by Tina Beckett
There. The baby’s heart was strong. She counted the beats. Perfect. Not too fast. Not too slow. “I hear your baby.” She stood and looked down at her patient. “Other than your headache, does anything else seem out of the ordinary? Any bleeding? Signs that your water has broken?”
“No. I was doing the dishes and a pain hit right at the back of my head. I had to grab the counter to keep from falling, it was that bad.”
Adem came back into the room. “I’ve arranged for an MRI. They’re just finishing up with another patient.” He moved over to the bed. “Where is the pain exactly?”
She pointed an area just above the base of her skull.
Carly’s gut tightened. Not a good place. It was near the brain stem, the part of the brain that controlled autonomic functions such as heart rate and respiration.
“And how long ago did the headache start?”
Naomi shrugged. “About two hours ago. I called Carly when it didn’t go away.”
He shot her a look she couldn’t decipher. If he dared lecture her on giving out her phone number, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. It was what midwives did. Babies came on their own schedule. She’d delivered many in the middle of the night.
Yes, she could let another midwife go out on some of those calls, but Carly was fiercely protective of her patients and tried to follow them all the way through to delivery and beyond whenever possible. Yes, there were sometimes instances when she couldn’t—for example if two women started laboring at the same time, but that didn’t happen that often.
Naomi moaned and arched her neck. “It’s back. It comes in waves.”
Without him asking, Carly grabbed the cart that contained the blood pressure equipment, wrapped the cuff around the patient’s upper arm and pumped it tight, waiting as the tick of the needle bottomed out. “One twenty over sixty.”
“Within the normal range.”
A nurse came in and asked Douglas to accompany her outside to get some information. Things between the clinic and the hospital were shared, so they should also be able to pull up Naomi’s file with a few clicks of computer keys. Adem glanced at the husband. “If we’re not here when you come back, it’s because they’ve called us up for the MRI. The nurse can tell you how to find us, but one of us will try to catch you as we’re leaving.”
With that the pair were out of the room, leaving Adem and Carly to continue working to find the cause of their patient’s headache.
Adem’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it and then at her. “They’re ready for us.”
He was back to his businesslike self. Whatever she’d sensed in the canteen that day was gone. It had probably never been there in the first place. Just like that crazy dream she’d had. All just drummed up by her subconscious.
They helped Naomi back into the wheelchair. Fortunately her symptoms hadn’t progressed to numbness or weakness. Just her massive headache, which was still worrying due to the location. Carly ran to tell Douglas and then met up with Adem and Naomi again at the elevator. As the doors opened, all Carly could do was hope for the best and pray that everything turned out well for both Naomi and her baby.
CHAPTER TWO
NAOMI WAS ON the sliding table of the MRI machine as Adem discussed what they were going to do. “We’re actually going to do what’s called an MRA or Magnetic Resonance Angiogram, which looks specifically at the blood vessels in your brain. We want to see if what you’re feeling is caused by a problem with a vessel.”
Her hands slid over her belly. “And if there is?”
“Let’s cross that bridge if and when we come to it. Our on-call obstetrician is on her way in to check on you as well.”
“I want Carly to deliver the baby.”
Carly gripped her hand. “Let’s take this one step at a time, okay? The most important thing is to keep you and your baby healthy. I don’t want to jeopardize that in any way, and I know you don’t either.”
He appreciated her willingness to hand her patient off to someone else when necessary. She was definitely an asset to the clinic.
But damn, had his stomach knotted when he’d seen her name come up on his phone earlier. He’d been so shocked that he’d stared at it until his phone stopped ringing. He’d dialed her back immediately, though. Her voice had been breathless in a way that had made him think...
How wrong he’d been. He should have realized that the cool and calm midwife wouldn’t call him for personal reasons.
And that was exactly why he needed to get his mind back on his job and off Carly.
Naomi’s medical history included the fact that her mother had died of a brain bleed during the birth of her fifth child, and that fact alone warranted being very sure that there wasn’t an aneurysm hiding somewhere in the young woman’s gray matter. There were sometimes genetic components at play.
“No, I don’t want to do anything that would hurt him or her. Okay, let’s go ahead. Are Douglas and Tessa here?”
“Yes, they’re in the waiting room. This should only take about twenty minutes. You’ll be back with them before you know it.”
And if it was an aneurysm as he suspected? Then they’d have to decide whether to deliver the baby via C-section first and address the defect afterward. Or if they needed to treat the aneurysm first.
They’d already inserted the IV into Naomi’s vein and they injected the contrast through a port in the tubing.
The tech then finished getting the machine set up, handing Naomi a set of earbuds that could pipe music through as well as allow communication between the tech and patient. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes. Just nervous about the procedure.”
“That’s perfectly normal. Are you claustrophobic? We’ll need you to lie perfectly still for a period of time. You’ll hear a lot of clicking and clacking from the machine, but that’s normal as well.”
