The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12)(134)
Author: J.R. Ward

“I’m fine.”

“No, she isn’t,” Wrath cut in.

“Yes. I am.”

Doc Jane put her old-fashioned bag down on the bedside table and cleared her throat. “Well, maybe we can just see how you’re doing anyway. Can you tell me what happened?”

Beth shrugged. “I threw up—”

“Like two dozen times,” Wrath interjected.

“It was not two dozen times!”

“Fine, three dozen—”

Doc Jane put up both of her palms and looked back and forth. “Um … you know what I’d like to do if it’s okay with you, Wrath? How about I talk to your mate one-on-one—I’m not kicking you out. I just think maybe things will go a little better if she and I had a second alone?”

Wrath plugged his hands on his hips. “She threw up. At least a dozen times. If she wants to sugarcoat it, fine. But those are the facts.”

“All right, thank you for that. I really appreciate it.” The doctor smiled. “Hey, you know what would be helpful? If you went down and got her some ginger ale and saltines from the kitchen.”

Wrath positively glowered. “You’re giving me a job to get rid of me.”

“As a bonded male, I know that you’re going to want to take care of her. And I think, if she’s nauseous, having those things in her belly might make her feel better.”

“I can call Fritz, you realize.”

“Yes, I know. Or you can do it yourself and provide for her.”

Wrath stood there, frowning and gritting his teeth. “You know something, Jane, you’re spending too much time with Rhage.”

“Because I’m manipulating you?” The physician’s smile got bigger. “Maybe. But if you leave right now, you can be back waaaaay before I’m finished.”

Wrath was still muttering under his breath as he whistled for George and took the golden’s halter. “I won’t be long.”

A warning, more than anything.

But he did leave.

Doc Jane waited for the door to close before shifting those level eyes back over. “So. Let me guess, you think you’re pregnant.”

Beth felt her mouth drop open. “Well, I…”

In a gentler tone, the doctor said, “You’re not going to jinx it. Saying it out loud won’t change anything, I promise you. I just want to know where your head’s at.”

Beth put her hands on her rounded stomach. “I don’t know, I feel kind of silly. But this nausea is not like anything I’ve ever known. It’s like—not really about my stomach? It’s as if my whole body is queasy? And Layla threw up as soon as the miscarriage stopped.”

Doc Jane nodded. “She did. But before we go too far comparing the pair of you, I want to remind you that every pregnancy is different. Even with the same woman. That being said, you have just gone through your needing, and maybe you are. It’s probably too early to tell, though.”

“That’s what I was thinking. And yet … I don’t know—I’m kind of taking this like maybe it’s a sign. But, hell, maybe it means nothing at all.”

“Well, I’ll say this. The fact that you have some human in the mix? It adds on another layer of complication that is going to make diagnosis and treatment tricky. Which is why I wanted to have a candid conversation with you. I think it would be a good idea for you and me to have an idea of how and by whom you want to be treated if you are pregnant. I’d be more than happy to try to see you through things, but this is not my area of expertise. Now, Layla went to Havers—”

“I can’t go there. Wrath will want to be with me during any appointments, and nobody’s going to believe that we’re not together if he shows up with me pregnant at that clinic. I mean, the last thing we need is for them to call us out on fraud grounds.”

“I agree. So I have an idea.”

“What?”

“There’s a great ob-gyn in Caldwell—a woman. Everyone used to talk about her at the hospital. She’s got a real feel for special cases and needs and I think we should have Manny reach out to her—see if she’ll take you on as a private pay. Between me and Ehlena on the vampire side, and her on the human end? With the equipment? I’ll feel more comfortable about all this.”

Beth nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“Great. I’ll get on it. In the meantime, I’ll do an assessment on you here and give you something for the nausea—”

“Honestly, I’m okay right now. It only seems to happen when I stand up.”

“All right, but let me do a blood pressure check on you, ’kay?”

“Help yourself.”

As Beth put her arm out, she had a moment of total, stunned disbelief. Was it possible that all that sex had worked?

Like, for its true biological function?

Doc Jane slid the blood pressure cuff into place and the thing made little puffing noises as it was inflated, the squeeze on her biceps making her think about all the invasive stuff that was going to happen to her if she was, in fact, knocked up. Blood tests. Ultrasounds. Examinations. As someone who had been healthy all her life, she wasn’t sure how she was going to handle it.

No going back now.

There was a long hiss as Doc Jane watched a little dial and listened through her stethoscope. “Perfect. Lemme get a pulse here.” After a moment with her fingertips pressed into Beth’s wrist, the doctor nodded. “Yup. Good.”

The physician sat back and just stared at her.

“You’re giving me a doctor look,” Beth said, suddenly frightened.

“Sorry, it’s a reflex.” Doc Jane put her things back into her bag. “Here’s the deal. I could get aggressive and climb all over you, but your pressure and pulse are great, your coloring’s good, and you’re not vomiting at the moment. I’d like to do a wait-and-see on this one—as long as you’re not bleeding down below?”

“Nope. Not at all.”

“Terrific. As long as you agree to holler if anything changes? I’ll stay on the sidelines.”

“Deal—”

Wrath burst through the door, with Fritz tight on his heels.

“Oh, my God,” Beth said as she got a load of the … um, load … they were both carrying. “Is that a case of ginger ale?”

“Two,” her husband announced. “And we left the backup one out in the hall.”