Page 129 of Through You
Gin can tell by the look in my eyes the question I want to ask. “Artemis has gone to get some food,” she says. “The doctor suggested you should have something healthy to eat when you wake up.”
“Is he all right?” I ask, because I know him. Artemis has never done well at hospitals, and had difficulty handling situations in the past when I was sick.
“Are you seriously worrying about him now?” Gin raises an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but who’s the one lying in a hospital bed?”
“I just know that he worries too much.”
“And no wonder. Girl, what did you expect? You fainted in his arms.”
I grimace as I move my left arm. There’s a burning sensation where the IV is inserted.
“Please tell me you haven’t called my mother. I don’t want her to be worried.”
Gin snorts. “Look at you worried about everyone else.” She sighs. “Calm down. We didn’t tell your mother.”
“What happened to me? What did the doctor say?”
“Well, not much. They’re doing several blood tests, though he suspects it could be anemia, perhaps a nutritional deficiency or something along those lines. That’s all he’s said. Have you been skipping meals and not eating?”
“Of course I’m eating. I’ve had a couple of stressful weeks, that’s all.”
“Claudia, you can lie to me all you want but you have to be honest with the doctor. If you’re not having your meals on time or are skipping them altogether, or if you’re not eating enough to save time during the day, you have to let him know.”
I don’t respond, and she goes to find the doctor. Dr. Brooks is a significantly older man, with white hair and thick eyebrows of the same color. He gives me a reassuring smile, typical of doctors in these situations.
“Hello, Claudia, I’m Dr. Brooks. How are you feeling?”
“A little weak and confused,” I confess.
“I have your test results.” He reviews the papers on the clip-board he holds in his hands. “I’m sorry, but in keeping with patient confidentiality, I must ask first if you agree to have your friend present while I share your diagnosis and the results from the tests?”
“Yes.”
Gin stands next to me and takes my hand. Fear spreads through me, and I’m grateful she’s here. What if this is something serious? What if I’m really sick?
“All right, then.” The doctor looks at the results. “Okay, Claudia, it appears I was right. Your iron is very low. Anemia is not a big deal since we can treat it once we zero in on the cause, which we have.”
A sigh of relief escapes my lips. “What was the cause?” I go over in my head the instances when I’ve eaten in a hurry or skipped a meal. It doesn’t happen often, but I should really pay more attention to my health and listen to my body.
The doctor smiles at me. “You’re pregnant.”
And right at that moment, my world comes to a complete stop. I stare at the doctor, unable to form words to respond.
“Congratulations.” The doctor speaks again in an attempt to snap me out of the state of shock I find myself in.
“I don’t . . . That . . .” I mumble incoherently. “That’s impossible, I’m on the pill.”
Next to me, Gin looks petrified.
The doctor sighs. “I would love to say that the pill is one hundred percent effective. However, there is a small chance you could still get pregnant if you’re not consistent and happen to skip a day or two.”
I try to recall if I’ve skipped a day recently. These last few weeks have been a disaster.
“I—”
At that moment, Artemis opens the door, and I find myself unable to breathe. Artemis just stands there. He has one hand on the door handle, and a bag of food in the other. He’s removed his tie and suit jacket, and is only wearing a white dress shirt and pants.
His brown eyes search for mine, and he frowns when he notices the look on my face, which to be honest, I’m sure isn’t a good one.
