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Previously in "Distracting," Katie discovered Lily betrayed her confidence, Jessie began to entertain the possibility that Lily knows the true nature of her relationship with Katie, and Lily visited the doctor after a particularly disturbing bout of morning sickness.
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Part 6.1: "Breaking the News"Dr. Wellman's Office
"The spot is too large to be a fetus at this stage of pregnancy," Dr. Wellman explained. She continued to study the spot on the sonogram as Lily asked questions.
"Then what is it?"
"It could be one of a number of things. Really we won't be able to tell much without some additional tests—"
"But, it's not—what does 'a number of things' mean? What could it be?" The doctor's serious demeanor had begun to frighten her. Just minutes ago, Lily believed that she had another human life inside of her, one she would nurture and love. And, now, she had no idea what was happening.
Soliloquy Lily: I had the two girls, and I always thought I'd have another some day—a little boy. You know, my mother had me and my sister and my brother. Two girls and a boy. It thought it would be fitting for Rick and I… It just felt right. It felt like it was time for a boy. I even had the name picked out… Philip. After my dad.
"I'd rather not theorize until we run a few more tests," Dr. Wellman explained. Lily nodded, distracted by all the thoughts—worries, dreams, disappointments—running through her mind.
At that moment, the nurse returned with the blood test results. As Lily watched the doctor examine the results, she became convinced that the news could not be good.
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Colin's Office
"I'm so glad you called this morning," Colin stated as Sam and Rick sat down opposite Colin's desk. "I just got the pictures of the site in Sydney. Wait until you see them."
Rick and Sam exchanged a look. "That's kind of why we're here, Colin," Rick began.
"Of course it's why you're here. We've got a lot of work to do. Oh! I've got the information on the houses I want you two to look at on our trip next week." Colin passed a few packets of information and the pictures across the desk to Sam, who browsed them. By his facial expression, he was obviously impressed.
"Wow," was all Sam could manage.
"I told you, didn't I?" Colin smiled broadly and motioned excitedly for Sam to pass the pictures to Rick. "Rick, take a look at those. You are going to love Australia!"
Rick smiled awkwardly, taking the pictures from Sam. He didn't so much as glance at them. "Ah, actually Colin," he paused to glance at Sam, who was engrossed in thought of the possibilities awaiting him in Australia. "Sam and I have been discussing your offer…"
Sam's expression pleaded with Rick. Sam never hid the fact that he wanted this job. He had fought Rick every inch of the way as they argued at the reception. It's not that Sam didn't understand Rick's reasoning—he did. Hell, he even figured that if he was in the same position as Rick, he would probably want to do the same thing Rick was prepared to do today—turn down the job. But, Sam was in a completely different stage of his life… and he wanted Australia.
"Is something wrong?" Colin asked innocently. "Because whatever it is, trust me, is nothing compared to what I'll be paying you."
"Well, I wish it were that simple," Rick began. "It's an incredible offer… really incredible. I'm just not sure Australia is really feasible at the moment. You see, there's some news. We just found out that Lily's pregnant—"
Colin rose from his desk with his arms spread wide. "Congratulations!" he boomed. Colin reached across the desk to shake Rick's hand. "That's incredible!"
"Thank you," Rick said, shaking Colin's hand. He couldn't help but grin. It was incredible. He and Lily were going to have a baby.
"Great news," Colin continued. "Great, eh?" Colin asked Sam, unaware of the tension between the partners on this subject. Sam forced a smile, which did not go unnoticed by Rick.
Of course Rick felt badly about Sam's position in this whole situation. He had seen Sam's reaction to the pictures of the site, he had seen Sam's pleading eyes… but Lily's health, the baby's health, and the happiness of his family came first.
"We really hate to turn this down—it is a great offer—and if you have any future projects, we'd love to—" Rick said, returning the conversation toward its original purpose.
"Turn this down? Future projects?" Colin interrupted, confused.
"Well, with Lily's pregnancy, you can see how Australia will be problematic for—"
"Problematic?" Colin asked. "Wait. I don't understand. How does Lily's pregnancy affect anything with Australia?"
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Dr. Wellman's Office
"But—I don't understand. I'm not pregnant?" Lily asked. After last week, Lily wasn't sure she could take much more stress or worry.
"I'm afraid not, Lily."
"I took a test."
The doctor nodded. "Unfortunately, a blood test is the only reliable measure of pregnancy." Lily stared blankly into her lap. "I'm sorry," the doctor offered.
Lily sat on the table stupefied. She was having trouble processing the ramifications of what Dr. Wellman had told her, and unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for her to truly grieve the loss of her hopes and dreams of a baby boy. There was the more pressing issue of the sonogram to discuss.
"Truthfully, I'm concerned about the spot we found during the ultrasound. I'd like to have an MRI and CAT Scan done right away. Merely precautions of course..."
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Colin's Office
"There are doctors in Australia—we'll get her the best care we can find. We'll fly and house the entire family for the duration of the project—"
"Even so," Rick interrupted. Colin had been completely unwilling and unable to accept Rick's refusal. The project was slated to be off and running in a few weeks, and if he had to find another firm to work with, the process of selection and negotiating could take weeks, if not months. Not to mention, Colin had been thrilled with the work Rick and Sam produced on The Dreiser project.
"It's not as if we're turning you down, Colin." Sam interjected. Colin and Rick had nearly forgotten Sam was still in the room. After all, he hadn't spoke since he began to look over the pictures of the site. Colin turned all attention toward Sam, intrigued by the prospective hope Sam's statement gave for their inclusion in the project. Rick, on the other hand, seemed utterly perturbed at Sam's suggestion that they may take the job, since Rick had been very adamant about turning down the project after news of Lily's pregnancy.
But, Sam wasn't of the same frame of mind. Rick's decision-making process left Sam feeling excluded and expendable. He thought Rick had failed to take his best interests into consideration. The whole thing reeked of selfishness. This was a huge opportunity, and even if Rick intended to slam the door, Sam wasn't ready to give up Australia just yet.
"While it's not feasible for Rick to continue on with the Australia project, I still intend to be involved," Sam explained.
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Next time in "Distracting," Sam makes his own decision regarding Australia, Rick calls a family meeting to announce Lily's pregnancy, and Jessie and Grace have a rematch.
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