Page 51 of Prognosis Temporary

Oh yeah. That was for damn sure.

They both stared at the television for what seemed like an age until Sebastian finally spoke. ‘Where do we go from here?’

Callie shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I just don’t know.’

‘Do you...do you want the baby?’

Callie recoiled at Sebastian’s tentative question. The one she’d been avoiding all day. ‘I don’t know,’ she repeated, ignoring the jab of pain that kicked her in the centre of her chest every time her mind drifted to the issue. She’d thought this question would be so clear cut but it wasn’t. ‘Do you?’

He shoved a hand through his hair as he leaned forward at the hips. ‘I...don’t know. This is a shock. I’m sorry, I just don’t know what to think or say.’

‘Yeah.’ That pretty much summed it up. She rose to her feet, her legs wobbly and her stomach lurching. ‘That makes two of us.’

He frowned. ‘Where are you going?’

‘To bed,’ she said, not bothering to look at him. ‘I’ve done nothing but think about this all day. I just don’t want to think any more.’

She’d get her shit together tomorrow but right now she was just too damn tired.

Such was her exhaustion, Callie crashed head long into sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. So deeply had she slept that waking suddenly from the deep, dark depths of her slumber several hours later was utterly disorientating.

But something had woken her, she wasn’t sure what and she had no idea what time it was but there was some light just starting to filter through her curtains so it must be close to dawn.

And then a scalding hot wave of nausea rose up from her stomach and she knew exactly what had yanked her from her sleep. Leaping from her bed, her pulse racing, she made a mad dash to her ensuite, getting there just in time to throw up.

Not that there was anything much in her stomach to offer.

She retched. And then she retched some more. She retched until her stomach hurt and it felt like her eyeballs were going to pop out of her head.

‘Callie?’

Startled, Callie looked over her shoulder to find Sebastian standing in the ensuite doorway. Even all bleary-eyed and disorientated, he looked so damn good she wanted to crawl over to him and hug his legs.

But she wasn’t done with the toilet yet.

‘I thought you’d gone,’ she just managed to say before another violent wave took hold and she turned back to retch some more.

Before she knew it, he was crouching beside her, his hand sliding to the small of her back and rubbing. It felt so damn good Callie wanted to cry. But damn it, she was feeling wretched enough without Sebastian witnessing her on her knees hunched over the toilet bowl.

‘Go away,’ she said, her eyes shut tight as she tried to mentally will the nausea away. Hot tears scalded her eyes and slipped out from behind her lids to trek down her face.

But he just kept rubbing her back. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

‘God...please, Sebastian,’ she sobbed. ‘Please, just go. I don’t want you to see me like this.’

Then another bout of retching took over and she couldn’t talk any more. Not that it seemed to matter as Sebastian ignored her anyway to keep up the back rubbing. If she’d had the energy she’d have pushed him away but she didn’t so he kept rubbing and muttering soothing things as she heaved and cried until the nausea finally settled.

When she was done, she slumped her sweaty forehead head against his shoulder.

‘Would you like a cool cloth?’

More tears filled Callie’s eyes. ‘Yes please,’ she whispered, her voice cracking.

He eased her back against the wall then stood. Putting the toilet lid down, he flushed before he fussed around the sink. Callie shut her eyes hoping that would stop the tears but alas, it did not.

‘Here,’ he said gently.

She opened her eyes, taking the wet cloth gratefully, pressing the coolness to her face dabbing at her eyes and nose and her mouth, although she doubted anything would really help given how much of a mess she must have looked.

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