Page 17 of Christmas Chaos
‘I know,’ said Zoe. ‘I haven’t passed it yet.’
‘And there’s the heartbeat.’
Rory’s grip on her hand tightened. ‘What?’
‘Your baby’s heartbeat. They’re doing fine and dandy.’
Zoe sobbed and he hugged her into his chest. ‘It’s okay, Zoe. Our baby’s okay.’
Our baby. Our baby. Our baby. The words bounced around inside his head. There was a future child inside her, and he’d nearly killed it.
The woman removed the probe and handed Zoe a wad of paper towels.
‘You can put your clothes back on now.’
Zoe was still crying so much that her body was clumsy, so he helped her dress. She sat on his lap, and he curled his arms protectively around her.
‘Why did this happen?’ he asked the sonographer, needing to hear from them if it was his fault.
‘Well, did you know, Zoe, that you have a bicornuate uterus?’
‘A what?’ she asked.
‘It’s heart shaped. About four in a thousand women have them. Baby MacGinley is implanted on one side, but the other doesn’t have anything in it so thinks you are due a period. This is what caused the bleeding. It’s likely it will keep going for a while so don’t be too concerned.’
‘What does this mean for the pregnancy?’ she asked.
‘It’s still early days so difficult to say. Some women do have issues such as preterm or breech babies, but others go through life never knowing they have this condition.’
Still early days. Issues. Preterm. Breech.
He’d done this to her, and he could do it again.
Zoe wantedto speak to her mum, so Rory gave her some privacy and sat her in the hospital cafe with a pot of tea and a slice of cake. He stood just outside under a grey sky, the crushing weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He was used to putting his big feet in situations, but now his big cock had almost lost them their child.
His phone vibrated in his pocket.
TABI: Nessie, Darling. I’m pissed because you’re the reason I’m still awake at two in the frikking morning. Yia Yia just called, well my mom did, and Yia Yia won’t let it go. Her third eye is still shining on you. Stop giving me all this “I’m fine, go away. Who is this?” shit. If you won’t talk to me, I need to know you’re talking to someone or Yia Yia won’t let me rest. Haggis, pixie, I don’t give Basil the rat’s ass who you talk to, just do it.
TABI: Or I’m ringing Zoe.
RORY: Don’t ring Zoe.
TABI: It speaks! If I’d have known that threat worked so well, I would have used it weeks ago.
RORY: Zoe’s nine weeks pregnant and had a bleed. We’re at the hospital now.
TABI: Fuck! No. No. One of us has to be able to have kids. Is the baby okay?
RORY: For now.
TABI: I’m so sorry. Tell me you have good doctors. Do you need me to make a call?
RORY: Her uterus is heart shaped, so half of it was trying to have a period. But it’s really my fault.
TABI: How d’you figure that out?
RORY: We had sex.
