Third Month
Checkups and Secrets
"Okay, Ms. Barstow. You are looking quite well today." The young doctor told her while she sat nearly naked in a paper examination gown on his examining room table in the OB/GYN office.
"Thank you, Dr. Hunter." Bonnie smiled shyly. "Is there anything else I should be doing?"
He picked up her chart and flipped to a page to make a note. At 42, his practice was well established. He saw Bonnie twice every year for her regular checkups. At her last one she had made no mention of trying to get pregnant. He was therefore surprised to find her pregnant and requesting his services. He knew she was still unmarried and she had already told him that she was very nervous about this baby. "Just continue to eat properly, get some rest when you can, and of course do some exercise. Nothing strenuous, mind you, but some extra walking is always good."
He put down her chart and picked up a prescription pad. With a practiced hand he scrawled something that only a pharmacist would be able to decipher. He tore the top sheet off the pad and handed it to her. "This is for pre-natal vitamins. Take one every morning with your breakfast."
She took the paper and glanced at it.
"Any other questions?" He was asking her.
Bonnie looked down at her still flat stomach. Well, almost still flat. She could see the tiniest hint of a bulge now. Or was that her imagination? She looked back up at the doctor's dark eyes. His equally dark hair was cut and layered in a style that flattered his squarish face. She found his middle-eastern accent fascinating. If she didn't have Michael, then she sometimes liked to imagine that he would have been her next choice. He was as dedicated to his job as she was to hers.
"Well," she said after looking down at the paper to get her mind back on track. "How much weight should I gain?"
"Oh, I'd guess about 90 or so pounds." He told her with a serious tone. Her head shot up in astonishment and fear crossed her eyes before she caught on that he was pulling her leg. He smiled at her, to relax her. "Really you should only gain about 30 or so pounds, with most of it being baby and water. Don't worry, your body will handle this perfectly."
She relaxed at his explanation. Thirty pounds she could deal with. "What about the nausea?"
"Continue to eat small meals, always have something nearby for when you awake. It will strike harder on an empty stomach than one with, let's say some crackers in it. The good news is that morning sickness doesn't really last much more than the first trimester. You're almost through that now." He patted her on the arm and smiled again. "You've done very well, Ms. Barstow."
She blushed and tried to act like she knew what she was doing. "Good. That's the part I've been hating the most."
"If there are no further questions?" He paused and she shook her head. "Then on your way out, I want you to make an appointment for three weeks from today. You will be seeing me on a more regular basis now." He winked at her. "Don't hesitate to call the office if you have any concerns, or any questions that we did not cover today."
"Okay. Thank you, Dr. Hunter." She tried to cover her blush at his last statement.
He smiled one final time then nodded to her and left. She dressed quickly, disposing of the paper gown in the trash, and fixing up her hair before leaving the room. She made her next appointment with the receptionist and paid her co-pay for the visit. As she left the office, she made mental notes of some items she was going to get at the drugstore. She climbed into her car and headed out to fill the prescription. She had to get it done quickly before her presence at the Foundation was missed.
She pulled into the parking lot of the drugstore. As she got out of her car, she grabbed her purse, then locked the door with a push of the button and closed the door.
It didn't take long for her to get the prescription filled, as the place wasn't very busy and it was only moments before he was handing her a huge translucent-orange bottle neatly labeled with her name. Curious, she opened it. The pearly vitamins inside were huge! She had never seen pills this large before. How did he expect her to swallow these horse pills?
She shook her head. That was something she would have to figure out later. She paid for the pills, then returned to her car. When she reached into her purse for her keys, she was puzzled as to why she could not locate them.
She sifted through the contents briefly before glancing up and into the window of her car. Sure enough, there they were, dangling from the ignition.
Oh great. She thudded her head on the window. Now would be an ideal time for her car to have Kitt's ability to auto-unlock the door. Seeing as that wasn't a viable option at this time, she sighed.
At least she had AAA. She reached for her cell phone and membership card. After dialing and reaching the automated service, she waited through the first set of choices and four minutes of pressing in her membership number and then she reached the second set of menus. After wading through the myriad of choices, she began to mentally curse the people who invented telephone menus. Would she ever reach a service specialist? She stabbed her finger over the next option on the menu, and began to feel increasingly agitated as she was presented with yet another list of choices.
"For flat tires, press one," the automated voice intoned into her ear. "For gas refills press two, for towing within 10 miles press three, for towing outside of 10 miles, press four…" Bonnie was about to press any old number as she was getting tired of choices when she heard, "For lockouts, press eight… for all other options, press nine."
