“I’m right here,” he replied, causing the nurse to look at him in surprise. Camden blushed at his declaration, but the nurse grew visibly annoyed.
“Aren’t you a little minx?” she glared at Camden. “What happened to fiancé number one?”
Camden seriously had too much going on to deal with some spurned woman. She felt the nurse should have been much more professional, especially given they were in the freaking cancer ward, so she didn’t feel like holding back with her reply.
“First off, Adrienne, the guy with me last week was not my fiancé. He just said that since you were treating me like crap….kind of like you are doing today. He didn’t feel that I should suffer because of your jealousy.” The nurse huffed at Camden, clearly growing pissed. “Secondly,” Camden continued. “He wasn’t interested in you, and he figured rather than explain that, he’d take the easy way out. Men,” she teased, bitchiness hiding behind her friendly tone. “They can be so lazy. Now, would you be a sweetie and go tell Dr. Stevens we are here to discuss MY CANCER?!?”
Adrienne blanched and hurried down the hallway, but not before throwing one last glare at Camden. Shane was frozen, staring at Camden with a tent in his pants. That had been the hottest thing he’d seen in his life, and he wanted to drag her into a closet or spare room to ravish her. Catty Camden was sexy as hell.
Camden turned sheepishly to Shane, embarrassed at her outburst. Her cheeks reddened when she saw his dark, lust-filled eyes. “Sorry, she just got to me. She’s been a bitch the last two times I’ve been here.”
Shane chuckled, and wrapped his arm around Camden’s neck, pulling her into his chest. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I thought it was hot.”
“If you could come this way?”
They looked at a scowling Adrienne, but began to follow her down the hallway. Shane was a little confused when they were led to an office instead of an exam room. Camden looked at him, equally puzzled, but turned and walked through the open door.
On the other side of the desk sat two men Shane hadn’t met before. One stood and greeted Camden with familiarity, so he assumed that must be Dr. Stevens. His suspicions were confirmed when the doctor turned and held out his hand. Shane shook the man’s hand, as the doctor began to make introductions.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Stevens.” The doctor’s grin was a little creepy, and he seemed to be checking Shane out. Shane tried to hide his discomfort, and he released the doctor’s hand, immediately putting his arm around Camden’s waist.
“Hi. Shane Hunt,” he returned. “Camden’s boyfriend.”
Dr. Stevens nodded his head and turned to Camden. “Will Eric be joining you today?” Shane thought it an odd question, but Camden responded as if it wasn’t the least bit unusual.
“No, sir. He wanted to let me and Shane have a little time alone to adjust to everything. He’s spending the day with his family.”
Dr. Stevens gestured for the two to sit in the chairs across from his desk. “This is my colleague, Dr. Hyler.” He indicated the man quietly seated on the other side of the desk. “Dr. Hyler is also an oncologist, but he has history working with pregnant women with cancer. Since this is my first case with these special circumstances, I wanted to bring him in to advise. I hope that is okay with you, Miss Shepherd.”
Camden nodded, curious what knowledge Dr. Hyler could bring to the table. Although he remained seated throughout the exchange, Camden could tell Dr. Hyler was a tall man. His light brown hair was just beginning to thin, and his chocolate brown eyes were warm and inviting. Something about him encouraged implicit trust. With Camden’s nod of agreement, Dr. Stevens sat in his chair and motioned for Dr. Hyler to start.
“Camden, Shane,” he began. “When dealing with a pregnant cancer patient, I prefer to wait until the first trimester is over to start chemotherapy. Studies are limited about the long term effects to the child, but we have seen that chemotherapy during the second and third trimesters does not seem to have a negative impact on the child’s birth, health, or learning development. Because of the stage of Camden’s cancer, I’d like to start when she is ten weeks pregnant, rather than twelve, however. When calculating the time of gestation, we include the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle prior to conception. According to that timeline, Camden is seven weeks pregnant, which puts us starting chemotherapy in three weeks.”
