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Doc nods and approaches me. Lucia moves out of the way to give him room.
Niko looks at me, and I see a torrent in his eyes. “I’ll check on you later.”
I nod, wanting to tell him to be careful, but I know he’s going to do whatever he feels needs to be done.
The doctor approaches. He smiles reassuringly. "Let's see how you're doing." His hands are steady, but I can't help flinching as he reaches for me—the involuntary reaction of flesh that remembers pain all too well.
"Sorry," I whisper.
"No apologies needed," he replies with practiced kindness as he uses his instruments to assess my health. "Your heart rate is a bit elevated, but that's to be expected. You’ve had multiple scares and traumas. You've been through a lot."
“That’s the understatement of the year,” quips Lucia.
“You have contusions and some scrapes but those will heal. You don’t seem to be showing signs of a head injury?—”
“We were knocked out,” Lucia states.
His eyes narrow as he studies my head. “Does it hurt?”
I have to think about it. So much of me is sore. “I suppose when you touch it here.” I press my hand to the side of my head.
He runs a few other tests I suspect are to assess brain function. “Do you have a headache or any vision problems?”
I shake my head.
“What about the twins?” Lucia asks.
I tense. I know the babies need to be checked, but I still haven’t told Niko.
Doc arches his brow at me. “I don’t have an ultrasound with me. But I do have a fetal doppler.” He smiles. “You’d think with my clientele, I wouldn’t need one. The men in your world are quite fertile.”
“More like horny,” Lucia says.
Doc laughs. “That too.” He presses the wand of the small device on my belly, and soon, the room is filled with the rhythmic beat of my babies’ hearts.
“Oh!” Tears fill my eyes as I look at Lucia. She’s smiling, her arm looped through Kate’s, who has a tentative smile.
“Two…” Doc moves the wand around. “The heartbeats sound strong. I would recommend that you get into your OB/GYN for further evaluation. This isn’t my specialty, but I don’t see any cause for concern at this time.”
“Thank you.”
Doc packs up his things. “Take it easy. Rest. A warm bath or compresses might help ease the aches and pains. If you’re in a great deal of pain, you can have pain reliever, but take as directed. One or two tablets.”
“So everything is okay?” I need to be sure.
“Like I said, there’s nothing I see that indicates something’s wrong, but see your regular doctor when you can.” He stands. “I’ll see myself out.” He nods to Lucia and Kate. “Ladies.”
When he leaves, Lucia sits on the edge of the bed. I study her, noting that she looks sad. There’s a lot going on, but I’m fine and the babies are fine. I wonder if there’s something else going on that I don’t know of.
Kate moves closer to the bed but stays standing. She looks lost.
“I’m so glad to see you both, but Kate… did something happen?”
“My father’s gone missing.”
My gaze goes to Lucia, wondering if she knows what’s going on and whether our father or Niko is involved.
“No one is sure who is involved,” Lucia says as if she can read my mind. “Liam grew concerned, though, considering what happened to Kate.”
