He looks about to say something when the doors burst open and a nurse pushing a trolley barges her way into the room. She looks up and smiles when she realises I’m awake.
“Well, hello there, sleeping beauty. I was wondering when you would wake up.” She pushes the trolley into place on my right side and starts arranging the items that sit on top of it. I look to Cole, and he shrugs.
“Erm, excuse me, nurse?”
She turns her kind eyes to me. “Yes?”
“What’s wrong with me?” My bottom lip trembles as it all hits me at once that I’m lying here in a hospital bed with no clue what has been happening with my body.
She stops what she’s doing and sits on the edge of my bed. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’re perfectly fine. You were just a little dehydrated, that’s all. Well, not a little, actually; you were quite dehydrated. We need to keep you in for a couple of days to make sure we get fluids in you and make sure everything’s okay; we have some tests booked in for you, too.” When she sees the alarmed look on my face, she hurries to say, “Don’t worry, the baby is absolutely fine, but just to be on the safe side, we need to do a scan with you today, and I’m sorry to say, but it’s a transvaginal scan as it’s a bit early for the abdominal ultrasound. Other than that, all your other stats seem fine. You need to rest up.” She stands and carries on humming to herself, all while taking my stats, and no sooner has she bustled in here than she’s gone.
I think I may be having some form of medical episode. What the hell is a transvaginal scan?
I must be, because I haven’t moved a muscle since the nurse dropped that little bombshell on me. I force myself to move andturn to Cole, who’s sitting there, still rubbing circles on my hand with his thumb, quietly waiting for me to say something.
“Cole?”
“Yeah?”
“Did she just say…” I don’t let myself finish the sentence; I can’t.
“Yeah.”
“Did you also hear…” Jesus, I can’t bring myself to say it out loud.
“I sure did.”
“Oh.”
That’s it then.I’m pregnant.
“Do you want to talk about it? I didn’t even know that you were seeing someone.” There’s a hurt to his voice that both gets to me and pisses me off, because why does he get to be hurt that I slept with someone else? No, this little nugget of joy now growing inside of me is the result of a one-night stand during the first days of moping about Cole and Gabby, not a new relationship.
Fucking Gabby! This is all her fault.
“I’m not seeing anyone, Cole.” I stop, thinking of what to say and how to say this, but then I remember this is my best friend, and if he truly is, he won't judge me for what I say next. “If you must know, I had a one-night stand, just one. I was careful, but obviously, the fucking universe has other plans. And if that is a problem for you? Well, there’s the door. Don’t let it hit your backside on the way out.” I know I’m pushing at him, but it’s better than the rejection he’s bound to throw my way.
“Lacey, will you look at me?”
Against my better judgment, I stubbornly turn to face him.
He sits on the edge of my bed and holds both of my hands in his as he softly tells me, “You’re not alone in this. I’ll be here every step of the way if you want me to be.”
At his words, I dissolve into tears, and he gathers me up in his arms and rubs my back, all the while telling me that everything is going to be okay and he’s here.
**********
I must have nodded off again without realising. I look around the room but don’t see Cole anywhere, and a wave of sadness comes over me. I can't expect him to stay here with me. We are all due to fly out to Vegas in two days, but that isn’t going to be happening now. Not when the doctors haven’t even told me when I’m leaving here.
I push the covers down my body and look at my stomach. I find no visible changes, but, at the same time, everything is different. Inside of me grows a small human,mysmall human. I feel a surge of protectiveness flare up inside of me. Although I don’t know what my next steps are, I am sure that this baby will be loved, even if I am alone in all of this.
Covering myself over, I look up, ready to share my moment with Cole. The room is, of course, empty. For a moment, I forgot he had left. I bet he’s gone to find Gabby, and I suppose he should. She is, after all, his girlfriend. Sighing, I grab my phone off the side and see there’s no charge in it. Great. This is just what I need, to sit here, bored to tears with no one to talk to, apart from myself.
The door to the room opens and in walks Cole, still in his clothes from the wedding, which was yesterday, I think. Carrying two takeaway cups in his hands, he smiles when he sees me.
“I nipped out to grab coffee for us, decaf for you because of the baby.” He hands me my cup and sits down. It never fails to amaze me how he always knows what I need and when, even when he hasn’t been around much these past few months. As usual, he is utterly oblivious to how he has made me feel. I murmur a thanks and drink down the hot goodness.
“So, Lacey, I have to tell you something, and you can’t be mad at me. Okay?” He sounds sheepish.
