Secrets (Never to be Told)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lucy really wanted to tell Tim about the pregnancy. It was right there at the top of her tongue; she just had to open her mouth and say the words - I'm pregnant. But something inside her held her back, like a pull of gravity trying to hold her down.

"I'm just not feeling great." While it wasn't a complete lie, it also wasn't the entire truth. She bit her tongue, cursing herself for chickening out on something of that importance, but she felt her anxiety rise again so she just walked past him to the couch. "Where's Hailee?" Lucy looked around, but there was no sign of their daughter. "She's at a friend's house. Her mom came up to me at pickup and her daughter asked if Hailee could try out her new dollhouse and Hailee looked at me with those big eyes – I couldn't say no." Tim let out a chuckle before sitting next to Lucy.

"Do you need something? A blanket, some medicine. Maybe we can work against it." You can't. "A tea would be nice." Lucy's lips pulled into a small smile.

Tim kissed her before getting up and preparing the kettle for her tea. She watched him, fidgeting with the hem of the blanket she had wrapped herself in.

She would tell him, soon.

The next week came around, and now the symptoms seemed to have caught up with Lucy. She woke up with nausea, barely making it to the toilet before emptying last night's dinner into it.

Despite her best efforts to be quiet, she heard Tim running into the bathroom, crouching down to hold her hair.

"I'm fine." She managed to croak out, but another wave of nausea rolled over her. "Oh baby." Tim ran a soothing hand over her hair. "It seems to be something serious if you're still sick. Maybe you should call out of work today."

Lucy pushed herself from the ground and flushed the toilet before washing her hands and rinsing her mouth. "It's not that bad. I can go to work." It was merely a mumble, but Tim heard it, nonetheless. "Not that bad? Luce, you just threw up everything you had in your stomach." She could see the concern in his face.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine at work." Lucy pushed past him into the bedroom, changing into what she wanted to wear to work. She didn't dare to look him in the eyes, afraid for him to see past the walls she'd built up.

Tim watched her pace around the room as she got ready, worry and confusion inevitably written all over his face.

"Luce, I really don't think this is a good idea." Just as Lucy turned to answer, Hailee's door opened, and she kept quiet. "Good morning honey." She opted for instead, sending her daughter a smile before turning away from Tim.

The morning was off to a rough start. Until it was time to leave the house, Lucy didn't say much – only what was necessary to hold a conversation.

After breakfast, she was quick to grab her bag and keys, pressing a quick kiss on Tim's lips before heading to work. "See you later."

Lucy tried to avoid him at work, set up her shop as soon as roll call ended. Her shift was quiet, other units took the higher risk calls before she even got the chance to reach for her radio.

"7-Adam-19, there is a B+E two blocks from you, can I attach you?" The rustling of her radio followed by the voice of the dispatcher got her out of her thoughts. "7-Adam-19, attach me to that call."

When Lucy arrived at the scene, she saw nothing unusual. She got out of the shop and walked up to the front door, seeing it slightly ajar. Pulling her gun, she pushed it open and scanned each room carefully. Arriving in the last one, her eyes fell onto a small puddle of blood on the ground, and she turned to see what exactly happened.

"7-Adam-19, no sign of suspect, requesting a detective and a supervisor on scene. Young female found on the ground with a head wound," she kneeled down to check her pulse. "unconscious but breathing. I need an RA unit. Code four."