Page 100 of Need You To Choose Me

“Hey,” I cover his hand with mine. Turning my head, I brush my lips against his palm. “We’re fine. The baby is fine.”

“Youfainted,” he points out. “You fainted, and there is nothing that I could have done to help you.”

“Blake…”

He seemed so calm and collected this whole time, my rock through the whole admission’s process. He was holding my hand while they drew my blood and while we waited for the technician to make sure the baby was okay, not once moving an inch from my side. And up until now, I didn’t even realize how much this whole thing upset him.

He leans down, his forehead pressing against mine. “After we’re done here, I’m taking you home, and you’re not leaving my sight.”

My heart does a little flip inside my chest at his words, the wild intensity in his gaze. There would be no negotiating with him. Not on this. Not now.

Before I can say anything, the door opens. Blake’s lips press against my forehead before he pulls back, and I can see the older woman standing in the doorway.

“Dr. Gonzales, hi!” I sit upright quickly, which is a mistake. The sudden movement makes the IV dig deeper into my hand. I wince softly, falling back against the pillow.

Blake turns to me immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“Moved too fast.” I look at the doctor. “What are you doing here?”

“I just came in for my shift when I heard somebody mention you were admitted. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling like I’m ready to go home,” I answer without missing a beat. I was so done with staying in the hospital. “Please? I’m not below begging.”

The woman chuckles softly. “As soon as you finish your IV. But first, I wanted to talk to you about your blood work. We just got it back.”

I knew that look. The tone of that voice. And it meant nothing good. My throat bobs as I swallow.

“What’s wrong with her blood work?” Blake asks, his hand taking mine and rubbing gently over my knuckles.

Dr. Gonzales glances between the two of us until her gaze finally settles on me. “The blood work showed that your blood sugar was through the roof.”

Her words echo in my head as I try to wrap my head around it.

“Wh-what…”

“What does that mean?” Blake asks, and I’ve never been more grateful to have somebody by my side.

“How have you been feeling lately?” Dr. Gonzales asks instead.

“Okay, I guess?” My tongue darts out to slide over my dry lips. “A little bit tired, but I figured that’s normal since the last few weeks have been crazy between moving and the beginning of the school year.”

Add to it everything that happened with Blake, and yeah…

“Nothing else?” The doctor persists. “No blurred eyesight, dizziness, thirst, dry mouth, sweating, increased need to go to the bathroom?”

“I…” I glance at Blake, feeling the bile rise in my throat. “Some. But it’s still pretty hot, so I thought…” I swallow hard. “Did I do something wrong?”

Were there signs that something was going on, and I completely ignored them? Put my baby at risk? Should I have taken this more seriously and mentioned it during my last visit?

So many questions swirl inside my head, my lungs closing up.

“No.” Dr. Gonzales shakes her head. “There is no way you’d have known. The testing for gestational diabetes isn’t usually done for another few weeks. However, in some women, it appears before that.”

My brows pull together as her words register in my mind. “Gestational diabetes? What is that?”

“Gestational diabetes occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin during your pregnancy, which can be dangerous for mom and the baby, but it usually goes away after the birth.”

I have diabetes?

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