“It’s Emma Lia. She needs to seeyou.”
Cat hesitates a moment. “Okay. Is everything allright?”
“Well, we’re hoping that you can answer thatquestion.”
“Tell me what’s goingon.”
“She was robbed lastnight.”
“Oh my God. Is she allright?”
“She’s banged up. The doctor at the ER said that she’s fine, but I want you to examineher.”
“You know I don’t mind doing so, but I’m not a traumadoctor.”
“He kicked her in the stomach. And there’s a chance that she could bepregnant.”
Another pause. “The type of IUD that I placed releases hormones and will sometimes alter the menstrual cycle. If her period is late, you shouldn’t be worried about apregnancy.”
Here we go. This is the part where Cat is going to be pissed off at me. “She doesn’t have an IUDanymore.”
A third pause. “How do you know that she no longer has theIUD?”
“Funny story,Cat.”
“Tristan… what have youdone?”
“Why do you assume that I have donesomething?”
“Because I know you and any time you lead off with ‘funny story,’ it’s never funny.” She’s right. I’m no comedian; I’m far too dour to befunny.
“All right. I did do something, but don’t freakout.”
“Your telling me to not freak out freaks meout.”
“I took it out.” There. I’ve admittedit.
“You took whatout?”
Shit. She’s going to make me spell it out? “TheIUD.”
“You… took… out… the… IUD?” Cat mutters something that I can’t make out. “Why in the fuck would you dothat?”
“Why do you usually take outIUDs?”
“Itake IUDs out because I’m a doctor and either a patient has complications related to the device or the patient desires pregnancy. I don’t have a fucking clue whyyou, not a physician, I might add, would take a birth control device out of a woman that you are having sex with on a regularbasis.”
“Well, I didn’t take it out because she was havingcomplications.”
“You’re trying to get Emma Lia pregnant?” I hear the disbelief in hervoice.
“Yes… well,no.”
“Which is it?” Catasks.
“I was trying, but I’m not now. We had a huge argument about it.” I might as well admit to the rest of it. “I removed it without tellingher.”
“I need you to explain that one in more detail,” shesays.