She pressed 8 and hoped that this time she would be connected to a live person. There was a brief pause after her choice and she was rewarded with a young woman asking her the location of the vehicle.
"Main Street, and Conchetto Boulevard, in the parking lot of Harrison's Drug store." Bonnie advised.
"Thank you," the woman said politely, "We can have a truck out to you in about 90 minutes."
"What!?" Bonnie nearly shouted into the phone. She was hot, tired, and very frustrated. "Can't you get someone out here sooner?"
"I'm sorry but all of our servicemen are out on calls. The shortest time would be at least an hour."
"Never mind." Bonnie said, then hung up the phone. If she had access to her tools in the semi, she would have been able to get into her car in minutes. A brief glance at the contents of her purse showed her nothing of any real use.
She was going to have to call either Devon, or Michael. She sweeped her gaze across the mini strip of stores. None of them sold anything she could use. Besides Harrison's Drugs, there was a small restaurant, a grocery store and a pet shop.
Sighing heavily she put in the call to Devon. She hoped that she could get him to send out one of the techs with her tools. Her luck must have been bad today, because when he answered and heard of her problem, he advised her that Michael was in the area and he could be here in minutes.
Lovely. Here she was holding a bag of prenatal vitamins and Michael was coming to her rescue. The bottle was way too big to fit into her purse. Thinking fast she ran back into the drugstore and picked up a few more items, including a package of tampons. She paid for her purchases, then waited as the girl bagged the few items. Once she was handed the bag, she stuffed the vitamins into the bottom.
She came out to find Michael leaning against the side of her car. He smiled warmly at her. "There you are. I thought you went and ran off on me."
"I just forgot something and went back for it. I didn't think you would be here this fast." She clutched her bag tightly, and nodded towards the car. "I feel so silly."
"Nah. Don't. It happens to most people at least once in their life." He nodded towards where Kitt was sitting, idling quietly. "Kitt, please unlock this wonderful lady's car door, will ya pal?" He held the comlink down by the lock.
"Right away, Michael." Kitt answered and his scanner swished twice. Two seconds later, the door was unlocked. Michael reached over and opened it for her. "Voila."
"Thank you, Michael." She smiled at him, relieved to be able to get out of here without having to resort to measures such as a coat-hanger in the window, or heaven forbid – break a window. However, Bonnie's bad luck continued to grow for as she approached the car to get in, the plastic bag she was carrying caught on a branch of a nearby bush and tore.
All the items she had bought tumbled out and onto the pavement, with the tampons landing right at Michael's feet, and the vitamins rolling across the ground, stopping against Kitt's left front tire.
Bonnie blushed a deep red, then dove for the items, letting Michael grab the few in front of him while she made a beeline for the vitamins and tried not to make a big deal out of it.
She tossed the items on the seat and took the tampons from Michael who was now blushing slightly himself.
"Ummm, thanks." She placed the box in front of the vitamins and hoped that he hadn't had a chance to get a good look at them. She knew that Kitt had registered the label and made a mental log to talk to him the moment he returned back to the Foundation. She hoped like heck that it wouldn't come up in casual conversation between the driver and the car.
She climbed into her car. "Thanks again, Michael for coming to my 'rescue.' I'll see you later back at the Foundation." She started the car and pulled away.
"Anytime," Michael told her and watched her drive off. He slid into the front seat of Kitt with a definite frown on his face. "Hey buddy."
"Yes, Michael?"
"I've got the distinct feeling that Bonnie is trying to keep something from me. Do you concur?" He tapped the gull-wing with one finger.
"I don't understand, Michael."
Michael started the car and pulled out of the lot, following the route Bonnie had taken. "Well, Kitt, look at it this way. Bonnie is jumpy around me, is always moody and grumpy. I ask her questions, simple ones mind you and sometimes she nearly bites my head off. She avoids any questions about her health even though I know she isn't completely over that last bout with the flu." He ran one hand through his hair as he maneuvered Kitt down the road. "Kitt, I'm worried about her. I caught her throwing up again two days ago. She's not behaving like the Bonnie I know." He sighed lightly. "If I didn't know that she loved me, I would begin to wonder if she was seeing someone else and keeping it from me."
Kitt hesitated on what to say next. Human relationships were not his strong point, although he was getting plenty of time to learn about them with Michael. "Really, Michael?" He let his voice convey doubt. "When has she had the time to do anything?"
Michael worked that response over in his mind as he steered onto the winding drive that led to the Foundation's main grounds. He nodded to the gate watchman and pulled forward. "That's why her behavior bugs me." He parked Kitt behind Bonnie's car. "Kitt, she seemed very jumpy about the contents that spilled out of her bag. Did you get a good look at them?"
