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‘Five months ago?’ She let out a nervous laugh.
‘It wasn’t just that night, Archie. You know it as well as I do. That kiss before proves it.’
She wanted to argue. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. And he felt that was a good start.
* * *
She was still riding on the unexpected high of Kaspar opening up to her the following day when they were back in Dr Jarvis’s office. Wondering if marriage to Kaspar would be so bad after all. Her marriage to Joe might have gone wrong, but they hadn’t had a fraction of the chemistry Kaspar had mentioned. Not to mention the fact that she was carrying Kaspar’s baby.
Could it really be that easy? Fitting together so neatly? It almost felt too good to be true.
‘Right.’ Dr Jarvis strode across the room to them, snagging Archie’s attention as she advanced.
The woman’s expression was too careful. Something dark, and terrifying, churned inside her.
‘So I’ve spoken to your doctor and got your records, as you know, and I’ve carried out another examination today. I believe that there is funnelling taking place. However, it’s no more advanced than when I examined you last week.’
Kaspar’s arm unexpectedly moved around her back, and instinctively she leaned into it, drawing strength from his solid body.
‘So what happens next?’ he asked clearly, calmly, like he knew her vocal cords were too paralysed to even try to speak.
He probably knew already, of course. He was asking for her benefit. But that only made her all the more grateful.
‘It means it’s your call, Archana. There’s no need to become alarmed but, given your history I would be prepared to do a cerclage in the expectation that it might help to ensure this baby stays in there where it needs to be.’
‘What would that entail?’ She swallowed a wave of nausea, trying to focus, to understand.
‘I would place a band of strong thread around the neck of your womb, under spinal anaesthetic. I could do it this afternoon and it should take around twenty-five minutes. Antibiotics will help to reduce the risk of infection but I would want to keep you in for at least twenty-four hours anyway to ensure that the procedure hadn’t induced labour. After that you should be able to go home provided you take things very easy.’
‘Bed rest?’ Kaspar sounded gravelly compared to his usual voice, but Archie couldn’t process it. She didn’t know what it meant.
‘For a few days if possible.’ Dr Jarvis nodded. ‘Then you can slowly start to resume light movements, graduating to normal. With some emergency cerclage, we recommend no sexual intercourse for the duration of the pregnancy, but with Archana the funnelling is so faint that I’m anticipating you can resume sex in a week or two as long as it’s light and infrequent, say once or twice a week.’
Later, much later, she would flush at the memory at the rather one-way conversation, and the fact that neither she nor Kaspar had refuted the idea that they were enjoying a healthy sexual relationship.
Later. Not now.
‘But you should wear a condom, Kaspar,’ Dr Jarvis was continuing blithely. ‘Obviously that’s more about reducing the risk of infection rather than concern about conception.’
On some vague level Archie was aware that the woman had been making a joke. No doubt one she made to all her patients to try to elevate the mood a fraction. But Archie couldn’t laugh, she barely even cracked a smile. She wasn’t sure if Kaspar did any better.
‘We won’t be having sex,’ came Kaspar’s tight, rasping admission eventually. But when Dr Jarvis continued, it wasn’t clear if she had misunderstood or was simply being discreet.
‘That’s probably wise until I have chance to do a two-week post-op check-up. Then I’ll have a better idea of how your body is reacting to the cerclage, Archana. Often orgasms can soften the already compromised cervix, which can also lead to premature birth. Although, again, in your case, I don’t believe that will be the case. This is more a precaution due to your history along with the fact that there is faint funnelling. If it was just one of those factors then I wouldn’t be considering the procedure.’
And if Kaspar hadn’t been the one pulling the strings, would anyone have done anything at all? Her doctors had dismissed it, if they’d even noticed it, just as they had done when she’d been carrying Faith.
She couldn’t lose another baby. She wouldn’t.
She didn’t need to look at Kaspar to know what she wanted to do. Somehow, him just being here, his arm around her, gave her the confidence she needed to make her own decision.
‘Schedule the procedure, please.’ Her voice cracked but she didn’t care. ‘I’ll have it done as soon as possible.’
CHAPTER NINE
THE SUN BEAT DOWN, seeping into Archie’s skin and melting into her very bones, its warmth heating the poolside paving slabs under her feet. Archie relaxed
in the shade and tried not to stare too obviously at the sight of Kaspar cutting through the water as he executed perfect length after perfect length.
