Page 92 of Ruthless Vengeance
He nods, stepping closer to the bed as he shifts Zoe to his other arm. “I hate seeing you like this. What can I do?”
“You’ve done enough. We just have to wait for it to pass.”
“Maybe I should stay home today to keep an eye on you.”
I shake my head. “Marco, I’ll be fine. Lila and Rosa are both here, so Zoe is taken care of. And I’m just going to stay in bed and sleep this off.”
Marco doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t fight me further. “All right. But I’ll be checking in, hourly.”
“Shocking,” I mutter with a sleepy smile as he disappears out the door with Zoe in hand.
I haveto get out of bed at least once every hour to run to the bathroom. I try to take another bite of food, knowing I need to eat in order to keep my milk supply up, but it only makes me feel worse. So, I settle for sipping on some ginger tea and distracting myself with trashy reality shows on the TV.
I must have gone back to sleep at some point as I’m woken to Lila’s voice.
“Clara.” She gently shakes my shoulder. “The doctor is here.”
I blink up at her, still groggy and half-asleep. “Huh?”
“Doctor Weston is here to check you over. Shall I send her in?”
I sit up slowly, the nausea still lingering in my stomach. “Uh, sure.”
My throat is painfully dry, but I’m too scared to even drink water because I’m not even managing to keep down liquids.
Lila squeezes my shoulder before opening the door to the bedroom and ushering the doctor inside. “Give me a shout if you need anything,” she says before closing the door behind her, leaving me alone with Doctor Weston.
She’s a woman in her mid-fifties, with short dark hair and thick black glasses.
“Good morning, Clara.” She offers me a warm smile. “I’m Dr. Weston. Your husband tells me you’ve been suffering quite badly with a stomach bug.”
My stomach flips, and it has nothing to do with the nausea and everything to do with her referring to Marco as my husband, but I don’t correct her.
I kind of like the sound of it.
“Yes.” I sit up a little more, running my hands over my hair to try and smooth it down. “I’ve had pretty persistent nausea, and I haven’t managed to keep down any food or water.”
“How long has this lasted?”
I frown as I try to think how many hours it’s been. “Almost forty-eight, I think.”
“Right…”
“I’m still breastfeeding my daughter, and I’m concerned about my milk supply running low because of this. It was already a little low to begin with.”
“How old is your daughter?”
“Seven months. I was hoping to keep breast feeding until she’s at least a year old.”
“Well, if this is a stomach bug, a few days shouldn’t have too much of an effect on your supply. Do you pump?”
“Yes.”
“I suggest you continue to pump even if there isn’t much milk right now as it will help to keep your supply up. And when you’re feeling better, I recommend you eat plenty of dark leafy greens and oatmeal to help with milk production also.”
“Great, thanks.”
“So, can you tell me more specifically about your symptoms?” She sets her bag down on the end of the bed and pulls out a clipboard with some forms attached.
