Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 67: Appointment

A/N: I wrote this next couple of chapters of this fic on the back of reading (yet again) another fic that was a badly disguised, explicitly sexist commentary on a particular topic that, in some parts of the world, is controversial. My version is the pushback that actually, women have bodily agency and it isn't a big deal.

If you have a problem with the content in question on a political basis, consider that a Shourtney fanfiction is not the time or place to comment your distaste.

Now on to the actual fic!

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"You sure you don't want me to come to the appointment with you?" Shayne confirms, sitting across from Courtney the following Tuesday morning before they both head to work, "we aren't filming anything today, I could grab an hour off as easily as you."

"I don't need you to do everything with me," Courtney replies, although there isn't as much force behind her statement as the words might imply.

"I know, but I can tell you're stressing about this," Shayne answers, and Courtney nods. She pauses for a moment looking down at her breakfast she doesn't really want to eat, before letting out a long sigh and looking up at him.

"It hadn't even crossed my mind that this could be anything other than my flu thing from last week just hanging around but- I had a stress dream last night that I'm pregnant. And now I'm paranoid I am," she admits, looking down again and away from his eyes.

"Is that a reasonable possibility? You haven't had a period for a while, right?" He confirms, and she nods.

"Like 3 months, but that's not late for me. And my Implanon has 6 months left on it still- But I just feel so... weird," she sighs, Shayne nodding in acceptance.

"Whatever it is, it's going to be fine, and I'm right here if you need me. Always. And I will come to the appointment if you'd like, but I won't if you don't want me to."

He asks one last time if she'd like company, a hushed whisper in her ear ten minutes before they break for lunch and she leaves to head to her usual doctor. She shakes her head, though, giving the excuse that the others would assume a pregnancy sort of thing was up if they both went to a doctors' appointment together. He accepts that - she's probably right, after all - and he attempts to settle into his lunch break with the others after she leaves, not quite able to engage fully in the conversation between his co-workers.

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"Courtney," her doctor calls her in with a smile, and she gives a forced smile back as she follows her usual GP, Dr Daley, into her room. "What can I help you with today?"

"So... I don't really know what's going on, I had a flu of some kind the other week I guess, I had a fever and was sore and whatever for just a few days, but I still feel weird like I haven't fully shaken it or something? I'm really tired all the time, kinda shaky and unstable sometimes, and I'm finding eating weirdly uncomfortable... the fever is totally gone though and I'm definitely not as bad as I was," Courtney explains, shrugging, "and I know it doesn't sound like much but my fiancé encouraged me to get a check-up because I just feel so... off. And it's been almost 10 days now."

"Sure, sure, definitely worth a look. A flu can hang around like that sometimes, although ten days is getting a bit long..." Dr Daley explains, before running through the usual generic check-ups. Her throat and ears look fine, her temperature is normal, her blood pressure is up ever so slightly but Courtney admits that's probably anxiety.

"When was your last menstrual cycle?" Dr Daley ask, next, and Courtney feels a lump lodge in her throat at the line of questioning.

"Um, it's about 3 months since my last period, but that's within my normal cycle length on the implanon," she explains, shrugging.