Post by rsafan on Sept 28, 2006 6:22:09 GMT -5
Chapter 3
“I’m going to have to know when you had your last period.” They’d taken all this information down before; Mimi didn’t understand why she was still in the hospital a week after the miscarriage. If something was wrong, why weren’t they telling her?
It was Shawn, who hadn’t been around for any of the previous Q&A sessions, who answered, “Ummm, it was about like two or three weeks before we got married right? I remember because you were all…” he trailed off, searching for the right word to say, one that wouldn’t get him in any trouble.
Mimi didn’t give him the opportunity though, “Go on Shawn, finish what you were about to say, when I was all what? Bitchy, moody…”
“Emotional, I was going to say emotional. You were crying a lot and …”
While she certainly enjoyed the banter between the couple, the doctor needed to know a lot more about Mimi’s physical condition. “And you’re married for how long?”
“Nine…no, ten weeks. I can’t believe I spent a tenth of our marriage lying in a hospital bed. That’s so lame.”
Ten weeks plus the week before they married, those times coincided with the sonogram they’d performed earlier in the day. “Well then I’d say there’s no reason for you to spend any more time here. You can go back to married life just as soon as your husband signs the release forms. Your tests all came back positive; but I want you to realise that this is a high risk pregnancy. I’m sure you were informed at the time you had PID, by your physician about the chances of you carrying a baby to term. I want you to take it easy for the next few days.”
Mimi nodded, “I promise I won’t go out running marathons any time soon.”
“And I’ll see to that, even if I have to lock her up in our apartment.”
“Well, hopefully it won’t come to that.”
“Dr. Ross, can I ask you something?”
Already knowing what it was Mimi wanted to know, the doctor smiled at her, “We’ve run the tests. Your pregnancy wasn’t picked up the first time because it was recorded that you were incapable of conceiving naturally, thus pregnancy test wasn’t performed, as is policy. That error has been corrected in this hospital’s practice. Furthermore, a re-evaluation of the results from your first diagnoses, revealed the scarring on your Fallopian tubes were not as bad as previously suspected.”
Mimi nodded, that was all she’d wanted to know. Shawn was already getting her clothes out; he was impatient to have her home, where he could keep a closer eye on her. Much as he trusted the physicians, they’d made too many mistakes regarding Mimi for his comfort. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
They were walking the booths at an amusement park. Max had ‘kidnapped’ her that afternoon and taken her for a drive. Two hours later he’d stopped at the amusement park and ordered her out, declaring that it was time she had an adventure. She was thoroughly enjoying herself. They’d had three dinner dates since she’d come back and then he’d showed up on her doorstep and demanded she come with him. They were playing twenty questions, eating popcorn and candy, and she was deliriously happy.
“Okay, my turn. Let’s see… I got one, why Tory and not Vicky?”
She laughed, “You really want to know? You want to waste your question on that?”
He smiled at her, reaching for another hand of popcorn. His arm was draped casually across her shoulders, she was surprised by how comfortable and right it felt there, “Yes, I really want to know, and it is my turn, I can ask any question I want.”
“Okay then. Two reasons. The first is that I spent the first ten years of my life living in England, when we moved to the United States; my classmates came up with the nickname. You know, British politics, the Tories and the Whigs.”
He eyed her sceptically, only half believing her. “Okay, that’s a weird bunch of ten year olds you went to school with, knowing abut British politics and all.”
She shrugged, “I didn’t exactly attend what one would term a ‘normal’ school. Anyway, the other reason is due to my aunt.”
“Your aunt?”
She nodded; did he have to comment on everything she said? “Yeah, she’s a cheek pincher. The first time I met her,” a tremor ran through her at the memory, “I was all of eight years old; I was supposed to spend the weekend with her because my parents had to go to Italy. Anyway, I’m standing with my parents at her front door when she opens it; she bends down, grabs my cheeks and pinches it so hard I almost wet my pants. And then she says, ‘This must be Vicky. Aren’t you just an adorable little girl, Vicky, we’re going to have such a great time together Vicky.’ Needless to say, I spent that weekend with my grandparents, and vowed to punch out anyone who dared call me Vicky.” She elbowed him, “Stop laughing, it’s not funny. She scared the living daylights out of me.”
“And did you? Punch someone that is.”