"Of course."
Michael waited. Kitt remained silent. Finally he asked impatiently, "Well?"
"Wouldn't you consider this to be an invasion of Bonnie's privacy?" Kitt retorted, not completely certain why he was reluctant to reveal what he had seen.
"No, not really. Not if she has nothing to hide."
"Why not just ask her?" Kitt countered.
"The list, Kitt. What did she buy?" Michael insisted.
"Very well, Michael. But if she asks you, you didn't hear it from me."
"Stop stalling, Kitt." Michael said as he watched the doors of the mansion for Bonnie. Why did it all of a sudden seem as if he was going to hear something forbidden? Like a little child with his hand stuck in the cookie jar, he waited for his mother to catch him.
"There was a bottle of Tylenol, two bottles of nail polish, a package of tampons, a bottle of vitamins, a package of gum and a tube of toothpaste." Kitt recited the list of items.
Michael frowned at the dash. "Anything else?"
"No, Michael."
"Then why was she so jumpy? Was there anything unusual about any of those items?" He again watched the doors and actually hoped that this time Bonnie would come out.
"Nothing suspicious, Michael, but I do have to wonder about the vitamins. I'm concluding that was why she went there in the first place, as those were prescribed for her." He replied now honestly confused as he examined the data from what he had seen.
"What type of prescription?" Maybe this would be the clue he needed to unravel the mystery that was Bonnie. If she was feeling poorly enough to see a doctor and get vitamins, maybe there was something he could do to help her get well.
"They are not her usual type. Michael those vitamins are…" Kitt broke off as the mansion door opened and one of the maids came running out with a hand over her heart. "Mister Knight!" she waved frantically and hollered for him with her loudest voice.
Michael jumped out of Kitt, the mystery of the vitamins still unsolved and bounded up the few steps to the maid. "What is it, Jeanette?"
"It's Miss Barstow," the young maid panted, obviously having run very fast from somewhere. "She's fainted."
Michael stepped around the frantic young woman, calling back over his shoulder. "Where is she?"
"The parlor." Jeanette called back.
Michael entered the mansion at a run, skidding to a stop in front of the entrance to the parlor. Bonnie had passed out onto the floor.
He dropped to her side and automatically felt for a pulse. It was strong and steady. He breathed a sigh of relief. Her breathing was strong as well. He lifted her up and placed her onto the couch, as she was beginning to stir.
"Bonnie? Sweetheart, wake up." Michael coached. "Open those gorgeous brown eyes for me." He turned when he heard footsteps behind him and found Jeanette waiting at the entranceway. "Can you get me a cool cloth?"
Jeanette nodded and left, returning a few moments later to Michael who was still trying to rouse Bonnie. She handed him a cool damp cloth.
He placed it on Bonnie's head. At the cold touch to her skin, Bonnie was jarred awake and was surprised to find herself almost in Michael's arms as he continued to try to wake her. "W-what happened?" Her voice was weak and she felt tired. Her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was fall back into the blackness that had briefly captured her.
His hand traced the contours of her face while he soothed her with comforting words. "Well, from what I've been told, you fainted." His blue eyes watched her carefully.
She could tell he was concerned. "That's odd. I don't usually 'faint' for any reason. I was just coming in the room when it seemed to start to spin." She tried to sit up but the room swam before her eyes and she had to swallow bile.
"No. Don't." Michael cautioned, seeing a tinge of green cross her face. "Lay there for a bit longer." He turned to where Jeanette was watching anxiously. "Go find Devon for me."
"No!" Bonnie yelped which earned her a very strange look from Michael. "I'm fine. There is no need to alert Devon." Her eyes passed from Michael to Jeanette. "You can go back to whatever you were doing. I'm fine. Thank you for your help."
Jeanette stood there, unsure as to whom to listen to. Michael nodded to her. "It's okay. If I need Devon, I'll find him." He flashed her as small smile. "Thank you."
She nodded back. "You're welcome. Feel better soon, Miss Barstow." Then she left the room.
Bonnie was now trying to sit again and this time Michael let her. "Angel, I know something is wrong. Please tell me."
She felt her stomach flip-flop at those words. Did Kitt tell him already what he had seen? Panic gripped her and she felt her blood run cold. She couldn't tell him, not now, not like this! "Uh…" she hedged while he stared at her with unmasked concern. She needed have bothered as her stomach then decided for her that she wasn't going to get to say a word. It lurched violently and she had to clamp one hand across her mouth.
She pushed off the couch so fast that she actually knocked Michael down in her haste to find a bathroom. Luckily for her there was one just up the hall and she ran for it then slammed the door behind her.
