Page 62 of Prognosis Incompatible

‘So you can make up with your girlfriend?’ she asked, her emphasis disparaging.

‘Oh I think you’ve killed any chance of that.’

‘God...this is just like before,’ she said bitterly, her voice raising an octave. ‘You didn’t want a baby then either.’

Marcus sighed. ‘I was twenty-two.’

‘Well, no need to worry,’ she said standing. ‘Maybe I’ll conveniently miscarry this time again.’

She glared at him across the desk before turning on her heel and storming out of his office and slamming his door.

***

Two hours later Marcuswas seeing a client out when his mobile rang. Again he got his hopes up but again it was just Tabitha’s number flashing on the screen.

‘Hello,’ he said tersely.

He couldn’t make out a word she said initially she was crying so much. ‘Slow down, Tab,’ he said, ‘I can’t understand a word you’re saying.’

‘I said,’ she said hiccuping as she drew in a couple of deep breaths, ‘you got your wish, you slime ball. I’m bleeding. I hope you’re happy.’

Tabitha dissolved into more tears and Marcus took a few seconds to fully comprehend what she’d said. Oh, no! Not again. Tab had been devastated the first time around, depressed for months after.

‘What am I going to do, Marcus?’ she wailed. ‘I can’t go through this again.’

His heart went out to her and his medical training came to the fore. ‘What do you mean, bleeding? Fresh blood or more like spotting?’ he asked.

‘Spotting.’ She sniffled.

‘Any cramping?’

‘Not yet.’ Her voice wobbled.

‘It’s probably nothing, Tab,’ he said reassuringly.

‘This was how it started last time,’ she sobbed.

‘Come down here immediately,’ Marcus said. ‘They have a basic ultrasound machine next door, we’ll do a scan and see what’s happening.’

Marcus made some phone calls. Three to cancel all his remaining afternoon clients and one more to Maddy, who thankfully picked it up without looking at her caller ID.

‘I know this is asking a lot but Tabitha is spotting. She’s hysterical. Can I bring her in for a quick scan?’

Madeline couldn’t quite believe what he was asking of her. She wanted to scream into the phone and hang up loudly in his ear. But despite everything, Madeline felt for Tabitha. Many of her patients had suffered from the devastating loss of a pregnancy. It was only natural for Marcus to turn to the most readily available source of medical equipment especially when he was new in town and hadn’t made a lot of contacts yet.

‘Of course,’ she said politely. ‘Is she cramping?’

‘No.’

‘How far is she along? It’s probably nothing,’ she said to him unnecessarily.

‘I know, that’s what I told her, but she’s been through this once before. She’s ten weeks. She’s really upset, Maddy.’

She heard the apology and the strain in his voice. ‘Bring her straight in,’ she said briskly, and hung up.

Once her hands had stopped shaking and she could think rationally, Madeline hoped for Tabitha’s sake everything was okay. And she was glad that Marcus had asked her. This way she got to see the baby, too, and it would seem much more real to her than it did at the moment.

Everything from last night onward seemed surreal. Seeing Marcus’s baby on the screen, while devastating, would also help her face reality. Confirm that it was actually happening — that he had responsibilities and she wouldn’t stand in his way.

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