I tried to control my breathing as I walked into the adjoining restroom in my office and peed on the test. I placed the test on the counter while I waited a few minutes for the results and closed my eyes, praying it would be negative. When I had waited long enough, I opened my eyes and looked at the strip. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that the two lines I was seeing on the kit meant only one thing: that I was pregnant.
"Oh my God," I gasped as I stared at the test. I was barely off stumbling out of the restroom and into the chair behind my desk.
"Miracles don't just happen right," I muttered with wide eyes as I tried to take in what I had just seen. My mind drifted back to the days after the dinner incident with Alan and how I had stumbled upon the result of the tests he had done with his wife. I had seen clearly the reason he had told me that he couldn't get me pregnant. Now this.
"I'm pregnant," I said slowly as my hand went instinctively to cover my belly.
"This must be a dream," I muttered as I stood up in a daze. I need to confirm this properly. I left my office in a state of shock and started walking towards the obstetrics department.
"Good morning, Dr. Elsa, it's good to see you around here," Dr. Fred's secretary greeted me as soon as she saw me. Dr. Fred was one of the best obstetricians in the hospital. I knew he wasn't the chatty type, so I felt safe at the thought of asking him to conduct a proper test on me without having the whole hospital know my business.
"Good morning, is Dr. Fred in?" I asked as calmly as I could.
"Yes, he is," She said. "I'll just let him know that you are here to see him."
I waited patiently while she called through to Dr. Fred.
"Dr. Fred will see you now," She said with a smile.
"Thank you," I said and I headed towards his office as fast as possible. After a brief knock, I entered Dr. Fred's office.
"Dr. Elsa," Dr. Fred greeted me.
"Good morning Dr. Fred," I said with a shy smile.
"Good morning," He responded. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to one of the chairs in his office.
"Thank you," I said, nerves stopping me from saying anything else.
"Is there a problem?"
"I discovered something just now, and I need further confirmation on it," I said carefully.
"Oh, I see, and what might that be?"
"I … I found out that I'm pregnant," I blurted out. Hearing myself say the words made me feel like I’d won the lottery.
"Wow, congratulations," He said with a grin. He didn't look shocked at my news. "Wait a minute, why do you have that look on your face?" He asked with a worried look on his face.
"I … " I faltered as my mind went back to Alan. Oh my God, I have to tell him about this irrespective of the way he treated me. Maybe it's best if I don't. No, that would be selfish of me. It won’t hurt to tell him about the baby, and I'll make things easier on him by taking full responsibility for this. Even though he isn't right for me. How do I explain this to him? The test results proved that he can't have a child so how did this happen
Dr. Fred’s voice brought me back to the present. "Dr. Elsa?"
"Yes?" I said.
"Why are you shocked by this news?" He asked. My mind drifted back to the test results I had seen for Alan and his wife. I had also seen that Dr. Fred was the one who had conducted the tests.
"You know the situation with Dr. Rock and his ex-wife?" I said carefully.
"I don't understand?" Dr. Fred said with a frown.
"This pregnancy, the results … " I whispered. Understanding dawned on him.
"It's Dr. Rock's baby?" He asked.
"I know you won't tell anyone else about this, but yes it's his. You know that's not supposed to be possible, right?" I said.
"Dr. Elsa, I’m not exactly sure what you mean, but if it's about the results of the test Dr. Rock had years back, then you should know that him getting someone pregnant was still a possibility," He said delicately.
"But the test result … " I whispered. I felt like I had lost my voice.
"The chances of him fathering a child were quite low, but there was still a chance," He said as he watched me carefully.
"Oh, my! I wasn't dreaming," I muttered with wide eyes.
"Well, you don’t mind me carrying out some tests on you, do you?" Dr. Fred asked.
"Of course not, I came here for that exact reason," I said. "I need to confirm that I have a child growing within me." I was in a daze, not quite believing the turn of events happening to me.
"Good, you'll get the confirmation you need today," He said, and within minutes he had taken a sample of my blood for the test.
"Can you wait in your office while I send this to the lab? I'll send the results to you as soon as it's ready, or you could pick it up yourself later," Dr. Fred said.
"No, I’m happy for you to send it," I said as I stood.
"You should start acting as though there is a baby in there, especially with the test you told me you took earlier. I'll give you my congratulations here," Dr. Fred said as he smiled.
"Thank you," I said with a smile as joy filled me. The news was finally setting in and allowing me to celebrate the news.
"Make sure you register for the antenatal classes," He reminded me in a fatherly tone.
"Yes, I will," I said as my palm automatically covered my stomach in a protective gesture. The thought of any harm coming to my baby was gut-wrenching and unthinkable to me. Although I would have preferred if the father was someone that at least cared about me, I found myself in love with this baby even before it had been properly confirmed.
"Thank you, Dr. Fred," I said gratefully as I left his office and started walking towards my office. Oh my, I hope the tests confirm it and come soon. I thought to myself as I smiled to myself and entered my office. I stopped short at the sight before me. Alan was leaning casually against my desk, the test kit I had used earlier in his hand.
