The next morning started out similar to the morning before. Megan noticed immediately upon awakening that her nausea was still present and rolling in her stomach. She silenced her alarm and sat up in the dark room rubbing a hand over her face, staying perched on the edge of her bed for a few moments before standing and making her way to the bathroom. After turning on the shower she stripped off her nightgown and then stepped into the spray, relishing the feeling of the heat of the water on her back.
Megan didn't feel much better after her shower and decided to forgo the coffee this morning entirely. Instead, she poured herself a small glass of orange juice and toasted a single piece of this bread. She nibbled the toast and sipped the juice until they were gone, hoping that something in her stomach would help to settle it. She placed her dishes in the dishwasher and returned to her bathroom to finish getting ready before Peter arrived.
At 0730 sharp there was a knock at her door. Megan pulled the door open to reveal Peter standing in the hallway in his usual jeans and leather jacket. Despite how crummy she felt she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at the sight of the man. Peter took a step forward, leaning in to place a kiss against her lips.
"Good morning, Megan."
She smiled again. "Good morning, Peter."
"I just got a call on the way up. A body was found by a maintenance worker at Campbell Square this morning."
"Alright, let me just grab my jacket and my bag and we can go."
Peter pulled up to the perimeter of the crime scene, putting the car into park and turning off the engine. The pair stepped out into the brisk November air and started toward the police line. The car ride had done nothing to improve Megan's nausea and she was grateful for the small relief the cool breeze seemed to give her. Flashing their ID, they stepped under the police tape held up for them by an officer and headed to where the body lay. Bud and Sam were conversing off to the side and waved.
"What have we got, Bud?" Peter asked as he donned a pair of gloves and flicked his camera on.
"Unidentified male found down this morning by a maintenance guy. Looks like blunt-force trauma to the head and the amount of blood around suggests he was killed here and not dumped."
Megan grabbed a pair of gloves from her bag and slipped them on, squatting down next to the body. Peter began taking photos while she reached out and began to get a closer look at the wounds on the man's head. Suddenly, the nausea she had been fighting all morning became overwhelming and she took a deep breath. Throwing-up on a body was highly frowned-upon, so she quickly stood up and headed for the trash can she had seen under a pavilion about 50 feet away.
"Megan?"
She waved a dismissive hand towards Peter as she hurried the last few feet. She reached out and grabbed the edge of the barrel, leaning over and throwing up the measly breakfast she had consumed. She almost immediately felt hands draw her hair away from her face and then one gently rubbing her back. She didn't have to look to know that it was Peter who had rushed to her side while she puked in a trash can at an active crime scene. She heaved several more times, even after her stomach was empty, and felt her eyes begin to water. Finally she felt like she was done and she straightened her back and accepted the proffered tissue held out to her.
"Why didn't you tell me you were sick this morning?" questioned Peter as she wiped her eyes and her mouth with the tissue.
"The nausea didn't seem as bad as yesterday morning so I didn't think it was worth mentioning."
"You were sick yesterday, too?"
"I'm sure it's just something I ate," Megan reassured as Peter sighed and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Sam appeared next to the pair and held out a bottle of water. "Thanks." Megan uncapped the water and took a sip, rinsing her mouth and spitting into the trash. She took a couple of hesitant sips and then screwed the cap back on.
"Why don't you wait in the car while I finish up?" Peter suggested as the group made their way back to where the body lay.
"Really, Peter, I feel better now," Megan protested. Peter raised an eyebrow at her and she got the feeling that he was ready to dig in his heels on this one.
"Why don't you at least sit on the bench over there. You'll still be close enough to boss everybody around." Peter grinned as she slipped on a clean pair of gloves and picked his camera up from where he'd sat it down when he came to her aid. Megan narrowed her eyes, but sat on the bench without another word.
Once Peter had finished his work he left transport to package the body as he and Megan made their way to the car.
"Are you sure you don't want me to take you home?" Peter questioned as he started the engine and backed out onto Allegheny Ave.
Megan sighed. "I'm fine, Peter. I have a body to attend to. I'm sure whatever it was will be gone by tomorrow, anyways."
Peter simply nodded and drove the pair to the office.
It was not "gone tomorrow". The following day on the way into work, Megan demanded that Peter pull the car over *right now* before she pushed the door open and threw up the breakfast that she hadn't eaten on the side of the road. When she was done she sat back up in her seat and reached for her water to rinse her mouth.
