Sorry if this is a little hard to follow; the site won't let me put in any type of page break. I'll try to fix it again later. -T.E.
The sound of the alarm pulled Kate from her restful sleep, "Turn it off," she said to Rick as the alarm was on his side of the bed. The obnoxious sound continued "Rick?" Kate said barley above a whisper as she tried to fight off the sleep that was threatening to overtake her again. She was starting to drift off to sleep again when she heard the heavy footsteps running into the room. "Good morning Kate. Time to wake up," Rick said as he took a running leap on to the bed and landed beside Kate on his knees.
"Mmm," Kate groaned.
"Come on Kate it's time to wake up. Come on, come on, come on," Rick said as he jumped up and down on the bed while still sitting on his knees causing Kate to bounce. "Come on Kate, we get to see what the doctor says about our baby today, come on."
"Rick stop!"Kate said as Rick pulled the covers from her body exposing her to the cold morning air.
"Sorry, I'm just so excited we get to meet the baby today."
"Rick, how long have you been up?"
"For over an hour. You are lucky I didn't wake you sooner. I got showered and dressed, put a load of laundry in and made breakfast."
"What did you make?"
"Pancakes. I didn't know if your stomach would be able to handle eggs this early in the morning."
"Pancakes sound good. Let me get dressed and I'll be right in." she said as she placed a chaste kiss on Rick's cheek.
"Hey what took you so long?" Rick asked as he put a plate containing pancakes on the kitchen island for Kate.
"The shower felt really good this morning. I didn't want to get out."
"Too bad we have to get going. This is one of those days where you would let me cuddle you all morning isn't it?"
"Yeah," Kate said as she sat down on the bar height stool "Are these chocolate chip?" Kate asked pointing to the plate of pancakes with a crinkled nose.
"Yes like always. Why?"
"I want blueberry."
"Blueberry?"
"Yeah."
"Its October Kate, blueberries are out of season"
"I know but I could really go for a big bowl of fresh frozen blueberries and milk. The blueberries have to be really cold. Then when the milk is pored over the top of them it forms a coat of frozen milk around them" Kate said licking her lips. "What's so funny?"Kate asked as Rick began to laugh.
"Well first of all fresh frozen? Is that even possible? And your first pregnancy craving is a Jersey one? Really Kate, you couldn't have gone with apples? I mean we live in the Big Apple and it's fall I can get you those. You're not secretly a Jersey Girl are you?"
"No," Kate laughed. "I guess my childhood is coming out though. I use to go with my parents down to my mom's second cousins blueberry farm in the summer for a week during blueberry season. I think I ate more blueberries then ever made it into the old rusty coffee can they tied around my waste."
"Wow they started you on coffee early huh?"
Kate rolled her eyes, "Anyway speaking about coffee where's mine?"
"Ummm"
"Oh come on! Don't tell me I can't drink that either?"
"Sorry."
"What else are they going to take away from me? First alcohol and now no coffee!"
"Um I don't remember much, but I know nothing with caffeine and maybe caned things. I'm not sure, but I bet we'll find out today at our appointment. Oh, speaking of which, we've got to get going."
Kate and Rick entered the high rise building and looked for the directory of offices looking for Dr. Karen Carter's listing. They soon found that her office was located on the tenth floor in suite five. The couple entered the D elevator that stopped on the even floors in the building and quickly ascended to the tenth floor and located the office. Kate and Rick stared at the door labeled suite five and linked their hands together. Taking a deep breath Kate pushed open the door and the couple entered.
"Hi you must be Detective Beckett. I'm Dr. Karen Carter," the shorter woman stated as she shook Kate's hand.
"Yes I am. Please call me Kate and this is my boyfriend Rick. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to finally meet a friend of Lanie's that isn't a doctor. Lanie told me that you are pregnant. How did you find out? Did you use a home test? I'll want to run my own blood test to make sure."
"No we didn't use a test." Kate responded as Rick grabbed Kate's shirt and pulled it tightly against her belly.
