Page 77 of Unexpecting

″What are you talking about?” he croaked.

″Is there any history of multiple births in either of your families?”

″How am I supposed to know that? I don’t even know his family!” Dr. Morrissey blinked at my outburst. ”Why? What’s going on?”

″I can’t be positive…” The doctor moved the roller around on my belly some more. “One, two… Casey, I think there might be three babies in there, actually. Let’s get an ultrasound for you right away.”

After almost casually mentioning that I was about to be a mother to triplets, Dr. Morrissey left J.B. and me alone for a couple of minutes—the worst thing she could have done.

″Is she serious?” J.B. whispered. “Are there really three of them in there?”

I was almost in tears and wouldn’t let go of my belly, as if that was going to prevent any egg from splitting into thirds—too late, Casey! I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how on earth I could possibly raise three children. Not all at once. Sure, I’d love to have three kids, but not all at once, and I definitely needed some time in between. I was a bit of abasket case already when the nasty old bat of a doctor returned, pushing a computer on a cart.

″I gave the lab a call, and they are fully booked for the day. We’ll have a little look here to confirm what’s going on.”

″So it’s not triplets?” I asked, like someone asking, “So it’s not diphtheria?”

″Oh, I’m pretty sure you’re having triplets, but it’s always nice to double-check these things.”

She was right, of course. There were three tiny alien creatures growing in my uterus. Having actual aliens growing inside me would have been less of a shock than having three babies. Dr. Morrissey pointed them out on the screen, but it was like I was back in math class, trying to figure out equations. Plus, I couldn’t see much through my tears, but I got the gist of what the doctor was telling me. In about six months, I was going to give birth to three babies.

How on earth could this possibly happen to me?

It’s all J.B.’s fault. That asshole put not one, not two, but three goddam babies in me! Three! In me! How…? What…? Oh my God!

″How did this happen?” I asked weakly.

Dr. Morrissey gave me a look like she was concerned for my mental health, but I was beyond caring. All I could think about was how I could possibly raise three babies by myself.

″Either you had one egg split after it was fertilized, or you released three eggs, all of which were fertilized separately, which means you would have fraternal, rather than identical—”

″I know all that,” I snapped.

″I don’t,” J.B. said quietly.

″Maybe you should have figured it out before I let you and your super-sperm anywhere near me!”

″How is this my fault?”

″It’s not,” Dr. Morrissey said so firmly I was scared to argue with her. “Please listen, both of you. You are having a multiple pregnancy, which means you’re a high risk. There’s a greater possibility of severe nausea and vomiting—”

″Now you tell me!”

″—and premature delivery. You’ll also have a higher weight gain, and I want you to make sure you take your vitamins.”

I tuned out the rest of the lecture until the doctor suggested I come in to see her again in a month. In the meantime, I should get an ultrasoundas soon as I could. I was trying to take all this in, but all the while Dr. Morrissey’s words here’s your baby… and here’s your baby… and here’s another one… were ringing through my head. I chanced a glance at J.B. as we were leaving. His face was white with shock. I could hear his ragged breathing. For once I didn’t give a good goddamn how he was reacting, because as far as I was concerned, this was all his fault.

″Whoa,” was the only thing J.B. said as soon as we were out of the office. Like I was some sort of horse.

″Is that all you can say?” I asked, still with that note of hysteria evident in my voice, even to me. “We get this horrible news—”

To make things worse, as we left the building and I was doing my best just to breathe, I was not looking where I was going and I bumped into an elderly man on the sidewalk and practically knocked him down.

″Casey, watch where you’re going,” J.B. chided me as he helped the man to his feet.

″You should have watched what you were doing,” I suddenly snarled. “I can’t have these babies! I did not sign up for this! There’s no way I can do this. Why did I even think I could have a child? I don’t know the first thing—”

″Casey—”

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