On Board Conduct Unbecoming

Chapter 25 [This Concerns You Too, I Believe]

Text Exchange:
Andy: Sharon and I will both be late coming in in the morning. Don't be an asshole about it.
Provenza: Why?
Andy: Not that it's any of your fucking business, but Sharon has a doctor's appointment.
Provenza: Oh, and she needs you to hold her hand? Jesus Flynn.
Andy: Do you think I'd be going if it wasn't important?
Provenza: Who knows? She keeps your leash tight these days!
Andy: FUCK YOU.
Provenza: Sorry. Is it something serious?
Andy: Hopefully not, but won't know till tomorrow. Worried.
Provenza: Ok. I can handle things here.

They arrived a little early for her appointment. Both had been keen to get it out of the way. They'd both had fitful sleep, and gave in to the lack of it just before the sun rose.
"Do you want me to come in with you, or wait out here?" he asked. "I will do whatever you're most comfortable with."
She thought about it for a few minutes.
"Come in with me. There's nothing he needs to say to me that you can't hear Andy." She clutched his hand like a life preserver.

The doctor stuck his head out the door and said "Sharon O'Dwyer"? He looked up and saw her getting up.
They walked into the office together. "Dr. Michaels, this is Andy Flynn, my partner" she told him. "He wouldn't let me come alone, because I've convinced myself something's wrong." The doctor raised his eyebrows in question "because I asked you to come in?"
"Well, yes. You did say you'd call with results and instructions, and when you requested an appointment, that was the first place my mind went." She said.
"Oh! I'm sorry if it caused you any undue stress Sharon, that wasn't my intention. There was just something unexpected that showed in your hormone screen, and I thought it would be better to explain it in person." he told her.
"So it's not cancer?" she asked."
Dr. Michaels laughed. Sharon and Andy both looked at him shocked. Did he really just laugh? Neither of them knew quite what to make of that kind of reaction.
"No, it's absolutely not cancer Sharon. Good grief." he answered. "It's a little on the personal side though, are you sure you want to discuss it with your work partner present?"

It was Sharon's turn to laugh. "Andy is not my work partner Dr. Well.. he does work with me, but he's not my work partner. Andy's my partner in life. We're too old for girlfriend/boyfriend. Sorry if I confused you."
"And I have the grey hair to prove both things" Andy grinned, and Sharon threw him her best glare.
"Well, you've managed to shock me Sharon. In all the years I've been your doctor, you've never once brought anyone with you to an appointment. Not even your mother." he chuckled.
"I'm glad you're here then Andy. This concerns you too I believe." the doctor added.
Andy and Sharon looked at each other and then back at the doctor, dual looks of complete confusion evident on their faces.
"Ok now I'm totally confused" Andy told him.
The doctor chuckled again. The wrong thing to do with two armed police personnel in front of him who were beginning to feel infuriated.
"Sharon, you were experiencing symptoms of early onset menopause a couple of years ago. Those were the last hormone levels we did. You were supposed to have them checked at 12 months, but that didn't happen." he began.
"Sorry Dr. It's difficult to schedule things around work, and I guess it slipped my mind." she answered.
"Ok, it is what it is. We took new bloods at your last appointment, and I expected to find a significant change in the levels from your previous results."
Andy interjected "With all due respect doc, could you get to the point?"
"Yes, yes sorry. What we found were hormones present that technically shouldn't be there at all. HGC Sharon." the doctor levelled at her.

"WHAT?" she almost screamed.
"What is that exactly?" Andy asked.
"Human Chorionic Gonadotropin" Sharon answered him.
"Yeah ok, should that mean something to me? Because it doesn't" he told her.
The doctor laughed yet again, and Andy was about to lose it. Sharon reached over and put her hand on his arm, indicating he should calm down.
"It would appear, Mr. Flynn, that you're going to be a father." the doctor told him. Andy's mouth hung open and his head spun. He looked back and forth between the doctor and Sharon several times.
Sharon stood "BULLSHIT!" she said. "Menopause, you told me two years ago. That's not even possible."
"Well, how about we do a quick ultrasound, just to be certain?" the doctor asked her. "You're right. You were absolutely in early menopause 2 years ago, but that doesn't mean you're 100% safe from falling pregnant until menopause is complete Sharon. You're still only 44." the doctor told her shaking his head.

