Page 34 of Call Don't Fall

“Chilly,” I interrupted myself to say.

“Not as bad as it used to be and yes, I’m old enough to remember when the gel was involved and was as cold as the tippy top of Hemlock Mountain on Yuletide Day.”

“There on the screen,” Kirk pointed at the monitor before the doctor had the chance to.

His eyes were alight with pure fascination and pride as he stared at our little jellybean on screen. All the irritation fled his scent and for a moment he looked like a wide-eyed little boy about to tear into his presents on Yule morning. I squeezed his hand and turned my attention to the screen. It was all in color, but our little jellybean pup was just the color of fleshy cells and blood.

“We’ll provide plenty of printed sonograms and a letter recommending your mate be given high risk leave for the duration of your pregnancy. Everything looks fine but I would feel much better if you had someone by your side most of the time. Diabetes can be a bit unpredictable, and we’ll want to closely monitor anything that happens.”

“Do you think I can do a home birth?”

“If you have the appropriate space, most likely, yes,” Doctor Dreala nodded, taking off her gloves and making a few notes on her clipboard. “If not, you’d probably qualify to do a water birth here at the hospital. Either way, rest assured that you are in capable claws. I’ve managed many high-risk pregnancies and eggings. Mostly eggings in the past. Pregnant dragons often have cravings that aren’t best for the glucose levels. So, if something happens and it spikes, call me right away, but don’t feel bad about it.” She pulled my shirt down as we finished speaking. “We’ll discuss all that and more at your well omega exam. How’s next Friday for you?”

“What time?” I asked as if I did important things all day.

“Any time. Earlier might mean less of a wait but any time that works for you, I’ll do my best to work you in. I understand how hectic life is and I don’t like to stress my patients out with exact times. Like who can show up and pee in a cup and be in the mood to have an exam at 9:43 on the dot? Not me!” She laughed.

“Thank you,” I sat up and shook her hand.

She shook Kirk’s hand and told us that we could pick up our sonograms when we checked out at the front desk.

“I like her,” I told Kirk when we were once again alone.

“I knew you would. She has a good rep. I called ahead and told them about you,” Kirk admitted. “Don’t yell at me again.”

“What would’ve happened if you hadn’t? I mean, it’s nice that you have connections here but what about people who don’t?”

“They would’ve had to wait a bit longer to meet with her or the other doctor who works with diabetic carriers. They could call ahead too if they wanted. I don’t know if most people know that, but Mercy of Frost is pretty patient oriented.”

“You’re going to make me start a vlog to tell people these things,” I chuckled.

“You could and to show off your art.”

“Pregnancies and porn. Got it.”

“I think people who like erotic art and people who are pregnant or have a pregnant partner probably overlap quite a bit. You know, the whole naked and erotic thing,” he said and stole a kiss before helping me off the examination table.

Chapter Sixteen

Kirk

My leave reminded me of how bad I was at doing nothing and as much as I loved my mate, sometimes he needed space to work or hang out with his friends or just breathe in a different room than me. So eventually we fell into a nice morning schedule of him working after breakfast and me cleaning up. That evolved into me doing minor home repairs and double-checking that everything in the house would be safe for our incoming pup. I checked outlets and their covers, installed child safety locks on everything, and put together the nursery in my first two weeks of leave. With 9 weeks left more or less before the baby was due, I struggled to fill up his work hours with things to do around the house. I took up going for long morning and afternoon runs. Sometimes, during the early stages of his pregnancy, Chasten ran with me, but we soon learned running in human form set off his ‘morning’ sickness. So did running too fast in his wolf form.

“I’m more of an indoor wolf,” he laughed gently one afternoon as he sat on the edge of the tub while I cleaned up the bathroom. “Art, snacks, and occasionally venturing outside for pumpkins or something in the fall. Maybe build a snowman if it snows.”

“I think you’ll be better after our pup is here,” I frowned at him. “I don’t know that there is such a thing as an inside wolf. I mean, look at our wild counterparts.”

“Well, they lick themselves too,” he laughed.

“We lick each other in the same places. What’s the difference, besides the buddy system?”

“Ummm! We wash first!” He laughed, but the tips of his ears turned red. “If my stomach wasn’t threatening another uprising….” He trailed off.

“What would you do?” I asked, wiping his face with a cool cloth.

“Something that would prove I can stay inside and get my exercise. I don’t faint or get morning sickness in here.”

“Joking or legit anxiety?” I asked him, trying not to pry too far onto his side of our mating link.

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