Page 56 of Embattled Ever After

If Alex hadn’t already been sitting on the paper-covered table, she would have had to sit down somewhere. Her brain started connecting the dots. “So, basically you’re telling me I have a very good chance of losing this pregnancy no matter what?”

Reynolds waffled, his arms crossed. “If you want this to be a viable pregnancy you have a higher success rate by removing the IUD.”

She took a deep breath, thoughts mangled. “Okay.”

Alex dressed and left the room. Deena, the nurse handed her a slip of paper. “If you head over there now they will be able to get you in.”

So, within a two-hour period Alex saw both of her personal doctors. Dr. Tripiti completely agreed with Dr. Reynolds’ assessment. “Give me just a few minutes and I’ll be back.”

Dr. Tripiti had to see a couple more patients before his schedule freed up. Alex sat in the exam room, shivering with cold in the paper gown. Her mind had completely shut down and she gazed at the wall blankly. The thought of ever being pregnant had seemed so far down the road. IUDs were supposed to be as good as getting your tubes tied. Well, apparently not.

Fate, you are such an evil bitch.

It figured this would happen after she’d broken up with Duncan and there was no chance of getting back together with him.

What the hell was she going to do with a baby?

Her lifestyle revolved around her job, her very demanding job. Things were going to have to change. Forcing her brain to slow down, she decided to shelve plans until she knew if the pregnancy would progress.

Dr. Tripiti returned after about an hour, along with a smiling nurse. Alex lay back on the hard table and spread her legs for him to work.

“Cough for me,” he instructed.

Alex coughed and felt pressure in her mid section, then a release and the small, T-shaped device was out.

“Now, you may encounter some light bleeding and cramping, but that’s entirely normal. If you feel it’s going beyond normal, call me. I’ll give you my cell phone number and you can call me direct.”

Then, just a few minutes later, her life irrevocably changed, she was back out on the street and heading toward home, feeling achy, dazed and confused.

Alex walked up to her apartment very carefully. For some reason she felt like she needed to tiptoe, just to be extra careful.

Of the baby. Could it even be called a baby this early? She could only be a few weeks along.

Oh, hell…

Though she’d wanted kids very much, she hadn’t planned on it happening so soon. It had been kind of a theoretical thing. The IUD had worked exactly the way it was supposed to for many years. Why had it chosen now to fuck up? Maybe because this scenario was the most difficult she could ever imagine being in.

There was no doubt it was Duncan’s child. She hadn’t been with anyone else in a long time. Would he believe her, though? When should she tell him?

As a doctor, she knew that things did not always progress smoothly. For now, she would continue on as if nothing had changed. If she made it beyond a couple of weeks’ gestation she would think about talking to Duncan.

That night she slept like the dead and woke feeling almost refreshed. She showered and made her morning cup of coffee, then everything stalled out. No more coffee. No more pop. She’d need to start eating better rather than grabbing power bars and pizza in the cafeteria.

The doctor had given her a prescription for iron pills she would need to get filled.

She needed to start taking care of the tiny little person inside her.

Resting her hand over her belly, Alex took a moment to savor the excitement. She and Duncan had created a child together. Granted, he was super tiny right now but if he could make it to term, he would be an amazing child.

Look at her, already calling ithim.

Alex headed to work that day very conscious she carried a huge secret. But it washersecret. She’d just have to make it work out.

***

Alex worked two daysof regular shifts, no overtime. There were a few people giving her strange looks, but she didn’t care. Her life had changed, both perceptibly and imperceptibly. The broken heart was the least easy to see, but people seemed to sense it. The guys she worked with didn’t hit on her as much, and the women seemed friendlier. Alex wasn’t sure why things had changed, but she wasn’t going to complain.

Three days after she’d found out about the baby, she headed home. On the way, she stopped at the convenience store on the corner and bought what fruits and vegetables they had. It felt hypocritical, but she would try to eat them before they dissolved into mush. She also bought two microwave meals, knowing she wouldn’t be able to cook anything edible with the vegetables. But at least she was trying.

---