CHAPTER NINETEEN – Vampires and Doctors and D.A.s, Oh My!
Mick rose soundlessly from his freezer and went to his own shower so he wouldn't wake Beth. Whatever his life had been before, he had to admit, it was nothing compared to now—even such a small change as sleeping in the same room with her—it made him rise with a new energy; a new lust for life. At last he had that indefinable thing he had always wanted, and she was the one who was responsible for giving this gift. She was not only his wife, but his best friend, his lover and soulmate--'his' Beth!
He reached to turn on the warm water and he let it run over his head for a while; he was deep in thought. This had all happened quickly, but then again, not really, as he contemplated all of the years in between finding Beth and falling in love with her. How ironic that Coraline, of all people, completely unaware of what she was doing, had chosen his perfect mate! He smiled, thinking of how crazy life was, but mostly he simply thanked God and the Universe for this extraordinary chain of events that had at last brought him peace and a deep sense of wonder and joy.
He reached for the shampoo and tried to hurry this morning ritual, eager to get back to the bedroom. He usually tried to get a few hours of freezer time in while she slept, and more while she worked—daytime was his best sleep time. They had had to navigate this daytime/nighttime schedule conflict, and were managing it fairly well. His favorite part of the day was now, because after he was warmed up from the shower, he would slide into their bed behind her as she slept, cuddling and holding her as she woke in his arms. Usually they made love and talked about the day ahead, unless she had morning sickness. He hoped that would pass soon!
Being with Beth, he thought, especially in the quiet of the new day, was like nothing he had ever felt before. Day by day, bit by bit, he was reassembling the pieces of himself that had long ago been torn from him, making him feel more and more whole as time passed. She was so much a part of him now, his other half, and she grounded him as she healed him.
Happy! It was a feeling lost so long ago that he could barely remember how it felt, but he thought this must be it. What Beth gave to him was absolutely priceless—she was giving him back his humanity, and he reveled in that feeling! To feel like a man again! A man who was looking forward to a normal life with a wife and a child. After fifty-some years of feeling like a monster, normal was exhilarating!
Smiling, he shut off the water. He stepped out and toweled off, so eager to get done that he didn't bother drying his hair. Leaving it damp, he walked over to his mini-fridge, now installed in his bathroom for convenience, and pulled out a bag of A-positive, which he drank in just a few large gulps. He didn't want to be with Beth until he had fed. He finished and threw the container in the trash, then headed back to their bedroom, where he slipped silently under the covers behind her as she slept soundly in the pillowed softness of the bed. He put his arm over her and kissed her neck, and just like always, she nestled into him and purred. Ah! How he loved the feel of her! He slid his arm up under her tee shirt and cupped one of her breasts, beautifully full and slightly heavier than even a few weeks ago, and his mind filled with the lovely image of their little one suckling at her breast, a picture that made him feel both aroused and blissfully content.
He gazed at her in wonder, feeling that each new day brought even more joy, and his heart filled once again with a love so profound that it brought swift tears to his eyes. He bent and kissed her ear softly, tenderly, as he felt her move against him and sigh with contentment. He marveled at how she fit so perfectly with him, no matter what position they took, as she molded her body to him in rapture or in companionship. Her mind fit with his as well, and lately it was rare that they weren't on the same page. Her scent was divine, and he drank it in, enjoying it in small sniffs so it wouldn't overwhelm him. His hand slid down to her belly and he thought of his baby inside of her, and the miracle of it made him want to laugh and jump and weep with joy all at the same time. He felt her place her hand over his.
"Our baby, Mick," she murmured in half-sleep.
"Our baby, half you and half me. I love you so," he whispered against her ear. He kissed her hair, rich with her scent, made even more delectable by sleep. He remained still, allowing her the few last moments of quiet slumber before the new day began, and he realized he didn't want to let her go. He would, if possible, freeze this tiny frame of time forever and live right here, right now, forever, and it would be enough--more than enough—certainly more than he had ever thought possible! Her love filled him up to overflowing, and the wonder of that feeling alone was overwhelming to him! He had thought once that he lived for her, but he hadn't known squat. Living for her now was beyond anything he could comprehend, and life without her was incomprehensible!
