I tried to remember when my last period was. I wasn’t the most regular of women. And I haven’t really cared about tracking it. My life was so busy that when it showed up I just shrugged and went on with my life. If it didn’t it wasn’t a big deal. Finally I gave up. “I have never been regular.” I told her honestly. “I can’t remember when I last had one.”
She nodded. “That’s okay.” She was typing something into the big machine and then she pulled up my shirt and tugged my jeans and panties down slightly. The gel she but on my belly was surprisingly warm. Then she was pressing a wand into my lower abdomen and I was grimacing in pain. I felt bloated and uncomfortable as she moved the wand around.
I watched her closely, switching my gaze from what she was doing to my body to what she was doing on the screen. The doctor was watching over her shoulder, nodding. “Okay.” The tech said with a small smile. “We can see a heartbeat. Arms, legs. Spine looks good.” She twisted a nob and the sound of galloping filled the room. “Strong heartbeat…What do you think doctor?”
“Looks like she is right at eighteen weeks…Can you tell the sex?”
I tuned them out for a moment. My gaze entrapped on the screen. The outline of a tiny being stared back at me. A waving hand, a kicking foot. My breath caught in my chest and I couldn’t breathe. Somewhere deep inside of my chest my heart melted and I fell head over heels in love with the creature on the screen.
“Well…” The doctor and the tech chuckled.
My head snapped in their direction. “What?” I whispered.
“Your baby wants to make sure that you know just what it is.” The doctor touched the screen and I saw that the two legs were spread apart. “Congratulations. You are having a girl.”
Tears burnt my eyes and I blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. “A girl.” I breathed.
The tech took a few more pictures, then printed off one and handed it to me. “For your baby book. Baby’s first picture.” She smiled and left the room without the machine.
“Well you are very much pregnant, Em.” The doctor, who I was sure had told me his name but I had been to out of it to remember, gave me a questioning look. “Eighteen weeks and three days by the measurements. That puts your due date on November sixth.” He scribbled something on the iPad he had in his hands.
“Is she okay?” I couldn’t help but think of how sick I had been over the last month. “Did I hurt her?”
He was quick to reassure me. “No. The amniotic fluid is perfect, so your dehydration didn’t affect the baby. It’s probably why you were so sick though. Everything you were able to take in was going straight to her. Her heart rate is good; she’s moving around…You don’t feel it?”
My hand touched my lower stomach. There really was a little being inside of me. A tear escaped and trailed down my cheek. “No.” I whispered. “Is that normal?”
The doctor shrugged. “Every woman is different. Some don’t feel the baby until well into the fifth month. Second time mothers feel it sooner. You seem on schedule…So how are you feeling emotionally about the baby. Your reaction when I told you about the blood work wasn’t exactly…”
I shook my head. “I was scared. Am still so terrified I don’t know if this is a nightmare or not. But seeing her...” I clutched the ultrasound photo to my chest. “That changed everything.”
“It normally does.” He pulled a chair over and sat beside me. “Okay. So we have established that this is a shock, but now that you have seen her you are…Happy?”
I snorted. “I’m not thrilled about this, doctor. But...” I sucked in a deep breath. “But I’m not unhappy about it. If that makes sense.”
“Perfect sense.” He was punching something into the iPad. “Why was this such a surprise, Em? You don’t have a boyfriend?”
“This was a surprise because I have had sex a total of once in my life.” I told him honestly. “And the guy…He doesn’t even remember it happened. When I tell him that I’m pregnant.” I closed my eyes. “He is going to go crazy.”
“Is he still a part of your life?”
“He’s part of my everything.” I glared at the opposite wall. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
The doctor opened his mouth to say something, I have no clue what it was because suddenly the door to the exam room was shoved open and in stormed all four of my guys. Before I could even register that news Jesse was beside of me and Drake was pushing the doctor out of his way to get to me.
“Emmie.” Jesse was running his hands over my hair, taking in my IV and heart monitor. He was pale, shaking, and there were tears in his big brown eyes. “Are you okay? Tell me you’re okay, Em.”
“We came as soon as we heard.” Drake was clutching my hand. “I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Nik was standing at the foot of the bed, his attention on the doctor who was staring at the four of them with his mouth gaping open. “Is she going to be alright?”
The doctor finally dropped his gaze back on her and raised a brow in inquiry. I shook my head, not ready to tell any of them what was wrong with me, let alone that one of them was about to be called daddy. The man cleared his throat. “She came in severely dehydrated. We aren’t sure exactly what is going on, but will be keeping her overnight for observation.”
Jesse turned his gaze on the doctor and I felt sorry for him. Jesse, with his bald head, tattoos and bulky frame was intimidating. “You don’t know what is wrong with her?” The doctor shook his head. “Then get off your ass and do some fucking tests.”
“Jesse.” I captured his hand and linked our fingers together. “Calm down. The doctor is doing all he can. And I’m already feeling much better.”
The fire in his eyes dimmed when he turned back to me. “I just want to know what’s wrong.” He told me in a softer tone than what he had used with the doctor.
“We’re getting her a bed now and she will be moved soon. I suggest that you gentlemen go get some rest and you can see this young lady first thing in the morning. Right now she needs some rest.”
Four pairs of eyes turned to glare at the poor doctor. “We aren’t leaving.” They all said in unison. “Emmie is ours. We’re staying with her.” Shane informed him.