AN: Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry... I could go on like this for hours. That's how sorry I am for the long wait. This chapter is quite a bit longer than some of the others, but I wish it would be even longer to make up for the long wait. The truth is : I don't know, how to continue this story. I know, how I want it to end and I have a few scenes in mind, that I want to include, but I have problems making it into one coherent story. So, it could be a while untill the next chapter and I apologize in advance.
Barney took two glasses out of his cupboard. He filled the first one with scotch and went to the sink.
He filled the empty glass with water out of the tap. Then he looked at the scotch glass and poured the content into the drain, sighing.
He wanted to be clear for this conversation and filled it with water, as well.
After turning off the tap, he returned to the couch with the glasses and handed one of them to Robin, who already sat there.
"Thanks", she said, when she took it from him and took a sip of the water.
He sat down next to her and they sat there in silence for a few moments, until Barney cleared his throat.
"So... you're pregnant", he said.
"No comments on my boobs, please", Robin answered with a small smile.
Barney smiled back, before he became serious again.
"I thought, you couldn't have children", he said confused.
"Yeah, I thought so, too", Robin answered. "But apparently, the chances were just really slim. So slim, that doctor Sonya thought, it wasn't necessary to mention it."
"When did you find it out?", Barney asked.
"I've known for three weeks now", Robin replied.
o
o
o
Three weeks earlier in Peru:
Robin was on her way from the hotel, she was staying at, to work.
As almost always, she didn't have time for breakfast and stopped at a supermarket to buy something to eat on the way.
She grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water and had to wait in line on the checkstand.
The bottle slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor. Robin bent down to pick it up and when she came up again, the whole shop was spinning. Robin sighed irritated. She had felt these fits of dizziness often in the past few weeks. It usually stopped after a few seconds or as soon as she ate something.
But this time, it was different. Her knees became weak and she grabbed onto the checkout for support.
There was a buzzing in her ears and breathing felt hard.
Robin felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head abruptly, which made her feel even worse.
"¿Estás bien?", a young woman with long, dark hair asked her, a concerned look on her face.
Robin's baffled mind needed a few seconds to understand, that the woman asked her, whether she was okay.
She carefully shook her head no, because she really didn't feel okay. Her view became blurred and constricted.
Robin saw, how the young woman said something to the cashier, but she barely heard anything, when her world became dark.
She didn't witness anymore, how she hit the floor.
o
o
When Robin woke up again, she was laying on a bed. She sat up carefully and looked around. It took her only seconds to realize, she was in a hospital room.
"Hello?", she called out, before remembering, that she was in Peru.
"¿Hola?", she asked.
A blond woman in her thirties, wearing a white coat, entered the room.
"Mrs. Scherbatsky, hello. Good to see, that you're awake. I'm Doctor Aria Martin", she said in perfect English.
"Are you American?", Robin asked her.
"Yes, I moved here two years ago. My colleagues got me as soon as they realized, you're American as well", she explained.
"How did they know that", Robin asked confused.
"Apparently, you're speaking in your sleep", doctor Martin told her smiling.
"Oh", Robin said and blushed slightly.
She remembered, that Barney once told her about that.
He had said, it didn't bother him and that he found it kind of cute.
She forgot about it, because she hadn't been with someone over night for three years.
"Do you remember, what happened?", the doctor asked her.
"I passed out in the supermarket, right?", Robin asked, just to be sure.
"Exactly. And do you have an idea, why?"
"I haven't eaten anything today. I was about to, really. I just wanted to buy something", Robin assured her.
"How many hours per night do you sleep?", the woman asked.
"I don't know...", Robin answered unsure. "About four or five."
"Mrs. Scherbatsky", the other woman began. "Healthy eating and a regular sleep pattern are very important for your wholesomeness."
Robin mentally rolled her eyes.
That's, what every doctor in the past five years told her, but they had no idea, how stressful and time-consuming her job was.
"Especially in your condition", the doctor finished.
Robin's forehead wrinkled in confusion.
"My condition?", she asked.
"Yes. If you don't take better care of yourself, you could lose the baby."
"The WHAT?", Robin asked shocked.
