by Caragh Bell
‘Have I time for a snooze? I’m exhausted.’
Colin checked the time on his phone. ‘It’s eleven now so knock yourself out. I’ll wake you later.’
‘Thanks, Col.’ She snuggled down under her blanket. ‘I love you.’
The doctor was a friendly woman in her forties. Her dark-brown hair was in a wavy bob and she wore designer glasses and a chiffon scarf.
‘So, Lydia. Tell me about when this started.’
‘A couple of days ago. I woke up on Friday and I wasn’t really hungry. I didn’t finish my muesli or anything. Then I went to work and felt worse. I came home early and I’ve been vomiting since.’
‘Any fluids?’
‘Not really. I can’t keep them down. I’m so tired lately too. It’s all very strange.’
‘Any joint pain? Headaches?’
‘Not really. I’m just washed out.’
‘Let me check your tummy. Just lie back there for me please.’
She rubbed her hands together vigorously. ‘I’ve cold hands,’ she said, trying to heat them up. ‘Now relax – that’s it.’
She pressed her tummy strategically, checking for any abnormalities.
‘Okay, sit up. How are you feeling now?’
‘Not too bad actually,’ answered Lydia in surprise. ‘It comes in waves. Maybe I’m over the worst of it.’
The doctor frowned. ‘One last question: what was the date of your last period?’
Lydia stopped breathing. With the wedding and Luca and the stress …
‘Um, I’m not sure …’ She blushed.
In a flash she remembered sending Mathis to the pharmacy for Tampax. It was the week before the wedding. She struggled to think. It was mid-July now. Over six weeks later.
Her stomach heaved.
‘It was the start of June, I think.’
‘Is it possible that you could be pregnant?’ The doctor regarded her without judgement.
Her heart started to pound.
‘You’ve missed a period and we need to ascertain why. Are you regular?’
Lydia nodded. ‘Twenty-eight days.’
‘Okay, take this bottle and try and get a sample. The toilet is over there.’ She went back to her notes, typing in details on the screen.
Lydia shut the door of the toilet and willed herself to stay rational. Numbly, she held the bottle under the flow and screwed the cap. Washing her hands, she rejoined the doctor in the examination room.
‘Is that enough?’ She handed her the bottle.
‘Yes, that’s fine.’ She dipped the urine with a white stick and then placed it on the table.
Lydia stared at the poster on the wall. It portrayed the food pyramid with all the food groups in bright colours. The thought of food made her want to vomit.
She and Mathis had not had sex since her period. There was no way she was pregnant. She had only missed a couple of days of her pill around the time of the wedding as she had forgotten it at home. There was no way she was pregnant. There was only that one time against the tree. There was no way she was pregnant. She had been religious about taking it since. There was no way she was pregnant.
The doctor glanced at the window of the applicator and frowned slightly.
‘Lydia, you’re pregnant.’ She showed her the two lines, clearly prominent.
‘No.’
‘This result is positive.’
‘That must be wrong. I can’t be.’ Her face was ashen.
‘You are,’ she said gently. ‘If your LMP was at the start of June, then conception was probably around the thirteenth or fourteenth. Any of those days are fertile.’
‘I’m not pregnant,’ she repeated obstinately. ‘It’s impossible.’
‘Is that your boyfriend outside? Will I call him in?’ She gestured to the door.
‘I’m not pregnant.’ She shook her head. ‘Thanks for your time.’
‘There’s counselling available for unplanned pregnancies,’ the doctor continued. ‘You’re not alone.’
Getting to her feet, Lydia made her way to the door. ‘Goodbye and thanks.’ She felt like she was in a daze.
‘Lydia?’ The doctor hurried over to her. ‘You need time to process this information, but I urge you to talk to someone. Have you any family nearby?’
Helen and Seán flashed through her mind. She felt her throat constrict.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘I need to go home, that’s all. I need to go home.’
Val was vacuuming the sitting room when they arrived.
‘She has gastro,’ announced Colin. ‘Dehydrated and malnourished. Looks like I made the right call.’
Val switched off the hoover. ‘Can I get you anything?’ he asked Lydia. ‘Have you any appetite at all?’
She shook her head wordlessly.
‘She needs rest,’ said Colin authoritatively. ‘Lots and lots of rest.’
Lydia allowed him to lead her to her room. He plumped her pillows and pulled back the duvet. ‘Now, in you go. I’ll check on you later.’
She pulled him close, hugging him fiercely. ‘What would I do without you?’ she mumbled, burying her head in his shoulder.
‘Hey, now,’ he said gently. ‘You know you mean the world to me.’
‘Thanks for looking after me,’ she said in a muffled voice.
His brown eyes were warm. ‘You need looking after. Now, get into bed.’
She sank into the soft mattress. ‘Wake me later. I don’t want to sleep all day and end up awake all night.’
‘You got it.’ He winked and shut the door.
Lydia picked up her phone immediately and googled early pregnancy symptoms. With a beating heart, she mentally ticked the ones she was experiencing. Nausea? Check. Fatigue? Check. Missed period? Check. Swollen breasts? She touched herself immediately. They did seem heavier – like before a period. Check, she thought miserably.
The two lines were imprinted on her brain. The doctor’s voice echoed in her ears.
Wonderingly, she touched her stomach. It was as flat as ever. It was mindboggling to think that there was a baby in there.
Closing her eyes, she willed sleep to take over. She didn’t want to face it. What would she do now?
TO BE CONTINUED …
Follow me on Twitter @BellCaragh
or
Like my page on Facebook (Caragh Bell-Writer)