“I’m not claustrophobic that I know of.”
“Good. If you start feeling that way, the best thing to do is close your eyes. Blocking out your surroundings can help in a lot of cases. But if you start to panic, just let me know.” He handed her a remote with a switch on it. “You can press this. And there are also speakers in the tube.”
“Okay.”
The tech helped her put the earpieces in and then they all went into the observation area. “I’m going to slide you inside the machine now, Naomi. Try to hold as still as you can.”
The table moved forward until her head and shoulders were inside the tube. He pressed a button. “I’m going to start up the machine. I’ll pipe some music in to help keep you occupied.”
They’d asked her preferences in music and found that she liked orchestral selections, so Carly had suggested the London Orchestra. Trevor, their technician, had scrolled through the selections until he found one.
Adem turned toward her. “You like the orchestra?”
“My mom plays cello for them. So yes, I’ve heard orchestral music almost my entire life. I’d better like it or my mom might disown me.”
He studied her for a moment, processing this new bit of information, before turning his attention back to the screen where images were flipping through at a rate that never ceased to amaze him. Carly sat next to him, crossing her knees, one foot wiggling back and forth as if having trouble sitting completely still. He seemed to remember her doing that nervous gesture a couple of other times. He touched her arm. “Hey. We’re going to figure this out.”
He wasn’t sure why he said it. Maybe because Carly was emotionally invested in her patient. It was a no-no, but was almost inevitable in certain cases. It was probably harder in the case of a midwife, who got to know her patients over the course of nine long months.
Interestingly enough, he’d known Carly for a year and felt like he knew very little about her still.
“I hope so. Naomi is the nicest person you’ll ever mee
t. She had a very difficult childhood, but her family means the world to her. She told me that being a mom is her calling in life. She works as part of the cleaning staff at one of the larger hotels but is now on maternity leave for a few months.” She paused, a shadow appearing in her eyes. “She had a hard time getting pregnant, so I’m sure this is especially scary.”
“This is her first pregnancy?”
“Yes. Tessa is adopted.”
“I see. I was surprised you came back to the hospital to meet her.”
Her foot went still. “Naomi needed me.”
So did a lot of people, judging from the tired smudges around her eyes. “I wasn’t trying to lecture you.”
“I’m sorry, I guess I’m just worried. In the same way that Naomi’s family is her calling. She’s mine.” She paused. “Well, not Naomi specifically, but women like her. Those who have fertility issues.”
Fertility issues? Because of her mother’s problems?
The tech turned. “We’re getting close to the end. So far I haven’t seen... Wait a minute. What’s that?”
Adem got up and leaned over the screen, scanning it with trained eyes. “Kahretsin.”
The swear word rolled off his tongue before he realized it. But at least it was in his native language, not something either of the two people in the room would understand.
“What’s wrong?” Her voice came from behind him.
“She has an aneurysm. Posterior inferior cerebellar artery.”
“I’m guessing that means in the back of the head. In the area she’s having the pain. Is it bleeding?”
“Not yet. But it’s large. If it does...” He didn’t finish the sentence. Didn’t need to. “I’m glad she didn’t wait for it to go away. And she’s actually very lucky she felt anything. A lot of aneurysms go undetected until something sets them off.”
“Like childbirth.” Carly came to stand beside him, her voice very soft. “This is exactly what happened to her mom. Only it wasn’t caught. What happens now?”
“I want to examine the scans and consult with some of the other specialists, since there’s a pregnancy involved. We’ll have to put together a plan as a team. But I’ll ask that she be admitted at least for the night so we can monitor her. You seemed okay with handing her off to an obstetrician.”
“I am, absolutely. I’m only interested in her well-being.” She glanced at him. “Adem, this might be the only baby she can have.”
“We’re talking about her life here. But I understand what you’re saying. Let me make a couple of phone calls while they take her to a room, and then I’ll come talk to her.”
He wanted the best outcome, for both Naomi and her baby, surely Carly knew that.
“I’d like to sit with her and her husband. I won’t tell them any specifics, just that you’re going over the scans and will be there shortly.”
“That sounds good.” He glanced at his watch. “Have you eaten yet?”
“No, but I’m okay.”
His brows went up. “After putting in a full day at the clinic and then coming back this evening? Have you had anything since our coffee?”
When he’d promised to make her some. A huge mistake, because that thought had burrowed in his head, refusing to leave. What had started off as a polite comment had turned into something else entirely.
She tilted her head. “Have you had anything?”
It was a challenge. One he recognized and found himself responding to. Maybe it was the tiredness of a long day. But somehow he didn’t think so. “Nope. Which is why I was hoping to grab something after we’re done here.”
The smile she turned on came out of nowhere. “Sorry. My mom is very independent. I’m a little too much like her. But I would like to know what the plan is for Naomi. Maybe we could talk about it there.”
“That was my thought too. You choose where we go and I’ll be down to see our patient as soon as possible.”
