“Very well, let’s take a listen.” Shouldering Nafarius out of his way, Dr. Winters proceeded to listen to Sam heart and lungs as well as check her blood pressure and reflexes. Quickly, he jotted down a few notes before motioning for her to lay back. “Now, let’s take a listen to the little one.”
Sam glared at Nafarius when he went to step forward. It was clear that he didn’t like the unknown male, no matter how jolly in appearance, touching his mate. Sam had questioned the nurse when she scheduled the appointment on what to expect and then went over everything again with Nafarius. Still, it didn’t stop him from reaching out in objection when the doctor went to lift her shirt.
Completely oblivious to the danger at his back, Dr. Winters pressed his stethoscope to Sam’s belly and waited. “Ah-ha,” he muttered before moving to a different region. “Ah-ha.” Again, he moved his stethoscope. “Hmmm…”
Sam stared down the length of her torso and watched as he moved across her belly. “Is everything okay?”
Dr. Winters stood up, patted her hand and stuck his head out the door. “Nurse, can you bring me the portable ultrasound machine?”
Sam reached over and gripped Nafarius’ hand. The nurse on the phone hadn’t said anything about an ultrasound. “Doctor?”
“Not to worry, not to worry,” he said reassuringly as the nurse wheeled in the machine. It took a bit of repositioning to get the machine in the right place, what with Nafarius refusing to move or let go of his mate’s hand. Eventually, everything was ready. “This will be a little cold,” Dr. Winters warned as he covered her belly with gel.
A moment later a sound similar to static filled the room followed by a fast beating heart. “There we go.” Dr. Winters turned the screen and Sam and Nafarius got their first glimpse of the baby. “There’s Baby A, and there,” Dr. Winters shifted the angle of the instrument on Sam’s belly, “is Baby B.”
“What?” Sam asked.
“B?” Nafarius asked.
“Yep,” Dr. Winters said. Adjusting the dials, he captured both babies at the same time. “Twins.”
Sam stared stupidly at the monitor for several seconds before glaring at her mate. “What was that you said about not giving birth to a litter of pups?”
Ignoring her comment, Nafarius met her glare with one of his own.
“Would you like to know what you’re having?” Dr. Winters broke in.
“Yes.” Nafarius said.
“No.” Sam said.
“Hmmm…” Dr. Winters continued checking the babies. “There is plenty of time to decide. I’ll want to see you once a month until you reach 30 weeks, after that it will be weekly appointments until you deliver. Twins have a nasty habit of coming early. I’m convinced it’s because they get crowded in there and eventually one shoves the other and out they come.”
“Once a month?” Sam asked. “Dr. Winters, we live three hours from here. Our town has a doctor, is it possible for me to see her instead?”
Sam hadn’t planned on coming back for regular visits. She just wanted to know that the baby, make that babies, were okay. After that she’d planned to return home and deliver among the pack, trusting in Nafarius that everything would be okay.
Dr. Winters was still watching the monitor. A couple of clicks later and he was handing Sam pictures of her ultrasound. “Is your town doctor a OB/GYN?”
“Family practitioner,” Nafarius answered. “But she’s delivered most of the town’s children.”
“Any experience delivering twin? Often times it requires a c-section.” Dr. Winters warned.
Sam blanched at that thought. Nafarius, seeing her fear, gave her hand a squeeze. “We haven’t had twins in a while but she’s done a several c-sections over the years. At the very least she could monitor Sam’s care until she gets closer to delivery. After that we can come stay in the city until the babies are born.”
Sam wasn’t sure if Nafarius was serious or just saying what Dr. Winters needed to hear in order to let them leave. In the end, she knew it didn’t matter. Sam had given the office a false name and address and they made sure to pay in cash. They had no way of tracking her; whatever they decided could be dealt with later. Still in shock, Sam let Nafarius lead her from the doctor’s office and into the shopping district.
Meanwhile, Maddie sat quietly beside Alex as he drove them out of the city. From the signs, she was able to discern that they were heading south. Other then that, she had no idea their destination and she wasn’t willing to ask.
They’d spent the night lying next to each other, neither one of them slept but neither did they speak. Maddie, still hurt and angry waited for Alex to apologize. Alex, not knowing what to say, kept silent. It was only in the early hours of the morning that the idea for this trip occurred to him.
Alex hadn’t said anything, he’d only asked that Maddie trust him and give him a chance to make it right. Reluctantly, she’d agreed and slipped into the passenger side of the car. Clearly knowing where he was headed, Alex drove with quiet certainty. His eyes stayed on the road but he was aware of every shift and sigh Maddie made next to him. He longed to reach out and touch her but feared being rejected.
Forty-five minutes later they pulled up in front of a small house. “Where are we,” Maddie asked, eyeing the house suspiciously. It was a cute little cottage, painted white with blue trim and surrounded on all sides with a white picket fence. There was a small yard filled with bright, blooming flowers.
Alex turned the engine off but didn’t immediately open his door. Turning to look at her, he explained. “This is my parent’s house, I grew up here.” Running his hand through his hair, he said. “Maddie, I know I screwed up – big time. But I can’t go back and undo what I did. The only thing I can do is prove to you just how important you are to me.”
Alex turned to look at his childhood home. “I hadn’t planned to come back here, at least not yet. I have no idea if my mother or brothers and sister will be able to tell that something is different. It’s not that I care or am ashamed, it’s more that I just don’t know how to explain in a way that doesn’t get me locked up in an insane asylum.