Page 102 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
“Oh, okay, hun. Can I have your date of birth to look you up in the system?” I told her, and in moments, she got back to me with another question. “Perfect, okay. How far along are you?”
“Just hit thirty-five weeks. I…” Fear was starting to get to me, and it was impossible to keep it from my voice. “I’m a bit nervous right now. Can I talk to someone about what’s going on?”
“Of course, hun. I’m going to put you on hold for a few seconds, and a doctor is going to pick up and talk to you to see what you need. Is that okay?”
I made a sound of agreement, and the phone clicked, and moments later, a doctor answered.
The female doctor was friendly and kind, introducing herself as Dr. Alvarez. She ran through some questions with me, asking about my symptoms, and when I mentioned that my pack wasn't around, she stopped.
“Are none of your pack with you? Where are they?”
“They're gone for three days on a work trip,” I explained, that dread sharpening. “It wasn't really something they could miss, so I insisted I'd be fine, as I have lots to do, but then I got sick.”
“Well, I think we have the answer to why you're feeling so unwell. My records show that Pack Garnett is your pack. The hockey players, right? I assume they've gone to play a game?” Again, I hummed in agreement. “I'm pretty sure what you've got is a nasty case of separation sickness.”
I frowned at the wall of my nest. Separation sickness was something omegas got when they were pregnant and far away from their alphas, but it was rare. At least, that was my understanding from all the pregnancy books I'd read when I got pregnant with my little bean.
“Why would I suddenly get it now at thirty-five weeks along? The pack wasn’t around for the first part of my pregnancy.” It didn't make sense to me. I desperately wanted to understand, because if that was what was happening with me, I needed to know. Deep down, I was praying that it was something different because separation sickness would mean I would need to call the guys to get at least one of them back home. Calling them away like that would make me feel terrible. This was their job. I couldn’t just yank them home for me.
“Separation sickness isn't cut and dry. If you've been around your alphas a lot for the last few weeks, and they suddenly leave, it can impact your hormones, especially when you're pregnant. Think of it like withdrawal. If you've had a lot of a particular medication, and then you go cold turkey, it's going to make your body go into chaos. Alpha pheromones are strong things, and they are particularly potent to pregnant omegas.”
“So, what do I do?”
“Have you got a thermometer? Can you take your temperature?”
“I can.” As I spoke, I clambered out of the nest and made my way toward the adjoining bathroom, where the medicine cabinet held a thermometer. “Okay, taking it now.”
After a moment, the doctor asked, “Do you have a fever?”
I shook my head. “I don't.”
“Okay, good. How soon can your alphas come back?” she asked, her voice gentle and concerned.
“The game should be done in the next few hours, and they’ll be home tomorrow. Is there medicine or something that I can take to make this a bit easier?”
Dr. Alvarez hummed in disagreement. “Not really. The best thing would be to get you near your pack. I'm assuming you can't call them right now because they're in a game?”
“I can try…” I trailed off, knowing it was useless.
“Well, I have an emergency contact number here for one Jensen Noble. He’s listed as the team doctor, so with your permission, I will give him a call and let him know that they need to return home. Once I've been in touch with him, I can call you back and let you know if you need to come in to see us, or if they will be back soon enough. If they're going to be longer than another ten hours, I would prefer you come into the clinic overnight, so we can keep an eye on you.”
“I would rathernotcome in,” I admitted. Even though I felt like utter trash, the idea of leaving my home felt wrong.
“I totally understand trying to pry a sick omega from their nest is never fun. We also have a few on-call doctors, so someone could give a house visit if need be. I just don’t like the idea of you being on your own. Do you have any family or friends nearby? Someone who can keep an eye on you so that, if your condition deteriorates, you can come in immediately.”
I bit my lip, thinking for a second before something occurred to me.
“Oh, there may actually be someone!” Usually, I wouldn't resort to messaging them, but if it meant that I got to stay in my nest, then I would take it.
Pulling the phone away from my ear, I texted the security team, asking for one of them to come up.
“That's perfect. Who is it?”
“We have a security team. They usually stay outside the apartment, but one of them can come in and keep an eye on me. I just—ugh. Sorry, my head is pounding.”
“Don't apologize. Separation sickness is no joke.”
The door to my room opened, and Spencer walked in, a deep frown on his face, looking especially concerned. He was probably perturbed by the fact that I had texted him, asking him to come in, because Ineverasked him for help. Taking one look at me, his face somehow got even stonier, and he strode toward the nest.
