Page 20 of The Sound of Temptation

“What happened? Did I have surgery?” I reach up to touch the spot on my face that feels like it’s frozen and gasp when I feel a thick bandage on my left cheek. "What’s wrong with my face?”

Her expression grows somber. "Your windshield shattered, and some of the glass cut your face. Our plastic surgeon did a good job, but it will leave a scar.”

“And what about my stomach. Did glass cut me there, too?”

The sympathy that fills her eyes terrifies me. “Please, tell me."

She takes my hand and leans over me. “Beth, did you know you were pregnant?”

I jerk my hand out of hers and press my back into the bed, as the most terrible pressure builds in my chest. I shake my head and tears spill down my cheeks.

“I’m so sorry you’re finding out this way, I know it must be completely disorienting. We have a great team of social workers and someone will be in to talk to you about resources like counselors and support groups.”

“But, I don’t…understand. What happened?" I reach down to touch my stomach again. “What happened?”

“Do you know what an ectopic pregnancy is?”

“Kind of. Sure. Is that what I had?”

She nods.“Yes, you were very close to twelve weeks along. The embryo was stuck in your fallopian tube instead of your uterus like it normally would and it caused the tube to rupture. You were brought in, and we moved you to surgery right away. Ectopic pregnancies are never viable. I’m so sorry. And in your case, we couldn’t save your fallopian tube. We had to remove it.”

I sink into the bed. I feel like I'm having an out of body experience. This can't be happening. Pregnant? How? We always used condoms, I think.

“Beth?” The doctor covers my hand with hers, again.

I look back at her, and her eyes are filled with sympathy as she looks down at me and squeezes my hand.

“I have something else to discuss with you. And I’m so sorry to add to what I know was very difficult news to hear.”

“Okay.” I hold my breath.

“We believe this happened because you had adhesions in your right fallopian tube. We found similar ones on the left one.”

“What is that?” I put my hand back over the bandage covering my belly button.

“It’s a blockage. We used a dye to see how severe it is, and yours is substantial.”

“Okay. So how do you fix it?”

“Normally we’d clear it.”

“Okay, so did you?”

She clears her throat and glances over her shoulder at my father. “We tried. But it’s too severe. We decided removal of the tube completely was best.”

“Oh, I see.” All the air leaves my lungs, and I turn my hand so I can clasp hers.

“So, I can’t have kids?”

“We left your ovaries and your uterus. So you could. But you’d need the help of a fertility doctor. There are plenty of women who have this surgery and go on to have children.”

Numb with disbelief, I just nod.

“We haven’t removed the tube yet. We wanted to wait to hear from you.” She looks over her shoulder and then looks back at me. She’s still smiling, but there are lines of tension around her eyes. “ We stitched you up nicely and brought you into recovery.”

I nod, terrified by the prospects I’m facing and shocked my father left the decision to me.

“If I don’t do it, I’ll be able to have kids?”

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