All familiar characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I don't make anything from this
Chapter 28
It only took about twenty-five minutes to get to Dr. Marshall's office in Morrisville. It was a small, cozy looking building with the interior done in pale mauve and cream colors. I assume the soothing colors were supposed to distract pregnant women from the horrors of the upcoming months. I wasn't fooled. The mini Zen garden in the waiting room did nothing to lessen the terror I was feeling.
My hands were shaking too hard to fill out the forms I was given, so Ranger did it for me. He didn't ask me any questions about my medical history. Batman must really know everything about me.
There were three other women waiting, all in varying stages of pregnancy. One woman looked like her water could break at any moment. My hands moved to my belly as I stared at her. Would I really get that big? I told myself that she must be having quadruplets.
I fidgeted for almost a half hour before a pleasant looking woman in her mid to late forties walked through the door.
"Stephanie?" She called, looking around and meeting my eyes. She gave me an encouraging smile as I stood up, Ranger right behind me. I quietly followed her down a narrow hallway and into a small examining room. I almost balked at the sight of the stirrups, but Ranger blocked my escape, a tiny grin playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Not getting out of this, Babe."
The woman chuckled at my reaction. "There's nothing to fear, Miss Plum. I'm Gloria, Dr. Marshall's nurse." I took her hand and noticed that my palms were sweating. I pulled my hand back self-consciously. She smiled again and I could see the amusement in her eyes. Well damn, I'm glad everyone finds me so entertaining lately.
Gloria handed me a paper gown and left me to change. I really hate these things. It's hard to act like a bad ass when it's literally hanging out in the open.
"Need any help?" Ranger's wolf grin was in place. I rolled my eyes and shucked my jeans without answering. When I was as covered as I was going to get, I sat on the table and resumed with my fidgeting.
Ranger sat behind me and rubbed my back in soothing circles. Sighing, I leaned back against him. He knew that I could never stay mad at him for long.
"I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch," I told him. "You've been great ever since you found out."
His arms moved around me, pulling me tighter against his chest. I could feel his warm breath on my ear. "There's nothing to apologize for, Steph. I know you're scared. Nothing wrong with that."
I nodded, feeling my throat clog up with unshed tears. I know that pregnant women got hormonal, but this was a little ridiculous.
The door opened and another woman walked in. She looked to be around my age and she had a smile on her face. "Good morning, Stephanie. I'm Lauren Marshall."
I shook her hand as she sat on her little doctor's stool. "So this is your first pregnancy, I see."
I nodded, feeling Ranger's arms give me another squeeze before letting go.
"Well your first prenatal visit will last about an hour. There will be a short examination and we'll be able to tell how far along you are. After that, we'll go over any questions you might have and get you started on prenatal vitamins."
I still couldn't find my voice, so I just nodded again. She weighed me and took my blood pressure, writing it all down in my file. Then, I had the privilege of peeing in a cup to check for sugar, proteins and bacteria.
Ranger sat beside me during my Pap test. Luckily, my lower half was covered. I know he's seen it all plenty of times, but everything looks different spread wide by cold metal stirrups. I kept my eyes closed tightly, but I could feel Ranger's thumb caressing my hand. I suppose if he weren't here next to me, my blood pressure would be through the roof.
Finally, Dr. Marshall sat back and told me the exam was over. Ranger moved his arm behind my back and helped me into sitting position, taking a seat behind me once again.
"Is everything okay?" He asked the doctor.
"Everything looks fine, Mr. Manoso. You're about seven weeks along, Stephanie. You're in good health; everything seems to be going along just fine." Dr. Marshall gave me a reassuring smile. I exhaled, not even realizing that I had been holding my breath.
Finding my voice, I blurted out, "how long is the morning sickness going to last?"
Ranger laughed and Dr. Marshall smiled. "It varies from woman to woman, Stephanie. For some, the nausea only lasts for a few weeks. For others, it can last up to three months. Very rarely does it last any longer than that."
"With my luck, I'll be throwing up all the way to the delivery room," I muttered, leaning back against Ranger.
"There are a few things you can do now to help with the nausea and vomiting," Dr. Marshall assured me. "Eating small meals throughout the day can help. Usually, the nausea gets worse when you have an empty stomach."
"But what if I can't keep anything down?"
"Some foods settle better than others. Eat a few dry biscuits before getting out of bed in the mornings, and when you do get up, take your time. Jumping out of bed will only make it worse."
I nodded and glanced up at Ranger. He had his blank face on, but I could tell that he was making a mental checklist.
"Bananas and yogurt are good also. If that doesn't work, drink ginger tea and sniff lemons."
I felt Ranger chuckle behind me. Shit, maybe he was a doctor.
