Delectable Benefits

Twenty Five

Anya soon came to with a groan. She opened her eyes and found her worried brother looking down at her. She released the breath she had been holding and slowly sat up. She turned to her left and was shocked to find an IV drip connected to her. "Hey," she said. What happened?"

"You fainted," he said and his expression was guarded.

She let out a deep breath, "Call for the doctor, Dimitri," she said quietly.

When the doctor arrived, Anya relaxed when she saw a female doctor with a warm smile. "You were dehydrated when you were brought in here," she said explaining the drip.

She nodded, "How are my babies?"

"They're fine, however, you shouldn't get stressed,  sweetheart, you are still at the delicate stage of pregnancy. Where is your husband?" the doctor queried.

"He's still with my daughter and uncle here in Texas, trying to do the camping thing. I just have to head home early," Anya said truthfully. "She didn't have to spill her sordid life to the woman.

The doctor nodded, "Your brother was worried, Mrs. St. Anthony. You shouldn't be pushing yourself this hard," the woman advised gently.

Mrs. St. Anthony, the name now gives her a sense of nostalgia. She sighed deeply, "I'm still new to my job, stress ususally accompanies it."

"What's your occupation?"

Her brother answered, "She is a judge and a restauranteur."

Anya shook her head, "Just a judge. I'd drive any business to the ground." She she said and looked at her brother. "So, doctor, when can I bust this joint?"

The doctor looked at her closely. "I would advise you to take it easy for the next few days. You should relax, maybe go some place else so you can take your mind off things. A judgeship is stressful enough. Remember, having multiple babies puts you in a higher risk. Does your husband work too?"

Anya nodded, "Yes, he does."

"Then I would suggest you get help. After the babies are born, you will need the extra hands because they will certainly be a handful."

Anya nodded, "Of course, I understand, doctor."

"You can be discharged once you've finished your drip. But drink lots of water and rest. Don't watch sad movies, you'll stress the babies out."

"Yes, doctor," Anya replied and closed her eyes. This time she willed herself to sleep.

"It's as though she disappeared from the airport," Nic said as his hand went through his hair. It had been several hours now since his wife's disappearance. He tried her phone several times but it had been turned off. He tried Paul, but he said he hasn't seen Anya. He was getting ready to get into a full blown panic.

"Sir, we found her," one of the agents from the CIA called out to him. He suddenly stood up from his seat and looked at the man in earnest. "She's on a plane bound for Italy. She's with her brother Dimitri."

"What?" Nick said he couldn't believe it. "Why is she flying out to Italy?" he asked.

"We're trying to find out about that, sir. But our intelligence says her grandfather is in the hospital and he's in critical condition," the man said which changed Nick's demeanor. "All right, thank you."

Nick waited for the man to leave before he went to his daughter's room where the little girl was sleeping. They had moved to the main house and now since Nick was looking for Anya and he needed someone to keep the girl company. But since the child was sore company at the moment due to missing her mother, she simply decided to need some alone time.