"Hello Elsa," He said as he studied me. I felt myself melting under his intense gaze.
"Alan," I said as I shrugged off the feeling and walked over to my chair to sit down. He turned towards me with the kit in his hand.
"Why were you snooping around in my office?" I asked at the same time he said, "Is this yours?"
"You haven't answered my question, Alan," I said. I knew this was the right opportunity to tell him about the pregnancy, but even though it seemed selfish, I wanted to savor the news of the pregnancy alone for now. Besides, I wanted the real result to come back before I broke the news to him.
"Elsa, I've put up with everything you've thrown at me these past weeks, but please, right now, my patience is being tested. Is this yours?" He said, his steely tone sending shivers down my spine.
"Put up with me?" I asked furiously. He had been the one avoiding me, yet here he was making it seem like it was my fault. "We had a beautiful passionate night, and when I was thinking of exploring more with you, you threw me out even without another word." I glared at him.
"Explore more with me?" he said with a chuckle. I stood up abruptly, still glaring at him.
"What about Dylan?" He asked.
"What about Dylan?".
"I can't believe this; you aren't even trying to deny all of this? What kind of woman are you? You have me wrapped in your arms one minute, and the next you’re promising your love to another," he snapped at me.
"I don't understand what you are trying to say," I said, looking at him in confusion.
"Don't you even try denying it! I heard everything. You telling him you love him. You telling him you couldn't wait to return home to him," he growled.
"Let me get this straight, you were cold to me at the hotel and you've been avoiding me at work because you overhead my conversation with my brother telling him that I love him. Is that right?" I asked. A bitter laugh burst through my lips. "I can't believe this, I've been punishing myself ever since that morning, wondering what went wrong and now I find out that it was the conversation I had with my brother that seems to b
e the problem," I said as I shook my head lightly. This was absurd.
"Are you trying to get out of this by lying that he is your brother?" Alan asked with a frown.
"Why would I lie about that? To think that he was the one who insisted I should confront you about this. According to him, you couldn't have acted so cold without a reason. Apparently, he was right, but you did it for the wrong reason," I sat down again, amazed that such a stupid mistake had caused me so much pain. I could see he was shocked at my words and he sat down as well.
"That's not possible … what about the man at the restaurant the other day?" He asked.
"Oh, the same restaurant you went to with another woman? That man you saw me with was Dylan, my brother. He decided that we should have lunch out because, according to him, I haven’t been my usual self since I returned from that dinner. How do you think he knew about you?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
"I … " he started to say, but it seemed like he couldn't find the right words. "Why did you go to the restroom to receive the call if you had nothing to hide?"
"Forgive me for thinking that you were asleep and not want to wake you up with our conversation," I said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry," He said slowly.
"You are sorry for what exactly?" I asked, wanting to hear him admit how badly he had acted.
"Listen, you can't just blame me for this. Everything that happened that night was the total opposite of how I usually act. It was all new to me, and when I was still trying to understand how I felt, I overheard you professing your love to another man. What was I supposed to think?" He asked with a bewildered expression.
"You could have just asked me for God’s sake instead of making me go through hell for the past few weeks," I snapped at him.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't think of that," He said quietly.
"Of course, you didn't. You just assumed the worst about me. Why do you think so low of me?" I asked, confused.
"I don't," He said. “However, that isn't up for discussion now. Tell me, is this yours?" He held the test kit up again. I squirmed in embarrassment, but I knew there was no point denying it anymore.
"Yes, it is," I admitted.
"I see, so while I was wondering whether I should give you another chance, you were only too happy to open your arms for another man. I can't believe this, it’s a terrible joke. Who’s the father? Is it the man from the restaurant?" He asked angrily as I watched him with wide eyes.
"Why would you even think of that? You think I just jump into any man's bed?" I snarled, but then I was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in," I called out. The door swung open and Dr. Fred's secretary walked in with a sealed envelope in hand.
"Hello again, Dr. Elsa, Dr. Fred asked me to give this to you," She said as she approached the desk, her curious gaze flicking from me to Alan.
"Good morning, Dr. Rock," She said and I held in a snort as I saw a blush stain her cheeks.
"Good morning," Alan replied absentmindedly.
"Here it is, doctor," she said as she passed me the envelope.
"Thank you," I said with a little smile.
"You're welcome. I'll be on my way now," She left the office, leaving me alone with Alan once again.
I hurriedly opened the envelope, and I couldn't help the huge grin that covered my face as I checked the result. I was indeed pregnant and I felt joy filling my whole body.
"I can't believe this," Alan said. I remembered he was still in the office with me. The joy of the result made everything else blur and I had momentarily forgotten his presence.
"I've not been with anyone except you in three years − do the math," I said angrily. I was pissed that he would think so low of me.
"You're saying the baby is mine?" He asked hoarsely.
"Yes," I said as I rolled my eyes. Oh my, how will this look? How will he feel about being a father despite the odds? I watched him trying to take the news in.
"Listen, I know how this must look. I swear, I didn't plan this. You told me we didn't have to worry about that, remember?" I said carefully.
