I survived training, breakfast and first four classes. I didn't, however, survive through lunch. I had tried not to reflect on the events before training. My brain had other ideas.
"Rose?" Adrian cautiously asked halfway through lunch. Both my name and his tone had my defences going up.
"Yes?" I responded warily.
"What's with your aura?"
"What do you mean, Adrian?"
I had a feeling I knew. Or, at least, that my brains conclusions I didn't want to know about, knew. When Liss tuned into her vision, I blocked what she saw. I didn't want to know, at least not that way. I refused hear Adrian's response, hurriedly excused myself- tripping over words, in the process- and beelined for the clinic.
I hated that place. Even more so when I had to send myself- usually I didn't when that situation arose. But now, I owed it to my boyfriend to have this test. Well... Tests, plural.
My first with Dimitri occurred two weeks before my birthday. That was ten weeks ago. My second time with him occurred six weeks ago. And nothing had happened since... Nothing that should have, but everything that shouldn't have.
"Rose?" Dr Olendzki asked. Curiosity and concern was radiating around her.
"D-doc. I n-need tests done."
"Come on through." She led me into a private examination room. "What's going on, Rose? You never stammer." she asked as she closed the door and we sat.
"And I'm never her by my choosing. But there's a first for everything." Oh boy, wasn't there ever if the results came back as I was suspecting they would. "I also hate needles, yet am asking for blood tests."
"What kind of tests, Rose?"
"Pregnancy and, if-or, more like when- they come back positive, prenatal 'breed'." Ugh. I hated medical terms as much as I hated the med clinic. "If I'm right, the 'breed' shouldn't be able to turn up a match."
"Oh. Okay. Firstly, let me just note the symptoms." I told her what I'd tried to avoid thinking about, what I'd tried refusing to connect the dots with. "You don't have to look." she kindly noted after setting my arm up and was about to push the needle into my skin.
"It's ironic." I noted as I looked away. "I can kill Strigoi? No problem. But a blood test? Shoot me now." I winced as the needle pricked my skin. "I mean, I'm The Rose Hathaway. Yet I can't stand the sight of blood being drawn. It's weird."
"No ones perfect." That reminded me so much of Dimitri and the first time we'd been together in the cabin.
"Dimitri once said something similar." I noted.
"And?"
"It worked. I'd been in a darkness state and it's side effects once coming back to reality..." I shivered. "I was almost worse than Liss when she used to cut after major healing's."
"Please don't tell me I need to put you on her old scripts."
"You wouldn't be able to if those tests come back positive."
"All done. For that step. Here, for faster results." The doc handed over two home tests.
Ugh. I so wasn't ready to be a parent, I wasn't ready to be a mom. Yet, Dimitri was ready to be a dad. And he'd make a bloody good one, at that. I was certain of that much.
"Thanks." I took hold of the boxes and headed into the bathroom.
Oh, this was going to be fun. Not. Once I'd locked the door, I opened box one, then read the instructions. I took test one. Waited the required time. Then, without looking at the result, headed back into examination room with the stick. Note, I had only done one test so far. I was going to wait another hour or so before taking the second.
"Here." I placed the test in front of the doc.
"You haven't read it, have you?" She asked with amusement radiating through her voice as she flipped the test to read the result. "Oh Rose. Take that second one, ASAP. The blood results should be back soon."
"Positive?" I try and raise a brow. And promptly fail.
"Yes. Now go do that second one. I have a feeling you're going to be here most of the afternoon- you've already missed one period." I winced at the double meaning.
"Not funny." I sighed and repeated the process for the second test.
That second test also returned a 'positive' result. And, an hour later, so did the three blood tests- as I'd thought, eight weeks in. Ugh. Five positive results. Prenatal 'breed' test time. That was a test which required an comfortable- and slightly awkward- means to collect the sample.
"Hey doc?" I asked just before she left for the lab.
"Yes, Rose?"
"Those 'breed' tests don't go through a DNA test as well, by any chance?"
I was hoping she'd say 'no'. Because if it did and they took action over it being Dimitri's I only had one argument to stop him from being thrown in jail. That being said, I wouldn't have minded the extra piece if evidence to present him.
"It's an option. We could do one, if you'd like?" Well that was a reassuring response.
"No. Thanks, but no."
"Okay."
I was left in the room to twiddle my thumbs and avoid stressing out. So. It was my mentor-turned-boyfriend's birthday and I'd made him a card. I'd also, apparently, made him an expectant dad. Oh, he was going to love this development. I hoped. Just as much as I hoped he'd believe the results.
"Rose?" Dr Olendzki asked as she reentered forty minutes later.
"Yeah?" I responded wearily.
"Ultrasound time? You're two months in, after all. We need to do a basic check."
"If you say so." I had no clue what the timings of these sorts of things were.
An hour passed while doing the ultrasound. I could barely make out my little miracle. But, when the doc turned on the volume thing, I could hear his or her heartbeat. It was such a beautiful sound it reduced me to tears. I was still sure I wasn't ready (I was scared shitless) but, in that moment, I knew that innocent little badass needed me to protect and love it, so I swore I would do so. That promise was as dangerous as the ones Dimitri and I had been making since the cabin slash attack.
"You okay, Rose?" Dr Olendzki asked just as she was about to turn the volume of.
"Can I hear that for a little longer? Please? Because this shouldn't be possible, he or she shouldn't exist, so I shouldn't be able to hear this. My child's, my miracle, innocent, badass mini-me's heartbeat is so beautiful."
God, I'd gone soft. Dimitri's doing. Totally his doing. Well... His and our child, our baby. Said baby being half his fault.
"Okay." she hesitantly agreed to a few more minutes.
"Oh? And doc?"
"Yes?"
"Can I please have two copies of the results? And of a picture of this ultrasound?"
"Give me a minute. I'll see what I can do. I'm assuming you want a copy of the 'breed' results too? You're so sure this isn't any Moroi's doing."
"Well, that's if you discount Liss screwing around with my reproductive system when she healed me from the crash."
"I'll be back soon with two folders., You are aware Alberta, Belikov and Kirova will need to know, aren't you, Rose?"
"Ugh. Yes. Thanks for reminding me." I groaned.
"I'll leave the sound on while I'm gone." She walked out and left me to listen to the beat of my Belikov baby's heart.
She walked back in twenty minutes later. With two folders. Well, at least she believed I wasn't lying. "Rose, you're completely right." She grinned.
I knew it! Bubby (badass) Belikov was happening. I was still scared silly, still sure I wasn't ready, but I was ecstatic for Dimitri. Well, for when he accepted the possibility. "The 'breed' didn't turn up a match?"
"Nope. Let me just get those images for you, add them to the folder, and then bring in Alberta and co."
"No, not those three. Not yet. Please. Can you leave me to deal with them? In my own time, in my own way, in my own order?" I'd pull eighteen-plus patient confidentiality on her of I had to.
"Rose..."
"I'm over eighteen. I want to deal with this my way. I'll have the folders. Please?"
"One's for you, and one's for Alberta?"
"Half right. The other is going to remain in the father's hands. I know he's going to need all the evidence. Alberta can hang-on to my copy if she feels the need."
"Who, Rose? Whose?" Concern and curiosity again crossed her face.
"No. Not until he knows. Then he can decide if people know. But until then, I'm pulling patient confidentiality." There. I'd protect them both, no matter what.
