One and Only

Chapter Fourteen

His mouth dropped open as his knees became weak, and he looked from the doctor to Desai and back at the doctor and then back at her, almost like he was watching a tennis match. "But, you're on birth control ... Aren't you?" he asked as he dropped into the bedside chair.

It was the tone of his voice with that one question that made her heart almost stop. Confusion, accusation, and anger. "You know I am!" she replied hurtfully as she began to cry.

Tom ran his hands through his already disheveled hair as he held his head in his hands. He hadn't meant to sound so accusatory, but ... but what? You love her and you want children before you're too old to enjoy them. He whirled his head around as he realized the doctor was speaking to him.

"Sir, with all due respect, this is not Ms. Alexander's fault. She has been taking St. John's Wort and that often affects the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. Desai has been taking it along with her contraceptive the past few months to help with her stress and anxiety, and I'm not sure why she did not become pregnant before, but it is certain she is pregnant now." The doctor patted Desai's leg reassuringly, "Radiology, will be coming up shortly to take you down for those tests. Like I said, I just want to make sure the little fella is where it's supposed to be."

Tom looked at the doctor and asked fearfully, "Where else would it be?" He couldn't accept that they had come so far for something to happen to her now! If he had to choose, it would be her – always! They could always adopt!

"Sometimes, especially with the symptoms she's having, the egg, once fertilized, can attach itself inside the fallopian tube instead of traveling to the uterus as it should or in rare cases in the ovary itself. We call that an ectopic pregnancy. When that happens, it places the mother in a life or death situation."

"What if that is the case?" Tom asked cautiously as he blindly searched for Desai's hand.

He wasn't ready.

They weren't married.

He hadn't told her how he felt, and she hadn't said she loved him, but he felt that she did. Did she?

Did she love him?

"Then the pregnancy will require surgical termination of the pregnancy and possible removal of the fallopian tube or ovary. There would be no way around it. Desai would die unless the pregnancy was terminated. But we don't need to be thinking negative. I'm keeping a positive attitude about this." He looked at Tom then at Desai. "Unless you want to terminate the pregnancy."

She shook her head causing her curls to fly wildly about her head. "No! I want this baby!" She began to weep her body shaking with every sob. She grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze as she looked into his eyes, "Thomas, I know we didn't plan on this and I know you're not ready, but it has happened. I already love this baby just as much as I," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "As much as I – I love you."

The doctor smiled as he left the room and closed the door. It was clear these two loved each other, she was barely a month along. He felt that she would be fine with the Hartmann's IV Solution to replace the fluids she was losing and so would the father once he got over the shock of an unplanned pregnancy.

"I would never want an abortion the thought never entered my mind. I'm just shocked. I thought we were protected ..." Did she just say she loves me?!

"I'm so sorry. I understand, but it's happened, Thomas. Even the best-laid plans can come undone." Does he love me? Why isn't he saying something?

Radiology chose that moment to come into the room, "Ms. Desai Alexander?"

"I'm right here."

"I need to take you down to ultrasound." Tom stood to follow, as the woman instructed, "It's better if you stay here unless you just want to walk and then wait in the lobby."