“It’s okay. He can stay.”
“Okay, then. Well, we ran a few tests and you are dehydrated. Your white blood cell count is also elevated as well as other labs that we commonly see with gallbladder problems. Since you’re pregnant, I’m going to start with an abdominal ultrasound before ordering something more invasive.”
“And if it is my gallbladder?” I asked.
“Depending on what the ultrasound shows, I’ll refer you to GI or a general surgeon. It’s not uncommon for gallbladders to go bad during or right after pregnancy. So, I’ll get this ordered and we’ll go from there.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I groaned and flopped back into the bed. My gallbladder? Really? Being pregnant with hyperemesis wasn’t enough?
“How will this affect the baby?” Savior asked.
“We won’t know for sure until we’ve clearly diagnosed the issue but, in general, gallbladder surgery during pregnancy is fairly common. Sometimes you can wait until after delivery to have the surgery, but each case is different. I can assure you, we will make sure you are aware of all the risks and benefits before we decide on a treatment plan,” she explained.
“Great. This is just fucking great,” I grumbled.
“We’re going to give you another bag of fluids. After the ultrasound, we’ll see about letting you have some clear liquids.”
“Thank you,” I said even though I didn’t mean it. I knew it wasn’t her fault, and she was trying to help me. But, damn it, I was sick of being sick.
Once she was gone, I turned my head into the pillow and cried. “Hey, it’s not that bad,” Savior soothed as he wrapped his arms around me.
“I can’t do anything,” I sobbed. “I can’t take care of my kids. I can barely take care of myself.”
“You were doing much better until this happened. It’s just a little setback. You’ll be back on your feet in no time,” he said softly and gently rocked me from side to side.
“I feel so useless,” I confessed.
“You’re not useless. You’re raising a family and growing a baby. You accomplish more than most people every single day by merely existing.”
I looked up and saw the sincerity in his eyes. He really believed what he said. Before I realized what I was doing, I leaned forward and gently pressed my lips to his, even as the tears still ran down my face.
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered against my lips.
“Thank you,” I whispered back.
“For what?”
“For being here. And for being you.”
18
Savior
Several hours later, Avery was discharged from the hospital with a handful of new prescriptions and an appointment for the following day with a general surgeon to discuss having her gallbladder removed. I dropped her prescriptions off on the way back to her place and told her I would pick them up when they were ready.
When I pulled into her driveway, she was sound asleep. I quietly got out of the car and unlocked the repaired front door before I went back to carry her inside. “What are you doing?” she asked through a yawn.
“Taking you inside. Do you want to go to the couch or your bed?”
“Bed, please,” she said and snuggled against my chest.
After I placed her on her bed and pulled the covers over her, I kissed her forehead and turned to go back downstairs, but she grabbed my wrist. “Stay with me.”
The pleading tone of her voice had me agreeing instantly. “Okay, I’ll stay.”
She smiled with her eyes closed and scooted over, patting the bed beside her. I shrugged, kicked my shoes off, and climbed in the bed beside her. She wiggled closer and fit her body right next to mine with her head resting on my chest.
“I love the way you smell,” she said dreamily causing me to laugh.