He would take care of her and their child, putting their safety above all else—he cared not one whit what the cost would be, for any price he ever paid for their lives would never be too much! His concern over the threat of anything harming her was something that gnawed at the peace he sought so fiercely.
"Mmmmmm. Oh, Mick—let's stay in bed all day," she mumbled as she turned around and pressed herself against his chest, wrapping a leg over him.
"My thoughts exactly." He kissed her forehead and held her as she drifted back into the world of somewhere between reality and sleep. She'd wake soon enough, and then they would have to talk, since he felt the urgent need to caution her about her safety, but for now, this was too sweet a moment to shatter.
--
By the time I came downstairs for breakfast, Mick had a toasted bagel slathered with strawberry cream cheese on a plate, a small glass of orange juice and hot tea waiting for me. He knew I was a little shaky these mornings—after being sick, I'd feel a little light-headed, but the shower usually revived me enough to function.
"Beth?" he said as he took up his usual spot of leaning on the counter, looking at me while I ate.
"Yes Mick?" I smiled as I chewed.
"You're over four weeks pregnant now—don't you have to see a doctor soon?"
I took a sip of juice and nodded, smiling secretly, pleased that he took such an interest in the health of his 'family.'
"Yes, I do. In fact, I am going to make an appointment with my family doctor to have my first checkup. I think if I go in around six weeks, that will be fine. I'm really feeling good!" I looked at him and noticed the intensity of his stare.
"Oh, yeah! So you say! You're sick every morning now!" He stood up and crossed his arms over his bare chest. He looked so adorable when he was overly concerned.
"And it's perfectly normal, 'Daddy!' Just don't get too stressed out here!"
He relaxed visibly. "I know—it's just so exciting. Can I go with you?" His eyes were pleading and hard to resist.
"You may drive me there and wait in the waiting room," I said in a way that let him know my limits.
"Really? I thought fathers came along on the appointments!"
He was seriously thinking I'd invite him along on a pelvic exam?
"I'm sure she'll talk to you after she's examined me—that's fine. And when I get my first ultrasound, it would be fun to have you there, but most of the prenatal stuff is pretty ordinary, I hear."
"Oh." He looked disappointed. "Well, maybe so, but not to me."
I munched and threw out something I knew would be an issue, and hoped he wouldn't be inordinately worried about it: "I'll have to tell her about our Rh incompatibility and see what she says."
"What's wrong with our compatibility?" His forehead wrinkled, then a look of understanding dawned in his eyes. "OH! My blood type when I got you pregnant was A-positive, and you're AO-negative! That's a problem?" He looked a little troubled.
"It won't be a problem for us, Mick." Thanks to a discovery many years ago, they have a means to keep anything bad from happening to the baby."
Dusting off his distant memory, he was suddenly excited. "I think I remember that! I remember that the Rh thing used to kill babies, or be really harmful, and then somebody used monkeys and invented. . ."
"RhoGam it's called now, and we will be fine, but as long as we know about it, we can mention it."
"Good idea." I was glad he wasn't obsessing over this little thing. "So when can we find out if it's a boy or a girl?" He was definitely over the hump.
"Do you WANT to know before it's born? Some people wait until the birth!"
"Why? Seems it would be easier to know ahead of time!"
"See how you feel when the time comes. It's way too early to tell right now."
He reached over and took my hand. "I just want it to be here, and I want it to be healthy, and most of all, I pray for you to be safe." He kissed my palm, and I touched his chin.
"I know, honey, but really—don't fret! Women have babies every day! We'll all be great because we are St. Johns! I hear they have very strong genes!"
He looked at me with an amused expression. "I hope that's enough."
"It will be! Trust ME for once, worrier!" I threw my napkin at him, and he deftly caught it midair.
"You're right, and speaking of worrying? I'm going to drive you to work. I have to get moving on finding out about this "list," and I also have to figure out what Coraline is up to! You stay with people all of the time, do you hear me? Never venture out on your own until I know it's safe!"
