Doctor James walks around the bed and comes to a stop in front of the machines by my side. His lips don’t move but his eyes smile down at me. He leans down slowly and slides my shirt up, revealing my bruised belly. My eyes dart away from my exposed skin as one of the nurses step forward holding a gelled tool. Doctor James turns from me and grabs it from her. When he turns back to me I stare at the tool in his had. Another nurse steps up with a paper like material in her hands.
“Excuse me, Luna,” she said with a bow. She lifts her head and places the thin paper on my lower half. I watch as she lifts the material to my pelvis. She bows again and retreats to the monitor on the sonogram.
“This isn’t going to hurt but it’s going to be cold,” Doctor Jame said.
I nodded and he pressed the device to my flat stomach. I held my breath while he rolled it from one spot to the other while the nurse at the monitor clicked and clacked on the keyboard. He pressed into one spot before moving and pressing into another spot on my stomach.
“Please look at the screen, Luna,” Doctor James said.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and turned to look at the screen. It was a black and white picture. A mixture of lines and curves blended with the loud sound coming from the monitor.
“If you look here,” Doctor James said as he pointed to a curve. “This is the child.”
“Thank the goddess,” Jake cried.
He dropped to his knees and held his head in his hands. Tears streamed down his face as he cried into his hands. Viktor sobbed and looked up to the ceiling. My lips parted as I turned from the guys and looked at the screen again.
It’s alive.
A sadness I didn’t know I had welled up inside of me. I choked as tears began to drip from my eyes. I took a deep breath only to cry and expel the breath from my lungs. It all had happened so quickly. I wasn’t expecting the news of a child.
Goddess, I’d only just found out when I woke up. There had been no time to process the news or even ask myself how I felt about it. Just to be reminded that I may not even still be carrying. To finding out that I am indeed pregnant. The relief I feel is shocking. Seeing it on the screen makes it all so real.
I have a child.
We have a child.
The three of us.
Jake doesn’t lift his head but he crawled forward toward me. He keeps his head bowed and reaches over for my leg. His large hand grips my thigh and even though I’m angry I know I still love him. In this moment, we share this relief. I place my hand on top of his head and he sobs into the sheets.
Viktor takes a step forward and I look up at my mate. He stares down at me with worried eyes. His shoulders are lowered in relief and he reaches over and caresses my hair. My eyes flutter to a close as he whispers words of thanks.
The ruffing of paper has my eyes opening wide. I find the nurse gathering the sheet from my lower half. She wipes the gel from my belly and bows before taking a step back. Doctor James is looking at the pictures the nurse took for him.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No, Luna. I’m just looking over the pictures,” Doctor James answered.
“Does anything look out of the ordinary?” I asked hopefully.
“I can’t say for sure, Luna. I suggest that I see you every week until you’re in the clear. When you are we can adjust your appointments to every two weeks,” Doctor James said.
“In the clear?” Viktor asked.
“We need to see how pregnancy affects her body. If her body is strong we won’t have anything to worry about, but seeing as this is her first pregnancy I would like to keep a close eye on her until I know she doesn’t have any major problems,” Doctor James said.
“Should we talk about this privately?” Viktor asked.
“It’s my body, Viktor. I need to hear whatever it is he needs to say. I won’t be kept in the dark,” I said.
“Of course not, Luna,” Doctor James said. “I will keep you updated and answer any of your questions.”
“What kind of issues do first time… mothers deal with?” I asked nervously. “I don’t want to go over those just yet,” Doctor James said. “I don’t want to worry you about something that might not pertain to you. If I see anything alarming I will let you know. It’s the first trimester so I would like for you to take it easy.”
“Trimester?” I asked.
“Humans and wolves have trimesters. We both have three trimesters. The difference between humans and are kind is that humans trimesters last three months whereas our females have one month trimesters,” Doctor James explained carefully.
“One month?!” I said shocked.
“Yes,” Doctor James answered.
“So you’re saying I’m going to have a baby in my arms in three months?!” I asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s insane!” I exclaimed.
Doctor James chuckled and I looked over to Viktor. Jake got to his feet and squeezed my hand before letting go.
“Do you know what she’s having yet?” Viktor asked. I gasped and looked at the doctor.
“It’s still to early so we can’t tell the sex yet,” Doctor James said.
Thank Goddess. I don’t think I’m ready to know that yet.
“What can we do to make sure she takes it easy?” Jake asked. I couldn’t help but glare at him. Of course he would ask what can be done about that. Just when I was starting to go soft he reminded me why I was mad at him.