Read Online Long Time Running by Hannah Foster - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hannah Foster
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somewhere along
the way she realized it was more than just the regular exhaustion from the grind of being a resident. One night, during a lull in a shift she had snuck away and had taken a test. As the plus sign had appeared in the window she had
sunk to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. Eric's position on children had been clear from the very beginning and she had been in agreement with it. As their relationship had grown, their plans for building a life together had followed suit and neither had made any allowances for children.
But the shocking result of the test had sent her into a tailspin. The moment she had discovered she was pregnant she knew she would have to choose between the man she loved and the child she never expected to have. The ferocity with
which she had instantly loved the child growing inside her also shocked her. While she was a very open minded person, there had been no other choice for her when it had come to this baby. Nathalie knew that Eric was a good man and would
never leave her or their child. Just as she knew he would grow to resent both of them. On the floor of that hospital bathroom she had known her life was going to change. She just had no idea how much or how drastically.
It had been a Herculean effort for her to leave him and the
afternoon that she had packed her bags she had finally understood how Atlas had felt balancing the world on his shoulders. She had not wanted to leave him - or their life - but she refused to ruin his life. She loved him too much to force
him to take on the one thing he had always said he never wanted. She had accepted a fellowship in Geneva and it wasn't until she had boarded the plane that she had let the tears fall and once they started she was afraid she was
never going to be able to stop. She had cried almost every day during her first month in Switzerland until her sister had arrived. Sarah had given her a stern talking to and told her they had both survived so much already that she would survive the loss of Eric and she simply had to get on with her life. In the
logical fashion that Sarah approached every situation in her life, she reminded her that she had made the choice she thought best and she needed to remember all the factors that went into to her leaving.
And so she had. The moment Jack had been put on her chest and her heart filled to the brim with love for him she knew she had made the right decision - however painful it had been. The opportunity to travel to the Congo and work in a field hospital had been too good to pass up and with her
two-month old son in tow she had moved them to Africa. She had still continued to miss Eric almost every day but the satisfaction she had from making such a difference had helped to distract her, at least temporarily, from her
self-inflicted broken heart.
And then in the darkness of one night, when she saw first hand the very worst the world had to offer, it had all come crashing to an end. Once again, Nathalie had been left with only one, heartbreaking choice.
Feeling slightly shaky at the sudden rush of memories, she turned and slowly walked towards the door, ready to return to her room. As she made her way down the stairs her legs trembled with every step. This was why
she couldn't talk about Jack with Sarah or tell Keith about her past; the weight of it all was crushing. Finally back in the hallway, she was short of breath and gripped the railing while she stopped to regroup. Between the tumor
and the first few radiation sessions she could feel her stamina seeping from her and she was finding simple tasks - like walking - more difficult.
Taking a deep breath she took several unsteady steps forward before having to stop again. Exhausted, she rested her head against the wall.
"Nat?"
Just the sound of his voice made her heart skip a beat. Even though she knew they would never be together again she hated that he was seeing
her like this. Pulling her head from the wall,
the way she realized it was more than just the regular exhaustion from the grind of being a resident. One night, during a lull in a shift she had snuck away and had taken a test. As the plus sign had appeared in the window she had
sunk to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. Eric's position on children had been clear from the very beginning and she had been in agreement with it. As their relationship had grown, their plans for building a life together had followed suit and neither had made any allowances for children.
But the shocking result of the test had sent her into a tailspin. The moment she had discovered she was pregnant she knew she would have to choose between the man she loved and the child she never expected to have. The ferocity with
which she had instantly loved the child growing inside her also shocked her. While she was a very open minded person, there had been no other choice for her when it had come to this baby. Nathalie knew that Eric was a good man and would
never leave her or their child. Just as she knew he would grow to resent both of them. On the floor of that hospital bathroom she had known her life was going to change. She just had no idea how much or how drastically.
It had been a Herculean effort for her to leave him and the
afternoon that she had packed her bags she had finally understood how Atlas had felt balancing the world on his shoulders. She had not wanted to leave him - or their life - but she refused to ruin his life. She loved him too much to force
him to take on the one thing he had always said he never wanted. She had accepted a fellowship in Geneva and it wasn't until she had boarded the plane that she had let the tears fall and once they started she was afraid she was
never going to be able to stop. She had cried almost every day during her first month in Switzerland until her sister had arrived. Sarah had given her a stern talking to and told her they had both survived so much already that she would survive the loss of Eric and she simply had to get on with her life. In the
logical fashion that Sarah approached every situation in her life, she reminded her that she had made the choice she thought best and she needed to remember all the factors that went into to her leaving.
And so she had. The moment Jack had been put on her chest and her heart filled to the brim with love for him she knew she had made the right decision - however painful it had been. The opportunity to travel to the Congo and work in a field hospital had been too good to pass up and with her
two-month old son in tow she had moved them to Africa. She had still continued to miss Eric almost every day but the satisfaction she had from making such a difference had helped to distract her, at least temporarily, from her
self-inflicted broken heart.
And then in the darkness of one night, when she saw first hand the very worst the world had to offer, it had all come crashing to an end. Once again, Nathalie had been left with only one, heartbreaking choice.
Feeling slightly shaky at the sudden rush of memories, she turned and slowly walked towards the door, ready to return to her room. As she made her way down the stairs her legs trembled with every step. This was why
she couldn't talk about Jack with Sarah or tell Keith about her past; the weight of it all was crushing. Finally back in the hallway, she was short of breath and gripped the railing while she stopped to regroup. Between the tumor
and the first few radiation sessions she could feel her stamina seeping from her and she was finding simple tasks - like walking - more difficult.
Taking a deep breath she took several unsteady steps forward before having to stop again. Exhausted, she rested her head against the wall.
"Nat?"
Just the sound of his voice made her heart skip a beat. Even though she knew they would never be together again she hated that he was seeing
her like this. Pulling her head from the wall,
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