Page 37 of The King's Secret Baby

Dr. Novak nods, pulling a chair over to the bedside. She takes my wrist, checking my pulse, then places a cool hand on my forehead.

“Can you describe your symptoms for me?” she asks, reaching for her stethoscope.

I take a deep breath, trying to focus through the haze of nausea and fatigue. “I’ve been throwing up, and I’m so tired. And a little dizzy. After I throw up, I feel better for a while, and then the nausea starts building again.”

Dr. Novak listens to my heart. “Have you eaten anything new lately?”

“I’ve just been having what everyone else here is eating.”

“If it were food poisoning, someone else would be sick, and no oneistoday. When was your last menstrual period?”

It’s a standard question, one that every doctor always asks me, no matter the reason I’m seeing them. “It was…”

I freeze, my mind racing. I try to think back, to remember, but the weeks have blurred together in a haze of work and stress and Luca.

“I… I’m not sure,” I stammer. “I’ve been so busy, I haven’t really been keeping track…”

Can I really have missed it? How could…?My breathing picks up, and my chest tightens.

Dr. Novak nods, her expression sympathetic. “Based on your symptoms, it’s possible that you may be pregnant. Would you like me to bring you some tests?”

“Uh, y–yes please.”

The world tilts on its axis.Pregnant. The word echoes in my mind, a terrifying, impossible truth.

There’s only one man who could be the father of my child. One night of passion, of reckless abandon, that I’ve tried so hard to forget.

We used a condom, though!

Yep. A condom that had been in my nightstand for months. For all I know, it was probably expired.

I close my eyes.Shit.

“I’ll be right back. Sit tight.”

I try to do exactly that as she fetches me a couple of home pregnancy tests, though inside I’m panicking. When she returns, I take both of the tests into the bathroom, follow the instructions, and wait three minutes.

And there it is: the truth. Both tests are positive.

“Oh, my God,” I hiss.

With shaking hands, I return to the doctor, who is waiting patiently in her chair. The look on my face must say everything.

“As your doctor, everything between us is confidential,” she says, then pauses. “Also, for what it’s worth, I know what it’s like to be a woman in this palace. We really get the raw end of the deal sometimes.”

I more collapse than sit on the end of my bed.A baby…

For the first time, there’s a flutter of excitement in my chest. Am I ready to be a mom? I understand what Dr. Novak is suggesting; it’s challenging to have a woman and a family.

But maybe… maybe I’m up to the challenge.

Dr. Novak stands. “Can I do anything for you?”

I swallow hard. “No. Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Let me know if you need anything else.” She exits with the same formality that she entered with, leaving me alone once more.

I close my eyes. Can this be happening? I’m pregnant!

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