I could see that he worried, and I didn't want to add any more angst. "Fine—drive me. You'll soon get sick of being my chauffeur, but if you insist!"
"I do! And tell Talbot to keep his eye on you too." I looked at him as if he'd sprouted a dunce cap.
"I'm not going to involve Ben in our problems! Mick! He's my BOSS! He already thinks I'm too much trouble!"
Mick sighed. "Fine. I just thought he might help us out here until we get things a little more settled!"
"Huh," I grumbled, finishing my tea.
'Well,' Mick was thinking, 'if you don't want to tell him, I will!'
"You look like you're thinking something I won't like. What is your plan, Mick?"
He gave me an exasperated look. "I'm thinking that if you don't want to tell Talbot about this dangerous situation, then I'll have to. I'll tell him my ex-wife is back and she might want to hurt you." He saw her squint her eyes at him. "Hey! I just want him on notice, okay? It's not that I like him, but I do think he'd take care of you at all costs. In fact, I think he'd like a little more than a working relationship with you, but I can live with that—as long as it keeps him on his toes where you're concerned!"
I was taken aback. "You still think. . ."
"I do, and I'm not going to be jealous right now because I'm too afraid of something happening to you when you're not paying attention! Beth—just promise to be extra careful right now. Will you?" His eyes were begging, and I recognized the look as true distress. "I know it's a pain in the ass, but I think it's necessary! And if Ben wants to leer as you walk out of the room, well, I'll just live with that as long as you and the baby are safe, and as long as you keep coming home to ME."
"Mick! Don't even think that! You—you are assuming that Ben is looking at my butt? I think your imagination is running wild, and just because you're so insecure about him, I'll tell him about Coraline myself!"
"Promise?"
"Yes! I promise! And you are SO wrong about Ben!"
He simply shrugged. "Maybe—maybe not. Ready to go?"
And off we went, after he had thrown a shirt on over his beautiful chest, that is.
--
Over the next few weeks, everything seemed to go fairly smoothly. Josef broke things off cleanly with Simone, and thankfully she wasn't going to try to get even with him. He said she was very civil about the whole thing and apologized for being so emotional that awful night. I decided we should meet for lunch soon; I wanted to find out what was going on in her life. Sarah and Josef couldn't stop smiling whenever we saw them together, and he was enjoying showing her the world and all of the new inventions that had come along while she was sleeping. She was his eager student, and he appeared to love playing the role of teacher.
Mick could find no trace of Coraline, which was very odd, not to mention troubling, but he kept up his search. Also, Josef who was also on the "list," and therefore slightly paranoid, was working daily with Mick as they tried to figure out just what was going on. Josef thought it might be something to do with the Legion, which was in charge of the Vampire Nation in the United States; they were very underground, and were also very good at ridding the vampire population of unwanted entities. The fact that Mick and Josef were both on this "list" was bothersome to all of us.
Mick drove me everywhere and picked me up, which was nicer than I had imagined it would be. It meant that we got to spend more time together, and that was always fun. He drove me to my doctor and I checked out fine. She said she'd need a sample of Mick's blood next time I came in, so I was to bring him along again. She also wanted to schedule me for follow up visits, but Mick had another idea, which he brought up on the ride home.
"Have you heard of a Dr. Luke Mineo?"
"The name sounds familiar—isn't he the one who other OB's send their high-risk patients to?"
"High-risk is his forte, but he does have lots of patients who aren't high-risk." He looked at me as if he wanted to say more, but stopped himself.
"So, what about him? Do you know him?"
"I want you to have the best, honey, and I wondered if you'd consider going to him. He's an excellent doctor, and I think he might make this whole pregnancy thing a lot easier for us. Even this blood sample is a problem for me--how am I supposed to come up with regular blood for them to test?"
"Hmmmm. Maybe you could borrow some?" He shook his head. Well, I guess it's a small problem. But what would be the difference with this big famous doctor—what's his name?"
"Mineo. And the difference is--he'd take my word for my blood type."
My skin prickled and I felt a deep sense of unease. "And he'd take your word—why?"
