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But too late now.
“Alonso is recovering, but his vision is permanently damaged. He’s back in Sicily with his family. We’re looking after them,” Tiero replies, and I’m so happy to hear Alonso made it. It was touch and go for a while, and I felt guilty as hell that he nearly died protecting me.
“I’m so glad. What’s gonna happen to him now?”
“That’s his decision to make. We’ll always support him. He still has a long recovery ahead of him. I’m sure he’d like to see you when we return.”
I’m about to tell him—again—that I have no intentions of returning to Sicily, but we’ve reached my room and Dr. Smith is already waiting for us. He holds a clipboard, his eyes fixed on me with a mix of concern and professional detachment. Tiero’s grip on my hand tightens as we sit down on the bed.
“Miss O’Neil, I have your blood test results.” His gaze drops to the clipboard before lifting back to mine. “We’ve identified a concern. Your iron levels are extremely low, which would explain your cold extremities. To be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t experienced more symptoms.”
Tiero’s brows furrow as he looks from the doctor to me.
“Ella fainted yesterday. Could this have something to do with it?” he asks.
Umm, should I tell him that wasn’t real? But then I’ve felt light-headed numerous times in the past few weeks.
“Yes, quite likely,” Dr. Smith replies.
“So my iron levels are low—”
“Extremely low,” Dr. Smith corrects.
“Right, extremely low. What does that mean exactly?” I ask.
The doctor addresses my question with a calm demeanor. “It means that you’re anemic due to the pregnancy, which is not uncommon. Anemia can lead to fatigue, weakness, and can have an impact on both you and the baby.”
“What kind of impact?” Tiero and I ask at the same time.
Dr. Smith addresses me to answer. “Your iron levels during early pregnancy are crucial, not just for your own well-being but also for the optimal development of your baby. When your iron levels are too low, it can affect the supply of nutrients and oxygen that reach the fetus. This could lead to challenges in the baby’s growth and development, increasing the risk of preterm birth. But there’s also concern about the baby’s neural development. Inadequate iron levels might impact the formation of the baby’s brain.”
My heart sinks, the worry for our baby intensifying. “What do we need to do?”
“It’s important we address this promptly. We’re going to start you on an iron infusion. It’s a safe way to rapidly boost your iron levels. We’ll monitor you closely during the process,” Dr. Smith assures us. “This will not only support your own energy and health but also provide the necessary resources for your baby’s growth and well-being.”
Tiero’s gaze never leaves mine, his expression a mix of concern and determination.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Ella and the baby are okay,” he says to the doctor while still looking at me.
Dr. Smith nods approvingly. “That’s the spirit. The infusion will take some time, and we’ll keep Miss O’Neil under observation. In the meantime, we’ll also run a few tests to check for any underlying issues. As it’s already getting late, I have scheduled the infusion for tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. Until then, get some rest.”
“Thank you, doctor,” I say, unsure if I should press to have it done right away or not. But if Dr. Smith suggests tomorrow morning, it mustn’t be super urgent. It’s only early in my pregnancy, so surely this won’t have had negative effects on peanut yet. I’ll make sure I’ll eat extra spinach tonight.
“One more question, doctor,” Tiero says, stopping Dr. Smith from leaving. “Is it safe for Ella to fly? I want to take her back to Europe.”
Tiero’s question catches me off guard. Crap, he really does want to take me back to Sicily. We’ll need to talk about this, because he’s not going to make decisions for me like he has in the past.
“Once she’s had the infusion, flying should be safe. Though she needs to follow the guidelines for cast care and avoid unnecessary strain on her arm. Considering her pregnancy, I recommend consulting with your airline and following their recommendations,” Dr. Smith replies.
Well, we won’t have to worry about that. Could you imagine Tiero flying commercial? The thought makes me laugh.
Tiero nods, and both doctors leave. It’s just him and me again. He turns to me and takes me into his arms, rocking us gently from side to side as if I still needed soothing. He could be right. I was quite tense during this consultation.
“We’ve got this, angel. This sounds like a straight-forward fix.”
“Yeah, I’d like to have more energy again.”
“You’ll need it,” he winks. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
