slowly opened.
Daniel saw how sleep-deprived she was for the past few days for taking care of their son and he felt bad.
"Go back to sleep, I'll take care of him." Wanting to make it up to her, he whispered before kissing her forehead.
Reaching Ashton's crib, Daniel gently touched his son's belly, trying to soothe him. "Hey, champ… what's wrong?" Ashton's little hands reached out in the air, asking to be picked up. Without delay, Daniel carefully lifted him and protectively carried him in his strong arms, shushing him softly to make him stop crying. "Shhh... it's okay, daddy's here."
Daniel was still experiencing a little pain on his injured upper arm but it was nothing that he couldn't bear. So even though he was a bit uncomfortable, it did not stop him from carrying his son and taking care of him.
Ashton's crying calmed down and eventually turned into sniffles. He gnawed and drooled over Danel's shirt as he laid his head on his daddy's shoulder while sucking on his fingers. They remained in the same position for several minutes before Ashton started crying again, seemingly uncomfortable about something.
"Did you have a bad dream? Who dared to scare my son in his sleep huh?" Daniel said softly, kissing his son's head. His brows furrowed when he noticed something and started to touch Ashton's arms and feet before touching his own forehead. "You're warmer… Are you in pain, baby?" Daniel began to worry.
Hearing Ash's cry again, Samantha woke up from her sleep and saw the pair by the crib. She saw Daniel trying to soothe their son and heard what he just said. "What's wrong? Did you say he's hot?"
"Honey, I think so… can you check? Sorry, I don't really know what's going on." Daniel didn't want her to get up and wanted for her to rest instead but he didn't have a lot of experience with babies. "He calmed down but cried again. Did I make him worse?"
Samantha laughed as she walked towards them. She touched Ashton's skin and found that he was warmer than usual. "He does feel warm." She continued to check on Ashton and touched here and there, grabbing a baby's towel to wipe Ash's hands and mouth and placing it on Daniel's shoulder. "But I think he's just teething."
"Teething? You mean he's growing a tooth?"
Nodding, Samantha checked her son's mouth with clean fingers and saw that his incisor was poking out. "Yeah, I can see one tooth coming out."
"Is it normal for him to be this warm?"
"Babies can get slightly feverish when they're teething. It's usually nothing to worry about but if he gets any hotter than thirty-eight degree celsius, I'm afraid it's something else."
"Let's take him to the doctor." Daniel immediately suggested, not wanting to take any risks.
Samantha saw the worry in Daniel's eyes and so even though she wasn't very much worried, she assured him and agreed. "You don't have to worry too much. We'll soothe his gums for now but let's also go to the doctor in the morning just so that you will feel relaxed. It's time for his check-up anyway."
Daniel felt at ease knowing that they were going to have him checked. Samantha told him that Ashton undergoes regular checks to make sure that he's healthy and that he is not in any harm because of the poison that she had before.
Daniel saw how Samantha made Ash gnaw on a half-frozen banana. It was something new to him and he was very much interested in learning everything about and for Ashton. The two of them spent their time in the kitchen helping their son feel better. They were only able to sleep again at two in the morning when baby Ash also fell asleep after all that crying.
…
Pediatrics Ward at Spring Grove Hospital
The family of three was now int he doctor's clinic. Daniel was holding Ashton while Samantha sat on the opposite chair.
After the doctor checked on their son, she started giving them advice and suggestions. The doctor patiently explained to Daniel about what he would encounter and should expect in the future concerning their baby.
"Daddy Daniel, there's nothing to worry about. Baby Ashton's only a little feverish because of teething. He's a bit irritated and sensitive because of his aching gums but it will pass usually after three days. You just need to continue with your soothing methods – a frozen banana or any berries will do if you have already introduced solids. Mommy Sam already knows these things, right?" The doctor smiled at Samantha.
Samantha nodded and returned her smile.
"Thank you, doc," he said as he continuously stroked Ashton's back.
Daniel felt so much better after hearing all of it from the doctor. His admiration for his wife grew even more. Him wanting to visit the doctor wasn't because he did not trust Samantha that morning but it was more of him wanting to understand about babies from a doctor. He also thought that experience is still the best teacher. So after listening to all of the doctor's advises, he was more excited and confident in taking care of his own son.
"See? I told you so..." Samantha playfully poked Daniel, making him smile at her. "Yes, you did." He replied, kissing her forehead after.
As they left the clinic, they decided to drop by a supermarket on their way home.
What they didn't notice was that a certain someone saw them leaving the pediatric department and then passed by the OB department. Nancy Jung was sitting on one of the benches outside the doctor's clinic and she saw them pass in front of her, that was when she realized that Samantha already had a baby.
"Huh… seems like you have something that you don't want people to know either. Was that why you were gone for two years?" Nancy spoke to no one in particular. She sneered in her thoughts when she saw them looking so happy together. She was still very much envious of Samantha's life. Samantha got everything while Nancy was mostly unlucky.
That was what she thought was the truth. After all, she didn't know about Samantha's hardships.
A scary idea suddenly came to her along with a wicked smile on her face. "You dare to threaten me? Let's see how you respond to mine."
Nancy Jung was still convinced that Samantha was the one giving her threats. She would receive the same texts almost every day and though she chose to ignore it, seeing Samantha again that day in the hospital, she suddenly felt 'inspired' to return the favor.
While Nancy was all sorts of 'vengeful', the real question is – Is Samantha really the one threatening her?