Michael had landed on his rump on the floor and looked after her, astonished. "Kitt?" he called for his partner on the comlink.
"Yes, Michael?" came the ever prompt response.
Michael stood and followed Bonnie's path. "What were you going to tell me about those vitamins of Bonnie's?" He found the bathroom she had entered and stood outside the closed door.
Kitt's voice came over the comlink. "Just that they have obviously been prescribed in error."
"Prescribed in error?" he parroted back to the car. He paced briefly outside the door, giving Bonnie a bit of privacy. He could hear the faint sound of retching on the other side.
"Yes, Michael. By a Doctor Jeremy Hunter."
The mystery deepened for Michael and caused him to halt in his tracks. "Kitt, isn't her primary physician Dr. Richard Fredricks?"
"Yes, Michael but Dr. Hunter is also Bonnie's doctor." Kitt replied.
"How is that possible?" Michael asked getting a creepy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The only way for Bonnie to have two doctors was if one was her…
"Dr. Hunter is a gynecologist."
Michael felt his stomach drop a he began to put the pieces of this puzzle together. He stared in shock at the door. "Kitt," he asked slowly and tasting fear in his mouth at the almost expected reply. "What type of vitamins did Dr. Hunter prescribe?"
The door opened then and Bonnie stepped out, looking pale and shaky just as the reply emanated from the comlink. "Pre-natal, Michael."
Dark blue eyes crept up to meet terrified brown. Bonnie had a deer in the headlights look about her. She stood frozen to the spot, unable to say or do anything after Kitt's announcement. It seemed as if the words were still hanging in the air in front of them.
Michael didn't break contact while he raised his arm to his mouth. "Thanks, Kitt." His voice was barely more than a whisper. He lowered his arm slowly.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind while he struggled to keep his expression blank. He wished she would say something, anything to break the growing silence between them.
It seemed as if hours passed by while they stood there. Bonnie could see the struggle on his face but nothing she saw told her that he would be happy if she was pregnant. She saw confusion mix with fear and shock. She finally broke the silence with a sigh. She wasn't going to tell him, not yet. She did the only other thing she could think of. She lied. "It's not what you are thinking."
Of all the things she could have said, this one startled him. "Oh? Enlighten me then."
"I really don't believe that it is any business of yours. It's a personal health matter that I would really prefer not to discuss." She made to move past him but he stepped in front of her path.
"Oh really?" She could tell that he wasn't buying it.
"Yes, Michael. I've been working too hard and not eating very well. Combined with my recent association with the flu, the doctor felt that the extra minerals would help my body recover a bit faster than conventional vitamins." She elaborated the lie and embellished it a bit.
He still looked doubtful. "Are you sure that's all it is?" He asked her in complete sincerity. "If you have something you need to tell me…" he left the question hanging at the end of it.
She nodded as she finally broke the trance he had woven between them. It was hard enough to have to lie to him. She couldn't continue to do so and keep looking in his eyes. She glanced down at the floor. She still hadn't come completely to terms with it herself, how could she expect him to? "Please, Michael," she pleaded. "Just let it drop." She brought her gaze back up, her eyes filled with unshed tears, willing him to accept her explanation.
He sighed and held out his arms. "Consider it dropped."
She stepped into his embrace and rested her head upon his chest, listening to his heart beat beneath his shirt. Her arms wrapped around him and she pulled him close. She almost relented and took back the lie at that point, yet she couldn't find the words to do so.
He rested his chin at the top of her head, while rubbing her back with one hand. "I'm here if you decide you need to talk."
He could feel her nod. He hugged her again then released her. "How are you feeling?"
"I think I should go lay down for a while," she answered him honestly.
"Anything I can do for you?" He was reluctant to let her go just yet. He still had his doubts about her answers, but they did make sense, from a certain point of view, and he did promise her that he would drop the subject.
She shook her head. "Just make sure the techs remember to turn off the recharge unit tonight. I'm not sure when I'm going to get up." She reached out to take one of Michael's hands in her own. He still didn't look very comfortable and she wanted to erase that last lingering strand of doubt from his mind. "I'm fine, Michael." She stated then reached up to kiss him soundly.
He could still taste the mouthwash she had just used as her tongue twined with his, the fresh minty taste both enticing and cool. She broke the kiss and smiled up at him. "I love you, Michael," she whispered breathlessly.
"I love you too, Bon." He replied, equally breathless.
She released his hand and left the room, heading up the main staircase to her suite in the mansion. For now, she knew she had just squeaked out of that mess. She just hoped that she didn't just make things worse. For when Michael found out that she had deceived him on purpose, the resulting explosion might actually be worse than facing him now might have been.
