Claire had never felt so sick in her life. She held her stomach, sat with
her face staring into the toilet and vomited. "Life isn't fair!" She
thought to herself. Why did she have to be the one to fall pregnant? Claire
knew that her life would never be the same.
Alex was downstairs having a cup of tea with Meg. "Do you think I'd make a good father?" he asked Meg. "No, not really." She answered. "You won't be a good father - you'll be a great father!" "Thanks." Said Alex. He sat for a while staring into the mug, the steam rose making funny pictures in the air. He heard something from upstairs. It sounded like a muffled cry. "Claire? Is that you? Meg, can your hear that?" "Yea, I'll check it out." Meg ran upstairs and into Claire's room. Surprisingly, she found nothing, until she heard the sound again, coming from the bathroom. "Claire!? Answer me! Are you OK?" Meg heard a quiet "Mhmm." "Claire what are you doing in there?" Meg exclaimed when she found Claire curled up against the bath with her hair matted and her eyes swollen and red. "It hurts so bad, Meg!" "What hurts so bad?" "My tummy! Help me Meg! What happens if I killed the baby?" "You wouldn't have killed the baby Claire, but we should check you out anyway. Come on, I'll help you up." She heaved the blubbering mess up but Claire kept slouching and wanting to fall down again. "ALEX! Get up here NOW!" Alex was there in a flash. He picked her up and her arms fell around him as she gripped his shoulders tightly. "Alex, I'm dying." Claire whispered in his ear. She had almost no energy left in her frail body. "No you're not Claire, don't worry, I'll save you." Meg had already rung the ambulance. As soon as Claire heard the sirens, she refused to lie on the bed. "God Claire, you are so stubborn. Lie down and you'll feel so much better." Tess, Jodi and Becky had arrived back from rounding up the cattle and helped Claire onto the bed. "Alex, don't leave me!" "I wont Claire. I'm right by your side. You'll be OK."
Alex was very worried for Claire and the baby inside her. He felt the way she held him and he knew that this was no ordinary morning sickness. Inside he felt that she would probably have a miscarriage, and he was looking forward to starting a family with the woman he loved. Surely she couldn't lose the child now? It's way to far into the pregnancy?
At the hospital only Alex and Tess were allowed to go into the room with Claire first. A tall, round-faced man with dark-rimmed glasses and a cheesy smile entered and checked Claire's heartbeat and temperature. Alex and Tess waited anxiously for an answer from him. "All's well!" He said. "Just a strain on her lower stomach muscles. Has she been doing anything physically demanding lately? Carrying heavy objects maybe?" "Not that anyone at Drover's knows of?" Tess looked at Alex. "I don't think so." He said. "Ok, well you ask her when she wakes up. We have given her a lot of pain killers and she should wake pretty soon, but not to worry - the baby is perfectly fine."
Alex was so relieved. He felt a heavy weight had just been lifted off his back. Now he could relax and wait for the medicine to wear off, and Claire would awake.
Alex was downstairs having a cup of tea with Meg. "Do you think I'd make a good father?" he asked Meg. "No, not really." She answered. "You won't be a good father - you'll be a great father!" "Thanks." Said Alex. He sat for a while staring into the mug, the steam rose making funny pictures in the air. He heard something from upstairs. It sounded like a muffled cry. "Claire? Is that you? Meg, can your hear that?" "Yea, I'll check it out." Meg ran upstairs and into Claire's room. Surprisingly, she found nothing, until she heard the sound again, coming from the bathroom. "Claire!? Answer me! Are you OK?" Meg heard a quiet "Mhmm." "Claire what are you doing in there?" Meg exclaimed when she found Claire curled up against the bath with her hair matted and her eyes swollen and red. "It hurts so bad, Meg!" "What hurts so bad?" "My tummy! Help me Meg! What happens if I killed the baby?" "You wouldn't have killed the baby Claire, but we should check you out anyway. Come on, I'll help you up." She heaved the blubbering mess up but Claire kept slouching and wanting to fall down again. "ALEX! Get up here NOW!" Alex was there in a flash. He picked her up and her arms fell around him as she gripped his shoulders tightly. "Alex, I'm dying." Claire whispered in his ear. She had almost no energy left in her frail body. "No you're not Claire, don't worry, I'll save you." Meg had already rung the ambulance. As soon as Claire heard the sirens, she refused to lie on the bed. "God Claire, you are so stubborn. Lie down and you'll feel so much better." Tess, Jodi and Becky had arrived back from rounding up the cattle and helped Claire onto the bed. "Alex, don't leave me!" "I wont Claire. I'm right by your side. You'll be OK."
Alex was very worried for Claire and the baby inside her. He felt the way she held him and he knew that this was no ordinary morning sickness. Inside he felt that she would probably have a miscarriage, and he was looking forward to starting a family with the woman he loved. Surely she couldn't lose the child now? It's way to far into the pregnancy?
At the hospital only Alex and Tess were allowed to go into the room with Claire first. A tall, round-faced man with dark-rimmed glasses and a cheesy smile entered and checked Claire's heartbeat and temperature. Alex and Tess waited anxiously for an answer from him. "All's well!" He said. "Just a strain on her lower stomach muscles. Has she been doing anything physically demanding lately? Carrying heavy objects maybe?" "Not that anyone at Drover's knows of?" Tess looked at Alex. "I don't think so." He said. "Ok, well you ask her when she wakes up. We have given her a lot of pain killers and she should wake pretty soon, but not to worry - the baby is perfectly fine."
Alex was so relieved. He felt a heavy weight had just been lifted off his back. Now he could relax and wait for the medicine to wear off, and Claire would awake.