“Sure, got grounded for four weeks because I’d knocked the front teeth out of my best friend’s mouth. My parents thought it was ‘most unpleasant behaviour from such a young lady. And I was never to conduct myself in such a manner again.’ that comment had a far greater effect on me than the grounding itself. Well, enough about me, your turn.”
“Go ahead; my life is an open book.”
“Okay, why did you drive two hours out of Salem to bring me here?”
“Talk about wasting a question.” He pointed to the rollercoaster they were walking towards, “That’s why I brought you here.”
She gulped, “That? And what am I supposed to do with that?” but she feared she already knew the answer to that one.
“You’re going for a ride.” She shook her head, slowly backing away from her but his old on her arm kept her in place, “Come on, you’re an academic. Think of this as research.”
“Into what exactly? I’m not going on that thing, you’re welcome to take a ride, but I’m staying right here, where my feet are firmly on the ground.”
“What if I bribed you? Gave you something you really want?”
She smiled at him confidently, “There’s nothing I want badly enough to risk going on that thing,” she pointed to the rollercoaster filled with screaming people.
“Nothing? Not even that teddy I saw you admiring at one of the booths? The one that’s almost as big as you are?”
She bit her lip, thinking. It couldn’t be that dangerous could it? If Rex was here, he’d explain the physics of it to her. She really wanted that bear, “If I go on that thing, and it’s a big if. If I do, how are you going to manage to win me that bear?”
“If I tell you that, I’d have to kill you and I’m really not in the mood for murder tonight. So what’s it going to be? Yes or no?”
“If I throw up…”
He grabbed her hand, tossing the empty popcorn box, he pulled her to the ride, “Don’t worry, you won’t.”
“I’m just saying,” as they were being strapped in, “if I do. You have to promise to hold my hair.”
He smiled at her, “I promise. Now relax, sit back and enjoy.”
It was exhilarating and nauseating at the same time. She’d been upside down a total of six times. Her stomach was rebelling and threatening some serious action if she didn’t sit down soon. But she felt more alive than she ever had, her ears were buzzing, her adrenaline was pumping and Max was the most amazing guy in the world. She grabbed a hold of his collar and brought him closer, “Where have you been all my life?”
He leaned closer still, till his lips almost touched hers. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“Max?” They both turned their heads, curious as to who exactly had interrupted their moment. “What are you doing here? And who is that you’re with?”
“Frankie,” he slipped his arms around Victoria, hugging her to his front; “This lovely young lady is Victoria. Victoria, meet my brother Frankie.”
Victoria, ever the courteous lady her parents had raised her to be, extended a hand to Max’s brother, “Nice to meet you Frankie, your brother speaks very highly of you.”
Frankie took her hand and shook, he was confused, but hoped it didn’t show on his face. “Pleasure to meet you Victoria, I wish I could return the pleasantries, but my brother hasn’t told me anything about you.” The brunette smile at him, he turned to Max, “I’d like a word with you.”
Max, who knew what was coming, decided to avoid the confrontation altogether, “Sorry, Tory and I were just on our way to the booths. I owe her a teddy.”
“That’s okay, it can wait. Go speak to your brother; I have to use the ladies room anyway. I’ll meet you at the booth?”
He simply nodded. He watched her till she was out of hearing distance before he turned to his brother, “Okay, let’s have it.”
“I’m not even going to argue about his, I just hope you know what you’re doing. I hope Chelsea knows what you’re doing, she’s been through enough. She doesn’t need a cheating boyfriend as well.”
“Technically, I’m not cheating on Chelsea; we’ve cooled it off a bit. And besides, I doubt very much that Chelsea and I are going to be having anything long-term. She’s not exactly the most stable person in the world.”
Frankie’s fist ached for a taste of his brother’s jaw. “Stable?! You’re not exactly helping her stability are you? Running around with some babe you picked up.”
That comment had Max right up in Frankie’s face, “Hey, don’t speak about Victoria like that! She’s not ‘some babe’ and I didn’t ‘pick her up’, not really. She’s a really smart girl, and she’s fun to be with. We’re just enjoying each other’s company, that’s all.”
Frankie looked at his brother, was marvelled by the expression on his face, “You’re really into this girl aren’t you? You like her.”
Max only nodded.
“Just a little advice baby brother, close one door before you open the next, or you might just find yourself out in the cold.”
“I’m seeing Chelsea tomorrow if that’s what you mean. I’m breaking it off with her. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a teddy bear to win for a gorgeous brunette.” Frankie watched his brother walk away and knew without a doubt that there would be trouble ahead. With Chelsea, there always was.
