Page 163 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

“Really?” Maddie replied shocked.

“You have reduced fertility because you only have one tube and there’s the issue of not having periods but with the right approach I can’t see why having children would be an issue.”

“But I got told after I was stabbed that I wouldn’t ever be able to conceive.” Maddie said.

“That was sixteen years ago. Medicine has come a long way since then.”

“Don’t you need to have periods to get pregnant? I mean, don’t you need to be producing eggs?”

“You have eggs Maddie, your body is just not tiggering the reproductive cycle. It’s essentially gone dormant. That would be our first step, restarting it.”

“So I’d have periods?”

“Yes.”

“And then I could get pregnant?”

“I’d be surprised if it was as simple as that. I think considering your age and the fact you have reduced fertility, IVF would be a better route.”

“My age? I’m thirty two.”

“In medical terms that means your almost a geriatric mother.”

“Wow.” Maddie said.

He grinned. “Medicine is not always kind. But look at the positives, if we start this hormone treatment you could be experiencing periods within four months. As soon as they stabilise then we’d be in a position to start harvesting eggs and beginning the process of IVF.”

“So what I could get pregnant in the next year?”

“Potentially. IVF is not always a guarantee and it has varying rates of success. It’s unusual but not unheard of for patients to be successful with their first round though others have to go through three or four rounds before an egg successfully takes. And it can be expensive.”

“Money isn’t an issue.” Maddie said thinking of her flat. She could always sell it if it came to it, besides she had savings too and Cole wasn’t exactly broke was he?

“In that case we can start the hormone injections today. We’ll need to see you every two weeks to start and can adjust depending on your progress.”

“Today?” Maddie said a little shocked.

“It won’t hurt. It’s just like a tetanus shot or the flu jab.” Katie said.

“It’s not that, I just didn’t expect it to be this quick.” She hadn’t even spoken to Cole, she thought, but then this was her body, she didn’t need his permission to do anything to it.

“We can wait if you’d like…” Katie said.

“But the sooner we start the more time your reproductive cycle has to begin working.” The doctor added.

Maddie nodded. “No let’s do it. Like you said it could take four months and besides this is just the period bit. It’s not even the IVF bit.”

Dr Taylor smiled. “It can be a long process. It’s better to get ahead of it.” He nodded to Katie who showed her back into the examination room where she lay back down on the bed.

“Lift your top up. It’s best for the injections to go directly into your womb.”

“That sounds painful.” Maddie said.

She smiled. “It looks worse than it is.”

Dr Taylor walked in with a silver tray and a suspiciously long looking needle.

“Try to relax your muscles.” He said and Maddie nodded clenching her fists tight and relaxing her belly. He put his hand just above her navel and she felt a quick one second sting on her right side and then another just as quick on her left.

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