"You'll need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, grains and protein. Try to limit the sugar and fat in your diet."
I could feel the knife twisting. I had the disturbing thought that Ranger and Dr. Marshall were conspiring against me.
"If the morning sickness is still excessive, then put a few drops of peppermint oil on a tissue or a handkerchief and sniff it when you feel nauseous."
I could feel Ranger nodding his head. I'm glad he was keeping track, because I had a sudden, all consuming urge for a doughnut.
"Do I have to give up sweets completely?" I would rather die than give up my Ben and Jerry's and Tastykakes.
"Not at all, Stephanie. Just don't overdo it."
Hmmm, the story of my life.
She continued with my restrictions. No smoking, no drinking, no drug use, no over the counter drugs unless I clear it through her.
"What about exercise?" Ranger spoke up. I groaned.
"As long as you don't do anything strenuous. No heavy lifting." Dr. Marshall looked down at the file in her hand. "Walking, jogging, swimming, low impact aerobics and yoga are all good. Listen to your body. If something doesn't feel right, don't do it."
I nodded again. Any more and my head would roll right off my shoulders.
"We'll schedule another appointment for a month from now. Call me anytime if you feel that something's not right."
Ranger stood up and shook her hand. She smiled down at me.
"Don't worry, Stephanie. You'll do just fine."
"Thank you," I whispered, not sure if I should believe her or not. She walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.
I quickly changed and Ranger took my hand and led me out into the waiting room. The receptionist scheduled another appointment for me and then we were free to go.
We were back in Trenton before I spoke. "So how did you know so much about the morning sickness thing? Did you go to medical school or something?"
"Or something," Ranger grinned. "My family mostly consists of women, Babe. Women who make childbearing a sport. I just paid attention."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say to that. He kept driving and I was surprised when he turned toward the RangeMan offices. "I thought you were taking me home."
"I thought you might be hungry," he said. "Ella's had kids and knows what to cook for you."
"Oh." I couldn't argue there. I would probably eat tofu and brown rice if Ella cooked it. I would just pretend it was steak. I looked over at Ranger. He was in his zone.
"Carlos?"
"Yeah, Steph?"
"Do the guys know?"
He looked over at me before turning his eyes back to the road. "I haven't told anyone."
I sat back in my seat and looked out the window. How would the guys react when they found out that their boss knocked me up? I hoped that they wouldn't treat me differently. I didn't want to go from their friend to Ranger's baby's mama.
"They would never think that of you, Babe." Ranger broke into my thoughts. The almost grin was working at his mouth. "All the guys love you. You're like their sister."
"They'll figure out something's up when I don't go after my skips." I said. Shit, I felt like a teenager going to tell her mother that she's having the town bad boy's baby. How pathetic is that?
Ranger pulled into the underground lot and parked. Before I could unbuckle my seatbelt, he was already opening my door for me. I got out and followed him to the elevators, giving the security camera a little finger wave in passing.
Ranger's POVI opened the door to my apartment and waited for Steph to walk inside. She was still a little tense, but I think Dr. Marshall had been successful in calming her down a bit. I know Steph felt bad about her behavior since last night and I hoped she believed me when I told her it was okay. I didn't want her to be scared about upsetting me.
Steph made a beeline for the bathroom while I ordered lunch from Ella. Swearing her to secrecy, I told her about Steph being pregnant. She needed to know in order to prepare the right meals. It probably wasn't necessary, but Ella had a habit of going overboard on the baked goods when my Babe was around. Steph had Ella wrapped around her finger, along with everybody else at RangeMan. They would literally kiss her ass if she asked them to.
Ella had arrived with a loaded tray by the time Steph emerged from the bathroom. She looked a little tired and I could barely make out the lightest of lines under her blue eyes.
"Hi, Ella," she even sounded weary.
"Hello, dear," Ella smiled at Steph and went to set the dining room table. The only time the table got any use was when Steph was here. I think Ella thought it would be a sacrilege for Steph to eat at the kitchen counter.
While Ella was occupied, I walked over to Steph and lifted her chin, inspecting her face. "You tired, Babe?"
Steph gave a tiny smile. "A little bit. I'm still a little overwhelmed."
I pulled her into my arms, resting my chin on top of her head. I could feel her melt against me and I couldn't suppress my smile. I loved that just holding her could make her relax.
"I think I'll take a nap after I eat," I could barely make out her muffled words.
"You know you can stay here if you want," I didn't want to push her, but I really wanted her to move in with me. My apartment was empty without her in it.
"We'll see," she pulled back and gave me a full on smile. Damn, if she kept looking at me like that, I would be a puddle at her feet.
Okay, so I've never had kids and all of the pregnancy stuff came from the internet. I hope it was accurate enough. Let me know what you think : )