“I’m going to have to know when you had your last period.” They’d taken all this information down before; Mimi didn’t understand why she was still in the hospital a week after the miscarriage. If something was wrong, why weren’t they telling her?
It was Shawn, who hadn’t been around for any of the previous Q&A sessions, who answered, “Ummm, it was about like two or three weeks before we got married right? I remember because you were all…” he trailed off, searching for the right word to say, one that wouldn’t get him in any trouble.
Mimi didn’t give him the opportunity though, “Go on Shawn, finish what you were about to say, when I was all what? Bitchy, moody…”
“Emotional, I was going to say emotional. You were crying a lot and …”
While she certainly enjoyed the banter between the couple, the doctor needed to know a lot more about Mimi’s physical condition. “And you’re married for how long?”
“Nine…no, ten weeks. I can’t believe I spent a tenth of our marriage lying in a hospital bed. That’s so lame.”
Ten weeks plus the week before they married, those times coincided with the sonogram they’d performed earlier in the day. “Well then I’d say there’s no reason for you to spend any more time here. You can go back to married life just as soon as your husband signs the release forms. Your tests all came back positive; but I want you to realise that this is a high risk pregnancy. I’m sure you were informed at the time you had PID, by your physician about the chances of you carrying a baby to term. I want you to take it easy for the next few days.”
Mimi nodded, “I promise I won’t go out running marathons any time soon.”
“And I’ll see to that, even if I have to lock her up in our apartment.”
“Well, hopefully it won’t come to that.”
“Dr. Ross, can I ask you something?”
Already knowing what it was Mimi wanted to know, the doctor smiled at her, “We’ve run the tests. Your pregnancy wasn’t picked up the first time because it was recorded that you were incapable of conceiving naturally, thus pregnancy test wasn’t performed, as is policy. That error has been corrected in this hospital’s practice. Furthermore, a re-evaluation of the results from your first diagnoses, revealed the scarring on your Fallopian tubes were not as bad as previously suspected.”
Mimi nodded, that was all she’d wanted to know. Shawn was already getting her clothes out; he was impatient to have her home, where he could keep a closer eye on her. Much as he trusted the physicians, they’d made too many mistakes regarding Mimi for his comfort. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
*****
They were walking the booths at an amusement park. Max had ‘kidnapped’ her that afternoon and taken her for a drive. Two hours later he’d stopped at the amusement park and ordered her out, declaring that it was time she had an adventure. She was thoroughly enjoying herself. They’d had three dinner dates since she’d come back and then he’d showed up on her doorstep and demanded she come with him. They were playing twenty questions, eating popcorn and candy, and she was deliriously happy.
“Okay, my turn. Let’s see… I got one, why Tory and not Vicky?”
She laughed, “You really want to know? You want to waste your question on that?”
He smiled at her, reaching for another hand of popcorn. His arm was draped casually across her shoulders, she was surprised by how comfortable and right it felt there, “Yes, I really want to know, and it is my turn, I can ask any question I want.”
“Okay then. Two reasons. The first is that I spent the first ten years of my life living in England, when we moved to the United States; my classmates came up with the nickname. You know, British politics, the Tories and the Whigs.”
He eyed her sceptically, only half believing her. “Okay, that’s a weird bunch of ten year olds you went to school with, knowing abut British politics and all.”
She shrugged, “I didn’t exactly attend what one would term a ‘normal’ school. Anyway, the other reason is due to my aunt.”
“Your aunt?”
She nodded; did he have to comment on everything she said? “Yeah, she’s a cheek pincher. The first time I met her,” a tremor ran through her at the memory, “I was all of eight years old; I was supposed to spend the weekend with her because my parents had to go to Italy. Anyway, I’m standing with my parents at her front door when she opens it; she bends down, grabs my cheeks and pinches it so hard I almost wet my pants. And then she says, ‘This must be Vicky. Aren’t you just an adorable little girl, Vicky, we’re going to have such a great time together Vicky.’ Needless to say, I spent that weekend with my grandparents, and vowed to punch out anyone who dared call me Vicky.” She elbowed him, “Stop laughing, it’s not funny. She scared the living daylights out of me.”
“And did you? Punch someone that is.”
“Sure, got grounded for four weeks because I’d knocked the front teeth out of my best friend’s mouth. My parents thought it was ‘most unpleasant behaviour from such a young lady. And I was never to conduct myself in such a manner again.’ that comment had a far greater effect on me than the grounding itself. Well, enough about me, your turn.”