Mick looked at me, then back at the road. "He's a vampire."
I felt my eyes grow wide. "He's a vampire? A doctor and a vampire? And you want me to go to him? Are you sure this is safe?"
Mick laughed. "So much safer than being in the care of a human doctor, Beth! I'd be so relieved not to have to hide what I am. I'm just asking you to consider it."
I thought for a moment. "Well, let's do this: set up a meeting and we can both go interview him. I'll make up my mind after I talk to him."
"Done, and thanks, Beth." I smiled weakly. I wasn't sure how I felt about a vampire doctor, but then, I did have a vampire husband, so what was I afraid of?
Dr. Luke Mineo had a very plush office in a professional building next to Cedars Sinai Hospital. We entered and were greeted by a lovely low-lit atmosphere of luxurious carpeting and furniture, a giant fish tank which took up a large space in the middle of the waiting room, and an attractive, young receptionist who handed me a clipboard and asked me to fill out my health history. Mick gave her the insurance information while I worked on my papers. He came back with a cup of hot tea for me, courtesy of the mini bar selection of healthy snacks and beverages which patients were encouraged to use. I smiled and thanked him, and he sat down next to me on a soft, baby blue microfiber sofa.
"I think I'm just about done here, but they want to know a little about your health history too."
"My parents died when they were very old, and my brother did too. He had one child, but she died very young—I think she had a head injury from falling off of her bike. As far as I know, we have no health issues in our lineage—no cancer, heart disease, strokes. They were all in their nineties when they died, so I'm assuming it was from old age issues."
"Well, that's reassuring! And I'll never know, since my parents died in a car crash when I was nine, and I had no siblings. My Aunt Ginny, who raised me, is still alive, but has no children."
"I guess we assume we're healthy then!" He smiled and I smiled back. "We have a lucky baby!"
"Very lucky! I'll give this back to Peggy." He raised an eyebrow. "She's the receptionist. Be right back."
Mick was still smiling as he watched Beth walk over to the reception desk and turn in her papers. She was amazingly beautiful, not showing any outward signs of the pregnancy other than being slightly fuller in the breasts, which caused a pull in his groin as he watched her come back to where he was sitting. Her cotton top wasn't extremely low-cut, yet it was just low enough that it showed off a little of her cleavage and was pulled tightly over her recently increased fullness. When she smiled back, he knew he'd been caught lusting.
"My God, Beth—you look good enough to eat!" he said, eyes slightly glazed.
"Hey, buddy, let's not start this in a doctor's office! Besides, it wasn't that long ago. . ."
"MR. AND MRS. ST. JOHN?" The nurse standing in the doorway watched the young couple rise and walk toward her, he with his arm behind her, she with a huge smile on her face, and something in their eyes made her wish she had whatever it was that they had.
--
Dr. Mineo was a fortyish gentleman with a jovial demeanor and an obvious love for his work. He had an entire wall of snapshots of moms, dads and babies, with thank-you notes and even some notes written in childish scrawl. It made for a comforting backdrop to the usual doctor setting. He shook hands with both of us and offered us chairs, then took up his own on the other side of the large, neatly sparse desk.
"Mr. and Mrs. St. John! Nice to meet you! I see you have simply scheduled a meeting here—I'm assuming you're interviewing doctors to handle your pregnancy?" He looked at me.
"Uh, yes, Doctor, and just call me Beth. This is my husband, Mick, and he's the one who really wanted me to see you."
He looked at Mick through stylish rimless glasses, which I figured were for the purpose of making him look smart, since I knew vampires didn't need glasses. "And I may assume this is because you would feel more comfortable having a fellow vampire take care of this pregnancy?"
Mick nodded. "You're right about that, Doctor. I felt that there would be so much less explaining to do, and much less risk of exposure for me if we let you handle this little project of ours."
The doctor scrutinized him for a moment, then looked at me, then up in the air. I looked up too, but there was nothing to see. Hmmm.
"And may I ask—who is the father of this little 'project,' as you call it?"
Mick spoke right up. "Oh—that would be me, Doctor." I saw him put his hand to his mouth in a gesture I recognized as being amused and uncomfortable at the same time.