Doctor Martin looked taken aback by her surprise.
"You're pregnant, Mrs. Scherbatsky. Didn't you know that?", she asked.
Robin looked at her speechless for a few seconds.
"No, I'm not", she then answered resolute. "This has to be a mistake."
"Mrs. Scherbatsky...", the doctor started.
"Call me, Robin, please", Robin said.
It bothered her to be called "Mrs" and she didn't want to tell her, that she wasn't married (anymore).
"Robin", Doctor Martin said. "I already did a few tests, to see if everything was okay and there is no mistaking the results. You are definitively seven weeks pregnant."
"That's not possible, I can't have kids", Robin said desperate.
Doctor Martin misinterpreted her words.
"Well, there are ways to cope with an unwanted pregnancy", she said. "There is the possibility of an adoption. Or I could refer you to a specialist. An abortion is possible until the 12th week."
"No!", Robin interrupted her. "I mean, I can't. Years ago, I was told, that I'm infertile and will never have children", Robin explained.
"Well, that was obviously a mistake."
"I've never wanted children", Robin said, more to herself than the other woman.
"As I said, you have different possibilities where to go from now."
"No", Robin answered. "I can't, not yet."
She had done the math and knew, what she had to do first.
Barney has to know it.
o
o
o
"After that, I called my boss and told him, that I wanted to move back to New York", Robin said. "At first, he was against it. He said, it would be a step back and that I was the best foreign correspondent, they ever had. But when I told him, I was pregnant, he agreed fairly quickly."
She shrugged.
"Guess, he thought, I would quit otherwise."
"Wow", Barney said and leaned back against the backrest of the couch.
"Yeah", Robin agreed and looked down at her hands, which were interwined in her lap.
Barney sat back up again and took a deep breath.
"I know, you never wanted this", he said carefully. "And I told you, I didn't need kids, and I really meant it. But... I don't know", he said and turned to look at her.
Robin looked at him, scared of his next words.
"Maybe, this is right", he said. "This could be a new start for us. Maybe, this was supposed to h..."
"I'm not sure, if I'll have it", she interrupted him quickly, before he could say something, that would be embarrassing for both of them.
"What do you mean?", he asked her taken aback.
"I mean, that I still have two weeks left to make this decision", she told him cautiously.
"Robin, you can't have an abortion!", Barney said.
"Barney, this is my decision", Robin said, clearly getting angry at him.
"I know, I just think, you shouldn't rush this decision. I don't want you to later regret it."
"I can't do this", Robin said frustrated, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I know nothing about being a mother and I don't want to give up my career. I'm thirty-nine years old and alone."
"I'm right here, Robin", Barney said. "I won't let you alone with this."
"It's easy for you to say that, now", Robin answered him. "You're not the one with a human growing inside you. If you change your mind, you can just go away. I can't!"
"I would never leave my child like that! You know that, Robin", Barney said offended.
"I'm sorry", Robin said guiltily. "You're right, I know that. It's just... I'm really scared."
"Robin, I'll be here for you. You can trust me, I'm not leaving."
"I have to think about this. And even if I keep it for now, I could still give it up for adoption after the birth. I don't know, what I will do."
"I just want you to think about it and know, that I'll support your decision, no matter, what", Barney assured her.
"Okay, thank you", Robin said.
They sat in silence again, until Robin broke it.
"Barney?", she asked and he looked up at her.
"I don't want anyone to know, yet", she told him.
"Uuhm, Robin, you can't really keep it from them. I mean, they'll notice", Barney said, while pointing at her still flat stomach.
"I know", she said. "And I will tell them, just not yet. So, promise me, you won't tell them. Please?"
"Okay", Barney answered. "I promise."
He looked at his watch and sighed.
"I'm too late for work, but I can still make it to the next meeting."
"I'm really sorry, Barney. I should have told you sooner."
"It's okay", Barney said and stood up from the couch. "I have to go now, but you have to promise me, that you'll still be here, when I come back. Okay?"
"Okay", Robin answered. "I promise, I won't leave the country, this time."
He smiled at her and she could see the relief in his eyes. Then he turned around and left.