Dr. Hyler paused to make sure the couple was absorbing the information he was providing. “I always avoid radiation, as that can definitely harm the unborn child, and while surgery is preferred for many types of cancer, Camden’s is too wide spread, since it is throughout her lymph system. According to your medical records, Camden, you were successfully treated for Stage 2A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and were declared to be in remission just two years ago?”
Camden nodded. “Yeah,” she murmured, her face full of sorrow. “I got the call telling me the cancer had returned two days after my cancer-free anniversary. It kind of felt like a bad joke.”
Shane’s hand tightened around Camden’s, and he tried to keep a blank face, even though inside he wanted to scream. Dr. Hyler nodded at Camden and continued.
“With relapses of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, I usually recommend high dose chemotherapy, just like Dr. Stevens.” He gestured to Camden’s doctor. “With your pregnancy, however, we’d like to maintain a normal level of chemotherapy until the baby is born. As long as the baby is developing well, I’d like to plan to deliver when you reach thirty-six weeks. After the baby is born, we’ll begin the high-dose chemotherapy to finish out your regimen. With any luck, you’ll be permanently cancer free before your baby is crawling.”
Camden’s eyes began to water, but she tried to shove down her emotions and remain clinical for this meeting. She’d let herself break down later, most likely when she was with Eric. He would understand her anger and fear, but he wouldn’t be carrying the extra burden that Shane would. If she didn’t make it, Shane would be a single father. Camden forced herself to focus on the doctor in front of her. She knew if she continued to let her thoughts wander, she would crumble.
“How frequently will she come in for chemo?” Shane’s voice waivered as he asked the question.
“We’ll start with six cycles of ABVD chemotherapy. Camden will come once every three weeks. If the results are not as successful as we would like, we may bring those treatments to a bi-weekly schedule, but we don’t want to overdo it, considering the baby.”
“And we’ll start in three weeks?”
“I’d like to, yes. As long as Camden agrees to the treatment?” The doctor raised his brow in question, and Camden realized she hadn’t spoken in some time.
“Yes, no question. I want to live to meet my baby.”
Dr. Hyler smiled softly and turned to Dr. Stevens. Dr. Stevens stood and walked around the desk.
“I know you were planning to start chemo today, Miss Shepherd. I’m glad I was able to confer with Dr. Hyler, and I feel really confident in the treatment plan he has proposed. I know you wanted to start kicking this thing right away." He smiled at Camden, as if sharing an inside joke, and Shane wondered if Dr. Stevens was the same doctor who had treated her during her last fight with cancer.
“I also know this is hard to hear, since you have every right to be angry and feel cheated. You thought you’d already beat this.”
A tear escaped Camden’s eye and trickled down her cheek. Dr. Stevens softly gripped her shoulder. “We’d like to do something a little abnormal today. We thought something happy might be nice in the midst of all the sad, yeah?”
Camden looked at Dr. Stevens with a puzzled expression.
“You up for a little field trip?” he asked.
Camden looked at Shane and shrugged her shoulders. “Okay,” she replied.
Dr. Stevens clapped his hands together, and grinned. He looked back to Dr. Hyler. “Are you waiting here?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to intrude.” Dr. Hyler held out his hand to Camden and then Shane. “It was nice meeting you two. Wi
sh it was better circumstances, but I am honored you are letting me join you on this journey.”
“Thank you,” Shane replied, when he realized Camden wasn’t able to speak at the moment. He stood and pulled Camden to his side.
“Shall we?” Dr. Stevens gestured to the door. Once in the hall, he began to lead them through a labyrinth of hallways, and neither Camden nor Shane knew where they were going. After several twists and turns, Dr. Stevens paused outside an unmarked door. His eyes were dancing when he opened the door and led the couple into a darkened room.
All Shane notice was large machinery and a bed (chair?) in the center of the room. Dr. Stevens was this excited over a test?
“Miss Shepherd, if you would just step over here and sit on this exam table?”
Camden warily made her way to the table in the center of the room. She glanced frantically at Shane.
“Mr. Hunt, you can stand beside her head on that side.” The doctor indicated the far side of the table. He turned to walk toward the door. “One moment,” he called to them. “Someone will be right with you.” He smirked as he shut the door.
