<h4>Chapter 496: A DEAD BABY</h4>


    Nanny Nia didn’t move. She stayed kneeling by the bed, her hand still loosely clutching Jasmine’s, though it felt like she was holding a ghost.


    The silence stretched between them like a thick fog.


    Jasmine didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch. Her chest rose and fell so faintly, Nanny Nia feared she might drift away again, this time for good.


    But she didn’t.


    She sat there—empty, motionless. As though her soul had gone somewhere far, far away.


    "I should have protected you," Nanny Nia whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "I should have done more. I should have known."


    Still no response.


    Nanny Nia was appalled.


    Worried that Jamsine had lost her entire being.


    Nanny Nia gently got up from her knees and walked up to the chair she had been sitting on.


    She picked up the wrapped up towel and gently walked over to Jasmine.


    Perhaps if she brought the dead child, then Jasmine would feel something at least.


    "I didn’t want to do anything with her... with it," she whispered. "I told them it was your decision. Not mine. Not Marie’s. Not even his."


    She brushed the edge of the towel, her hands trembling. "It still here, sweetheart. If you want to see ... I can—"


    "No."


    The word came out cracked and dry, but firm.


    Instantly stunning Nanny Nia.


    Jasmine didn’t look at her. Her gaze remained fixed on nothing but some invisible ce only she could see.


    "Jasmine." Nanny Nia whispered.


    But she remained unmoving.


    And for a long while, neither of them moved.


    The world outside went on, morning unfolding into a new day. But inside the room, time stood still.


    Just a broken girl and the woman who refused to leave her side.


    When Nanny Nia realized that there wasn’t going to be much difference from Jasmine, she very gently ced the wrapped up towel on herps.


    Jasmine flinched, but retracted and remained frozen.


    Nanny Nia stood hoping for change but Jasmine didn’t react.


    Nanny Nia felt perhaps she needed time alone so she stepped away from the bed.


    "I’ll give you some time alone." Nanny Nia said.


    When she was at the door about to leave, she thought she heard a smal voice.


    "What?" Nanny Nia said turning around.


    "I said what was it?" Jasmine hoarse and croaked voice asked.


    "It was a girl." Nanny Nia said responded.


    Jasmine remained unmoving for a while and then nanny Nia watched as she gently reached over the wrappings of the towel.


    And then what seemed like a tear dropped.


    And then more came and Jasmine gently pulled it to her and began to weep.


    She screamed and wept.


    Nanny Nia now relieved that she was finally letting her emotions out hurried to her side. She pulled Jasmine to her arms.


    All two of them along with the wrapped up towel being clung to her chest.


    Jasmine wept so much Nanny Nia could feel the tears sticking against her dress.


    But she didn’t mind.


    She only held unto Jasmine as she wept.


    After a while of weeping Jasmine gently let go of Nannh Nia and held unto the wrappings.


    She went quiet as she sniffed.


    And then soon she broke the silence.


    "I knew it was going to be a girl."


    Nanny Nia gave a weak smile.


    Nanny Nia brushed her hair and gave her a kiss on her forehead.


    Jasmine was quiet once again for a while.


    "Can I bury her?" Jasmine asked her.


    "Of course you can." Nanny Nia urged. "It’s your right to."


    Nanny Nia started to hear some noises at the door and she frowned.


    "Is everything alright?" Jasmine asked her face still pale.


    "Of course." Nanny Nia saiding down from the bed. "Just give me a second."


    And with that Nanny Nia rushed out of the room and once she shut the door behind she turned to face who the noisemakers were.


    "You have no right being here." Fiona snapped at Erik.


    "What’s going on?" Nanny Nia interrupted the two.


    There was tension in the air.


    "I just came to see Jasmine." Erik stated turning to Nanny Nia. "And she won’t let me."


    "Of course I won’t. What? You came to finish the job?" Fiona retorted her hands on her waist.


    "You act like I’ll ever hurt Jasmine." He stated.


    "Well you didn’t have to. Not directly at least. Always happen to be there when things go bad. Too much of a coward to say anything." Fiona snapped.


    Nanny Nia felt that there was more amiss here.


    "Hey hey hey." Nanny Nia stopped her. "The tow of you stop. Enough!"


    And then she grabbed their arms and forced them down the hallway away from the bedroom.


    When she was sure that they were all out of earshot, she red at them.


    "What is wrong with the two of you?" She demanded. "Acting like children. Jasmine is going through a hard enough time as it is without you two making her any worse."


    She turned to Fiona. "You have no right to turn him away from seeing Jasmine. He didn’t put Jasmine in the cell."


    Erik grinned and then Nanny Nia turned back to him. "You didn’t support her and that’s enough to show where you stand."


    It was now Fiona’s turn to grin at Erik.


    "Really what is wrong with the both of you?" She demanded. "Making it about yourselves. She just lost her child for the goddess’s sake. She is distraught already."


    "I just want to know she is okay." Erik stated.


    "And I understand that." Nanny Nia replied. "But I don’t think she would like to see you or anyone right now."


    Erik sighed.


    "I understand. I’m sorry." He apologized.


    "I know." Nanny Nia nodded. "But it’s not me you should tell that."


    They all went quiet.


    The door had now spring open and they turned.


    It was Jasmine standing in her blue chemise Nanny Nia had worn for her after her surgery, with the folded towel in her arms.