 |
sad
“I didn’t know I was your emergency contact.”
Katerina’s head shot up at the voice, turning to the open door of the examination room. She sent a shaky smile towards Heath, whose hair was wildly awry from his trip through the floo. His work cloak slung over his arm in a tangled mess indicating the rush he’d been in to get here. He came toward her and her fist clenched the thin sheet of a hospital gown, feeling more exposed than if she’d had nothing on.
“You’re the default,” Katerina responded, shutting her eyes as Heath came close. His hand went to her hair and he kissed her forehead, “the husband usually is.”
“The priest didn’t bother mentioning that...” Heath said with a nervous smile, his hand remaining on the back of her head as he stood close. “What happened?”
She rolled her shoulders, still feeling sore, “I was feeling ill all morning, and apparently I fainted in the lift. I woke up here,” she flicked at the parchment thin gown with a disgusted grimace. She’d been wearing such a lovely outfit today, and had no idea why they would have had to change her if she’d just passed out. But, the nurse had kept stating that her healer wanted to wait for her husband to show up to explain what had occurred.
“Fainted?” Heath echoed, stuck on the word. His hand dropped to her shoulder to turn her to him. Her feet bounced off the cold examination table and her heart thudded hard in her chest at his concerned expression. Heath’s eyes scanned her face, as if he would be able to diagnose her with just a few worried looks, “Kat, I know you’ve been sick but fainting is a bit dramatic even for you.”
“Shut it,” she said, punching him in the arm, trying to look a lot more relaxed than she’d been all day. All week, really. Katerina was dramatic, she couldn’t deny that, but when it came to showing up for work she had a perfect attendance record and would not let some stomach cramping deter her. She’d finally been put on a rather large case and if she pulled her weight, she’d get to head out to Moscow this weekend. How weak would it make her look if she called out because of what was probably food poisoning from that wretched party her department threw last week?
Heath continued to run his hand up and down her back in a comforting manner as they waited for the healer to return. He joked about his day and the very important lunch meeting he was missing to be here, and Katerina let him go on as she sat in silence. Her defense against nerve-wracking situations was to be a stone-cold bitch and Heath made smart little jokes at a rapid fire pace until things could be settled.
“We’ve never shagged in a hospital,” Heath murmured, having taken a seat next to her on the table. Katerina’s eyebrows rose as his grin widened.
“I’m sure this wax paper or whatever it is that’s laid on here is the ultimate turn on,” she retorted, and as Heath began to run his hands on the paper, going in detail about how the friction could heighten things, a healer in bright green robes walked into the room. Katerina pinched her husband’s thigh and he shut his mouth.
“I’m Healer Jordan, you must be Heathcliff---”
“Just Heath,” he said, earning a smirk from Katerina and a look of annoyance from the healer.
Katerina put her hand on his leg to stop him from speaking further. For the first time in her life she did not feel like leading the conversation, and she looked toward the healer expectantly. The woman did not seem amused by Heath, but she also had a solemn air about her that Katerina did not appreciate. Her eyes caught the bit of writing sewn into the breast pocket of the robe under the healer’s name, and Katerina went pale. Pediatrics?
“I’m sorry to be the one to inform you, Mr. and Mrs. Shimpling,” the healer began as Katerina’s nails began to dig down into Heath’s thigh. No, no, no, she couldn’t be pregnant, she couldn’t be. They took every precaution, they were always so careful, except that time at---no, no, one time wouldn’t-----why did she say she was sorry? “But Katerina, you suffered a miscarriage this morning.”
There was a great pounding in her ears. She could barely hear Heath’s sound of astonishment, and she saw him stand, looking as if he was arguing with the healer about her diagnosis, but she couldn’t make out the words. His voice was muffled along with the healer’s, and Katerina’s eyes narrowed as her vision seemed to blur. This couldn’t be happening, not to her, not to them. A miscarriage meant----that she’d...they had been...Katerina had never wanted a baby, it was never in their plans to have children, but...
“How far along?” she blurted, cutting into Heath’s panicked tirade. He and the healer both turned to her quickly, as if having forgotten she was there. “How far along---was I?”
“Kat--” her husband let out, and he moved forward to put his arms around her but Katerina kept her focus on the healer, her hand going to Heath’s chest to keep him at arm’s length.
“Six weeks. Not very far.”
Katerina normally appreciated when people went straight to the point, but right now the matter-of-fact tone of the healer sent a shiver of rage through her body. Her mouth stayed shut, however, as the healer began to explain the hormonal shift that would be occurring. It was not something she wanted to hear, and she kept her gaze on the wall over the healer’s shoulder. When Katerina didn’t respond to what date a follow up appointment could be set up, Heath jumped in and took over, leading the other woman out of the room.
How could she not have known? Was six weeks a long time when it came to a pregnancy? Katerina had done everything she could to avoid babies and what went along with the creation of them, but how could someone as intelligent as she was, as sure of herself as she was---how could she not know? How could she have let this happen? Not just accidentally get pregnant, but...
She turned as Heath appeared in the doorway, and now he looked even more crazed than he had been when he arrived. He slowly made his way to her and the frown on his face made her hands shake.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly. Katerina stared up at him, breaths short. Heath looked as pale as she felt, his eyes just as heartbroken...would it have had red hair like him? How could she not have known...
“What’s wrong with me?” she barely managed to say, the words choking her. Katerina felt the unfamiliar burning of tears in her eyes and she threw her hands over her face. Heath’s arms were immediately around her, nearly crushing her, but he couldn’t get close enough.
return to top |