When he slipped out the door, Shane leaned forward to see Camden’s face.
“Is he always this weird?”
“Only when he’s around Eric,” she replied, puzzling Shane.
“Then why is he so happy?” he demanded.
“Beats me. Maybe he…” Camden’s voice trailed when she noticed the monitor on the machine next to the table. Could the machine be what she thought? Just then, the door opened, and a young blonde woman entered the room. She grinned at Shane and Camden.
“You must be mum and dad, yeah?” she asked in a British accent. “Congratulations. You ready to see your little bundle of joy?”
Shane’s eyes widened. “You mean?”
“Yeah,” she answered, still smiling. “Mum, if you can lay back and lift your jumper, we’ll get started. You’ll want to unbutton the top of your knickers, or we’ll get this nasty gel all over.”
Camden did as she was instructed, smiling nervously at Shane. Once she was lying back, Shane interlaced their hands.
“This’ll be a bit cold,” the ultrasound technician warned. Camden shivered when the gel met her belly. When the technician began moving the transducer on Camden’s belly, she advised that she would take measurements first and then would get some good pictures of their baby. Shane and Camden stared at the monitor in awe as the screen altered repeatedly while showing pictures of Camden’s womb.
“Okay,” the technician finally spoke. “Here we are.” She grinned and gestured to a little blob in the midst of a black circle. “That’s baby. She’s about the size of a blueberry right now.”
Shane stared in confusion. “I don’t see anything,” he muttered in frustration.
“Right here, dad,” the technician pointed to the screen again. “See the pulsing area? That’s baby’s heart.”
“That?!?” He pointed straight to the baby’s heart.
“Yep, that’s it. Want to hear it?”
Shane nodded his head vigorously, and the technician pressed a couple of buttons before adjusting the transducer again.
Womp-womp-womp-womp. The sound suddenly flooded the room.
“That’s my baby’s heartbeat?” Camden felt her eyes water. “Is that too fast?”
“No. It sounds just right. Baby’s heart beats pretty fast when it’s in the womb.”
Camden felt relief flood her, and Shane squeezed her hand. She met his eyes and laughed when she realized they both were crying while stupid grins were stuck to their faces.
“We made a baby,” he whispered in awe.
“Yeah, we did,” she whispered back. Shane leaned forward to kiss her softly.
“Would you like pictures to take home?” the technician interrupted.
They broke their kiss suddenly and answered in stereo.
“Yes!”
***
Chapter 21
“Oh my god! I’m going to be an uncle!!!” Eric held the picture of “Baby Hunt” in his hand and danced across the living room. “Little Blueberry is going to be so spoiled!”
Camden threw a pillow at Eric. “I said it’s the size of a blueberry, not that I’m NAMING it Blueberry.” She laughed and Eric stuck out his tongue.
“If it’s good enough for Gwyneth Paltrow, it’s good enough for you.”
Camden giggled. “Fruit names are off the table, Eric.”
He grinned and tossed the pillow back to the couch.
“I can’t believe you are going to be a mommy,” he wondered aloud.
“Me either. I can’t believe you are going to be a big brother.”
He smirked at her. “Me either.”
“How did the family outing go?” Camden was super curious about the baby that Marvin and Tim were adopting.
“Oh, Camden, it was great. I really like this girl,” he gushed. “She’s got a great head on her shoulders. She just found herself in a really hard situation, you know?”
Camden looked at her belly, then back at Eric, and nodded. He smirked and playfully slapped her on the arm.
“You know what I mean. Anyway, she’s only seventeen, but she wants to do what’s best for the baby. I guess she met Marvin at work or something. When he mentioned that he and Tim were talking about adopting, she asked to meet Tim. A couple of visits later, she told her adoption agency that she wanted Marvin and Tim to adopt the baby.”
“How exciting for them!” Camden loved Marvin and Tim, and she couldn’t keep the smile from her lips. “How far along is she?”
“She’s six and a half months, so within a couple of years, my little sister can be a playmate to your bambino.” He grinned.
“She’s having a girl?” Camden grinned. “I bet Marvin and Tim are over the moon!”
