“I’ll give you both a moment.” Rosie slipped out of the room with Claire, leaving them alone.
“Oh, honey, what’s going on?” Evan stroked her forehead, wiping her damp hair from her face. His look of concern pierced her heart. Was she about to lose the baby?
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. The time never seemed to be right somehow. And now,” she hiccupped a sob back, “now it might all be over for our baby.”
“Shh, we can deal with this, Denver. We’ll talk about the whys and why nots later. Let’s see what’s going on first, then we can talk, okay?” He looked so torn, and there was nothing she could do except pray her baby was okay.
The door opened and Rosie came back in. “Sorry, we really need to see what’s going on in here.” She sat down at her stool and picked up the wand attached to it. “Right, you know all about this so I don’t have to explain.” She rubbed the end of it in the gel and worked it around Denver’s stomach, pausing to take measurements and photos every couple of minutes. On the computerized screen, Denver could see the shape of her baby as it became clearer. Evan leaned forward and the grip on her hand tightened when he focused on their child. Rosie turned buttons and the sound filled the still room.
The audible sigh of relief came from the three of them when the baby’s heartbeat sounded loud and clear over the machine. “Nothing wrong with that heartbeat, Mama. Coming across loud and clear. Now what are you doing to your mother, little one?” Rosie concentrated on the screen in front of her, studying the baby from different angles and then doing a detailed search of the surrounding organs.
“Ah, I see it now.” Rosie zoomed her search in and took a few frames, each from a different angle.
“It’s the placenta that’s the problem, I can see that from here.” Denver pointed at the screen and explained to Rosie, “This was one of my areas of interest when I worked in Seattle. Can you zoom in a bit more please?”
Rosie did as she asked and sat back so they could both see.
“Placenta previa. Partial by the look of it.” Denver breathed a sigh of relief. “Not life threatening to mother or child so long as precautions are taken.”
“Thank goodness for that. Thank you, Rosie. That’s wonderful news.” Evan shook his head and looked at her. “You know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do. Don’t apologize. This little one will be fine so long as you look after its mother. Let’s get you cleaned up and back to the doctor so he can decide what to do with you. I’ll go and get an orderly to take you back.” She wiped the gel from Denver’s stomach and pulled down her shirt before leaving them alone again.
“I was so damned scared, Denver. You have no idea.” He ran a finger down her cheek and squeezed her hand.
“How long have you known?”
“Just a few days. Claire let the cat out of the bag. Unintentional, I know. I wish it was you who’d told me. I thought we’d sorted things out between us.” He stroked his thumb over her fingers.
Denver bit back the retort she really wanted to make. “You said you didn’t want a child. You’d thought better of it so I decided not to say anything until I’d thought about it more.”
“Oh, honey, there is nothing I’d rather do than have a child with you. I said that so I wasn’t putting pressure on you. I know how much this job means to you.” She saw the pain in his eyes and almost forgot the words she’d overheard her father telling Evan the night they had dinner together.
The door opened and the orderly walked in. “Someone in here need a chariot ride back to emergency?”
Evan held her hand as they walked back to see the doctor. He was on the phone when Denver was wheeled in and as soon as he hung up, he walked over to them. “Evan, sorry to catch up under these circumstances. Well, the baby is fine as you both saw. It’s only a partial placenta previa but still, it can be cause for alarm.” He picked up her chart from the end of the bed. “You know the risks with this, Denver, so I know you’ll be a brilliant patient. I want to keep you in overnight at least and monitor you, make sure things are okay. Then if you have no pain or bleeding, you can go home but I want you to rest.”
“I have a job to do. I can’t spend the rest of my pregnancy in bed, nor would I want to.”
“I’m not asking you to do that. I’m advising you to rest up for a week and then come back to work. I would strongly suggest you cut your hours back.”
“I’ll think about it. Thank you for the advice.” She ignored the look Evan gave her and spoke to the doctor again. “I think I’ll go home though. We’re only just around the corner and if anything happens, I have Evan there.”