The doctor turned toward us. "I think you realize that I don't quite buy your story, since vampires do not reproduce."
I looked at Mick, and he looked at me. I nodded to him, so Mick was the one to tell the entire story of the cure and the timing of it all, and the miracle of this pregnancy. The doctor was intrigued and astonished.
"I have heard of this cure, but I thought it had been out of existence for a hundred years or so—now you tell me it has resurfaced?"
Mick told him about his ex-wife and her connections in France. I could see the doctor was absolutely fascinated! He smiled at us and shook his head.
"Well, I'd say we do have a genuine miracle baby here! When did you say the child was conceived?"
"May 16th." We both answered in unison and laughed.
The doctor was looking at a little calculator, punching in numbers. "I guess there's no doubt about that date!" He chuckled. "So, the little one will be born around February 6 of 2009. You are in your sixth week of pregnancy now—how is it going so far?
"Oh, I feel great, outside of a little morning sickness. It usually happens first thing and then it's all over and I'm hungry."
"Excellent. Some have it all day, you know!"
"I know! I'm so happy that's not me! I like to eat!"
He chuckled. "I have your records from your family doctor and everything looks very normal. I see we have an Rh factor incompatibility—I usually test for that around the ninth week. If we find any problem, we can easily handle it then, and I most likely will give you a shot just to be doubly sure we don't have a problem down the road. As for ultrasounds, I know a lot of doctors do them around six weeks, but all we see is a yolk sac, and as long as your hormone levels are normal, I tend to put off the ultrasound until we can really see something—say in the sixteenth-to-the-twentieth week—unless we have something abnormal crop up. Does that sound okay with you?
I looked at Mick and we both nodded at the doctor. "Sounds good to me," I said. I was liking him more and more as time went on.
"Well, should you choose me for your care, please make an appointment with my receptionist for two-to-three weeks from now, and I will do my own initial workup at that time. I see no reason to repeat what your own doctor has just done."
Mick and I were looking at each other again, communicating nonverbally, as we had gotten good at doing lately.
"I believe I speak for my husband, Dr. Mineo, in saying we'd love to have you handle this pregnancy for us. I'll make my appointment as we leave here."
The doctor rose, as did we. "Excellent! I will love having you as a patient! You know, I have not yet handled a miracle case, as this is, and I feel very privileged to be part of your care!"
We both smiled and told him we felt the same. We shook hands again, left his office and made our appointment for Wednesday, the 23rd of July. That would be my ninth week, so the blood test would be done then.
Mick had his arm around me as we walked to the car. "Let me take you out for a great dinner to celebrate!" he said as he opened my door for me.
I smiled and said, "What did you have in mind this time?"
"Muzzo's. Best prime rib in town."
I gave him a thumbs-up, got a smile in return, and Muzzo's became our next destination.
--
We lingered over my dinner and Mick's martini, (no Scotch this time!) but finally left after excitedly talking about everything from the pregnancy to Dr. Mineo and how great he seemed, to Josef and Sarah, and on and on. As we walked down the hallway to our apartment, Mick clicked the door open. Then he scooped me up into his arms and carried me inside. I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"It occurred to me this morning, for some reason, as I was thinking about the night we came home from our honeymoon, that I never carried you over the threshold! So—now it's a little late, but welcome home, Beth St. John." He bent to kiss me as my arms held him tightly around his neck. When our lips parted, I looked at his hooded eyes, glazed with passion, and knew mine must be reflecting back the same longing that I saw in his.
"Don't put me down, Mick," I whispered to him, "just take me to bed." His smile told me that's what he had had in mind anyway.
--
I let the hostess at the trendy restaurant lead me to an outdoor table where Simone already sat. We looked at each other momentarily, then she stood to hug me in greeting.
"It's so good to see you, Beth. I've missed you."
I hugged her back. "I've missed you, too, Simone. I thought we'd always be friends, somehow, and I'm sorry things aren't the same—we don't get to see you much anymore."
I sat and ordered an iced herbal raspberry tea. Simone was finishing off one glass of wine and ordered another. I sipped and so did she.
