Т Нован - Exposure Season 3

"Kels, you can argue with me all you want, but don’t argue with the doctor, okay?" She whispers, even as Kevin continues the exam. "You know I won’t let anything happen to your rings. I’ll have them on me all the time, so if you want to see them, you need only ask."

"But…" I don’t want to have to ask. I want to look at my hand.

"Little Roo, it’s okay," Harper soothes.

"Those are my wedding rings. I never planned to take them off." This is upsetting me more than I can explain at the moment.

"I know, baby. Look," she’s trying to calm me down, I can hear it in her voice, "we’ll figure out another solution, but, for right now, I’ll hang onto them."

I grip her hand, realizing for the first time how upset I was getting. "All right, Tabloid. I’m sorry."

"It’s okay, babe. I’m glad you’re so attached to them. Makes me feel good."

Kevin has been very quiet, continuing with the exam and making notes in my chart. He finally gives me a grin and waves the wand of the ultrasound machine at me. I nod. I definitely want more baby pictures, especially now that Harper can enjoy them again. I still need to give her the ones I had Dr. Maxton take when we were home.

"I hear we ‘re having a girl," he says, getting ready to do the exam.

"When you figure out how to give birth, we’re having a girl. Until then, I’m having a girl."

"Yes, ma’am." He gives his nod, then looks to Harper. "I think someone needs to go home and nap."

I manage to refrain from biting his head off, mostly because he’s right. I’m tired and irritable and I feel like I’m on overload.

"We have our first Lamaze class tonight, but I’ll bet we can get in a nap before then." Tabloid is eagerly waiting for Kevin to show her the babies. Her vision isn’t back to normal yet, but, she just moves closer to the monitor.

"Yup, let’s see, there’s your daughter." He points to the screen.

"Brennan." When I hear Harper breathe her name, I look over to the screen too. Our little girl is moving around and we can watch it on the monitor. "Look at her, Little Roo. There’s our baby girl."

"Sounds like you’ve already picked a name for her." Kevin moves the scope to show us Shy Baby Roo.

"Yeah," Harper pipes up. "Brennan Grace Stanton Kingsley."

"Very nice. Well, her buddy in there is still being modest. I can’t really tell anything about the gender."

"Can you guess?" Harper really wants to know.

"Educated guess: I’d say another little girl, but I could be wrong."

He finishes up, making prints for Harper, then he helps me sit up. "Kelsey, you haven’t had any symptoms of early labor, have you? No contractions or anything I need to note or chart?"

"No. Should we be concerned about that?"

"I’m afraid so. Your blood pressure is still a littler higher than I like and you’re starting to show signs of swelling. I want you to go home and rest today. I’m going to give you a scrip that I want you to take with your vitamins. And I want to see you next week. You’re starting to show signs of a condition known as Pre-eclampsia. But we found it early and we can treat it. We just need to stay with it and make sure we keep it in check. But, I will tell you right now, except for the final flight to New Orleans for the births, your flying days are over. Further, if I don’t see any improvement in your condition over the next week or so, I’ll put you on total bed rest until the end of this pregnancy."

"Doc, what exactly is pre-eclampsia?" Harper swallows hard.

"It’s one of the leading causes of maternal mortality."

"What about the babies?" I ask, gently caressing my stomach.

"It depends. Babies have been known to survive the mothers."

I take a deep breath and look him square in the eye. "Worst case scenario."

He does me the courtesy of being forthright. "You seizure, enter a comatose state, and we keep you on life support to try to save the babies."

"Try?" I hear the fear in Harper’s voice. She is holding onto me for dear life.

"Look, guys," Kevin sits back a bit, "we’re talking absolute worst case here. I’m confident we’ve caught anything that could become a problem before it actually has. Right now, Kelsey, you’re having fairly normal reactions to pregnancy. We’re going to make sure they stay that way and don’t get out of hand. Which means more rest for you and taking it easy. I know I can trust you to be good." He pulls the pictures off the printer, handing them immediately to Harper. "Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll have my nurse set up your appointment and I’ll write that scrip. It’ll all be ready for you when you come out."

"Thanks, Kevin."

All right. I have a couple hours to get my girl calmed down. Kevin managed to scare the hell out of us. Nothing like being told you might die and never see your children. And she’s worried about her job. Ironic, since she’s been trying to convince me to not worry about mine. And then there’s the issue of her wedding and engagement rings. She only calmed down when I promised to buy her a necklace so she could wear them on around her neck.

The other issues remain, however.

I guide us into the living room, to our favorite place on the couch. I give Kam a cursory hello. I’m not in the mood to play. Not with my girl so upset. "Chér, you need to relax. You’re too upset." I pull her back against me, wrapping her up in my arms.

"I know. I’m trying," her voice trembles. "I’m sorry."

I press my lips to her hair and rub her back gently. "No, no, darlin’. Nothing to be sorry about. Everything is okay. I promise you that. We just need to take a little nap here together." I stretch out on the sofa, and settle my girl on top of me.

"Am I a bad person, Harper? I mean, everything that has happened this year … and now, the babies may be in danger. I tried to do everything right. … I thought I was …" She stops, unable to continue.

I lift my head up and meet her eyes. "You look at me." I wait until her eyes meet mine. Her eyes are the color of Ireland — wet green. "You are my heart. You are the best thing in my life. There is nothing wrong with you. And you are the best damn mother around." I stroke her cheek. "There is nothing to worry about. Brennan and her sibling are absolutely fine. And, so are you. I swear it."

She nods and swallows hard. "I want to believe that, Harper. I want to believe everything is going to be all right and in a few months we are going to have a beautiful family." She rests her forehead on my collarbone for a moment and draws in a deep breath. "But, I need you to promise me … you promise me, that if a choice needs to be made, you know the one I want you to make."

I wonder if she can hear my heart stop beating in my chest. I don’t even want to think about that possibility. I have no desire to raise our children alone. They need her. "I promise," I reply, "but I will never have to make that choice. Now, close your eyes and take a nap with me, baby."

"I love you, Tabloid. No matter what happens, please don’t ever doubt or forget that," Kels murmurs, her voice trailing off as sleep finally claims her.

"I never could, Little Roo."

And, fortunately, I feel sleep tugging at my coattails, as well.

I found a class where Kels and I can be happy and comfortable. Specifically, a birthing class where all the participants are lesbian couples. The last thing my girl needs is more stress. I want her happy and relaxed right now. I want this to be the best time of our lives, not something we have to be afraid of. I nearly strangled Kevin for his so-called bedside manner this afternoon. I think I’ll be making a little call to his office tomorrow. I don’t mind him warning us, but no scaring the hell out of my girl. Not again.