Checkups and Secrets
"Okay, Ms. Barstow. You are looking quite well today." The young doctor told her while she sat nearly naked in a paper examination gown on his examining room table in the OB/GYN office.
"Thank you, Dr. Hunter." Bonnie smiled shyly. "Is there anything else I should be doing?"
He picked up her chart and flipped to a page to make a note. At 42, his practice was well established. He saw Bonnie twice every year for her regular checkups. At her last one she had made no mention of trying to get pregnant. He was therefore surprised to find her pregnant and requesting his services. He knew she was still unmarried and she had already told him that she was very nervous about this baby. "Just continue to eat properly, get some rest when you can, and of course do some exercise. Nothing strenuous, mind you, but some extra walking is always good."
He put down her chart and picked up a prescription pad. With a practiced hand he scrawled something that only a pharmacist would be able to decipher. He tore the top sheet off the pad and handed it to her. "This is for pre-natal vitamins. Take one every morning with your breakfast."
She took the paper and glanced at it.
"Any other questions?" He was asking her.
Bonnie looked down at her still flat stomach. Well, almost still flat. She could see the tiniest hint of a bulge now. Or was that her imagination? She looked back up at the doctor's dark eyes. His equally dark hair was cut and layered in a style that flattered his squarish face. She found his middle-eastern accent fascinating. If she didn't have Michael, then she sometimes liked to imagine that he would have been her next choice. He was as dedicated to his job as she was to hers.
"Well," she said after looking down at the paper to get her mind back on track. "How much weight should I gain?"
"Oh, I'd guess about 90 or so pounds." He told her with a serious tone. Her head shot up in astonishment and fear crossed her eyes before she caught on that he was pulling her leg. He smiled at her, to relax her. "Really you should only gain about 30 or so pounds, with most of it being baby and water. Don't worry, your body will handle this perfectly."
She relaxed at his explanation. Thirty pounds she could deal with. "What about the nausea?"
"Continue to eat small meals, always have something nearby for when you awake. It will strike harder on an empty stomach than one with, let's say some crackers in it. The good news is that morning sickness doesn't really last much more than the first trimester. You're almost through that now." He patted her on the arm and smiled again. "You've done very well, Ms. Barstow."
She blushed and tried to act like she knew what she was doing. "Good. That's the part I've been hating the most."
"If there are no further questions?" He paused and she shook her head. "Then on your way out, I want you to make an appointment for three weeks from today. You will be seeing me on a more regular basis now." He winked at her. "Don't hesitate to call the office if you have any concerns, or any questions that we did not cover today."
"Okay. Thank you, Dr. Hunter." She tried to cover her blush at his last statement.
He smiled one final time then nodded to her and left. She dressed quickly, disposing of the paper gown in the trash, and fixing up her hair before leaving the room. She made her next appointment with the receptionist and paid her co-pay for the visit. As she left the office, she made mental notes of some items she was going to get at the drugstore. She climbed into her car and headed out to fill the prescription. She had to get it done quickly before her presence at the Foundation was missed.
She pulled into the parking lot of the drugstore. As she got out of her car, she grabbed her purse, then locked the door with a push of the button and closed the door.
It didn't take long for her to get the prescription filled, as the place wasn't very busy and it was only moments before he was handing her a huge translucent-orange bottle neatly labeled with her name. Curious, she opened it. The pearly vitamins inside were huge! She had never seen pills this large before. How did he expect her to swallow these horse pills?
She shook her head. That was something she would have to figure out later. She paid for the pills, then returned to her car. When she reached into her purse for her keys, she was puzzled as to why she could not locate them.
She sifted through the contents briefly before glancing up and into the window of her car. Sure enough, there they were, dangling from the ignition.
Oh great. She thudded her head on the window. Now would be an ideal time for her car to have Kitt's ability to auto-unlock the door. Seeing as that wasn't a viable option at this time, she sighed.
At least she had AAA. She reached for her cell phone and membership card. After dialing and reaching the automated service, she waited through the first set of choices and four minutes of pressing in her membership number and then she reached the second set of menus. After wading through the myriad of choices, she began to mentally curse the people who invented telephone menus. Would she ever reach a service specialist? She stabbed her finger over the next option on the menu, and began to feel increasingly agitated as she was presented with yet another list of choices.
"For flat tires, press one," the automated voice intoned into her ear. "For gas refills press two, for towing within 10 miles press three, for towing outside of 10 miles, press four…" Bonnie was about to press any old number as she was getting tired of choices when she heard, "For lockouts, press eight… for all other options, press nine."