* * *
The treatment plan was in place. Sitting in a restaurant that served Indian cuisine, Adem waited until they’d ordered before going over the results of his conference call. He’d spoken to Raphael Dubois, one of the hospital’s obstetricians, and explained the situation. And while Naomi was far enough along to be able to deliver the baby, they both felt like to do so might cause the aneurysm to burst. So, ideally, it would be treated before she delivered. As soon as possible, in fact.
“I think we’re going with an endovascular coil, which is less invasive than clipping the vessel would be.”
“So no cutting open her skull?” Carly wasn’t an expert on neurosurgery, but she knew a little. Clipping involved using a metal clamp to seal off the neck of the swollen blood vessel. But doing so meant having to do brain surgery, whereas the coiling procedure sent a catheter up through the femoral artery until the defect was reached. A thin metal coil was then released into the aneurysm, cutting off its blood supply, just like clamping would do. For Naomi, she could see exactly why they favored the one procedure over the other.
“No, no cutting.”
The waiter served their food with a flourish that made her smile. If only she could be more like that. Maybe it really was time to clear away some of the cobwebs that taken up residence in her life. When the server left, she said, “He seems to be enjoying himself.”
“Yes. I find that enjoying oneself sometimes means immersing yourself in the moment. In the unexpected.”
He said it with a grin that sent her pulse spinning out of control. Frieda’s words came back to her: There’s such a thing as being too cautious.
Was that how others saw her? As cautious? Unable to immerse herself in the moment or to do something unexpected?
Maybe in her race to get pregnant, she really had lost sight of what made life fun. But she was not about to admit that to this man. “I know how to enjoy myself as much as the next guy. Or girl.”
One brow went up, and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t believe her. The man knew how to rattle her chain, that was for sure, and from the twitch of his lips, he looked like he knew it too.
Maybe it was time to do something unexpected...so unexpected it would make Adem Kepler’s eyes pop from his skull. So here was to immersing herself completely in the moment.
“Just because you haven’t seen me in that blue dress doesn’t mean I don’t know how to wear it. I know how to have a good time. More than you can possibly imagine.”
She used her sultriest tone on that last phrase. So much so that it made her cringe. And for a second, she was horrified when he had no reaction to her pained attempt at flirting. None. Zilch.
Then a muscle in his jaw popped once. Twice. “Excuse me?”
Now was the time for her to give a bark of laughter and say she’d been joking and that she didn’t actually have fun. Not that kind of fun. But her pride wouldn’t let her.
“You heard me.”
“I heard you. I just don’t believe it.”
Hell, she was attracted to the man. Had been from the moment they’d met. She’d also said there was nothing she was going to do about it.
Well, why not? Why couldn’t she do something? It wasn’t like she wanted anything out of him. But he’d talked about immersing oneself in the moment. Why not this one? Adem was gorgeous. With just the right hint of danger. The likes of which she’d probably never meet again. What would happen if she pressed a little harder?
Doing so would risk a lot more than her pride, though. What if he rejected her outright?
Nothing could be as bad as being rejected by your fiancé. Or being unable to conceive a child. Right?
Maybe she could wipe away that heartache in one fell swoop.
Picking up her glass of wine with a hand that was much steadier than she expected, she took a drawn-out sip of the ruby liquid, then let the tip of her tongu
e touch the rim of her glass as if capturing a drop that had escaped.
Oh, Lord. What was she doing? Was she crazy?
His eyes tracked the movement and a wash of red marched up his neck. His gaze came back up and caught hers. Tangled for a long, long moment. “Carly...”
Here it was. The moment of truth. Just how brave was she?
Hell, he’d started this, hadn’t he? Acting like she couldn’t lose herself in the moment, even if she wanted to.
In a burst of courage she didn’t know she possessed, she set her glass down and leaned over her plate, her gaze spearing his. At least, she hoped it had. “I seem to remember someone promising to make me Turkish coffee.”
“Yes. I did. Do you have a time in mind?”
“How about now? I bet if I asked you to leave our food untouched and walk out of this restaurant with me, you wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
Acting as if he was either going to wait her out or call her bluff, he stayed put for several painful seconds before pulling out his wallet and throwing a couple of bills on the table. Then he stood with a suddenness that shocked her. Reached out his hand.
He really was. He was calling her bluff.
Their waiter immediately came over to the table. “I’m sorry. Is there a problem, sir?”
“I’m not sure.” Adem slid a glance her way. “Is there? Or did you just not believe I would?”
Yep. He’d read her all too well. But she was about to show him how little he knew.
Her chin lifted.
Oh, Lord, she was really going through with it. With her heart pounding in her chest, she stood and placed her hand in his. “There’s no problem at all. We’ve just realized we have somewhere to be.”
Adem nodded at the money. “That should more than cover everything.”
The man’s eyes widened. “Yes...yes, thank you, sir.”