"How is this possible?" He asked with a puzzled look on his face.
I stayed quiet, sensing that he was trying to process the situation.
"That was part of the reason my marriage ended. You are telling me that you are pregnant by me, that what I had thought was impossible is in fact possible after all," he said, a smile finally appearing on his face.
"Listen, I won’t blame you if you don't want to be a part of this child's life. I understand, I mean we didn’t plan this and I was fine with you not using protection. However, I won't lie to you and tell you I regret this because it has filled me with indescribable joy," I said while he stared at me like I had grown an extra head.
"Let me get this straight, you think I am going to abandon you and my child? Do you really think I'm going to leave my own child? How can you honestly think that? Especially when I had lost all hope was lost of my having a child of my own?" A hurt look replaced his smile.
"I thought … " I started to say, but he held his hand up to cut the rest of my statement short as he said, "Make no mistake, Elsa, I'm going to be in this child's life as much as possible. You better get used to having me around."
"I … " I started to say, but he stormed out of my office without another word.
Of all the reactions I was imagining, that was the one I least expected. He genuinely wants to be a part of this child's life. Have I judged him too harshly? Maybe he’s softer than I thought.
Chapter 6: Dr. Rock
"I can't believe this! Is that really how low she thinks of me? Am I really going to be a father?" I muttered to myself as I walked towards my office.
I had decided to go to Elsa’s office to have a word with her about the night at the hotel, but had been surprised to not find her in her office. Disappointed, I had been about to leave when I saw the test kit lying carelessly on the desk. I had been even more surprised when I saw that the result was positive. At first, I had thought it belonged to a patient, but I didn’t think she would have left a patient’s test out in the open. I had decided to wait for her to find out, not expecting the huge news she would bring with her − the discovery that she was indeed pregnant and that I had acted the way I had because of a simple misunderstanding. It had gladdened my heart to hear that I hadn't been the only one affected by what had happened between us. Then, when I was still trying to take in the good news that I was going to be a father, she had to ruin it by suggesting I would abandon her and the baby.
Why does she think the worst of me? I thought to myself as I walked along the corridor.
"Dr. Rock!" I heard someone call out behind me.
"Dr. George," I greeted him with a forced smile. I was still trying to wrap my head around the events of the past few minutes.
"Is there a problem?" He asked as he got closer to me.
"Of course not," I said.
"Okay, good. My friends and I thought we should organize something like we used to amongst ourselves, and we thought it would be a great idea to invite you," He said. I knew Dr. George, Dr. Carter, Dr. Brown, and Dr. Edgar used to meet up at each other's houses. It was their way of unwinding after a long day's work. They had tried to invite me in the past but I had always politely declined.
"When is it?" I asked.
"Tomorrow, we are all off then," He said, a surprised look on his face at my answer.
"That sounds good to me, However, where are we going to meet?” I asked
“It’s going to be at Dr. Carter’s house this time around” He replied, grinning and ruffling his hair.
“Great! I’ll be there” I replied, trying to sound cheerful.
"Good," He said, still looking surprised but happily so. "Are you sure everything is OK?" He added.
"Yes, everything’s fine," I said with a small smile.
"Okay, we'll see you next tomorrow then," He said before he left. I had just settled in my office when one of the nurses
who assisted me on my rounds popped her head through the door to announce that they were ready. Finally, I was able to take my mind off all that had happened that morning and focus on my patients instead.
By the time I was done with my shift and returned home, I was exhausted.
Dr. Elsa
"Please tell me you spoke to him today!," Dylan said as soon as I let myself in and sat on one of the sofas in the living room.
"You’re back," I muttered with a small smile, trying to dodge his question.
"Arghh, you didn’t do it, did you? When will you talk to him? I'm tempted to do the job for you right now," He said.
"I'm pregnant," I said.
"Whoa, what? Wait a minute, is it his?" He said with wide eyes after a long pause.
"Yes, it is," I said.
"Wow! I'm going to be an uncle!" He screamed as he moved towards me and engulfed me in a tight hug.
"I wish it were as simple as that," I said with a sigh as I remembered Alan's parting words.
"What do you mean you wish it were that simple?" He asked. I took a deep breath before I launched into a detailed explanation of all that had transpired between Alan and me.
"Wow," Dylan said quietly when I finished talking.
"What does he intend to do now?" He asked while I gave him an absurd look.
"He said he wanted to be part of my child's life, whether I liked it or not," I said with a shrug.
"Well, that might be good. It sounds to me that he has acted this way because he’s been hurt badly in the past. Maybe he has some trust issues, and that’s why he assumed you had been with another man,” he said.
“Does that mean he’s allowed to be so judgmental about me?" I asked indignantly.
"No, it just means you'll need to take it one step at a time with him," Dylan said. Plus his time in the war must’ve been really hard on him, he would’ve seen some awful things.
"What do you mean?".
"Prove to him that you aren't like the person who hurt him in the past,"
Dr. Rock (Healing Hands Book 5): A Steamy Workplace Romance Page 7