She pressed 8 and hoped that this time she would be connected to a live person. There was a brief pause after her choice and she was rewarded with a young woman asking her the location of the vehicle.
"Main Street, and Conchetto Boulevard, in the parking lot of Harrison's Drug store." Bonnie advised.
"Thank you," the woman said politely, "We can have a truck out to you in about 90 minutes."
"What!?" Bonnie nearly shouted into the phone. She was hot, tired, and very frustrated. "Can't you get someone out here sooner?"
"I'm sorry but all of our servicemen are out on calls. The shortest time would be at least an hour."
"Never mind." Bonnie said, then hung up the phone. If she had access to her tools in the semi, she would have been able to get into her car in minutes. A brief glance at the contents of her purse showed her nothing of any real use.
She was going to have to call either Devon, or Michael. She sweeped her gaze across the mini strip of stores. None of them sold anything she could use. Besides Harrison's Drugs, there was a small restaurant, a grocery store and a pet shop.
Sighing heavily she put in the call to Devon. She hoped that she could get him to send out one of the techs with her tools. Her luck must have been bad today, because when he answered and heard of her problem, he advised her that Michael was in the area and he could be here in minutes.
Lovely. Here she was holding a bag of prenatal vitamins and Michael was coming to her rescue. The bottle was way too big to fit into her purse. Thinking fast she ran back into the drugstore and picked up a few more items, including a package of tampons. She paid for her purchases, then waited as the girl bagged the few items. Once she was handed the bag, she stuffed the vitamins into the bottom.
She came out to find Michael leaning against the side of her car. He smiled warmly at her. "There you are. I thought you went and ran off on me."
"I just forgot something and went back for it. I didn't think you would be here this fast." She clutched her bag tightly, and nodded towards the car. "I feel so silly."
"Nah. Don't. It happens to most people at least once in their life." He nodded towards where Kitt was sitting, idling quietly. "Kitt, please unlock this wonderful lady's car door, will ya pal?" He held the comlink down by the lock.
"Right away, Michael." Kitt answered and his scanner swished twice. Two seconds later, the door was unlocked. Michael reached over and opened it for her. "Voila."
"Thank you, Michael." She smiled at him, relieved to be able to get out of here without having to resort to measures such as a coat-hanger in the window, or heaven forbid – break a window. However, Bonnie's bad luck continued to grow for as she approached the car to get in, the plastic bag she was carrying caught on a branch of a nearby bush and tore.
All the items she had bought tumbled out and onto the pavement, with the tampons landing right at Michael's feet, and the vitamins rolling across the ground, stopping against Kitt's left front tire.
Bonnie blushed a deep red, then dove for the items, letting Michael grab the few in front of him while she made a beeline for the vitamins and tried not to make a big deal out of it.
She tossed the items on the seat and took the tampons from Michael who was now blushing slightly himself.
"Ummm, thanks." She placed the box in front of the vitamins and hoped that he hadn't had a chance to get a good look at them. She knew that Kitt had registered the label and made a mental log to talk to him the moment he returned back to the Foundation. She hoped like heck that it wouldn't come up in casual conversation between the driver and the car.
She climbed into her car. "Thanks again, Michael for coming to my 'rescue.' I'll see you later back at the Foundation." She started the car and pulled away.
"Anytime," Michael told her and watched her drive off. He slid into the front seat of Kitt with a definite frown on his face. "Hey buddy."
"Yes, Michael?"
"I've got the distinct feeling that Bonnie is trying to keep something from me. Do you concur?" He tapped the gull-wing with one finger.
"I don't understand, Michael."
Michael started the car and pulled out of the lot, following the route Bonnie had taken. "Well, Kitt, look at it this way. Bonnie is jumpy around me, is always moody and grumpy. I ask her questions, simple ones mind you and sometimes she nearly bites my head off. She avoids any questions about her health even though I know she isn't completely over that last bout with the flu." He ran one hand through his hair as he maneuvered Kitt down the road. "Kitt, I'm worried about her. I caught her throwing up again two days ago. She's not behaving like the Bonnie I know." He sighed lightly. "If I didn't know that she loved me, I would begin to wonder if she was seeing someone else and keeping it from me."
Kitt hesitated on what to say next. Human relationships were not his strong point, although he was getting plenty of time to learn about them with Michael. "Really, Michael?" He let his voice convey doubt. "When has she had the time to do anything?"
Michael worked that response over in his mind as he steered onto the winding drive that led to the Foundation's main grounds. He nodded to the gate watchman and pulled forward. "That's why her behavior bugs me." He parked Kitt behind Bonnie's car. "Kitt, she seemed very jumpy about the contents that spilled out of her bag. Did you get a good look at them?"
