Page 37 of Sheikh's Unexpected Triplet Babies

Chapter Thirteen

When Bedelia regained consciousness, she was startled by all the white around her. Everything was so clean that it seemed to glow, and she was in a bed she had never been in before. It was so new and she was so raw that she couldn't prevent a small mewl of panic, and then she felt her hand squeezed gently and comfortingly. When Bedelia looked to her right, she saw a grim-faced Jahin sitting next to her, his hand covering hers.

"It's all right. You are at the hospital, and you are stable."

"The hospital...?" A sudden gasp of fear took her. "Oh god...the baby..."

"As far as the doctors can tell, everything is fine. You weren't out that long, but soon enough, someone will come in with an ultrasound machine and tell us more."

Bedelia bit her lip, her free hand stealing over her belly. Had something she’d done hurt her child? Oh god, what if something was wrong? She thought of all the times she had felt tired and sad. What if they had been signs that she was ignoring?

She felt Jahin's fingers tighten over hers, and she looked up at him. There was still an invisible wall between them, but his eyes were warm, and somehow, she was comforted.

"It will be fine," he said. "I will accept no other option."

She smiled at him a little. "I am glad that you are confident."

There was still so much to say between them, but for the moment, they simply sat in silence. Every part of her except for the hand that he held felt cool, almost cold.

It felt like an eternity, but it was likely only a half hour before the doctor came in to see them. He was an older man with a jawline beard and a friendly smile that made Bedelia feel instantly comfortable. She had to let go of Jahin's hand to shake his, but Jahin reclaimed it instantly, which made her feel oddly safe.

"I am Dr. Saati, and I'm here to get you on track," he said briskly. "It seems as if your blood pressure spiked, which is not uncommon for women who are pregnant, but is something that should be watched. Do you have an OB/GYN?"

Shame-faced, she had to shake her head.

"I only found out about my condition a day ago," she said softly. "I haven't spoken to any doctors yet..."

The doctor frowned, looking surprised. "That startles me a bit. Usually women are aware of their pregnancies by this point."

"I knew I was putting on a little weight," she hazarded, "but that's all."

The doctor asked her a few more questions, and she was nervous when she realized she was not giving him the answers he was looking for.

Finally he shook his head. "Well, let's see what the ultrasound has to say. That should give us a good picture of what is going on, so to speak..."

The jelly that they spread on her belly was terribly cold, and she saw Jahin frown out of the corner of her eye. She held on to his hand tighter, and no matter what was going on between them, she was grateful that he was there and looking out for her.

"Oh...well, this explains some of this," the doctor said thoughtfully, and she thought she heard Jahin growl very softly next to her.

"Tell us what is going on," Jahin demanded, and the doctor swung the screen towards them. For a moment, Bedelia was simply fascinated by the display of black and glowing blue. This was her body seen in a way that she had never seen it before, but then the images resolved and her eyes widened.

"No..."

"Well, this is your child here," said the doctor. "And so is this, and so is this. Congratulations, Miss Lindow, you are having triplets."

She didn't realize she was holding Jahin's hand much tighter until she shifted. Still, he never made a sound. They both looked at the doctor, and then they looked at each other.

The look on Jahin's face was not one that Bedelia could have predicted. She would have guessed that he would be shocked, or perhaps that he would be confused. She might even have guessed that he would be furious, though she would not have liked to consider that.

However, the actual look on his face took her breath away; it was joy, pure and simple.

"Triplets?” he said finally when it was clear that Bedelia was breathless. "Truly?"

"Yes," said the doctor with a nod. "Not usual, certainly, but far from incredibly rare. Do either of you have multiple births in your family?"

As a matter of fact, both Bedelia and Jahin could come up with at least a few relatives who had produced twins, but triplets seemed to be an altogether new idea.

"Is it dangerous?" asked Jahin, his voice oddly tight. "One of my cousins, she had complications with her twins, and one did not survive."

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