"You look absolutely great! Pregnancy must agree with you! When is the baby due?"
"Thanks, Simone. I do feel wonderful, outside of the morning sickness! I'm hoping I'll get over that soon! The baby should come around the sixth of February. I like my doctor, and Mick is just SO excited! He's practically jumping up and down waiting for the first ultrasound!"
She smiled with what looked like a wistful smile and patted my arm. "Well, I'm truly happy for both of you. I'm sorry I won't get to be the godmother." Her eyes were questioning, and I thought I could read her expression.
"Josef is fine, Simone. For whatever it's worth, I do think he truly loved you, but after I got pregnant, all he could think about was having a child of his own. He still hasn't found Coraline and the cure, and he and Sarah haven't made any commitments that I know of, but if it's at all possible, I'm sure Josef will want a child that carries his DNA."
She nodded. "Thanks for that. I do miss him, that loveable boy. It wasn't meant to be, I guess."
She shrugged, as if she had resigned herself to the situation, and put away more of her wine. We chatted through lunch, and I gave her a packet containing several wedding photos.
"They're beautiful, Beth! What a lovely day that was!" Her eyes got a little misty as she looked through the small stack.
"Remember, Simone, I told you your Prince Charming would come along someday. You have to keep your eyes open so you don't miss him."
As we parted after enjoying a lunch of good food and girl talk, we hugged again and promised to meet often. I hoped it would be true. Besides Julia and Marissa, I felt closer to Simone than almost any of my other girlfriends. Josef probably knew how I felt, since he hadn't really brought Sarah around very much. I wondered if he simply thought it was too soon to expect us to make any strong bonds with his new love—well, actually, his old love who was now his new love!
--
I had to admit that Ben Talbot had seemed distant ever since I returned from our honeymoon, but then he was terribly busy with several active, open cases, and I was busy chasing down leads with him. I missed the old days of working cases with Mick, but this was interesting too—just not as comfortable and not as much fun. Mick and I made a much better team than Talbot and me! Oh well! At the moment, we were speeding through heavy traffic on our way to the scene of either a murder or a suicide of a famous old Hollywood legend.
We pulled up to the gate and were met by photographers and reporters, which I watched Ben handle in his no-nonsense way. It had been cloudy earlier in the day, and now the rain was falling in a light mist, just enough to glaze the pavement and cause every surface we walked or drove on to be slippery. As we left the safety of the car, Ben took my arm protectively and steered me through the crowd. Entering the house, it was immediately clear that this old Hollywood legend had not lived out her final days in luxury. It was sad to see how she had been existing—or more like subsisting!
I looked around and thought that obviously, the home had once been a show place, and I imagined it for a moment full of movie stars and the rich and famous, partying as the now-dusty grand piano had been played with finesse by some legendary musician, while the beautiful people drank martinis and danced and sang along to the music they knew and loved. Now the place was a shambles, everything covered with litter and dust, and a cloying stench hung heavily in the air. A clock chimed in the distance, and a cat ran by us, causing me to grab onto Ben in surprise.
"I guess that's why we smell cat," I said, trying NOT to smell cat and to breathe with my mouth. The odor was pungent enough to cause me to gag, but I was fighting that reflex with everything I had.
"That isn't all that smells bad in here," Ben offered, trying a light note, but not quite hitting it. I gagged slightly, and he shot a wary look at me. "I'm sorry, Beth—is the smell making you sick?"
"It is, I guess. Would you mind if I just took a look around the downstairs?" I really didn't want to face anything grisly or smelly upstairs right now. I wished I had thought to bring a bottle of water with me! Or maybe a barf bag! I tried to concentrate on what I would look for—any clue as to what might have happened here.
"Yeah, see what you can find, if the police will let you look. I'll go upstairs and get the information on the scene up there."
The police were all over the house, taking photos, taking notes, looking through drawers and generally invading the place. The cat odor and other smells began to take their toll on my queasy stomach. Soon I found myself heading out the back door into the pool area where I leaned over a large flower pot and threw up. The rain was falling harder now, and I felt my back and hair getting wetter as I wretched once again into the pot. I was in a bad spot here, with no water to rinse out my mouth, and no clean house from which to borrow a cup.