“Denver, I strongly suggest—”
“Yes, I know you do, Frank and I respect your ideas. I’ve dealt with this enough in the city to understand how things will go. If I’m at home resting, it’s no worse than being in here and I know how to take care of myself. I have a doctor with me at all times anyway so it’s not as though I’m heading off into the mountains with no medical care in sight. Plus, we’re two minutes around the road if anything goes wrong.”
“Denver, are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” Evan gripped her hand. “I don’t want you to risk yourself or the baby with this.”
“Look at me, Evan. I did papers on this condition and preemie babies. I know all there is to know about the subject. Me sleeping in my own bed won’t cause me to bleed any more than I would sleeping in the maternity wing.” She pushed off the blanket. “Help me up please.”
He helped her sit up and found her shoes. “Let me at least get the wheelchair to take you to the car.” He hurried away leaving her with Frank.
“You might be the head of the hospital, Denver, but I’m your doctor on record at the moment. I will have no qualms pulling rank on you if you don’t take care of yourself and that baby.”
“I know, Frank. I appreciate it, really I do. I know what I’m doing. I’ll rest up and see you in a week or so.”
“Fine.” He watched Evan return with the wheelchair. “Call me if you need any backup support, Evan.”
“Oh, I will. Thanks, Frank.” He held her hand and supported her as she climbed off the bed and sat down. Then he wrapped a blanket around her knees. “Let’s get you two home.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Is she resting up?” Gina put the casserole on the kitchen counter for Evan to deal with later. She put the kettle on and made a tray up with tea cups and a plate of biscuits.
“Yes and no. She has her computer so you can imagine she’s working. At least she’s not getting out of bed unless she needs to. That’s something I guess.”
“I was terrified when Rory told me. He said you got a call and rushed off in a mad panic. Thank goodness things turned out okay.” She leaned against the kitchen counter, her hands clasped under her emerging baby bump.
“You knew, didn’t you?” Gina’s eyes widened and she blushed. “It’s okay, you don’t have to answer that one.” He was at least glad Denver had someone she could talk to.
“I’m sorry, Evan. It wasn’t that I wanted to keep it from you. It wasn’t my place to say anything.”
He picked a cookie off the plate and bit into it. Double chocolate chip, Gina’s specialty. “I know and I appreciate you being there for her. I guess we didn’t really know each other that well when we got married and she needs someone to talk to, I get that.”
“But?”
“I wish I hadn’t made such a mess of things. If I’d been honest with her from the beginning, none of this would have happened.”
“She was pregnant before you argued, wasn’t she?”
“Yes. What I mean is I would have known and she wouldn’t have been so scared going through it alone. I still don’t understand why she didn’t tell me though. Oh well, I know now and the baby is fine, so that’s the main thing.”
“Yes it is.” Gina turned off the kettle and filled the teapot. “You go on to work and I’ll stay with her for a bit.”
“Let me tak
e that tray up to the bedroom first. Then I’ll go in and put in a few hours.” He reached for the tray and scooped it up. Gina led the way to the bedroom and he placed the tea on the dressing table by the door. Denver sat propped up in bed with her laptop on her knees and paperwork strewn over the blankets. Evan walked over and leaned on the bed. “I’m going in for a few hours. Behave and if you don’t, Gina will tell me.” He leaned in and kissed her, cupping her chin with his hands.
Denver leaned into the kiss sending the familiar sensation to his gut. He’d refused to have sex since the incident and insisted it was for the best, at least until they’d seen the doctor again and had another scan to make sure everything was fine. By the light in her eyes, she knew what she was doing to him. “I love you. See you later on.”
“Thanks for coming over, Gina. Don’t take any nonsense from her. If she plays up, call me and I’ll come home early.”
