Part (2/6)
It was opening day for Pacific Wellcare, still. A box of her belongings were sitting in front of her and her garbage smelled like vomit because she had been puking all day and Cooper…
She let out a growl of frustration. I am not pregnant. The nerve of him. He just automatically assumed that because she was puking she had to be pregnant. She was on the pill dammit. She could practically hear his stupid annoying voice in her head. She shook her head in an effort to get his voice out of her head. It worked for a bit, but that didn't really matter because she was still feeling queasy.
She felt the now familiar burn of acid at the back of her throat and ran to the trashcan as fast as she could. She couldn't keep anything down today. She couldn't control anything in her life, not even her body. A wave of emotion hit her and she felt like crying, maybe even screaming a little, but Charlotte fought for control. Just like she always does.
0oo0oo0
She was exhausted, even more so than she usually was. And today was no different than any other day. No major problems of emergencies and she was sleeping at night, so she really shouldn't be this tired. She sighed and shuffled wearily to the elevator only to have the crap scared out of her by Cooper.
"God, Cooper. Stop doing that."
Cooper just grinned at her. "How are you feeling?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm on the pill."
"You're a doctor. You know that's not 100%," he pointed out.
"Cooper, I would know if I was pregnant," she snapped. Wouldn't I?
He gave her a pointed look. "Cranky."
She rolled her eyes and stepped onto the elevator. "I'm always cranky."
He smiled a little. Not a lot, but just enough to make her stomach flutter. In a good way. "Glowing," he said.
"I'm always glowing. Now please stop stalking me and my womb." And then the elevator doors slid shut. She yawned loudly and was thankful no one else was around to see her like this. She was also thinking about what Cooper said and had been saying all day. The man was damned annoying, but there was a very, very small sliver of a chance that he could be right.
0oo0oo0
When Charlotte came into work that morning she was noticeably more irritable than usual, queasy and armed with pregnancy tests. In her office she put the tests aside and dived right into work, barking orders and trying to steal as many patients as she could from Oceanside. She really hoped this pissed them off. She liked watching them fume over her success. She was a damn fine director.
By midday, the practice was in order, everything was running smoothly and she was finally had enough time to find Cooper and take the test.
She marched into Oceanside, noting how empty it was. This made her smile. She had a mean side. So what?
"Your paranoia is contagious," she growled at Cooper.
Cooper turned to face her. He cocked an eyebrow in question.
"I have sticks and I intended to pee on them," she explained. Then she gave him one of her famous death glares. She felt a little satisfaction when he flinched. "And if your boys swam through my weeds and got me pregnant, I'm gonna make you suffer every step of the way."
"Okay." And that was it. That was all he said. Maybe he wanted this. Maybe she wanted this.
It didn't take long to do the test and now they were just waiting. She really shouldn't have been surprised when Cooper spoke about parenthood and their could-be-child with such warmth. He was a pediatrician for god's sakes. She realized then that Cooper would actually be there for her every step of the way. They could be together again.
She smiled at Cooper and told him that the baby will be a girl. As they chatted on she had another realization of sorts. Yes, they could be together, but it wouldn't be real. He would never forgive. Their whole relationship would be a lie. Who was she kidding? She could never be good enough for Cooper. Cooper was practically a saint and she was a bitch, cold hearted bitch, or a least that's what people have called her.
And then how was she supposed to tell Cooper that she had miscarried once already? There was a very good chance that even if she were pregnant, the baby wouldn't even make it.
So fate wasn't intervening, stepping in and bringing them back together. There was no magic and love didn't heal all wounds. It was time for her to face the facts and really, really try to get over Cooper.
"So?" Cooper said eagerly.
She gave him a nervous smile and then looked down. "It's negative," she said in a detached tone. "I'm not pregnant." She threw the test stick in the trashcan and then walked out.
She put on her brave face and trudged past patients and doctors in her practice. Her office seemed like a sanctuary, despite the transparent walls. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
I'm pregnant.