"This is getting a little ridiculous, Megan." She couldn't argue with him there.
"I'm fine, Peter. Let's just go." Her tone suggested she didn't want to discuss it further, and Peter rolled his eyes as he pulled back onto the road. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
In the elevator on the way up he saw her close her eyes and take a couple of measured breaths.
"Seriously, you need to see a doctor..." Peter started.
"I am a doctor, remember?" Megan interrupted.
Peter continued undeterred. "You've been sick for three days in a row, I think you need to accept that it's not something you ate."
The elevator came to a stop and the door opened. Megan took off towards her office with Peter trailing behind her. "I think you need to go check on the tox screen that I've been waiting on since yesterday."
Peter rolled his eyes, but turned and headed for the lab. Megan continued to her office, dropping her bag on floor next to her desk and dropping down into her chair. She put her head in her hands and groaned. Her head was throbbing and she was so tired. The vomiting was getting a little out of hand and Peter was right, it likely wasn't food poisoning. She knew that he was just concerned about her health and that she was being unfair to him, but she couldn't help it. She was miserable and grumpy and if she didn't know better she'd think her period was getting ready to start.
Wait.
Megan pulled her calendar from her bag and opened it up. She had to flip back to September until she saw any little stars drawn, indicating the days of her period. That meant that she should have gotten her period almost three weeks ago.
No.
It couldn't be. She had an IUD and they were over 99% effective. But not 100%. She narrowed her eyes at the voice in her head. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Dr. Hunt?" Megan looked up to see who was standing in her doorway.
"What do you need, Ethan?"
"I finished prepping the tissue slides you requested."
"Thanks, I'll be right there." The younger man turned and walked away. Megan sighed before, standing up. She'd have to deal with this later.
After much prompting from Peter, Megan allowed herself to pack up her things and leave the office early. Peter was just finishing up his report and told her he would pick up some dinner and be to her apartment shortly.
On her way home, Megan stopped at the drug store a couple of blocks from her place, quickly grabbing two pregnancy tests off of the shelf and checking out. As soon as she entered her apartment she grabbed one from the bag and went into the bathroom. She had to know.
After recapping the test she placed it face down on the counter and began her wait. She was still highly skeptical. Lacey had been far from an accident. She had tracked and charted her ovulation and sex with Todd had been all but scheduled around her fertile days. Despite this, it had taken her almost a year to get pregnant. She and Peter hadn't been together nearly that and she was utilizing birth control.
After waiting an extra couple of minutes, just to be sure, she hesitantly reached out and picked up the test, flipping it over as she did. The pink plus sign was glaring.
Well, shit.
Megan heard her front door open and close and then Peter setting their dinner on the kitchen table.
"Megan?"
"In here," she replied, instinctively holding the test behind her back. Peter appeared at the door.
"Are you sick again?" he questioned, looking concerned.
"No, I'm ok," she assured. She couldn't seem to produce any further words and just stood and stared at him.
"Ok, then why are we standing in the bathroom?"
"I, uh..." Megan produced the test from behind her back and held it up for Peter to see. He looked at it for a moment, eyes widening as he looked back at her.
"Really?"
Megan huffed out a laugh. "Really. Apparently I'm part of the less than one percent of women who get pregnant with an IUD." She looked down at the floor, suddenly overwhelmed.
Peter took a step towards her, reaching out and placing a hand on her cheek. "What are you thinking, Megan?"
She looked up at him and he could see tears welling in her eyes. "About how the fact that I did get pregnant with an IUD increases the chances of it being an ectopic pregnancy. About the increased risk of chromosomal anomalies and other complications due to my age. I'm 42 years old!"
"Don't you know that 42 is the new 32?"
"Peter..."
"Hey, it's ok. We'll get through whatever happens, ok? Together." He saw the tears run over and down her cheeks. He reached out and pulled her into a hug, placing a kiss on her forehead as he did so. They stood like that for a few long moments until suddenly the test fell from her hand, clattering on the tile floor. She squeezed her hands together, groaning lightly at the prickling sensation there. He bent over and picked the test up, turning it over in his hand.
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
"That I hope this doesn't have your pee all over it," he replied with a smirk. She scoffed, punching him in the shoulder before drawing him back into a hug.
"Just for that I'm going to make you come with me when I tell my mother." She felt him chuckle and squeeze her tighter.
I haven't finished the series yet, and I don't know if they ever stated Megan's age, but regardless I took a little creative license.