CHAPTER 39
Adam stirred when the nurse came in to change Beth's I-V bottle, and started to move from the
bed, but the woman smiled and motioned for him to stay where he was. She could see that
finally the blood pressure readings were almost normal and knew there was no harm … in fact his
presence seemed to have calmed her patient.
When Beth finally woke up, it took her a minute to realize where she was. In her dream she had
been back on the sofa in her living room … nestled in Adam's arms. She fought the urge to open
her eyes, afraid that the feeling of warmth and comfort would disappear … but when she couldn't
lie still any longer, she was relieved to find it hadn't been just a dream after all. Adam was there
… he was holding her …
Adam heard her sniffle, felt her move to wipe her face and he worried.
"Hey … hey … What's the matter?" he asked softly, raising himself a little so he could see her
face. "Are you in pain? Do I need to get the nurse?"
"No … no Adam … I'm fine." She whispered. "I was just dreaming … and then I realized it wasn't
a dream … and I couldn't help blubbering like the baby I'm becoming."
"With all you've been through, you're allowed … hormones or no hormones." He replied, trying to
make her feel better, stroking her hair back from her face. "I'm just sorry your dream frightened
you Beth … I wish I could make the nightmares go away."
"It wasn't a nightmare." She said, knowing he was going to really think she was a sap when he
heard why she was crying.
Adam shifted and let her roll on her back so she didn't have to stretch over her shoulder to look at
him. "I was dreaming we were back at the house … on the sofa … and you were holding me."
She admitted, looking up into his eyes.
"And that made you cry?" Adam wiped the last trace of dampness from her face with his thumb
as he continued to stroke her face.
"I cried because when I woke up … it wasn't a dream … you were really here … holding me …"
her eyes betrayed the fact she was about to tear up again and Adam's insides rolled over just
looking at her, realizing how much he cared about her.
Tenderly he cupped her chin and tilted her face upward, hesitating only a second before closing
the space between and kissing her quivering lips softly.
Frustrated by the I-V and monitor strapped to her arm, Beth wanted nothing more than to turn and
wrap her arms around him and show Adam how much she needed him. But that was
impossible.
"I hate needles. " she groaned "Can you get me out of here?"
"The answer to that question would be no." Beth's ob-gyn said from the door. He'd been given
her charts the first thing that morning and was not pleased.
"But I'm better … really I am." She argued as Adam slipped off the bed and leaned against the
wall, giving the doctor room to check everything.
"You are a lucky young woman. Do you know that?" the doctor told her as held a little light in
front of her, checking her pupil reflexes. "And so is your baby."
"We're going to be ok aren't we? The baby is still all right?" she asked anxiously.
"The baby is fine … and you are improving. But you need complete bed rest … and a non-
stressful environment."
"Bed rest? This early in my pregnancy?" she asked.
"I want to keep you here for the next 3 or 4 days so we can monitor you around the clock and so
you can get complete rest." He turned to look up at Adam. "It's really not negotiable … not if she
wants to carry this baby to term.""
Adam nodded.
"But Adam … I could rest at home." Beth really didn't want to stay in the hospital any longer.
Adam walked over to the side of the bed and leaned his hands on the mattress, looking directly
into her eyes. "Beth, your doctor says you could lose the baby if you don't do this. Yes … if you
were at home I'd make sure you rested … but I think he's saying that although things 'look' fine,
there could be something he can't see … and that's why you need these monitors and nurses
and all the care they can provide. Four days is not forever … but if you don't … a lifetime without
your baby will be." His voice was gentle, but his words were as direct with her as they could be.
"He's right Ms. Parker." The doctor confirmed.
Beth leaned back against the pillows, her lower lip pouting.
Adam cuffed her chin playfully. "Be a good girl and I'll bring you back a quart of that chowder you
like."
Beth gave him a sarcastic smirk, still not happy about this … but she'd take the chowder.
"If you don't mind, I need to finish checking her out." The doctor said, wanting Adam to step back
and give him room. He started to move the blanket and sheets off of her, obviously so he could
check for tenderness in her womb.
"Uhm … " Beth grabbed the sheet before he could pull it away, looking up at Adam bashfully.
"I'll wait outside." He said, realizing her need for privacy.
He walked out to find Amanda and Duncan coming down the hallway with a bouquet of flowers
and a small suitcase he guessed contained some of Beth's things.
"You leaving?" Duncan asked as they met him in the hall.
"No … I was just going to find a coffee machine … the doctor is in with her now." He told them,
running his hand through the top of his short hair.
"I didn't think you would be going anywhere …" Amanda told him. "So on top of some things I
knew Beth needed … I put a fresh sweater and there's a small bag with … well toiletries and
stuff."
"You've been in my underwear drawer haven't you Amanda?" he grinned, teasing her.
"Actually I was surprised to find that you owned any …" She threw back.
"Uhm I hate to break this up … but would you mind going in to see Beth alone? I need to speak
with Adam." Duncan said, setting the suitcase down outside the door.
"You are going to show him the package?" Amanda asked.
Duncan nodded.
