"It's a good thing you got her here when you did," the nurse told Doug. "She has a raging kidney infection. We'll have to keep her here for several days to administer antibiotics through an IV."
"When can we see her?" asked Doug.
"She'll be moved to a private room shortly," the nurse replied. "You can go back and see her then." Doug paced the emergency room floor while Clay played aimlessly with his cell phone and Jamie stared numbly at the television. About thirty minutes later, another nurse came and told Doug that Jo had been admitted and was resting comfortably.
She was lying in bed with an IV in her arm, looking very pale, when they entered the room. Her face brightened as soon as she saw her husband and children.
"Hey." Doug sat beside the bed and took her hand. "You gave us all quite a scare there, young lady."
"I didn't want to ruin the camping trip," Jo said weakly. "You guys were having so much fun."
"You mean the pain didn't start just this morning?" Doug was shocked.
Jo shook her head. "It started the first night we were there," she admitted. "I tried my best to ignore it, and for awhile it wasn't so bad, but this morning it just got so intense that I couldn't stand it anymore."
"Oh, Jo, you should have told me when you first started hurtin'!" Doug gently scolded. "I would have brought you to the hospital right away. The camping trip could have waited until another time!"
"I just didn't want to wreck your fun..." Jo mumbled.
"No, no, sweetie! Don't you realize that you're more important to me than any camping trip?"
She grinned. "That's nice to know."
He laughed. "Of course you are!" Softly his fingers stroked her cheek. "Are you feelin' any better now, babe?"
"A little bit. They're giving me something for pain in my IV. They promised me that it wouldn't hurt the baby."
"That's good." Doug swept the hair back from her forehead and kissed it. "Get some rest now."
Jo responded well to the antibiotics and was released from the hospital several days later. Doug took a half day off from work and came to pick her up around noon.
"It feels like I've been gone for ages," she remarked as she entered the house. "What would you like for dinner tonight?" She headed for the freezer to take the meat out to thaw.
"I'll take care of dinner," Doug told her. "You just get some rest."
"Aw, you're such a sweetheart!" Jo gave him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. He grinned and blushed slightly.
He prepared a delicious meal of salad, steak and potatoes that even Clay and Jamie complimented him on. Later, Clay and Jamie were in their rooms and Jo and Doug were together in the living room when Doug selected a CD, and soon the strains of 'I Hope You Dance' by Leanne Womack filled the air. "Shall we dance?" Doug asked Jo.
She went into his arms, the front of her body pressed against his, and as they began to move together, she felt the gentle nudge of a tiny knee from inside her abdomen. "Did you feel that?" she asked.
"Was that her?"
"Uh huh."
His hands softly caressed her back as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I've been such a sicko lately," she mumbled.
"Aw, babe, it ain't your fault!" he told her. "Lots of women have a hard time when they're pregnant. The baby will be here in just a few months, and then everything will be fine again."
"We were so looking forward to being alone together after we got home, and now we have to wait until I've finished my antibiotics," she said. "I feel like it's not fair to you."
"Well, it's even more unfair to you. You're the one who got sick," he pointed out.
"Thanks for being so nice about it," she replied.
"Aw, you don't have to thank me for that," he told her.
Later, they lay cuddling together. "It feels so nice to be in my own bed again," Jo sighed.
"It's great to be able to hold you in my arms again," Doug replied, squeezing her tightly. The baby inside her stirred again. Soon they were both sound asleep.