Lilia leant back in the chair and pointed to the right side of her stomach, just under her ribs. “There. That’s where it hurts,” she said, wincing.
Inspecting where the young woman pointed, Jess could see a distinctive roundness to her stomach that didn’t fit with the rest of her slim figure.
“You sure there isn’t any chance you’re pregnant?”
Lilia shook her head, her eyes closed in pain. “No. No. Definitely not. Dan and I…we’re careful.”
In her job, she saw couples all the time who thought they were careful. All signs were pointing to preeclampsia.
“I would really like you to go see a doctor.”
“Those disgusting waiting rooms full of sick people. No way.”
Lilia was putting her in a tough situation, but she couldn’t risk leaving her and hoping it would be okay. If she knew for sure—
“Would you mind if I listened to your stomach?” She held her stethoscope up.
“Go ahead.” Lilia lifted her loose, black Metallica shirt and, placing the stethoscope against her stomach, Jess confirmed her suspicions. She knew what was going on, and it was definitely not a stomach bug, but how to tell Lilia that?
“Can you wait there for a sec?”
Lilia nodded in agreement, her eyes squeezing closed again.
Finding Nate in the hallway nearby, she leaned in and whispered the situation, grateful to have a medical colleague onsite.
“She’s refusing to go to the medical centre. I don’t feel it’s my place, but should I do a pregnancy test to convince her? Everything is in my kit.”
“I think you have to,” Nate agreed. “If she’s pregnant and has the symptoms she’s describing, she’ll be heading into the Christchurch emergency department.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too.”
“I’ll wait here.”
“Thanks, Nate.”
Jess returned to Lilia’s side in the meeting room, pulled a urine test pot from her bag and held it out. “I know it’s not the most fun thing, but do you think you could go pee in this for me?”
“You want me to pee in a cup? For a stomach bug?”
A urine test would be her next step at the hospital and the easiest way to prove to Lilia what she already knew to be true.If she knew how serious the situation was, it would be easier to convince Lilia to get medical attention.
“It’s a pregnancy test.”
“But I’m not pregnant?”
“Humour me? It’s important.”
“If you say so.” Lilia took the pottle, and Jess walked with her to the bathroom, making eye-contact with Nate as she passed—the silent communication between them already so natural. Her stomach flipped at how comforting she found it. It was hard to remember the last time she’d trusted a man. Who would have guessed it would be him?
Jess waited near the sinks while Lilia went inside the cubicle.
Clutching a little tube of dipsticks, she rehearsed phrases in her head, trying to work out the best approach for this situation.
“Nasty. I peed on my hand.” Lilia said from inside the cubicle. “Why do they make these pots so ridiculously small?”
“Designed by men,” Jess said, eliciting a laugh from Lilia.
Lilia exited and held the pot of urine out to her. “Where do you want this?’
