Chapter 20 One last hurdle
"Wait, I'm ok." Dana said after a minute as she straightened up. She was too, the pain had released. She so didn't want to deal with this now, not here, not after this. She just wanted to call Ryan and go home.
"Better?" Carter was asking and she knew he was really worried, she could see it in his handsome blue eyes.
"Yeah," She said then looked at her hands and then back at him. "Listen I know you called the doctor but I know what's wrong, it's nothing to be worried about."
"Dana you were nearly on your knees." He said frowning, what was she up to? What was going on? Maybe she just ate something that didn't agree with her?
"I…" She began and gasped as yet another cramp hit her. This time Carter didn't just help her he lifted her into his arms and headed up to the spare room.
"Carter I'm ok. I just want to go home." She was saying even as tears streamed down her cheeks. Why was everything going so haywire today? Then again it was not just today it had been crazy for the last two months, every since they'd first gotten together. Why had she even taken that job with lightspeed? She'd known it would be nuts…
Determinedly Carter kept going there was no way he'd let her go like this.
"Not before you're seen by the doctor." Mrs. Grayson told her moving to open the door.
"Why is it everyone keeps saying that to me?" Dana wept plaintively as the pain once more dissipated. Why couldn't things just be ok? Why did everything have to go wrong all of the time? She wondered glaring at Carter. "I'm a doctor."
"And so you make the worst kind of patient." An elderly man announced jovially as he strode into the room and shoed the others out.
***
"Dad, how could you just do that to her?" Carter demanded of his father once they were settled in the study. Ethan was at his oak desk, his wife on the sofa along the back wall and Carter walking the floor.
"Carter you know why." Ethan said as he watched his son pacing anxiously.
"Yes, Dad, I do but I know Dana she'd never hurt me in anyway. She's been protecting me for over two years now." Carter growled rounding on his father.
"She has?" Lillian asked thoughtfully. She'd thought there had been a lot between the looks and way the couple were acting.
"Dad, did you ever watch the tapes of our battles? Did you ever see how she looked after me more than any of the others?" Carter asked and his father toyed with an antique ink well as he watched his son.
"No."
"Well maybe before you attack her you should know who she is."
Carter muttered and continued to walk to the window, where he stood staring out.
***
"So have you experienced any stomach cramping other than today?" The doctor asked checking her stomach. She tried to ignore his prodding, she felt so out f place in the opulent guest room, even with the knowledge it was more of an exam room at the moment. She kept hearing Mr. Grayson's voice in her head over and over asking her that question. She knew he had reasons but it still bugged her. None had ever questioned her integrity in her life. But then there had never been any reason. Maybe that's why it bugged her or maybe it was because this had mattered so much.
"No more than usually." She replied as he kept going. S
"Nausea?" The doctor asked and she nodded after a minute.
"Well, I had a flu um…" Dana told him and he nodded as if to some inner question.
"How long did it last?" He asked and pulled on his stethoscope.
"Um, about two weeks." She said, not adding that it had actually started about that long ago and seemed to hit her in the evening, around seven o'clock.
"And was there any time of the day it was more prevalent?" The man asked listening to her belly gingerly.
"In the evenings but I don't see what this has to do with anything…" She said frowning. The cramp that hit her had Dana whimpering and he was rapidly checking her belly once more. She didn't care though as it felt as if her belly was being torn apart form within.
"Miss Mitchell?" The doctor asked as it once again lightened to a dull ache.
"I'm ok now." She assured him and he looked at her for a long moment then as if deciding something he asked.
"Has there been any fatigue?"
"I've been tired but not more than comes from working long hours." She admitted frowning, what was he thinking? The symptoms sounded familiar but what were they a sign of? Yet as she answered more and more questions a slow suspicion dawned on the young doctor.
"Well Miss Mitchell I'd say you…"
***
"Carter you should sit down before you wear a whole in my lovely carpet." Lillian told her son and he dragged a hand through his caramel hair.
"They should be finished by now." He muttered and stalked to the window once more.
"Carter she'll be alright," His mother told him and hoped it was true. Now as she'd been watching him for the last hour doggedly pacing the study she knew that if something happened to Dana he'd not be the same anymore. There was a glow in his eyes and now she was sure, it was love. It was also the same look in Dana's eyes and that kept flashing through her mind as she watched him.
"You don't know that, I don't know that…" Carter muttered and once more stalked the length of the library.
"Your mother's correct." The doctor looked worn out and Carter wondered what trouble Dana had given him.
"How is she?" Carter asked fairly pouncing on the poor physician.
"Well, she needs to get some rest, cut back on stress and see an obstetrician." The elderly man said and Carter felt as if a bomb had been dropped, all movement stopped in the room, and even breathe hissed in but not out. Did that mean that…?
"But I thought only preg…" he began but his father cut him off.
"You're saying Miss Mitchell's going to have a child."
"yes, I can't' be sure how far along she is without more tests but from what I can tell she's probably about two months along." Carter let that sink in. He knew that was right. Looking at his father he prepared for a fight, he didn't even think about not standing up for himself in these circumstances. No, not now when all he wanted was just with in reach. He'd not let anything go, not ever.
"And none of you have to worry that I'll ask for a penny." The female voice said from the doorway and all turned to gaze at the blonde who was putting away a pink cell phone. She still looked pale and her face was lined with weariness about the nose and mouth. Carter had the feeling the best way to do this was right here, right now. They'd kill two birds with one stone.
"I don't' want anything from your son Mr. Grayson." She was saying even as Carter's plan solidified in his mind. Then he was moving for her, moving towards his future.
"Dana…" He began, reaching for her hand.
"No Carter, I love you but I'm not going to come
Between you and your family. I know how important that is." She said and moved to step back away from him.
"Dana, don't you understand?" He asked catching her arm before she could leave. "You are my family too." He said and she saw his feelings, the love, understanding and so many other things in her blue eyes. "You, I and our little baby growing within you are my family just as much as my parents are and as Ryan is yours."
"Carter…" She began not forgetting the two people who didn't want her to hurt their son. She could understand that. She never wanted to but lately things had been so complicated…
"Well then, welcome to the family Dana." Came Mr. Grayson's voice and both turned to see him coming around the desk as his wife rose from her own seat to smile at them.
"Excuse me?" Dana asked confused, weren't' they worried?
"Carter made some good points today, so did you. I first want to say I'm sorry for coming of like a pencil pushing stuffed shirt." Carter's father said his tone rye.
"Yes, he's really not." Mrs. Grayson smiled at her adding. "Unless you interrupt him during one of his board meetings." His wife rolled her eyes good naturedly. Dana couldn't believe the change in them. Before she'd been ill his father had been bent against her. She then realized that it had been Carter's doing. He really was determined to marry her. A little smile crossed her lips. Maybe this was all just a sign, fate's idea of a little helping hand.
"No more excuses doc," Carter was saying and she found she was now in his arms, and he was gazing down at her. "Is it yes or no?" He said and she was already on her tip toes, pressing her lips to his.
"I'll call the planners we used?" Lillian told her husband. And he nodded glad his son had finally found someone worthy of him.
TBC
***
I really didn't want this chapter but it's what happened. PLZ let me know what you think, and I'll finish the last two chapters.