"Of course."
Michael waited. Kitt remained silent. Finally he asked impatiently, "Well?"
"Wouldn't you consider this to be an invasion of Bonnie's privacy?" Kitt retorted, not completely certain why he was reluctant to reveal what he had seen.
"No, not really. Not if she has nothing to hide."
"Why not just ask her?" Kitt countered.
"The list, Kitt. What did she buy?" Michael insisted.
"Very well, Michael. But if she asks you, you didn't hear it from me."
"Stop stalling, Kitt." Michael said as he watched the doors of the mansion for Bonnie. Why did it all of a sudden seem as if he was going to hear something forbidden? Like a little child with his hand stuck in the cookie jar, he waited for his mother to catch him.
"There was a bottle of Tylenol, two bottles of nail polish, a package of tampons, a bottle of vitamins, a package of gum and a tube of toothpaste." Kitt recited the list of items.
Michael frowned at the dash. "Anything else?"
"No, Michael."
"Then why was she so jumpy? Was there anything unusual about any of those items?" He again watched the doors and actually hoped that this time Bonnie would come out.
"Nothing suspicious, Michael, but I do have to wonder about the vitamins. I'm concluding that was why she went there in the first place, as those were prescribed for her." He replied now honestly confused as he examined the data from what he had seen.
"What type of prescription?" Maybe this would be the clue he needed to unravel the mystery that was Bonnie. If she was feeling poorly enough to see a doctor and get vitamins, maybe there was something he could do to help her get well.
"They are not her usual type. Michael those vitamins are…" Kitt broke off as the mansion door opened and one of the maids came running out with a hand over her heart. "Mister Knight!" she waved frantically and hollered for him with her loudest voice.
Michael jumped out of Kitt, the mystery of the vitamins still unsolved and bounded up the few steps to the maid. "What is it, Jeanette?"
"It's Miss Barstow," the young maid panted, obviously having run very fast from somewhere. "She's fainted."
Michael stepped around the frantic young woman, calling back over his shoulder. "Where is she?"
"The parlor." Jeanette called back.
Michael entered the mansion at a run, skidding to a stop in front of the entrance to the parlor. Bonnie had passed out onto the floor.
He dropped to her side and automatically felt for a pulse. It was strong and steady. He breathed a sigh of relief. Her breathing was strong as well. He lifted her up and placed her onto the couch, as she was beginning to stir.
"Bonnie? Sweetheart, wake up." Michael coached. "Open those gorgeous brown eyes for me." He turned when he heard footsteps behind him and found Jeanette waiting at the entranceway. "Can you get me a cool cloth?"
Jeanette nodded and left, returning a few moments later to Michael who was still trying to rouse Bonnie. She handed him a cool damp cloth.
He placed it on Bonnie's head. At the cold touch to her skin, Bonnie was jarred awake and was surprised to find herself almost in Michael's arms as he continued to try to wake her. "W-what happened?" Her voice was weak and she felt tired. Her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was fall back into the blackness that had briefly captured her.
His hand traced the contours of her face while he soothed her with comforting words. "Well, from what I've been told, you fainted." His blue eyes watched her carefully.
She could tell he was concerned. "That's odd. I don't usually 'faint' for any reason. I was just coming in the room when it seemed to start to spin." She tried to sit up but the room swam before her eyes and she had to swallow bile.
"No. Don't." Michael cautioned, seeing a tinge of green cross her face. "Lay there for a bit longer." He turned to where Jeanette was watching anxiously. "Go find Devon for me."
"No!" Bonnie yelped which earned her a very strange look from Michael. "I'm fine. There is no need to alert Devon." Her eyes passed from Michael to Jeanette. "You can go back to whatever you were doing. I'm fine. Thank you for your help."
Jeanette stood there, unsure as to whom to listen to. Michael nodded to her. "It's okay. If I need Devon, I'll find him." He flashed her as small smile. "Thank you."
She nodded back. "You're welcome. Feel better soon, Miss Barstow." Then she left the room.
Bonnie was now trying to sit again and this time Michael let her. "Angel, I know something is wrong. Please tell me."
She felt her stomach flip-flop at those words. Did Kitt tell him already what he had seen? Panic gripped her and she felt her blood run cold. She couldn't tell him, not now, not like this! "Uh…" she hedged while he stared at her with unmasked concern. She needed have bothered as her stomach then decided for her that she wasn't going to get to say a word. It lurched violently and she had to clamp one hand across her mouth.
She pushed off the couch so fast that she actually knocked Michael down in her haste to find a bathroom. Luckily for her there was one just up the hall and she ran for it then slammed the door behind her.
