Page 10 of An Immaculate Deception

The doctor nods thoughtfully. “I suppose I could stop by and speak to her in person.”

“Would you, really? Thank you, Doctor Lobo!”

This physician has a charm about him. Perhaps he can placate Mother.

“Leandro seems unwell,” I say.

“He’s in a bit of a shock,” he mutters. “Give him some time.”

A bit?

“Do you think he remembers what I told him about the baby?”

“He may or may not. The moments post-trauma tend to be delicate on the psyche. You should wait until he’s more back to normal to talk to him about it. Although…” His voice fades, as though a new thought has entered his mind.

“Although what?”

“Sometimes with accidents like this, you see…” He presses his lips together. “Sometimes people do change in ways that are permanent.”

The word permanent makes my blood go cold. I think of the hollow aspect of Leandro’s face, the sunken cheeks, the darkness under his eyes. His sullen demeanor. His unbearable silence and seeming inability to speak. His uncomprehending yet relentless gaze.

“But it’s too early to worry about that.” Doctor Lobo waves a hand. “Just give yourselves some time and follow my instructions carefully.” He places a cold metal instrument on my belly and listens in from the other end. “There are no signs of internal damage.”

I say a quick, silent prayer of thanks that the baby wasn’t hurt. But my relief is somewhat tempered by the Leandro situation. Sometimes people do change in ways that are permanent.

I have a child now. My child’s future depends on Leandro. I need Leandro to be well. (And I need him to want to marry me.)

“Doctor Lobo,” I say, “what were you going to tell me earlier? Before Leandro came into the room, you said you had to warn me about him.”

“Right, that. I was merely going to tell you that he’s in a bit of a shock.”

“Oh.”

I nod, but I can’t shake the feeling that there was more to it. The way he talked about Leandro, it felt as if he was about to say something bad. And when Doctor Lobo stared at the door, as Leandro stood behind it, he looked…tense, frightened, even.

I suppose I must have misread him. After all, I’m also in shock, aren’t I? My head hurts, my limbs are throbbing, and I’m utterly fatigued. He is a physician, and he is the Neves family doctor, so he must be among the best in the province.

“Forgive my discourtesy,” he says, “but I’m afraid I must say this, as your physician. When I mentioned earlier that you must avoid strenuous activities, well, this includes…intimate activities as well.”

I raise my brows. “I would never…!”

“Of course not. Forgive me, my role as medical practitioner sometimes forces me to speak coarsely.”

I am aghast. A lady should not have to be told not to be intimate with a man she isn’t married to. Is he saying this because I’m pregnant and unwed, so now he thinks of me as a woman of low morals?

Leandro returns with a glass of water for me. Doctor Lobo gives medical instructions while Leandro stands there watching me, dazed and wordless. I wish he would say something. At times, it appears that he’s seeing through me, and his gaze is distant.

Doctor Lobo prepares a sleeping draught, then hands it to me. It tastes bitter, but he says it will help with the pain.

I settle back in bed, and Doctor Lobo picks up his suitcase and promises he will return later to join us for dinner, but he must see other patients in the afternoon.

I lie back down and pull the sheets over my shoulders. My eyes close and I feel the sweet tentacles of sleep grip me. Then Leandro screams.

“Wake up!”

I sit up, pulse racing. Leandro stares at me, wild-eyed and feverish.

“For God’s sake, what’s the matter?” I ask.