"After you get dressed, meet me in my office to talk," Dr. Holden said, his brow furrowed. Then he nodded to the attending nurse and walked out, writing on his clipboard. Upon hearing that I was pregnant, my mother had my appointment changed to the gynecologist in the same offices as Dr. Warner, our family doctor.
The nurse patted my arm, giving me a worried look. "I'll tell your mom." She gave me a sympathetic look and then walked out.
As I was getting dressed, I wondered what that was all about. And for the first time, I thought of the baby. What if something was wrong? At that moment, I knew I couldn't lose this baby. No matter how it was brought into this world or who the father was, it was still my child... er... Shay's child. And I didn't want anything to happen.
When I was ready, the nurse led me into the doctor's office where my mother was already waiting in a chair across from his desk. She stood as soon as she saw me and kissed my cheek. "How are you feeling, dear?"
I nodded, looking suspiciously between them. "I'm fine. What's going on? Is the baby okay?"
The doctor sighed as he folded his arms on top of his desk. "If you want to keep this baby, we need to start giving you progesterone shots. I hate to say it, but the baby is starting to detach from the uterine wall."
I nodded, understanding. I could lose this baby after all. "Should I be on bed rest?"
The doctor sighed. "I suggest you carry on with your life normally." He shrugged. "I hate to say it but if you're going to lose it, it will happen no matter what you do."
I nodded, understanding. "When can we start the shots?"
The doctor glanced over at my mother and then she took my hand and looked into my eyes. "Darling, are you sure this is what you want?"
I nodded, looking at her as if she had four heads. "Yes, of course!" I scoffed. "Mom, no matter how this child got here, it's still my child."
Mom nodded and then backed away.
Then I turned to face the doctor. "Do you think we caught it early enough?"
He tilted his head to the side. "Quite possibly, but it's hard to say." He bit his upper lip, considering. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I don't want to lose this baby." Of course they didn't know it, but it sounded strange that at first Shay originally had an abortion and she may have lost it anyway. But I knew that Shay wanted this baby and I had to fight for her… and the baby.
The doctor's lips curled into a smile. "Okay, then. I'll give you a progesterone shot today, since you're sixteen weeks along, and then you'll have a shot each week until you reach twenty-four weeks. Okay?" He wrote furiously on my chart.
"Yes, of course," I replied, not asking my mother about the money. It wasn't important. This baby was the only thing I was thinking about. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"
"We couldn't tell on the ultrasound today," Dr. Holden replied. "But I'm sure we'll be able to tell at your next examination." He rose to his feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll speak with the nurse and she'll be in with your first shot. Then you can schedule your next appointment at the front desk."
I stood and offered him my hand. "Thank you, doctor."
He nodded and shook my hand. "You just take care of yourself and we'll see if we can get you to term." Then he looked into my eyes. "But no matter what happens, it's no fault of yours. Sometimes these things happen."
I nodded. "Thank you, doctor. But I'm going to try and rest as much as possible and do what I can."
He gave me a kind smile. "Well, that's all you can do."
Once he was gone, my mother picked up her purse and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright, dear?"
I nodded. "I'm fine, Mom. But if you don't mind, I'm going to start drinking a lot of orange juice and eat things that are healthy for me. I'm also going to need bedrest so I can try and do everything I can to save this baby. Then, no matter what happens, I'll know that I did everything I could."
Mom nodded, her eyes filled with sympathy. "I'll help you as much as I can."
I pulled her in for a hug. "Thanks, Mom."
"You know," she said, pulling back. "I'm very proud of you."
I smiled. "For what? Getting pregnant out of wedlock?"
Mom returned the smile as she shook her head. "No, dear." Then she placed her hand on my cheek. "For accepting responsibility and for already loving this baby." She let her hand fall and then motioned toward the door. "Let's go. We can stop at the grocery store on the way and I'll go in and get what you want. You stay in the car and wait for me. Okay?"
I nodded. "Thanks, Mom."
As we headed out to the car, I was glad that Mom hadn't hit the roof the way Shay had thought she would. In fact, it surprised me that she was being so supportive. When we reached the car, Mom opened the passenger door and waited for me to get in, and was in the driver's seat a moment later.
"Lean back the seat, if you like," Mom said, pulling out onto the main road. When she pulled into the grocery store parking lot a few minutes later, she turned off the car and patted my leg. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
After she closed the door, I leaned my seat back and closed my eyes.
"So, you're taking it easy, I see."
"Geeze!" My eyes flew open and Stellan was sitting in the driver's seat beside me. "You're going to have to stop scaring me like that! Especially now."
Stellan sighed as he patted my hand. "Yes. I heard."
I scoffed as my mouth opened wide. "Please tell me you weren't in the examining room."
He scrunched up his eyebrows. "No way! Trust me, I'm not a pervert." He looked out over the hood of the car, thinking. "But I was waiting outside the door and then followed you into the doctor's office."
A crease formed between my eyes as I settled back down. "Really? Then why didn't I see you?"
He shrugged, giving me a cocky grin. "Because I can choose when you can see me and when you can't."
"Not fair." I scoffed, pushing out my lower lip into a pout.
Stellan laughed. "Wow! Acting like a child will not earn you my sympathy."
"Oh, I already know that. But now I'm going to have to wonder if you're around, even when I can't see you!" Then I had an idea. "I'll tell you what. Knock on a hard surface when you're around so I know."
"Not likely." He chuckled. "When I want you to know I'm around, I'll just let you see me."
"Well, then, let me see you all the time."
He raised an eyebrow, giving me a sexy smile. "Not all the time."
I hit him playfully on the arm. "I mean, when you're around me." Then my expression turned serious. "Shay may lose the baby anyway, you know."
Stellan nodded. "I know. But at least you're giving the baby a fighting chance."
I nodded, wondering if it were going to be a girl or a boy and what he or she would be like. But I guessed I'd never know.
"Here you go!" Mom said, setting the groceries in the back seat and then slid into the driver's seat. Luckily, Stellan had already vanished. Her eyes filled with concern. "Shay, are you alright?"
I closed my eyes. "I'm fine."
"Who were you talking to just now?"
I sat up and adjusted the seat. "No one. I was just talking to myself."
"Gee," Stellan said from the backseat. "Thanks a lot."
I ignored him.
Mom laughed. "Well, I guess there's no one else better to talk to than yourself. As long as you don't start answering yourself."
"That ship's already sailed." Stellan smirked.
Unable to respond, I suddenly wished that Stellan would go back to giving me the invisible treatment as I watched the scenery pass outside the window. I wasn't sure which state we were in, but it wasn't New York City. Then it occurred to me that I didn't know where she was from. My heart sank. Here she had done so much for me and I hadn't even bothered to ask her where she was from. Maybe I wasn't such a good friend after all.
Stellan leaned over the seat between us. "You were a good best friend. Don't worry. She knew what happened to you, Tasha."
"So, you can read my thoughts, too?" I asked in my mind. "Why didn't you tell me that before? People wouldn't have thought I was going crazy!"
He smirked. "I was having too much fun."
"At my expense," I said aloud without thinking.
Stellan burst out laughing.
"What was that, dear?" Mom asked, not seeing Stellan.
"Nothing, Mom," I replied. "Nothing at all." As I turned my attention back to the scenery, I started formulating a plan to help Shay. I had no idea when I would jump into my next assignment, and I wanted to make sure Shay's life was on track before I did. It was the least I could do.