"No need for a test. Look at that bump." Rick stated
"Ok well before we get started, Kate, I'm going to need you to provide a urine sample and I'm also going to draw some viles of blood to run testing on. I'll do that first so that the test can run while you fill out your paperwork. Rick you can have a seat and I'll send Kate back out in a few minutes."
Rick sat in the empty waiting room with his knee bouncing anxiously waiting for Kate's return. When Kate did finally return she came walking out holding two clipboards and then handed one to Rick as she sat down. "What's this?"
"Looks like I'm not the only one with paperwork," she smirked, "Dr. Carter needs your family medical history too."
After a few minutes Dr. Carter returned and asked them to join her in her office. "Well you are defiantly pregnant. The quick read came back positive and I have a bunch of other test running right now and the results will be done before the end of your exam. First, I would like to start with both of your medical histories and then after we are finished discussing we'll move on to the physical exam."
"Ok Kate the only problem I see with your history that is a cause for any concern is that you had heart surgery. I'm going to want you to see your cardiologist so that he can closely monitor your heart. While pregnant your blood volume increases by 30 to 50 percent so your heart will have an added strain on it. Now I'll show you to an exam room and have you change into a hospital gown. I'm going to give you a full pelvic exam complete with pap test. Are you going to be joining us Rick?" Dr. Carter asked.
Rick looked at Kate seeking her approval. She gave him a small nod, "Yes" Rick responded as they walked down the hall and into the exam room.
"I'll give you a few minutes to change Kate then I'll be back."
A few minutes later Dr. Carter entered to see Kate sitting on the exam table with Rick standing next to her with his hand on her belly as Kate laughed. "Sorry to interrupt but are you ready to get the exam started."
"Yes", Kate responded
"Ok while I complete your pelvic exam I'm going to ask you a few questions to help me determine your due date." After Kate got settled into the stirrups Dr. Carter asked, "Kate what was the dated of your last period?"
"Umm I'm not sure," Kate responded kind of embarrassed, "I've been so busy with work that I didn't even notice that I had missed it."
"Ok, well can the two of you tell me when you think you may have conceived?"
"We believe we conceived two and a half months ago while Kate was on antibiotics." Rick responded
"Forgot the backup huh?"
"That's what we think."
"Ok, I'll measure your fundal height to help me determine how far along you are. You can put your legs down I'm done with the internal exam." Dr. Carter said as she took off her gloves and put her instruments to the side. After washing her hands Dr. Carter returned to the table and stood beside Kate. "I'm going to have you lay flat on your back now so that I can measure your fundal height," she said as she took out a small tape measure. "Your fundal height can help me determine how many weeks you are because the fundal height in centimeters usually matches the amount of weeks you are pregnant. For instance if I measure a woman and she measures 20 centimeters she is usually 20 weeks pregnant. You Kate, are currently measuring 12 centimeters which would put you at 12 weeks instead of 10. Can you tell me what type of symptoms that you've had? Any morning sickness?"
"Yes I had morning sickness for a week two months ago, run to the bathroom every five minutes it feels like, I had a craving for blueberries this morning and I have been able to feel the baby move since yesterday. Am I further along than what Rick and I thought?"
"It's possible. I'm going to have you get dressed and you can meet me in my office. I'm going to go check on your lab results and we'll discuss the results and determine your due date. I'll see you in just a little bit." Dr. Carter walked down the hall to the lab where Kate's test results were waiting. Something wasn't adding up Kate shouldn't be able to feel the baby yet even if she was 12 weeks along. Looking at the test results, just as Dr. Carter thought, Kate's hCG level was through the roof. Dr. Carter turned back around and headed to her office where she met the waiting couple. "Ok you two. I have some interesting news. Kate your hCG level is very high, so I'm going to have you come with me so that I can perform an ultrasound. I need to narrow down your due date so that I can give you proper medical treatment and so the baby doesn't come sooner than expected"
Rick bounced with joy, "You mean we get to see the baby already."