Michael had landed on his rump on the floor and looked after her, astonished. "Kitt?" he called for his partner on the comlink.
"Yes, Michael?" came the ever prompt response.
Michael stood and followed Bonnie's path. "What were you going to tell me about those vitamins of Bonnie's?" He found the bathroom she had entered and stood outside the closed door.
Kitt's voice came over the comlink. "Just that they have obviously been prescribed in error."
"Prescribed in error?" he parroted back to the car. He paced briefly outside the door, giving Bonnie a bit of privacy. He could hear the faint sound of retching on the other side.
"Yes, Michael. By a Doctor Jeremy Hunter."
The mystery deepened for Michael and caused him to halt in his tracks. "Kitt, isn't her primary physician Dr. Richard Fredricks?"
"Yes, Michael but Dr. Hunter is also Bonnie's doctor." Kitt replied.
"How is that possible?" Michael asked getting a creepy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The only way for Bonnie to have two doctors was if one was her…
"Dr. Hunter is a gynecologist."
Michael felt his stomach drop a he began to put the pieces of this puzzle together. He stared in shock at the door. "Kitt," he asked slowly and tasting fear in his mouth at the almost expected reply. "What type of vitamins did Dr. Hunter prescribe?"
The door opened then and Bonnie stepped out, looking pale and shaky just as the reply emanated from the comlink. "Pre-natal, Michael."
Dark blue eyes crept up to meet terrified brown. Bonnie had a deer in the headlights look about her. She stood frozen to the spot, unable to say or do anything after Kitt's announcement. It seemed as if the words were still hanging in the air in front of them.
Michael didn't break contact while he raised his arm to his mouth. "Thanks, Kitt." His voice was barely more than a whisper. He lowered his arm slowly.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind while he struggled to keep his expression blank. He wished she would say something, anything to break the growing silence between them.
It seemed as if hours passed by while they stood there. Bonnie could see the struggle on his face but nothing she saw told her that he would be happy if she was pregnant. She saw confusion mix with fear and shock. She finally broke the silence with a sigh. She wasn't going to tell him, not yet. She did the only other thing she could think of. She lied. "It's not what you are thinking."
Of all the things she could have said, this one startled him. "Oh? Enlighten me then."
"I really don't believe that it is any business of yours. It's a personal health matter that I would really prefer not to discuss." She made to move past him but he stepped in front of her path.
"Oh really?" She could tell that he wasn't buying it.
"Yes, Michael. I've been working too hard and not eating very well. Combined with my recent association with the flu, the doctor felt that the extra minerals would help my body recover a bit faster than conventional vitamins." She elaborated the lie and embellished it a bit.
He still looked doubtful. "Are you sure that's all it is?" He asked her in complete sincerity. "If you have something you need to tell me…" he left the question hanging at the end of it.
She nodded as she finally broke the trance he had woven between them. It was hard enough to have to lie to him. She couldn't continue to do so and keep looking in his eyes. She glanced down at the floor. She still hadn't come completely to terms with it herself, how could she expect him to? "Please, Michael," she pleaded. "Just let it drop." She brought her gaze back up, her eyes filled with unshed tears, willing him to accept her explanation.
He sighed and held out his arms. "Consider it dropped."
She stepped into his embrace and rested her head upon his chest, listening to his heart beat beneath his shirt. Her arms wrapped around him and she pulled him close. She almost relented and took back the lie at that point, yet she couldn't find the words to do so.
He rested his chin at the top of her head, while rubbing her back with one hand. "I'm here if you decide you need to talk."
He could feel her nod. He hugged her again then released her. "How are you feeling?"
"I think I should go lay down for a while," she answered him honestly.
"Anything I can do for you?" He was reluctant to let her go just yet. He still had his doubts about her answers, but they did make sense, from a certain point of view, and he did promise her that he would drop the subject.
She shook her head. "Just make sure the techs remember to turn off the recharge unit tonight. I'm not sure when I'm going to get up." She reached out to take one of Michael's hands in her own. He still didn't look very comfortable and she wanted to erase that last lingering strand of doubt from his mind. "I'm fine, Michael." She stated then reached up to kiss him soundly.
He could still taste the mouthwash she had just used as her tongue twined with his, the fresh minty taste both enticing and cool. She broke the kiss and smiled up at him. "I love you, Michael," she whispered breathlessly.
"I love you too, Bon." He replied, equally breathless.
She released his hand and left the room, heading up the main staircase to her suite in the mansion. For now, she knew she had just squeaked out of that mess. She just hoped that she didn't just make things worse. For when Michael found out that she had deceived him on purpose, the resulting explosion might actually be worse than facing him now might have been.