“What happened?” I asked.
“The doctor says that maybe you just overexerted yourself, but that it could easily be stress. I kept the details vague for obvious reasons,” he explained, then reached over and set a hand on my head. “How are you feeling?”
“Sick,” I admitted. “My head hurts so bad.”
“Yeah. I did ask about that. I told him that you suffered an injury to your side but that you’ve had back and head problems since then. He said it wasn’t too much to be worried about, oddly enough.”
“Really? It seems like something to be worried about,” I said. “I guess if he’s not concerned, then I won’t be either.”
“Out of curiosity. Why didn’t you wanna see Dr. Aurora?” I asked.
Before I could answer, a doctor came walking into the room with short brown hair and comforting, brown eyes. “Miss Narzand, how are you feeling?”
“Just a little queasy I guess and my head hurts pretty bad,” I said.
He nodded. “Yes, yes. That’s all to be expected. I know it’s uncomfortable, but that’s pretty typical.”
I recoiled a little. “Of stress?”
“Stress can certainly cause it, or at least make it worse. You really should try and take it a little easier. Unless you want to be dealing with all of this for the next six months.”
Gio and I exchanged confused looks. “Um, okay?” I replied. “Am I just hyper prone to physical ailments from stress?”
“Some women are,” he said. “Everyone is different.”
“Is it something that comes up late in life?” Gio asked. “I mean, she’s been pretty stressed before and hasn’t had to deal with all of this.”
Again, the doctor just nodded. “Well, yes, the older a woman is, the symptoms can be different.” He looked at me again with a smile. “You’re not too old though, and you seem very healthy. It’s your first time, I’m guessing?”
“Beingthisstressed?” I said. “I mean, kind of?”
“How have you been eating?” he said. “Regularly? Meals high in protein, nothing too sugary. Little to no caffeine?”
“I guess?” I said. “Should I be doing something different?”
“Am I missing something?” Gio asked. “These questions seem really bizarre.”
“Well…” Then the doctor stopped short and looked at me. “Sorry, I should probably ask before I share anything. Is this the father?”
Both Giovanni and I froze. “The… the who?” I asked.
“The father of your baby,” the doctor said, then realization clicked through his eyes. “You don’t know that you’re pregnant.”
My jaw dropped. “I’m… pregnant?”
“About twelve weeks!” the doctor said. “You didn’t know? Your paperwork says you’ve been seen by a doctor regularly. As recently as three weeks ago.”
“Is this something she should have checked for?” I asked.
“With your symptoms, she should have her medical license revoked if she didn’t.”
Everything made so much more sense all of a sudden. The headaches, the back aches, the throwing up.
I was pregnant.
I looked at Gio and said, “This is why I didn’t want to see Dr. Aurora.”
He seemed to register what I was saying. “She’s influenced by everyone in the house.”