"Yes, usual at the first visit I don't give an ultrasound because the baby can't be scene, but you should be far enough along, Kate, that we'll be able to see your baby. You ok Kate?"Dr. Carter asked noticing Kate wasn't really responding.
"Yeah, just a little surprised that's all."
After getting set up in the exam room with an ultrasound machine Dr. Carter had Kate lay back and pull up her shirt and pull down the waste of her pants to expose her lower abdomen. "Ok Kate the gel is going to be cold," she said as she squirted some on Kate's belly, "I'm going to take a look first then I will show you the monitor and explain everything ok?" both Kate and Rick shook their heads yes in response. "Now I still may not be able to tell you your exact due date because your bladder isn't that full right now, so it makes it hard to see into the uterus." Dr. Carter stated as she move the probe over Kate's lower belly. She stopped moving the probe as soon as she got a clear view into the uterus and what a surprise she saw. There on her screen were three little sacks indicating a triplet pregnancy.
"Is everything ok?" Kate asked seeing the surprise on the doctor's face.
"Yes everything is fine. Rick I'm going to have you step out into the hall for a few moments. There are a few questions that I need to ask Kate."
"Um ok," Rick responded with a worried face as Kate looked at him worry covering her face.
"I promise it won't be long and everything looks fine with the baby." She said to reassure the couple. She had to ask Kate some personal questions that she may lie about if Rick was still in the room. Rick got up slowly and left. "I'll be out to get you as soon as we're done talking."
Dr. Carter sat down beside Kate on a rolling stool and grabbed her hand, "Kate I need you to tell me the truth here ok? If you don't it can put your baby and your life at risk."
Kate nodded her head, "Ok"
"Kate were you taking your birth control on a regular basis?"
"Yes"
"Did you stop taking them at any point?"
"I didn't take one this morning seeing as I'm pregnant."
"That's fine. Now Kate, have you been taking or have you ever used any fertility medication?"
"What! You think that I did this on purpose!"
"Kate that's not what is important to me I need to know if you used any fertility medication because if you did and your ovaries are over stimulated it can cause major complications in the pregnancy that can lead to a miscarriage. I'm sorry that I have to ask but did you?"
"No, but why are you asking is something wrong?"
"Everything looks fine. I'm going to get Rick now," Dr. Carter said walking toward the door. "Rick you can come on in so we can continue."
Rick sat down and grabbed Kate's hand seeing that she looked shaken up.
"Ok you two ready to see what's going on?"
"Yes," they both responded.
Dr. Carter placed the probe on Kate's belly again until she found the right location on Kate to see the babies clearly and turned the screen for Rick and Kate to see.
"Oh wow," Kate said as she saw her babies for the first time.
"Oh shit you're going to kill me," Rick said with a tight frightened voice as Dr. Carter laughed.
"So you know what you are looking at Rick?" Dr. Carter asked
"Oh yeah."
"What's wrong?" Kate asked as she looked at Rick.
"Three"
"Three what Rick? I'm three months pregnant?"
"No. One, two, three" Rick said as he pointed to the black blobs on the screen.
Kate rolled her eyes, "Rick that is not even remotely funny to joke about."
"He's not joking Kate, you're having triplets that's why I asked you the questions I did. It's very rare to conceive triplets naturally."
"Three," Kate said in a state of shock color draining from her face and eyes wide.
"I know this is a surprise Kate, but I'm going to have you drink a bottle of water while we discuss the risks of this pregnancy and then I will repeat the ultrasound so that we can have a better look," Dr. Carter said as she wiped the gel off of Kate's belly and handed her a bottle of water.
"I'm glad that's over."
"What I can't hear you?"
"I said I'm glad that's over! Whatever it was, was noisy!"
"I hope we're done with being poked too," added another one.
"Oh come on mom stop drinking so much you're smushing me again," said a baby while pushing back on Kate's bladder causing itself to shift and bump into its sibling.
"Can you sit still and stop moving you're always crashing into me."
"Yeah well I'm tired of being smushed."