Gina walked over to the bed with a cup of tea for Denver and the plate of cookies. “Don’t you worry, Evan. She’ll be fine with me. I’m used to handling a toddler. I can deal with a bedridden doctor with attitude if that’s what she gives me. Go to work and stop worrying.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed Denver again, smiled at his sister-in-law, and headed back down the stairs and off to work.
*
“He’s so in love with you.” Gina perched on the edge of the bed with her cup of tea in her hand.
“I love him just as much. He is being rather overprotective at the moment and it’s kind of nice.” She sipped the tea before nibbling on a cookie. “Being pregnant is a good excuse to binge eat, right?”
“Sure is. Only thing you have to watch is the size of your butt getting bigger though. I hear it’s harder to lose with each baby.” She took a cookie and picked off the chocolate chip on top, popping it in her mouth. “I made you a casserole for dinner. Only needs warming up.”
“You’re so good to me. Thanks.”
“No worries. So, are you going to tell me why you never told your husband about the baby?” Gina took another nibble and looked at her friend.
“Get right to the point, why don’t you?”
“Easier in my mind. Don’t see the point in skirting around things.”
“Fair call. Well, I was going to but after our argument I decided I didn’t want this child to be used as a bargaining chip in our marriage. He had to want me for me and trust in me, too. Once we figured that out, I was going to tell him.”
“You guys did make up. Why didn’t you tell him then?” She went to take another cookie and then pushed the plate away, growling at herself.
Denver smiled. “You’re right, we did make up. Problem was, he came out and said he no longer wanted a child, he’d prefer to wait. What was I supposed to do?”
“Hmm, I understand now.” Gina put her cup on the side table and scrambled up on the bed, arranging Evan’s pillows to make herself comfortable before she turned around and nestled amongst them. “Men can be so damned hard to read sometimes, can’t they? And those brothers are so alike, some days it scares me.” Gina sipped her tea. “At least that way we can figure them out easier. I mean if one reacts a certain way, makes sense they all will.”
“True.” Denver smiled. It made sense to her too.
“When are you going back to work?” She glanced at the laptop and the paperwork lying over the bed.
“Next week is what the doctor said to me. Evan is being pigheaded about it.”
“Don’t blame him. This isn’t something to be taken lightly as you well know.”
“I understand that and it’s fine working from home. It’s not the same as being hands-on. I need to be in my office some of the time.” She huffed in frustration thinking of all the work she was going to have to catch up on. “I’m relying on Evan at the moment to bring me work and take stuff back to my secretary. So far it’s all gone fine, but it’s not the same as being there.” She glanced at Gina, not liking the look she aimed at her. “I’m not putting the baby at risk; I’m not that stupid or cruel.” She sighed. “Look, you know your own body better than anyone, right?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
“Me too. I’d never do anything to hurt this child, I want it too much, and no job is worth risking the tiny life growing inside me. If I don’t get back to the office next week, I’ll scream. I’m not the stay-at-home-laying-in-bed kind of person. I’m a doer and I need to get doing again.”
“I hear you, but you seriously need to learn to shut down and go with the flow.”
Denver grinned. “Evan told me the same thing. We were lying in bed last night…”
Gina covered her ears. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Denver batted her hands away, laughing. This visit was just what she needed. A break from worry and from work with her new best friend. “I wasn’t telling you that. Behave. We were talking about my job and how I’m going to manage it with a baby.”
“Why not take maternity leave? Surely you have that in your contract?” Gina picked up a photo from the side table of the two of them on their wedding day and looked at it with a dopy grin on her face.
“Yes and I want to keep my job. Evan suggested we do a job share. He’s already taking some of my workload on as well as looking after the clinic. I think it’s a brilliant idea. So much in fact that I’m going to put it to the board and see if they would approve it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The following week, Denver was at work on the phone when a tap sounded at her door. She covered the mouthpiece and called out, “Come in.”
Dr. Dunlop came in, glanced around her office before making eye contact with Denver. She invited him in with a sweep of her hand and finished up her phone call.
