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Good, because I need to move fast. “I need to ask you something.”
“Okay.”
“Would I be right in assuming that you don’t have insurance coverage for this, since you’d have no reason to think you’d need maternity cover in your policy?”
“You would.” She kept her face carefully neutral, giving nothing away.
“So have you given any thought to how you’re going to pay for it?”
“I’m thinking of leveraging some of the equity in my house. I don’t have as much as I’d like, and it would set me back a fair bit, but it’s doable.”
“What if I could arrange it so that you didn’t have to do that?”
A brief pause. “I’m listening.”
I took a deep breath. Okay, that was a start. “If today has taught us nothing else, it’s shown that things can go very wrong very quickly, and only the best available care can ensure that the worst doesn’t happen, right?”
“Right.”
“I looked into it while I was in the waiting room. This hospital has won the Airforce Hospital of the Year the last two years running. And their particular strength is Obstetrics.”
“And you’re telling me this because…”
“Because if we get married, you’ll have access to the best prenatal medical care the US military has to offer.”
She stared at me for a long moment, then said, “What the fuck, Dante? We can’t do that!”
“Of course we can. I already told the EMTs I was your fiancé.”
“What?!” It was only about two decibels short of a shriek.
“It was the only way they would let me ride in the back of the ambulance with you.” I left the rest unsaid:And there was no fucking way I was letting you out of my sight.“Look, don’t overthink it. It’s simple. You don’t have the insurance yourself,” I waved my hand over her, where she lay on the bed, “and you’re already having problems. If it turns out to be a high-risk pregnancy, you’ve got a much better chance of getting a good outcome if we do this.”
“Fuck.”
She knew I was right, I could tell.
“That’s outrageous, Dante.”
“The whole situation is outrageous , but all we can do is make the best of it.”
“That’s true.”
This was the only thing I could think of that would get anywhere close to making it right for her. “I’ve researched it. We can take care of it this afternoon.”
“What!!!” Again with the almost-shriek.
“Or tomorrow, if you want to sleep on it.” I had to be careful not to push her too hard.
“So… How would it work? Would I have to live on base? Or would you live with me?”
I frowned, remembering what I’d seen over the years. “It’s not uncommon for the family to live off base and for the serviceman to go home on their off days. It should be fine for things to stay as they are. I stay at my lodging here, you live at yours. I might visit every now and then, to make it look good.”
“I see.” She chewed her lip. “And how long does this fake marriage have to last? Until the baby is born? Until it’s one? When it starts school?”
Fuck, she really was considering all angles, even better than I had. “Since it’s the prenatal care we need, we could file for divorce once the baby’s born. As long as I’m listed as the father on the birth certificate, I’m sure my insurance should still cover the kid until they’re 26 years old. As for you…”
“I’m on my own.”
