Page 60 of Operation Annulment
I take her in my arms, rocking her gently on the bed. “Dakota, I’mso sorry. I’m sorry about our fight and that you had to go through that all alone. I haven’t been a good?—”
She stops me. “No, it’s my fault. I know how much you’ve sacrificed for me, and I just didn’t want you to get hurt again. I was wrong, Katydid. So wrong.”
I cry harder. “But I saidDCwas better.”
She starts laughing. “That was pretty terrible. I accept your apology for that part.”
The curtain opens, and a woman in a white coat comes in, pushing a large white cart with a screen on top. “Hey, Dakota, I’m Dr. Harper. I’m the OB-GYN on call today. You were severely dehydrated when you were brought in and presented with some spotting. I’d like to perform a transvaginal ultrasound to see what’s going on.”
Dakota nods shakily, and I move to leave. “Please stay, Kate.”
I stand near Zane, allowing the doctor to work. He’s still holding her hand tightly in his. Dakota’s legs shake slightly as she places them in the stirrups at the foot of the bed.
The black and white screen remains empty for what feels like an eternity, and I don’t realize I’m squeezing Zane’s arm until he moves it to wrap around my shoulder.
The doctor maneuvers the wand, and suddenly, the screen changes. There’s a lot of movement. I look at the doctor’s face to determine if it’s good or bad.
Dr. Harper smiles. “There’s your baby, just moving and shaking like nothing’s wrong. Heartbeat is strong, too.”
I exhale the breath I didn’t know I was holding as she takes some measurements and prints pictures.
Zane is shaking slightly, and I look up to see that he’s crying. Something about seeing Thor cry unleashes the waterfall of tears within me. His voice is shaky. “So, she’s going to be okay? And the baby’s good?”
He releases me to sit beside her, looking expectantly up at the doctor. Dakota wipes at her streaming eyes while giving him such an adoring look that it makes me feel like an intruder.
Dr. Harper pulls up Dakota’s chart on the main computer. “Yes, I think you’ll make a full recovery. Take it easy the next few days; rest and elevate your feet. I would hold off on going to the gym for a few weeks, and once you go back, stick to less strenuous exercises.”
Dakota nods as Dr. Harper gives her more instructions and a prescription for nausea. Once the doctor’s gone, she turns to Zane. “I can’t go to the gym for weeks? We’re getting married in sixty-one days. What am I supposed to do?”
He takes her face in his massive hands. “I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but I think you need to hear it. The thigh gap is bullshit, babe. I love your curves.”
I fan my face, trying to dry my tears. “Wow, my eyes are watering. I’m just going to step out?—”
Dakota holds up her hand. “Don’t. I still need to talk to you.” Then she whispers something in Zane’s ear, causing his smile to widen.
“You got it, Cap.” He gets up and steps around me to leave.
“Where’d you send him?”
She smiles. “For cupcakes. Now, sit. I need to talk to you about Nate.”
I drop onto the hard plastic chair, dreading what she’s about to say. “Look, I know you don’t like?—”
Her hand covers my mouth. “No, no, no. None of that. Listen to me. How familiar are you withCaptain America & Bucky #624?”
I force my lips into a straight line. “I think it’s safe to say I am completely unfamiliar with it.”
She nods. “I thought that might be the case. Well, I’ll give you a brief version. It covers Bucky’s years as the Winter Soldier and how that’s affected him. Nate is your Bucky.”
I nod, still unsure of where she’s going with this. “Okay… and I’m Captain America?”
She shakes her head. “No, Kate. You are not Captain America. God of thunder, that’s almost laughable. Anyway, a line from the comic has always stood out to me. In it, Bucky says, ‘I might have put a bullet in mybrain to quiet the ghosts… if not for Natasha…’You, my dear sister, are Natasha.”
“That’s Black Widow, right?”
Dakota sighs. “Yes. Seriously, Kate, it’s like you haven’t been paying attention all these years.”
I pick at the sheet on the bed. “So, you don’t hate him anymore?”