“Listen, I have to go. If you could send me all that in an email, I’d appreciate it very much. Thanks.” Denver put the phone down and went to stand up but Dr. Dunlop protested.
“Stay there, don’t go rushing around. We need you to take care of yourself, Dr. Sinclair.” He hurried over to her desk and took a seat.
“Can I get you a coffee?”
“No, no, that’s fine. I’ll only take a moment of your time.” He cleared his throat and she waited for him to talk again. While on bed rest, she’d done what she told Gina she would do—sent in a proposal for sharing the directorship with Evan to the board. It looked as though she would get her answer today.
“I looked over your proposal and wanted to put it to the board. Before I do that, I thought it only fitting to do a reference check on Dr. Watson.” He looked away from her, seemingly flustered and ill at ease.
“What seems to be the problem, Dr. Dunlop?”
“Your father tells me Evan is taking up the position back in his old hospital at the beginning of next year. I realize that is some way off considering you signed a contract with us but I would assume you are going with him. I’m wondering where that leaves the board. If we’re going to have to start looking for a new candidate then, I’d rather do it now than later.” He gripped the arms of the chair and met her gaze. “I have to say I’m disappointed in you, Dr. Sinclair. I can only assume you took this position and planned to ease your husband into it as a stepping stone for the position at Seattle General Hospital. I expected more from you.”
She sat stunned, scrambling frantically to gather a coherent thought. “It’s not like that. I would never do something so unprofessional.”
“Well, your father seemed certain Dr. Watson was taking the position. It stands to reason you as his wife would go with him.” He sighed and Denver frowned. She needed to talk to Evan and find out what the hell was going on.
“I need to get to the bottom of this. If you’ll excuse me, I must talk to my husband.” She stood and waited for him to rise so she could show him to the door. “I’m sorry, Dr. Dunlop. I will sort it out as soon as I can. I promise you, I haven’t been using my position as you suspect.”
He gave her a lukewarm smile. “I would hate to think I’ve made an
error of judgment hiring you, Dr. Sinclair. The rest of the board wanted someone older, but I was impressed by your work ethic. Please don’t let me down.” He opened the door before she could reach for the handle and walked out, pausing to talk to her secretary.
Denver walked out of her office, smiling woodenly as she past the two of them chatting and headed for the elevator. So help her, she was going to skin Evan if this was what he had planned. She hurried downstairs and walked toward the clinic where she knew he would be working. A door opened and Claire walked out with a dish in her hand filled with blood vials.
“Hi, Denver. Feeling better I hope?” She paused and smiled.
“Yes, much. Listen, I didn’t thank you for helping me last week. It was very kind of you.”
“Hey, no problem. So long as you and bub are fine. I should apologize to you as well while we’re talking. I didn’t know it was a secret when I spoke to Evan.”
Denver grimaced. It wasn’t her most intelligent decision to keep it to herself. “All’s well that ends well. Have you seen Evan around?” The nurse’s desk was unattended and all the cubicle doors were closed, which meant there were patients inside.
“Yes, he’s in the first door. I had to do a set of tests for him. Guess he won’t be too much longer.” She licked her lips. “I was wondering if you guys would like to come and meet my family sometime soon. Have a barbeque and invite all the Watson guys and their new wives. We haven’t had a chance to catch up with them for awhile, it’ll be fun.”
“Sounds wonderful. Let me know when and what I can bring and I’ll let the others know if you like.” It was about time they started socializing. But not before this was sorted out. The door opened and Evan walked out an elderly man using a cane to support him. “Take those tablets twice a day for the next seven days, Mr. Keenan, then come back and see me. We’ll have the blood tests back by then and we can give you a more definitive answer.” He watched the old man walk away and then spied Denver. His face lit up and she experienced a fleeting wave of hope that Dr. Dunlop had it all wrong. Evan looked so at home here, so happy and relaxed.
The Doctor's Husband (The Watson Brothers #3) Page 15
