Courtney licked her lips and looked at Bax. “Yes, to the spots—just when I stand up. I don’t know about the other. And I’m pregnant, so yes, I’m swelling.”
Knox pulled a duffle bag from the booth and dug through it, removing a stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff, because he was Knox and he’d taken his duties toward this pregnancy seriously. He immediately went to work, and for some reason, Courtney let him.
He frowned as he released the pressure from the cuff, chewing on the inside of his lips.
“What’s wrong?” Bax asked, not liking the expression of concern on Knox’s mug.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Courtney assured. “Pregnancy is totally normal.”
“I’m going to need a urine sample to be sure.” Knox rubbed the back of his neck. “Let me go grab a cup from the bar.”
“Hah. No.” Courtney started to heave herself up. “I’m not peeing in a bar glass.”
Knox glanced at Bax, and the way he looked? Bax would’ve given him his own urine to sample.
“What do you think is wrong?” Bax asked, not digging that there was an answer coming he probably wouldn’t like.
“Nothing to panic about.” Knox held up his hands. “This happens to a lot of women in the last trimester.”
“What happens?” Bax asked, trying to cut out the menacing tone but failing.
Courtney grabbed his arm. “He’s not a doctor, let’s not get too—”
“Patient reports cephalgia, which indicates neurological or cerebral manifestations. Test shows hypertension, possible albuminuria… I’m thinking she could have a little toxemia, also called preeclampsia. Best to go get that checked.”
Everyone stared at Knox like he’d just announced he was going to play the accordion and bagpipes solo.
“I don’t have whatever that is he’s talking about.” Courtney waved him off.
“The thing is”—Knox gnawed at his lip—“you should go get checked out by your doctor because it can be common, and it’s dangerous if you don’t rule it out. Preeclampsia becomes eclampsia, and it’s a big deal.”
It’s dangerous… It’s dangerous… It’s a big deal…The lines ran on repeat in Bax’s head.
“Where’s Irina?” he asked, glancing around. “She’ll know what to do.”
“I’ll find her.” Becca took off toward the bar.
“Uh.” Courtney slid her gaze to Bax. Then to Linx. Back to Knox. “I think we should go find a doctor or someone with an actual medical background.”
“Where do we go?” Bax asked, because his brain seemed to have shut itself off when Knox used words that were really big and scary.
“Let’s call a car so we can get to a hospital.” Knox clapped his hands together like he was in charge and ready to roll.
“I’ll call for the car,” Linx suggested when Bax made no move to do anything because he was frozen in place.
Good call, since they couldn’t walk all the way there.
“Courtney, do you think you might be in labor?” Knox asked. “It’ll make everything easier if you are already in labor when we arrive.”
Courtney stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “I don’t know what labor feels like, so I don’t know.”
“Are you feeling any pressure? Do you need me to check for the head?” Knox asked, serious as fuck.
“You’re not checking my anything.” Courtney pushed his face away from her like she would’ve done with Linx, total palm-to-face shove backward.
Knox glanced at Bax and said out of the side of his mouth, “It’s totally normal for laboring women to get testy. Nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not testy, and you’re not sticking your hand up…” She made a face. “Yeah. No. Bax, can you help?”