“Go ahead; my life is an open book.”
“Okay, why did you drive two hours out of Salem to bring me here?”
“Talk about wasting a question.” He pointed to the rollercoaster they were walking towards, “That’s why I brought you here.”
She gulped, “That? And what am I supposed to do with that?” but she feared she already knew the answer to that one.
“You’re going for a ride.” She shook her head, slowly backing away from her but his old on her arm kept her in place, “Come on, you’re an academic. Think of this as research.”
“Into what exactly? I’m not going on that thing, you’re welcome to take a ride, but I’m staying right here, where my feet are firmly on the ground.”
“What if I bribed you? Gave you something you really want?”
She smiled at him confidently, “There’s nothing I want badly enough to risk going on that thing,” she pointed to the rollercoaster filled with screaming people.
“Nothing? Not even that teddy I saw you admiring at one of the booths? The one that’s almost as big as you are?”
She bit her lip, thinking. It couldn’t be that dangerous could it? If Rex was here, he’d explain the physics of it to her. She really wanted that bear, “If I go on that thing, and it’s a big if. If I do, how are you going to manage to win me that bear?”
“If I tell you that, I’d have to kill you and I’m really not in the mood for murder tonight. So what’s it going to be? Yes or no?”
“If I throw up…”
He grabbed her hand, tossing the empty popcorn box, he pulled her to the ride, “Don’t worry, you won’t.”
“I’m just saying,” as they were being strapped in, “if I do. You have to promise to hold my hair.”
He smiled at her, “I promise. Now relax, sit back and enjoy.”
It was exhilarating and nauseating at the same time. She’d been upside down a total of six times. Her stomach was rebelling and threatening some serious action if she didn’t sit down soon. But she felt more alive than she ever had, her ears were buzzing, her adrenaline was pumping and Max was the most amazing guy in the world. She grabbed a hold of his collar and brought him closer, “Where have you been all my life?”
He leaned closer still, till his lips almost touched hers. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“Max?” They both turned their heads, curious as to who exactly had interrupted their moment. “What are you doing here? And who is that you’re with?”
“Frankie,” he slipped his arms around Victoria, hugging her to his front; “This lovely young lady is Victoria. Victoria, meet my brother Frankie.”
Victoria, ever the courteous lady her parents had raised her to be, extended a hand to Max’s brother, “Nice to meet you Frankie, your brother speaks very highly of you.”
Frankie took her hand and shook, he was confused, but hoped it didn’t show on his face. “Pleasure to meet you Victoria, I wish I could return the pleasantries, but my brother hasn’t told me anything about you.” The brunette smile at him, he turned to Max, “I’d like a word with you.”
Max, who knew what was coming, decided to avoid the confrontation altogether, “Sorry, Tory and I were just on our way to the booths. I owe her a teddy.”
“That’s okay, it can wait. Go speak to your brother; I have to use the ladies room anyway. I’ll meet you at the booth?”
He simply nodded. He watched her till she was out of hearing distance before he turned to his brother, “Okay, let’s have it.”
“I’m not even going to argue about his, I just hope you know what you’re doing. I hope Chelsea knows what you’re doing, she’s been through enough. She doesn’t need a cheating boyfriend as well.”
“Technically, I’m not cheating on Chelsea; we’ve cooled it off a bit. And besides, I doubt very much that Chelsea and I are going to be having anything long-term. She’s not exactly the most stable person in the world.”
Frankie’s fist ached for a taste of his brother’s jaw. “Stable?! You’re not exactly helping her stability are you? Running around with some babe you picked up.”
That comment had Max right up in Frankie’s face, “Hey, don’t speak about Victoria like that! She’s not ‘some babe’ and I didn’t ‘pick her up’, not really. She’s a really smart girl, and she’s fun to be with. We’re just enjoying each other’s company, that’s all.”
Frankie looked at his brother, was marvelled by the expression on his face, “You’re really into this girl aren’t you? You like her.”
Max only nodded.
“Just a little advice baby brother, close one door before you open the next, or you might just find yourself out in the cold.”
“I’m seeing Chelsea tomorrow if that’s what you mean. I’m breaking it off with her. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a teddy bear to win for a gorgeous brunette.” Frankie watched his brother walk away and knew without a doubt that there would be trouble ahead. With Chelsea, there always was.