Unable to speak, Sharon followed the doctor to his examination table. Likewise, Andy followed as she dragged him behind her. They looked at each other with blank expressions. The whole concept was completely surreal. This could not be happening. Could it?
The doctor applied the ultrasonic gel to her lower stomach, and turned the ultrasound screen around so that they could all see it. He then used the wand attached to the machine, to roll over her abdomen.
As all three watched the screen, tears started to fall sideways from Sharon's eyes.
Andy wasn't completely sure what he was seeing, but the doctor explained the images on the screen by pointing things out.
The grainy black and white image was small, but he could see it. The doctor explained that at a measurement of approximately 3 inches long, Sharon had just entered her second trimester. She was a little over 3 months pregnant. There was no refuting this evidence.
They both stared at the monitor registering the tiny, but steady heartbeat appearing along the bottom.
Sharon looked up at Andy. Tears were rolling quietly down his cheeks.
"Andy I'm so sorry. I had no idea." she breathed the words.
That snapped him back to reality.
"You're sorry? WHY?" he asked her, as a grin spread across his features right in front of her.
"You're not mad?" she wanted to know.
"MAD? How could I possibly be MAD?" he shook his head.
The doctor cleared his throat to draw attention, and indicated Sharon could get up.
"Well, it seems the two of you have a few things to discuss, so we'll leave it at that today. Of course, with age comes risk, and depending on your decisions, we'll discuss those when you return. Unless you have any questions right now, I'll get you to make another appointment for two weeks' time and we'll talk some more." the doctor told them.

They made another appointment, and left in what could only be described as a stupor.
In the space of an hour, they had gone from being sure Sharon had cancer, to finding out they were going to be parents, and neither of them had a clue what to think or say. "Work or home?" Andy asked her.
"Work." she answered.

Text Exchange:
Andy: Be there soon. Don't mention the doctor.
Provenza: Everything ok?
Andy: I will have to let you know later.
Provenza: What does that mean? It's a yes or no question.
Andy: Yes. Yes everything's ok. Nobody has cancer.
Provenza: WOW that was a leap. I need an explanation.
Andy: Later.

They got into the car, but couldn't go any further without airing what had just happened.
Andy reached out and took her hand. She turned to look at him and the tears rolled again. "Andy I never even knew it was possible. I'm so sorry."
"Sharon, I don't want to hear you say sorry even one more time. A baby is not something anyone should EVER be sorry about." he told her.
"Do you really mean that? I mean, I know it's the last thing either of us had even remotely thought about. It was definitely not part of our plans."
"Yes I mean that. That little person, with fingers and toes, and my big head, is half you and half me. Who could be unhappy at the thought of that?" he answered.
"Oh... maybe PROVENZA" she snorted, and Andy couldn't help but follow suit, laughing at the conniption fit his partner was going to have at this news.

"Ok let's just get this out in the open right now between us." Andy said. "There is absolutely no part of me that wants this to go away. I will discuss whatever you want to discuss, but before you start offering to do things that are so against your own belief system that you'll turn yourself inside out thinking about them, I want you to know that you don't have to even think about that. I love you. I love US. And I love THAT!" he said, pointing to her middle.
"Andy, it's no wonder nothing fits right. I'm three months pregnant! How could I not even have suspected that? I feel so stupid. You know what this means don't you?" she asked.
"You need a new wardrobe?" he asked grinning.
"Yes, but that's not what I meant. It means that this little being was conceived in Park City." she sighed.
"Wow. Lucky we decided how we felt back then right?" he chuckled.
"Ok, let's get through today without alerting anyone to our personal issues, and we'll work out how to approach it over dinner tonight" Andy said. "Something tells me things aren't going to stay quiet for very much longer" he smiled.