Page 103 of Jilted

I smiled. “Wilder played rugby.”

“I know. The nurses were all gossiping about a celebrity in the house. I don’t follow sports, so I wasn’t aware, but they tell me he’s a big deal.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. Though I didn’t know who he was when we met, either.”

She pulled up a stool and sat next to me. “So, before we take you down to get your CAT scan, I wanted to talk about your blood test results.” She shuffled some papers. “Your glucose concentration was where it should be by the time we tested here at the hospital since they did dextrose at fifty percent in the field. Which is good.”

I nodded. “This is all my fault. My monitor alarm went off, and I ignored it. It’s given me a few false alarms recently, and I was sleeping, so I didn’t double-check my sugar. I should’ve. I know better. Though I’ve been eating well, so it shouldn’t have gone so low.”

Dr. Connolly nodded. “I know the reason your body is acting out of sorts.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sloane, you’re pregnant.”

“Wha… what?”

“It’s standard procedure, when a female patient comes in with diabetes, to do a full workup to see what’s going on in the body. One of the tests is a pregnancy test. Yours came back positive.” She offered a hesitant smile. “I figured it would come as a surprise since your intake sheet said your last menstrual period was only a month ago and you answered no when asked if you were pregnant.”

“But… but… we used protection. Every time.”

“No birth control is a hundred percent effective.”

My head started to spin, and I thought I might pass out again. “Oh my God.”

Dr. Connolly stood and pulled up the guard rail on the bed. “Take a deep breath, Sloane. Take a few deep breaths.”

“Did you tell Will?” I wasn’t sure why I’d asked that. Will was the least of my problems.

“No, of course not. I would never reveal your private medical information to anyone without your consent.”

I shook my head, looking down. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid question.”

“It’s fine. Your privacy is both of our concern. Would you like to talk about it? We can discuss your options, or I can answer any medical questions you might have about diabetes and pregnancy. Or…” She paused and waited until I looked up. “Or we can talk about how you feel right now. I’m not just a doctor. I’m a woman, too.”

I looked at her, tears welling in my eyes. “Wilder and I haven’t been together that long. Less than a year ago, I was engaged to another man.”

“Is it Wilder’s baby?”

“I haven’t been with anyone else since my ex.” My heart pounded. “Oh God, how am I going to tell him? I already gave him a heart attack today. He was the one who found me seizing in the shower.”

“Well, you don’t have to tell him today. Maybe you need some time to absorb it yourself. You’re entitled to that, Sloane.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. That’s true.”

“You just experienced a major medical trauma—a seizure and possibly a concussion. That alone is a lot for anyone to handle. Things aren’t going to change if you give yourself a few days—or a few weeks—however long you need to heal before you deal with this new medical condition.”

I’d forgotten all about the possible concussion. “Is a CAT scan okay when you’re pregnant?”

“Studies have consistently shown that the amount of radiation used in CT imaging does not cause any harm to a child. And only your head will be scanned, not your abdomen. But of course, the choice is yours.”

I felt so lost. “What would you do?”

“You have a nice lump on your head, so we know you likely hit it when you lost consciousness. You’re not having blurred vision, vomiting, or experiencing ringing in your ears, which are positive signs when considering the chances of internal bleeding. But I would have the CAT scan, to be safe. Cranial bleeding can be treated in its early stages, but it’s dangerous if left untreated.”

I nodded. “Okay. Let’s do the CAT scan.”

“Alright.” Dr. Connolly stood. “I’ll have the nurse bring you down, and I’ll come check on you when you get back.”

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