"Mrs. Davis, we can change your meds, but you've been without meds for a month, so there's a chance your t-cells have dropped and the baby could be positive." the doctor said looking over at them from behind his desk.
"I knew it. I told the other doctor but he wouldn't listen to me." Jules said beginning to pace around the office starting to cry.
"Jules Baby, calm down. Um... when will you know her t-cell status?" Roger asked looking over at the doctor.
"In a few days. There could be a chance that your t-cells are fine and these new meds have a very good chance of preventing this baby from contracting the HIV virus." he said looking over at her.
"But there's a chance the baby is positive, right?" Jules asked looking over at him.
"Unfortunately, there's always a chance, but we'll do everything we can to lower the risk. Don't worry Jules, you're in good hands. Any measure that needs to be taken, will be." he said looking over at her.
"OK, so what do we do?" Jules asked looking over at the doctor.
"I'll give you some new meds that will not interact with the cocktail you're on and we'll take it from there." the doctor said looking over at her.
"Thank you doctor. Thank you so much." Roger smiled looking over at the doctor before looking up at Jules.
"I friggin knew it. Roger, what if the baby is positive?" she asked looking up at him as they left the doctors office.
"You can't think like that Jules. We have to think positive. You heard the doctor, the baby could be negative too. The new meds are gonna help you." he said looking down at her.
"Roger, I knew that other doctor was fucking up, but god forbid anyone listens to me. I'm just the mother." she cried looking up at him.
"Calm down Jules. We don't know that it did any permanent damage. Let's just wait and see." he said taking her hand to stop her.
"We don't know that it did any permanent damage? Roger, my t-cells could be low because the other medication was making me throw up." she said looking up at him.
"Baby, let's just wait to see what the doctor says when your tests come back. We'll deal with it. I promise." he told her wrapping his arms around her.
"Baby, can we just get home? I really need to hold Beth right now." she said looking up at him.
"Why don't we go sit in the park? We can talk." he suggested looking down at her.
"Can I take a raincheck? Please? I really need to go home right now." she said looking up at him.
"OK Baby. We'll go home. Uncle Collins is gonna be pissed that we're back too soon. You know how he loves spending time with his little angel." Roger smiled trying to lighten the mood.
"I know. I just need to be with her right now." she said looking up at him.
"I understand Baby, but you need to take care of yourself too." he said looking down at her.
"Roger, I'm capable of taking care of myself and my kids." she said looking up at him frustrated.
"I know you are Jules, I'm just saying that you're not in the greatest of shape right now. Do you actually think you should be around the baby right now?" he said looking down at her.
"Why shouldn't I be around her? I may be scared for this baby, but I am still Beth's mother too. I don't know why you're treating me like I'm an invalid or something." she said looking away from him angry.
"Jules, I'm not treating you like you're an invalid, I'm just saying you just got some really hard news about this baby and I'm concerned about the state of mind you're in right now." he said looking down at her.
"I'm fine Roger. I just need to get home, OK?" she said starting to walk home.
"Jules wait." he called out chasing after her.
"No Roger. I want to get home to my daughter. If that's OK with you." she said still walking.
"Jules, that's not what I meant. I just meant... I don't know what I meant. I'm just saying that I think we need some time to think about what the doctor said." he said looking down at her.
"What is there to think about Roger? The doctor said that my t-cells could be low and the baby could be positive. I just want to spend time with my daughter. Why are you being like this?" she asked stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to look up at him.
"Because I need time to think about what the doctor said. Our baby could be positive and I could lose my wife all at once." he said looking down at her getting upset.
"How do you think I feel Roger? I don't want my child to be positive anymore than I want to leave you and the kids." she asked looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Jules, I know. I don't want you to leave us either. But you can't just make believe it doesn't exist. We need to deal with this. Talk about it." he said holding her around her shoulders.
"Right now Roger, I want to make believe it doesn't exist." she told him walking away from him.
"Jules, where are you going?" he yelled down the block.
"Home. If you want to come with me I'll see you at home." she yelled back at him as she continued to walk home.
"Fine Jules. Go home. Run away." he yelled as she walked faster. Roger turned around started walking towards the loft. When he got there Cheyanne was sitting on the couch as Mark cooked in the kitchen.
"Roger, where's Jules? I thought you guys had the doctor today." Cheyanne asked looking over at him.
"We did. She went home." he said quietly as he sat on the chair.
"What happened Roger?" Cheyanne asked trying to sit up, but her 8 months pregnant belly made it difficult.
"It's Jules and the baby. She's been without meds for 2 months because what the doctor gave her after we found out was interacting with what she was already on, so she kept throwing up. Now her t-cells could be low and the baby could be positive." he said looking up at her fighting back tears.
"Roger, I'm so sorry. What are they gonna do?" Mark asked coming out of the kitchen.
"The new doctor's doing tests on Jules and he put her on new meds, but the damage could be done already." he said looking over at him as tears streamed down his face.
"Oh my God. How's Jules handling it?" Cheyanne asked as Mark sat next to her taking her hand.
"She's at home with Beth. She needed to be with her right now." he said getting up from the chair.
"What else?" Mark asked looking up at him.
"She doesn't want to talk about it or anything. She thinks if she ignores it, it'll go away." he said looking over at them.
"What did the doctor say? What are the chances that Jules' t-cells dropped and the baby's gonna be positive?" Cheyanne asked getting up from the couch.
"He said there's a chance that Jules and the baby could be fine, but what if she's lower and the baby's positive?" Roger asked looking down at her.
"But what if Jules is fine and the baby is fine? Roger, you can't count on the worst all the time. You just gotta have faith. There was no way of us knowing if Beth was gonna be positive or negative, but we had faith and did everything the doctor said and thank God, she's negative. We just do what the doctor says and everything'll be OK." she said looking up at him.
"But what if Jules is lower? She could die by the time this baby is born. Then what? I'm gonna lose the only woman I ever loved." he cried looking down at her.
"You're not gonna lose me Roger. I'm right here." she said quietly as tears rolled down her face.
"I thought you were going home Baby." he said rushing over to her.
"I couldn't. I got to thinking about what you said and I couldn't face her. I needed time to think about this baby. About you." she said looking up at him as he took her face in his hands.
"I'm sorry Jules. I wish there was something I could do. I wish I could take this disease from you and make sure our baby doesn't get it." he cried looking down into her blue eyes.
"But we can't Roger. All we can do is what the doctor says and hope it's enough." she cried looking up at him.
"We're gonna get past this Jules, I promise. We'll get through this." he told her before taking her into his arms.
"I'm scared Roger. I don't want our baby to be positive and I sure as hell don't want to die." she cried into his chest as he held her tighter.
"I'm scared too Jules." he whispered leaning down to kiss her head.