“Absolutely,” Eric agreed. “And they plan to let Tori have an open adoption, so she’ll get to be part of the baby’s life. It’s kind of like getting a little sister and a new cousin all rolled into one.”
Camden grabbed Eric’s hand and pulled him onto the couch. She embraced him and squeezed tightly. “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered in his ear. Ruffling his hair, she sat back and met his blue-gray eyes.
“For a boy who always thought he was alone, your family keeps growing by leaps and bounds,” she teased. Eric’s grin was sincere.
“I know,” he murmured. “I’ve got great parents, the best friend in the world, siblings, your family, your baby. It’s like I know deep down, I’ll never be alone again.”
Camden’s eyes watered. Damn hormones.
“So, other than seeing Baby Hunt, what did you find out?” Eric’s expression grew solemn.
“I start chemo in three weeks. Normal strength, so they don’t cause harm to the baby. Once every three weeks for now.”
Eric nodded in understanding, and Camden continued. “They want to deliver the baby at thirty-six weeks, so that they can start the high dose chemotherapy that will hopefully knock me into remission for good.”
Eric forced a smile. “We’ll kick this, kid. We did it before, and we’ll do it again.”
“I want you to promise me something, Eric.” Camden’s expression was fierce when she looked into his eyes.
“Anything, baby.” He knew he’d give her the world if he could.
“When I need to break down, a safe place where Shane doesn’t see me lost, can my safe place be you? He doesn’t need to know when I’m in the midst of a pity party or pissed at the world, and he definitely doesn’t need to see me when I have no hope.”
Eric smiled softly. “I already told you, sweetie. This time around, I have enough hope for the two of us.” He paused to look at her stomach, then met her eyes again. “Well, three of us.” He chuckled.
“Thank you, Eric,” Camden whispered.
“Anytime, babe.” He leaned forward to hug her.
Camden wiped a stray tear before taking control of the conversation.
“Now,
no more cancer talk. I want to know what is happening with Jonathan.”
“Oh my god,” Eric started. “We went to this club Saturday night. I totally made him pay for everything , since he’d been such a jerk.” Camden giggled. “So we’re dancing and Jonathan decides to get a drink. I wasn’t ready to leave the dance floor though, so I just told him to hurry back.”
Camden smiled, completely riveted by Eric’s personal soap opera. Camden found it much more entertaining than daytime television. While Eric was searching for Mr. Right, he had no problem with Mr. Right Now, so his relationships weren’t always the longest. She was surprised Jonathan had lasted this long. Then again, she’d seen Jonathan, and she wouldn’t have kicked him out of her bed, either. She giggled at the thought.
“So, he was taking forever, and suddenly I feel a chest behind me and feel someone’s hot breath on my neck. Totally think it’s him, right? So I keep dancing and decide to turn around to face him, only to realize it’s Aeropostale hottie! He’s gay, Cam! Totally out, and I had no idea!!!”
Camden laughed. “How is that even possible?” she giggled. “Can you, as a gay man, actually have a broken gaydar?”
Eric growled. “I know, right? So, I’m totally thrown, and Aeropostale hottie gives me some lame line, like ‘Fancy meeting you here’ or ‘Come here often?’ or something. I’m so stunned, I don’t respond, and he takes that as his cue to kiss me….which is precisely when Jonathan makes it back from the bar.”
Camden groaned. “He threw a shit fit, didn’t he?”
“Abso-friggin-lutely!” Eric yelled. “He started accusing me of cheating and telling me all our problems were my fault. Starts listing a laundry list of my offenses, and THEN confesses to cheating on me with that guy I caught him with.”
“What?!?” Camden shrieked.
“I know!” Eric yelled back. “Bastard actually cheated on me with that pasty fatty!”
Camden broke into laughter. “So what did you do?”
“What any self-respecting man would do. I grabbed his hand, held it to my abs, told him it was the last time he’d feel those, since he was so into flab. Then I pressed it my crotch and told him Aeropostale hottie did that, so he could take his fatty and jump off a cliff.”
Only You Page 13
