Strength in Numbers
"Deep breath." Peter muttered to himself. "Pull yourself together, you have to be braver than this."
Peter's words didn't help his anxiety as he swallowed hard against a dry throat. Hiding in the bathroom to keep Elizabeth from seeing how panicked he was Peter did his best to settle his rebellious stomach. Digging around under the bathroom sink Peter pulled out his travel shaving kit and unzipped the black leather bag. Nestled in the standard razor kit was a small orange bottle with a white cap. The Ativan prescription was several years old but Peter was glad he had kept it. Shaking two pills out into his palm he suddenly hesitated to take them.
"No," Peter shook his head and put the anxiety medication back in the bottle "I have to drive."
Worrying about the way the medication affected his alertness Peter decided to treat his nervous stomach with Pepto Bismol. It didn't really help with the pain but it did cut back on his nausea. Washing his face in the sink to unsuccessfully try and hide the fact that he hadn't slept last night Peter headed down stairs. Bustling around the kitchen Elizabeth was humming a song to herself as she poured honey on an English Muffin that had already been heavily slathered in peanut butter. Peter furrowed his brow, not sure he could ever remember seeing her make something so rich and sweet for breakfast. Crunching into the sticky toasted breakfast Elizabeth looked up at Peter with a guilty expression as honey dripped down her chin.
"Sorry." Elizabeth apologized with a chuckle as she rubbed the honey off her face with the back of her hand. "I'm such a mess, but it just sounded so good."
"If you say so." Peter said doubtfully. "How are you feeling?"
"Good, great in fact." Elizabeth said truthfully. "You on the other hand look awful. Did you sleep at all last night?"
"No." Peter admitted.
"I'm sorry, Hon." Elizabeth said sympathetically. "I made coffee."
"Uh…no thank you." Peter shook his head carefully.
"I don't suppose you'd try eating something?" Elizabeth asked hopefully as she held up the other half of the sickeningly sweet muffin. "Actually you probably wouldn't want this on a good day, but I'll make you whatever you want."
"I'll be okay."
"Everything is going to be okay." Elizabeth said with true optimism in her voice.
"How can you be so sure?" Peter asked in awe more than disbelief.
"Because I've already seen a miracle so I know that they exist." Elizabeth smiled warmly. "No matter what happens nothing can take that away from me. Besides, I really don't think it's anything seri…"
Elizabeth stopped mid sentence as she dropped the muffin in her hand so that she could lash out and grip the counter to keep from falling as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Peter raced around the kitchen island and wrapped his arms around her waist to help stabilize her. Once he was sure she wasn't going to pass out he carefully lead her over to the couch to sit down. Still reeling Elizabeth took a moment to try and regain her equilibrium. With his heart pounding Peter stayed vigilant to catch her if she fainted. All of this had all started a week ago with what Elizabeth had assumed was just a normal mild headache. However the headache had persisted on and off as well as being accompanied by a general malaise and fatigue that had kept Elizabeth from going to work at Light for the Lost for the past three days despite a large fundraiser coming up.
On the second day in a row of coming home from the office and finding Elizabeth fast asleep on the couch Peter had pressed Elizabeth to make an appointment with her doctor. Elizabeth had dismissed her symptoms but when she saw how distressed Peter was she agreed to go in. Then last night when Elizabeth was getting up for what Peter had counted was the fifth time to use the bathroom she had suddenly collapsed. Leaping out of bed Peter was at her side in seconds. By the time he got to her she was already getting back to her feet, she denied that she had actually fainted but Peter had witness Neal pass out in the Labyrinth enough times to recognize the difference between a simple loss of balance and a sudden loss of consciousness.
Peter had wanted to go the ER straight away, but Elizabeth had insisted that she felt fine and that she already had an appointment with the doctor in the morning so there wasn't any sense in sitting in the ER waiting room for hours. Peter hadn't slept again, instead he kept a vigilant watch over her the rest of the night to make sure she continued to breath easily. Sitting next to her on the couch now watching her recover Peter silently berated himself for not taking her into the ER. Elizabeth saw the concern in his eyes and smiled bravely.
"I'm okay." Elizabeth assured.
Peter just nodded, afraid that anything he said would just further betray how terrified he was.
"You have such a terrible poker face, Peter." Elizabeth chuckled as she reached out and rested her hand on his cheek lovingly. "I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy."
"Is the headache back?"
Elizabeth hesitated to answer which instantly told Peter that the answer was 'yes.'.
"We are going to the ER." Peter stated rather than suggested.
"My appointment is in two hours. It's silly to go the ER, even if it is ser…" Elizabeth cut herself off when she felt a noticeable spike in Peter's anxiety. "Even if it is something more than just a bug we won't get answers any faster by going to the ER."
"I hate not knowing." Peter sighed in frustration.
"I understand."
The deep empathy in Elizabeth's voice caused Peter's already laboring heart to ache as he was forced to imagine everything that Elizabeth had been through not knowing where he had gone when he and Neal had been taken. If anyone understood the pain of uncertainty it was her. Gathering her up in his arms Peter held her in a warm embrace. Taking a deep breath he managed to rein his emotions in as he reminded himself that her courage depended in part on his. With her ear against his chest Elizabeth could hear the change in his heartbeat and felt the resolve seep back into his muscles.
"There's the Peter I know." Elizabeth purred happily.
"You're right, we can get through anything." Peter hugged her tighter. "You're the strongest person I know."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Come on, let's go." Elizabeth suggested. "I'm sure Tina will see me a little early."
Peter nodded and kept close as they went out to the car in case her mysterious dizziness returned. Driving to the doctor's office Peter found himself more numb than calm, but her used it to help him stay focused. Until Elizabeth started showing the alarming symptoms Peter had actually made a good deal of headway with his mental recovery from his trials in the Labyrinth. With Sara and Neal reconnecting and exploring a serious relationship Peter had been able to worry less about Neal at night and during the days he could see the positive effect that Sara was having on him already. He was angry at himself for letting what could easily be something very minor with Elizabeth to drag him back into full blown panic.
Determined to do better Peter managed to truly do better as they arrived at the doctor's office. Although he had to admit to himself that waiting alone in the room while Elizabeth went off for blood testing was difficult. Elizabeth returned and after the nurse took vitals they had to wait again before seeing the doctor. Peter felt that they weren't going to get much in the way of answers from a simple office visit but at least they were being proactive and could find out what the next step was. Elizabeth had been seeing Dr. Tina Davis for years and really trusted her, Peter got all his care through the FBI physicians directly and as a result had not actually met her before.
Peter startled slightly when there was a knock at the door to the small exam room. He flashed Elizabeth an apologetic smile and she gave him an understanding smile. Smiling back at her he took her hand as Dr. Davis entered the room. The young looking doctor didn't have any charts or lab results with her which Peter couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad sign.
"Elizabeth, it's good to see you." Davis greeted warmly before turning to Peter. "Agent Burke, it's nice to finally meet you."
"You as well." Peter replied politely but didn't quite manage to hide the tension in his voice.
"Don't worry." Davis assured. "Everything is okay, more than okay in fact."
"How can you know that already?" Peter asked.
"I had a hunch and the first test we ran came back positive, I ran it again just to be sure with the same results." Davis said as she smiled brightly. "Congratulations to you both."
With a sharp elated gasp Elizabeth's eyes lit up with an excited glow, but Peter found himself still confused.
"I'm sorry, Doctor, I…I don't understand."
"Your wife isn't sick, Agent Burke, she's pregnant."
