Leaving Milo after that conversation is hard, but I know I can't stay when all he wants is for me to go. So, with all the control I can muster, I am able to get back into my car and drive over to the small house that one of Grandama's friends is renting to me.

It is only a few miles away from Milo's place, so I am pulling into my drive way only a few minutes later. The place is small, or as Grandama put it: quaint.

The roof is a rustic red, while the walls are all a creamy white color. The nearest house is an acre away, giving me some privacy. This place has been home for the last few years, and I love it. Nothing too extravagant, just home.

Walking into the house, I am bombarded by meows. Emmie comes walking over to me, winding between my legs as I shut the front door. She has always been unusually clingy for a cat, ever since I rescued her from the shelter two years ago.

"Hi, pretty girl." Kneeling down, I pick her up, rubbing my cheek against the top of her head. "Did you miss me?"

She just mewls at me, relaxing in my arms as I carry her into the living room. Flipping on the television, I half-heartedly listen to the news, barely catching the fact that it is going to start raining sometime tonight, and it doesn't seem like we will be getting a break from the downpours for at least a week.

Thinking back on the conversation with Milo, I try to calm my nerves. Everything I had said had been true. Milo wants a baby, and I am able to give him one. While omegas are extremely fertile when it comes to getting pregnant, it is harder for us to get someone else pregnant. So, even if Milo agreed to my suggestion, it would most likely be months, maybe even years before I even got pregnant.

The thought has me frowning slightly. Honestly, the thought of being pregnant had never appealed to me, not like most omegas. It wasn't something that I ever dreamed about, loving children but having one grow inside me always just seemed strange.

But I can do this for Milo. He deserves it. He has so much love to give to a child, and we would be amazing co-parents. We are already best friends. What more could we need?

Sighing, I set Emmie down, moving into the kitchen to put something in the crockpot for dinner. She walks behind me, climbing up onto the window perch above the sink where a pillow is placed. It's one of her favorite places since she always wants to be in the same room as me.

The rest of the night passes slowly, the smell of roast in the air as I get this week's lesson plan together. By the time I am laying in bed for the night, the conversation I had with Milo has run through my head a million times.

If I go off my suppressants soon, my next heat will be in approximately five weeks. That should give me enough time to convince Milo and to help him get everything worked out. If worse comes to worse, he can just move in here. There is an extra bedroom and bathroom, plenty of room for him.

The idea sends my thoughts wandering again, thinking of everything I can start doing to get things ready.

Next thing I know, I am being woken up by my phone vibrating violently on my nightstand. Without even cracking open an eye, I flail my arm around in an attempt to grab the damned thing.

The call is just about to go to voicemail when I slide my thumb across the screen, practically dropping my phone on my ear.

"'lo?" I grumble, already starting to drift off to sleep again.

"Mr. Bellamy?"

"Yes?"

"This is Xania from Willow Café." Her words have my eyes immediately opening, knowing that she must be one of the people working at Milo's coffee shop. "I'm calling because Milo has been pretty sick in his office, and he refuses to let me call an ambulance. But I think something is seriously wrong. He has been throwing up ever since I got in this morning to open. He has you down as his emergency contact, so I thought you could maybe come pick him up? He really needs to see a doctor."

"I'm on my way," I say, hopping out of bed. "Get him some ginger tea while you wait. I'll be there in less than ten minutes."

"Okay. Thanks," she says, and I hang up the phone. Emmie watches me from where she is sitting on the bed, unfazed as I run around the room to grab the nearest pair of pants and a t-shirt.

I just saw him yesterday and he seemed fine. How is he sick? My gut twists in worry, and I barely pause to grab a coat before I am running out the door. The rain must have started sometime during the night since it is a complete downpour out here.

My hands are clenched on the steering wheel the entire time I am driving over to the café. There is no one else on the road, and peeking at the time on the dash, I can see why. It is half past five in the morning. The coffee shop opens up at five, so Xania must have come in early to get everything set up.

The girl in mention is waiting for me at the front door, letting me in as soon as she sees me. "He's back here," she says, leading me to Milo's office. It sits behind the counter, off to the left so that it is out of the way. "I gave him his tea a few minutes ago and told him you were coming. He still isn't looking too good."

Nodding my head, I go to open the door before turning to look back at her. Her usual olive colored skin looks almost green from worry. Trying to reassure her, I give her a small smile. "Thanks for calling me and taking care of him. I'll make sure he gets better soon."

She gives a small nod of her head before heading back to the front of the café, leaving me to open the door and walk into Milo's office.

The lights are turned down low, making it hard for me to locate him. But when I do, I rush over to his side, dropping to my knees by the couch. "Milo?" I whisper, leaning forward to brush a few strands of sweat-soaked hair from his face. "What's going on?"

"I-I don't feel good, Ollie," he whimpers, turning his face into my chest. "I don't know what's wrong."

His body is radiating heat, meaning he must have a pretty high fever. Wrapping my arm around his side, I pull him up, which only makes him groan. "Stop, please, that hurts."

His words make me stop pulling him, the worry inside me growing. He is like a limp fish against my side, not seeming to be able to support any of his own weight. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"What? No, Ollie, I'll be fine."

Giving a swift shake of my head, I start dragging him out of the room again. "You can't even stand by yourself, Milo. I'm taking you in."

He doesn't say anything else to that, just letting me drag him out of the café. Xania holds the door open for us, giving us quiet assurances that she'll manage the café fine on her own.

Milo lets out another grunt of pain when I set him down in the car. It's hard to see someone I love in such agony, but I know that I have to get him to the hospital.

The entire drive there is horrible, every pothole or bump in the road causing Milo to let out a cry of pain. Twice I have to pull over for him to throw up. By the time we make it to the hospital, Milo is dry heaving and practically crying from the pain.

"Come on, love," I whisper, wrapping my arm around his waist and bringing him to the emergency room entrance.

A nurse greets us at the door, helping me to set Milo into a wheelchair. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," I tell her, following behind her as she wheels him into a curtained off area. "He has just been throwing up for the past few hours, has a fever, and been in severe pain. Nothing can touch him or jostle him without making him scream in agony."

She nods her head, taking off her stethoscope and beginning to listen to his heart and breathing as other medical personnel come into the room. Soon enough, I am being ushered away, telling me that they will come get me once he is stabilized.

It seems like hours have passed before finally, someone comes out to get me. "Family of Milo Harris?"

"Yes?" I ask, quickly coming to stand up. The nurse from before is gone, instead replaced by an older omega wearing a lab coat. "Is he going to be alright?"

"We have him stabilized right now and have moved him to a different room. We have him on some sedatives right now, since his pain is so high. We are running tests to try and figure out what is going on, but you can come back and sit with him while we wait for the results."

"Thank you," I breathe, following the doctor as he leads me down the hall, turning a couple of times before stopping in front of a room.

"We'll come and inform the two of you as soon as the test results are in. He should be out for the next few hours, but make sure to let us know if he wakes up and needs something more for the pain."

Nodding my head, I watch as the doctor walks back down the hall before going to stand in Milo's room. The lights are turned down low, barely lighting up the room. He looks so small in the bed, blonde hair fanned out across the pillow and face soft in sleep.

Seeing him like this is painful, knowing that I can't do anything to help him. As quietly as I can, I make my way over to the chair next to his bed, leaning forward to rest my head on the bed while grabbing his hand.

There are calls to make, both to my boss to let them know I will not be coming in today, and to Nico, Milo's older brother. But for now, I just close my eyes, taking comfort in knowing that Milo is in the best hands possible right now. I'll just have to wait for him to wake up. Too bad patience has never been one of my better attributes.