"What package?" Adam asked as he followed Duncan
Adam stirred when the nurse came in to change Beth's I-V bottle, and started to move from the
bed, but the woman smiled and motioned for him to stay where he was. She could see that
finally the blood pressure readings were almost normal and knew there was no harm … in fact his
presence seemed to have calmed her patient.
When Beth finally woke up, it took her a minute to realize where she was. In her dream she had
been back on the sofa in her living room … nestled in Adam's arms. She fought the urge to open
her eyes, afraid that the feeling of warmth and comfort would disappear … but when she couldn't
lie still any longer, she was relieved to find it hadn't been just a dream after all. Adam was there
… he was holding her …
Adam heard her sniffle, felt her move to wipe her face and he worried.
"Hey … hey … What's the matter?" he asked softly, raising himself a little so he could see her
face. "Are you in pain? Do I need to get the nurse?"
"No … no Adam … I'm fine." She whispered. "I was just dreaming … and then I realized it wasn't
a dream … and I couldn't help blubbering like the baby I'm becoming."
"With all you've been through, you're allowed … hormones or no hormones." He replied, trying to
make her feel better, stroking her hair back from her face. "I'm just sorry your dream frightened
you Beth … I wish I could make the nightmares go away."
"It wasn't a nightmare." She said, knowing he was going to really think she was a sap when he
heard why she was crying.
Adam shifted and let her roll on her back so she didn't have to stretch over her shoulder to look at
him. "I was dreaming we were back at the house … on the sofa … and you were holding me."
She admitted, looking up into his eyes.
"And that made you cry?" Adam wiped the last trace of dampness from her face with his thumb
as he continued to stroke her face.
"I cried because when I woke up … it wasn't a dream … you were really here … holding me …"
her eyes betrayed the fact she was about to tear up again and Adam's insides rolled over just
looking at her, realizing how much he cared about her.
Tenderly he cupped her chin and tilted her face upward, hesitating only a second before closing
the space between and kissing her quivering lips softly.
Frustrated by the I-V and monitor strapped to her arm, Beth wanted nothing more than to turn and
wrap her arms around him and show Adam how much she needed him. But that was
impossible.
"I hate needles. " she groaned "Can you get me out of here?"
"The answer to that question would be no." Beth's ob-gyn said from the door. He'd been given
her charts the first thing that morning and was not pleased.
"But I'm better … really I am." She argued as Adam slipped off the bed and leaned against the
wall, giving the doctor room to check everything.
"You are a lucky young woman. Do you know that?" the doctor told her as held a little light in
front of her, checking her pupil reflexes. "And so is your baby."
"We're going to be ok aren't we? The baby is still all right?" she asked anxiously.
"The baby is fine … and you are improving. But you need complete bed rest … and a non-
stressful environment."
"Bed rest? This early in my pregnancy?" she asked.
"I want to keep you here for the next 3 or 4 days so we can monitor you around the clock and so
you can get complete rest." He turned to look up at Adam. "It's really not negotiable … not if she
wants to carry this baby to term.""
Adam nodded.
"But Adam … I could rest at home." Beth really didn't want to stay in the hospital any longer.
Adam walked over to the side of the bed and leaned his hands on the mattress, looking directly
into her eyes. "Beth, your doctor says you could lose the baby if you don't do this. Yes … if you
were at home I'd make sure you rested … but I think he's saying that although things 'look' fine,
there could be something he can't see … and that's why you need these monitors and nurses
and all the care they can provide. Four days is not forever … but if you don't … a lifetime without
your baby will be." His voice was gentle, but his words were as direct with her as they could be.
"He's right Ms. Parker." The doctor confirmed.
Beth leaned back against the pillows, her lower lip pouting.
Adam cuffed her chin playfully. "Be a good girl and I'll bring you back a quart of that chowder you
like."
Beth gave him a sarcastic smirk, still not happy about this … but she'd take the chowder.
"If you don't mind, I need to finish checking her out." The doctor said, wanting Adam to step back
and give him room. He started to move the blanket and sheets off of her, obviously so he could
check for tenderness in her womb.
"Uhm … " Beth grabbed the sheet before he could pull it away, looking up at Adam bashfully.
"I'll wait outside." He said, realizing her need for privacy.
He walked out to find Amanda and Duncan coming down the hallway with a bouquet of flowers
and a small suitcase he guessed contained some of Beth's things.
"You leaving?" Duncan asked as they met him in the hall.
"No … I was just going to find a coffee machine … the doctor is in with her now." He told them,
running his hand through the top of his short hair.
"I didn't think you would be going anywhere …" Amanda told him. "So on top of some things I
knew Beth needed … I put a fresh sweater and there's a small bag with … well toiletries and
stuff."
"You've been in my underwear drawer haven't you Amanda?" he grinned, teasing her.
"Actually I was surprised to find that you owned any …" She threw back.
"Uhm I hate to break this up … but would you mind going in to see Beth alone? I need to speak
with Adam." Duncan said, setting the suitcase down outside the door.
"You are going to show him the package?" Amanda asked.
Duncan nodded.
"What package?" Adam asked as he followed Duncan