In Omnia Paratus (AU) - Book 2

The leaflet

It had been about 2 weeks since everything had happened. The apologies had gone down well and expect from the occasional joke then made about me. I'd taken Kate's advice and started to focus more on school and less on friends.

I took less shifts at work and hardly worked late anymore, I'd been studying like I used to last year not overly doing it but still doing it well. Of course work at the paper is still very hard but I chose to do that.

I'd been to Kate more too. Getting back on track to my normal self, it's working out well.

"Jen we're thinking of going out--"

"Maybe another time." I said quickly.

"Oh why?" Lily pouted suddenly.

"I have an appointment and I have to stop by the paper." I smiled gently continuing to type on my laptop.

"Appointment?" She asked curiously. "You're not pregnant again are you?" She joked but I sensed a small hint of seriousness in her voice.

"No, God no. I can't even remember the last time I had sex. Well I can it was with Matt but that's not the point." I laughed.

"You're avoiding the question. What's up?" She asked concerned as she pulled her desk chair over to me and sat down.

"Nothing. I'm fine." I shrugged.

"Jenna."

"Look, I didn't go to my six week postnatal check up, mainly because six weeks after Maisie was born I was so throughly depressed that I wouldn't listen to anyone. But also because it was at the hospital up here and not where I live." I explained to her.

"Is something wrong?"

"Look I really didn't want to talk about it. They gave me this leaflet of things you should be able to do 6 weeks to 12 months after having a kid." I dug through my draw for the scrap of paper.

"Right." Lily said taking the leaflet from me and scanning through it. "Ew some of this stuff is disgusting. You went through this?" She said sadly.

"Not the point, eh?" I moaned at her.

"Right so how long ago since you had Maisie?" Lily asked continuing to scan the leaflet and making weird faces at the grim stuff.

"9 months." I said slowly.

"Says you should be fairly back to normal. Your 'spine and skeleton should have recovered by now' Jenna what happened to your spine and skeleton? God child birth is disgusting." Lily remarked but it wasn't what I was hoping for.

"I guess they can stretched or worn out when you're pregnant? I don't know but that's also not the point." I complained. "Look in some areas things were fine, even better than fine. I could swim before 4 months without anything disgusting happening. My period held off for a few months like it said and came back when it said." I shrugged.

"So what's freaking you out?"

"Nothing important. I've just had this pain in my back since Maisie was born and it faded for a bit and now it's come back. As well I can't lift things. My arms ache, my legs ache like all the time. I get breathless if I try to run or walk too fast." I explained and she looked at me funny and didn't say anything. "It's silly stuff like I can't carry books in my arms, because after 5 seconds they hurt like hell."

She flicked through the leaflet. "And you're meant to be getting stronger at what? 6 months? Why didn't you mention this earlier?" She worried.

"It's no big deal. I'm not seriously hurt. It's just annoying and in the book it said to make an appointment with the Doctor so I phoned Victoria and asked her if I could get an appointment." I shrugged smiling a little.

"I can drive you if you want. I still have Matt's spare keys." Lily said supportingly.

"I didn't tell you before for a reason. It's honestly no big deal, I'm sure there's an explanation and I'm just going being silly but the book said to contact a doctor so I am." I smiled.

"Alright. As long you're okay."

"I'm fine, you never suspected anything before, nothing should change now, am I right?" I laughed. "It's not life changing." I said before piling up my books and then packing up my laptop. I went to move them to my bag.

"Do you want me to--" she said quickly as I lifted the books into my arms.

"Lily please." I snapped. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Hey, no. I'm fine. I'm going out and I'm not going to think about it. I'll uh see ya later." She smiled at me awkwardly and picked up her bag and left. I turned around and sighed.

Why did I tell her?

- - - - -

It really was no big deal and I told Lily that like 50 times. Except she didn't quite get it. Whilst sat with Victoria for half an hour discussing what was wrong I had hundreds of texts from Lily asking if I was okay and what happened. I told Victoria but she just said it was cute.

When I got back to Ashford I went straight to the paper. I made a mistake in telling Lily I was going there after my appointment.

"Lily what are you doing here?" I sighed stepping into my office to see her sat my chair twiddling her thumbs.

"You said you'd be back by now, so I came to paper to see why  you were late." She shrugged.

"Lil, I love that you care so much but uh back off and get out of my chair." I moaned at her but giggled a little as she moved and I sat down and logged onto my computer.

"So uh how did it go?" She asked cooly as she sat in front of me on the other side of my desk.

"Lily." I snapped.

"I know, I know I'll back off." She said sitting back on the chair. We sat for a bit while I skimmed through my emails. "You're moody did it not go well?" She asked.

"Look." I snapped at her again. "If I tell you will you shut up?"

"Yes." She smiled happy with herself.

"Victoria said there's some hormone or something that's meant to go back to normal 6 months after birth but it's taking longer for some reason which is why my muscles can't relax and so when I run or strain my arm, I pull a muscle." I explained.

"Is it serious?"

"No, she said leave it a while and in a month if things haven't improved there's some drug she can give me to regulate the hormone again." I explained. "I told you I was fine."

"Ok in the mean time, I'm the man the house. I'm lifting everything." Lily said proudly.

"Yeah we're always lifting things." I said sarcastically. "No but Victoria did say that I should avoid exercising too much and lifting heavy things. She said try to rest more."

"Thats it then! I'm officially in charge. You don't move anything alright? I'll do it all." She joked standing up.

"Alright then." I laughed at her as she hummed something about being in charge as she left my office.