Page 34 of Destined for Eternity
Chapter 13
Cori
The room was cold and sterile, and all Cori wore was a thin gown. She lay on the exam table, shivering nervously as she waited for Paula to do the weekly exam. Doctor’s visits always made her anxious. What if something was wrong? What if something had changed and the baby wasn’t okay anymore? There wasn’t enough recent medical history for them to know if all nerou pregnancies went without complications. Maybe some didn’t. Not to mention she was currently in a transition state between mortal and immortal. Could that affect the baby? No one knew for certain.
And once again Bartol hadn’t come with her, which would have at least made her feel a little better. He could be very reassuring when he set his mind to it, and she wanted him to be a part of this. Instead, he’d left a few hours ago for Los Angeles with no notice, leaving her on her own. It was more than a little frustrating that he could be so protective one moment and then off on his own in the next, barely acknowledging the baby growing inside her. He didn’t even try to see if Jeriel would at least let him stay long enough to attend the appointment. It wouldn’t have delayed him by much, but Bartol had refused to argue about it when she confronted him.
At least Melena came with her. She’d taken off work so that Cori wouldn’t have to go by herself again. Never before had she been so thankful that she had such a supportive friend. Sure, this wasn’t her first pregnancy, but the prospect of it still scared her. She didn’t know what to expect with a supernatural baby even after asking everyone a thousand questions. It just seemed surreal to her.
Paula came into the room. “How are you doing today?”
“Okay.” Cori sat up a little straighter. “Just getting tired more easily.”
“That is totally normal.”
She and Melena were quiet as the doctor set up the ultrasound equipment and put gel on Cori’s stomach. This was always the moment of truth. The baby kicked a lot, so she knew her child was alive and quite energetic, but that didn’t mean things were perfect.
Paula moved the wand over her stomach. “Hmmm.”
“What?” she asked, the doctor’s frown making her nervous.
“Your little one is kicking the wand, making it difficult to get a good visual.” The doctor moved the probe to another position on the side of her stomach. “Ahh, that’s better. The baby has their head down, which is a good sign for when you go into labor.”
“Am I still on track for late May?” Cori asked. That was just four and a half weeks away.
Paula pursed her lips. “Most likely. The baby is going to be big, though. We won’t be able to let your pregnancy go any longer than that.”
Cori blinked. “Big? How big?”
“At the current growth rate, I’d say around ten pounds.”
Melena swore. “Good grief. That’s it for me. I’m not having children with Lucas if they’re gonna be that huge.”
“Oh, thanks,” Cori said, taking a napkin the doctor handed her to wipe off the gel on her tummy. “I thought you were supposed to be here for moral support?”
The sensor shrugged. “I am, but that’s a seriously big baby. I’m guessing they all come out larger than average, which means I’m gonna have the same problem.”
Paula gave Melena a disapproving look. “You also have the advantage of a body that can handle it. Stop scaring your friend.”
“Sorry.” The sensor smiled gently at Cori. “This is just a bit scary for me to watch knowing I’ll be in here someday for the same thing—maybe.”
“You’ll be fine,” the doctor said to Melena, then had Cori put her feet in the stirrups. “I’m going to check your cervix now.”
She stared at the plain white ceiling, trying not to be bothered by the exam. This part always hurt a little. One thing about pregnancy was that a woman couldn’t have any shame and had to deal with a lot of discomfort. Doctors had to poke and prod everywhere, whether you liked it or not.
“You’ve already dilated to one centimeter.” Paula pulled back and tossed her gloves in a nearby trashcan.
“Is that good or bad?” Cori asked.
“Neither. A lot of women are dilated at this stage, but not all.” The doctor helped Cori sit up. “It does mean your body is getting ready for the big day.”
“But not too soon, right?”
The doctor put her hands in her lab coat pockets. “There’s nothing to indicate the child will come early, but babies can be unpredictable under the best of circumstances.”
“I come here when I go into labor, right?” Cori asked.
Paula nodded. “Unless it’s morning since I am under a deep sleep then, but I have a werewolf assistant who is a fully certified midwife and aware of your case. Heidi will be on call during that time.”
