Nathalie's Breakup

Part 22 - Concern

"I've brought you some tea and a little snack, my love. I certainly hope you can keep at least some of it down. Your doctor will be here soon and do a check up, but she said, it's most likely just a stomach bug and we shouldn't worry too much. How are you feeling right now?" Gabriel asked her softly once he entered their bedroom again.

"As if something just spit me out!" Nathalie croaked and tried to grin.

"So you haven't lost your sense of humour yet, that's good, darling. Can you sit up a bit? Here, let me help you. You're doing great, dear!"

"It's sweet how much you care, but I am not giving birth already, so please, save a bit for then! Sorry, if I hurt you, it's just... I feel so pathetic, when I need help for anything!" she whined.

"Relax, sweetheart. You've done so much for us, wouldn't you think, it's about time, somebody took care of you as well? Tea or bread?" the compassionate man asked her.

Nathalie sighed but answered,

"I don't like tea a lot and it's certainly too hot anyway, so I'll try the bread first. Thank you for being so considerate."

"Well, it wasn't completely my idea. After the doctor said, if you couldn't keep anything down, she would have to place an I.V., I figured it would be better if you tried already, right?"

She cupped his cheek very softly, then nodded.

Gabriel, who had helped her sit up, was now supporting her back with his own body, as he handed her the plate with the small slices of white bread. The pregnant woman picked one of them up and took a careful bite. After slowly chewing it, she swallowed and inhaled deeply.

"It's making me feel better. Thank you, Gabriel! I think I can even try the tea now!" Nathalie whispered weakly.

With a smile he placed the plate on her legs and leaned over to grab the cup and give it to his beloved woman. Nathalie took a few sips then leaned back against the cushion and Gabriel, letting out a relieved breath.

"I'm really feeling a lot better already. Thank you for being here with me!"

He gently kissed the top of her head, mumbling,

"There is no need to thank me, love. I don't know any place, I'd rather be than here with you! Would you like something else? Or rather get some more rest? Just tell me and I'll try to make it work!"

"You're so sweet! But I would just like to get some sleep. Maybe I'll be better when I wake up. Would you mind letting the doctor in, once she's here? And thank you for calling her. I'm a lot calmer now. The pain is almost gone too and my stomach has loosened up a lot. Can you just hold me until I have fallen asleep?" Nathalie asked him drowsily.

"Of course, my love. I would have done anyway. I love you and the little one so much. I would do everything for the two of you. Now try to think of this beautiful, little baby we're going to have soon and how happy he or she will make us both. Imagine how it will look and think of the lullaby we're going to sing and..." Gabriel had become more and more silent with every word, feeling the woman in his embrace relax and take deep breaths. When she then started to make those tiny snorkeling sounds, he knew that she was fast asleep and smiled, while he pecked the top of her head.

"Sleep well, my darling and get better soon." He whispered before he placed her back on the pillow and pulled the blanket over her shoulders to then go downstairs into his office to wait for the gynaecologist to arrive.

He didn't have to wait long. After Gabriel had tried to focus on one of his designs and had opened the app, he used to do his drafts with, he had quickly realised that he couldn't focus anyway and instead had tried something new. It couldn't be so hard, being a designer for clothes and all, to create a nursery and all the things that should be inside.

But he already struggled with the shape of room itself, before he could even think of colours or furniture. Let alone toys or clothes for their baby.

Just as he had managed to create a three dimensional room which had the measurements of the one, he wanted to turn into the baby's nursery, he heard the doorbell and hurried to push the button that opened the iron gate.

Only a few minutes later, he led the blond woman up the stairs and into his and Nathalie's bedroom, where she was still fast asleep.

Gabriel sat down on the mattress beside his loved one and cupped her cheek, then hummed lovingly, 

"Nath, my love, I'm sorry to wake you up, but your doctor is here to do a check up."

The sick woman slowly opened her eyes and groaned, but soon recognised her partner and then the physician who stood next to her bed.

"Hello doctor. I am so sorry for causing you the extra work and letting you come here," she said with a strained voice.

"Well, Miss Sancoeur, first of all, your insurance will pay me well for this visit, just to calm you a little. Second, even if I was here on my own cost, there was no need to feel bad, because I really care for my patients and love to take the extra effort. And third, it's really necessary to examine you thoroughly if you've really been infected by some virus, so you and your baby will still be supplied with everything you need, alright? So, tell me, have you been able to eat and drink something?" the doctor asked and Nathalie nodded.

It was Gabriel who replied,

"She had a bit of bread and some tea about fourty minutes ago. Would you like some more, love?"

"Tea, please!" came the husky voice from the pregnant woman.

"That's good," the gynaecologist muttered mostly to herself, while she pulled a stethoscope out of her bag. "Let's listen how the little one is doing, yeah?"

Nathalie lifted her head up and saw, where the woman was pointing at and understood. So did Gabriel, as he helped her to lift up the blanket and pulled up his woman's shirt to reveal her small baby bump.

"Here we go, it's going to be a little cold!" she warned before placing the disc on Nathalie's stomach.

After what seemed to be and eternity, the physician smiled.

"Well, Miss Sancoeur, your baby's heartbeat is strong and steady. Now let's check yours and then I'll prescribe you something for your stomach, so you won't have to vomit again. As long as you can eat and drink, especially taking in enough fluids is important, as you certainly already knew, I don't see any complications."

Smiling anxiously, Nathalie asked her,

"What about the strong pain? Was that normal? Or caused by the diarrhoea? Or could it have been contractions?"

"Are you still hurting? Or feeling any tension along your belly?", the middle aged woman wondered.

Nathalie shook her head.

"Only the feeling that I need to go to the toilet again soon. But not as painful as before."

"That's, well, not good, but nothing bad either, so it's kinda good. Just try to stay in bed except for your visits in the bathroom and get some rest. I'll check in on you again in two days if nothing else will happen. Alright?"

"Alright. Oh, uhm, one more thing. I feel that light twitching in my belly sometimes, is that normal too? RIght here!"

The young woman now placed her hand on her lower abdomen to show the doctor the spot.

"That, dear," the doctor said with a grin, "are the first kicks of your baby, you're feeling! Just relax and enjoy them, okay?"

Nathalie gasped then smiled too and whispered, 

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

Smiling the physician shook her hand, then Gabriel's, saying,

"I'll find the exit myself, just stay with your woman now and be happy with her even though it will take some time until you too can feel your child."

"Thank you a lot!" Gabriel agreed and went back to the bed to lay down beside his beloved woman to place his hand on top of hers.