Quinn came in soon after and looked at things. He sat down on the stool, and my stomach dropped. This wasn’t going to be good news. “So we have a few things going on here. One, yourblood pressure is higher than I like to see. It’s been creeping up for a month now, but we’re in really elevated territory right now. Two, you are swelling pretty badly.” He checked my legs again and nodded, clearly agreeing with whatever the nurse typed into my file.
“What do we do? Is this dangerous? For Oswald? For the baby?”
Greg’s deep concern was palpable in his voice. It struck a chord with my fox. He didn’t like any of this.
Quinn exhaled and smiled softly. “Here’s the truth. The blood pressure is a big concern. The swelling is part of that. I know you’ve opened the library, and it’s incredible what you’ve done for the community, but is there a way you can take off for the rest of the pregnancy? If not, can you lessen your hours?”
I sighed. “I can speak to the mayor and try.”
He nodded. “That would be best. I’m not saying you need to be on bed rest yet, but we need to get these things under control.”
“What else can we do?” Greg asked. He already had his phone out, ready to take notes. Goddess, I loved him.
“Lots of water. Reduce sodium. It is high in highly processed foods so you have to watch it. Feet elevated above the head as much as possible. Reduce stress.”
“Easy as that?” I asked.
Quinn chuckled. “Yes. But it looks like you have good support, and I know you can do this. One more month, give or take a week. And I want you to come in three times a week for blood pressure checkups until the birth. Let’s get on top of this situation, okay?”
We left the healer and I was a bit defeated. Once we got home, Greg led me to the couch and propped my legs up on pillows.
“Are you worried?” I asked.
“No. We’re going to do everything to keep you and our cub safe. Your career and the time you work is totally up to you, but I’d like you to call the mayor or Troy and find out if taking a leave is an option. Maybe Flint can pick up extra hours.”
“I don’t know if I can completely take a leave, Greg.”
He kneeled beside the couch and leaned forward, resting his forehead against mine. “Oswald, please, omega. This is your health and the health of our baby we are talking about.”
He was right. There had to be someone else that could fill in. Someone. I could do some things from home on my laptop.
“You’re right. I’m going to take a quick nap and then call them, okay?”
My alpha nodded. “Everything is going to be okay. I know it.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Greg
With careful relaxation and making the part-time library help full-time, thanks to an incredible grant that came through months after Oswald applied for it, we managed to stave off bed rest.
“Alpha, I can help you with that.” Oswald was seated on the sofa, feet propped up on a pillow on the coffee table. “I’m not made of glass, you know.”
“No, but if you’ll look at those ankles, you’ll see that they are a thing of beauty.” I pushed up his sweatpants leg and poked one of them. “No dent at all. So, what we are doing is working, and I am not willing to make a change.”
“But I’m bored!” he grumped. “And that can’t be stimulating for our child.”
“You can read one of the giant stack of books on the end table that you’ve had me pick up at the library, or watch a documentary on TV, or just hang in there and nap for an hour until it’s time to go to lunch.”
“I can’t nap right here in the public area where anyone can walk by. What will our guests think?”
“The same thing they thought earlier today and every day for the last few weeks. That my beloved omega is napping while growing our baby.”
“Goddess, how many people have seen me?”
“A few.” A ton. “And they all commented kindly, so no worries. But for now, if you want to go take a shower, you’ll have time to sit down and recover before we have to leave.”
He moved to stand but sank back with a huff. “Speaking of that, do we have to leave? Can’t we meet Jett and Macsen another day? Tell them I’m pregnant.”