"Well that doesn't mean that you have to smush me too."
"Can the two of you please stop arguing I'm tired and want to take a nap now that it's quieter."
"Sure sorry"
"It still doesn't solve my problem I'm being smushed again."
"I'm pretty sure you will only be smushed for a little longer you can handle it. Plus soon the rest of us will be bigger and will start smushing you too, so you have to get use to it."
"Yeah suck it up," coursed the two from above.
"Hey you two, be nice," one of the babies said with a menacing glare.
"Alright so the two of you understand the risks associated with continuing this pregnancy correct?"
"Yes, I'm not even going to contemplate selective reduction. I just couldn't do that. I understand that they will most likely be born prematurely and will end up in the NICU, but I can't sacrifice one to try to give the other two a better chance of survival."
"I understand Kate. I just wanted you to know all of the risks and options that were available to you. Are you ready for me to do the ultrasound again?"
"Yeah, my bladder feels extremely full so don't press to hard."
"You can lay back and I'll get you set up again," Dr. Carter said as she pulled the ultrasound machine up alongside the exam table. "Just a reminder the gel is cold."
Kate still flinched when the cool gel came in contact with her skin wondering why they couldn't warm it up a bit. Kate smiled as the three blobs appeared on the screen again and stared at them in amazement as she reached for Rick's hand. Rick grabbed Kate's outstretched hand and gave it a gentile squeeze as he placed a kiss on Kate's forehead. Rick knew that Kate was still in shock and was amazed by the fact that she was seeing their children for the first time as he kissed her. He just hoped that once realization hit her that she wouldn't shoot him.
"Here you go this is a good view of all of them. This one here is considered baby A," Dr. Carter said as she pointed to the baby lowest in Kate's uterus. "This one is baby B," she said as she placed her finger on the baby above and to the left of baby A, "and this is baby C," she said as she pointed to the baby above and to the right of baby A and next to baby B. "This here is the sack of water that contains the baby and this is the membrane separating each of them. Let's take a look at baby A now. See this here, that's the heart beating," Dr. Carter said as she pointed to a little flicker on the screen, "want to hear it?"
"Yes," both Kate and Rick replied.
Dr. Carter switched on the volume and the sweetest sound filled the ears of the soon to be parents. Dr. Carter continued on to baby B and suddenly stopped as an awkward sound filled the room. It didn't sound like baby A's heartbeat. This baby's heartbeat sounded like it had an extra few beats or an echo.
"What's wrong with the baby's heart?" Rick asked.
Dr. Carter smiled and moved the probe on Kate's stomach until the heartbeat was heard clearly as the probe landed directly over baby B and then moved the probe back to where it had been. Again the strange sound was heard as Dr. Carter moved the probe higher on Kate's abdomen coming to rest slightly above baby B. "I think I know what the problem is, but I'm going to need to push on your stomach slightly harder to try to get either baby B or C to move. Ok Kate?"
Kate shook her head in response and Dr. Carter proceeded to push on Kate's belly aggravating all of the babies and forcing them to move revealing a fourth sack. "There it is," stated Dr. Carter, "you had one hiding further up and behind baby B and C. Wait a second," Dr. Carter said as the movement continued and revealed the fourth sack again for a brief moment. With her experience Dr. Carter was able to see in the brief glimpse that the fourth sack contained two heartbeats. "Looks like you have two hiding back there. They will be baby D and E. As all of the babies grow we may be able to see baby D and E better since they should move to rest on top of baby B and C."
Kate and Rick sat with their mouths slightly open in shock staring at the screen watching their babies move revealing peaks of the fourth sack that had been hidden.
To help you with the conversation of the babies I will start using their letter to identify them during their conversations. The order for their conversation in this chapter is: D,E,D,C,A,B,A,B,C,B,A,C,D&E, and B. If anything is confusing let me know so I can try to fix it. Can anyone tell me how to put page breaks in? I've been trying and it won't even let me put in an extra enter.
Thanks,
T.E.
