She wasn’t numb, felt everything just fine, and had nothing to process.
Thus, this was impossible. She gestured to the clipboard held in her doctor’s grip. “Those aren’t my results, then. I got my period after the whole… you know… I probably just need some antibiotics and a lecture.”
Dr. Carol gave Courtney a look that didn’t seem to imply that antibiotics and a talking-to would help.
“They’re your results, and you’ve had unprotected sex.” Dr. Carol let that little nugget hang right on out there. She pulled up the rolling stool and sat down as though this was a conversation that would take longer than a few moments.
It wouldn’t, because these were not her labs.
“The only way to not be pregnant is to abstain from sex,” Dr. Carol said, matter-of-fact.
Maybe if she gave Courtney a lecture on STDs and condoms and a small demo on how to put a condom on the wooden banana thing, then this wouldn’t be so weird. But Dr. Carol didn’t judge or lecture. Up until today, that was Courtney’s favorite thing about her. That and she’d always been right about Courtney’s pelvic health concerns.
“You had sex?” Dr. Carol confirmed. “That’s what you’d said, unprotected sex.”
Okay, well, first, yes. But also, no.
After Bax, Courtney decided to abstain.
“I’m not pregnant.” Sixth grade health and wellness for the win here: period equals not pregnant.
“Your other labs are clear. But this one? This one clearly shows pregnancy.” Dr. Carol kept her tone in the whole neutral doctor category. “Are you experiencing any nausea? Sore nipples?”
“Run it again,” Courtney said through gritted teeth, since they would not be discussing her nipples. They weren’t sore, and she wasn’t puking.
Because she was not pregnant.
“You left a urine sample today?” Dr. Carol asked, still in full not-panicked doctor mode. Maybe it’d be better if she was a little panicked? She should be panicked because somewhere in this office was a pregnant woman who didn’t have the right labs.
“I left you a whole Dixie cup ofnot-pregnanturine.” Courtney nodded toward the door.
“Let me see if the nurse has run a strip on it yet.” Dr. Carol stood. She didn’t look like Courtney’s mom, but she had that mom vibe to her. That one like she genuinely cared, but she would also kick you in the ass if you needed her to. Or inadvertently asked for it.
Things that Courtneywasincluded the following: preparing to go visit her parents, putting the down payment on a cute little Mustang because she’d decided she wanted a fun car, and doing some side-gig consulting work with rocker Tucker McKay while Dimefront figured out if the implosion was permanent this time.
Things that she was not included primarily one thing: pregnant.
Dr. Carol left.
Courtney waited.
She should probably just start reading an article on her phone. Even if she got cut off mid-sentence, it’d be better than being left in her own brain right now.
A light knock and the door opened.
“Courtney.” Dr. Carol did not have the look of a woman with not-pregnant news. “The urine test is positive. The blood work is positive.Youare definitely pregnant.”
Courtney stared at the doctor for a long beat. Could she be? If she was, the only guy she’d been with remotely in the time frame was…
Fucking hell.
She was having Bax’s baby because apparently she’d been very naughty in a previous life and this was her penance.
Oh hey, there was that numb. That was nice, she didn’t like to feel things right now.
“You should know that you have options here.” Dr. Carol pulled up the stool again, this time her face much more serious. “There are choices you can make. It’s still very early.”
Courtney said nothing because her lips didn’t seem to want to move.