I contemplated my options, spitting furiously into the pot as the rain pounded down ever harder, soaking me along with the bedraggled flowers struggling in the pot I had just blatantly violated. That's when my eye caught a glimpse of something shiny coming up through the dirt as the rain pelted the soil. I didn't want to contaminate a crime scene by touching anything, although I figured that tossing my breakfast all over the evidence wasn't going to make Ben very happy, but as the rain washed away more and more dirt, I could clearly see the butt end of a gun emerging.
I was leaning back toward the sky with my mouth open, trying to catch some rain when Ben burst through the door, out onto the concrete patio.
"What on earth are you doing out here, Beth! You're soaked through!"
I swished around in my mouth what rain I'd been able to catch, and spit as daintily as I could onto the patio.
"I know, Ben. I got sick from the smell in there." I was wiping my lips with my fingers. Ick.
"Do you throw up really easily? Or do you simply get a lot of stomach viruses?"
"I'm sorry, Ben. It just got to me—the cat and the garbage and—whatever else is in there. I'm afraid I might have messed up something you need to look at." I felt my face grow hot and rosy, even in the cool rain.
"Well—tell me, Beth. We need to get on this case. The victim died of a single gunshot wound to the head, and it looks as though it could have been a suicide, but there is no gun. Somehow there is GSR on the right hand, but no weapon. It makes no sense at all."
I pointed to the ruined flower pot. "I think it's in there, Ben. I'm so sorry."
"What?" He took about four long steps and peered into the pot. "You threw up in here?"
I walked over to the pot and pointed at the gun. "I did, and that's how I saw this."
"Oh! Well! I'll get the CSI's out here to get it."
"I'm sorry about the vomit, but the rain was falling and I saw the shiny gun emerging, and if I hadn't been sick—well, who knows?"
"Yeah, who knows." He shook his head and said, "I'll be damned, Beth. You have the most unconventional ways of solving cases!"
I shrugged and shivered. He must have taken notice of my soggy clothing and felt bad for me.
"Well, you need to get dry. Can you go back to the car? Here are the keys." He handed me the keys to the car and told me to get in there and turn the heat on high. I started to walk around the house so I'd miss that odor! I heard him yell after me. "And Beth? LOCK the doors! Do not let any of those vultures get the better of you!"
He pulled out his cell phone and called someone to come check out the weapon in the vile stew swirling in the flower pot. Thinking about what it would be like to dig through that mess made me want to vomit again, but I managed to get out to the melee of photographers and the myriad other hangers-on who crowded the scene in the gated driveway area. I tried to push my way through, but was pushed back and forth, and finally I was shoved so hard that I slipped and fell onto my back, splashing as I fell into a puddle of dirty water. Several kind souls took pity on me as I lay there trying to get my breath. One held an umbrella over me while another gallant gent threw a jacket on top of me. I still shivered under it as I tried to get my bearings and take stock of what had happened. I knew it wasn't good to fall down like this, and being pregnant made it even more scary. I was about to ask someone to call Mick when Ben came running over.
"Beth! My God!" He kneeled beside me and took my shivering hand in his. "Are you all right?"
"I—I'm not sure. Call Mick, please. I think I should go to the hospital."
"Is it your back? I'll call 9-1-1." He was reaching for his cell, but I put my hand over it.
"No—I can get up. I just need to get checked out, okay?"
"Where are you hurt, Beth? I'm not sure we should move you!" He seemed pretty upset.
"I'm okay, but I'm freezing here. Help me into the car and take me to Cedars Sinai."
He handed the jacket back to the man who had given it to me, picked me up out of the puddle, and put me in the car. He ran around to the other side and started up the engine as he turned the heater on full-blast. He took off his own damp suit coat and threw it over me, maneuvering the car out of the crowded drive and onto the highway. He put his cop light in the dash, and we flew to the Emergency entrance of the hospital. He carried me in and they sent him to triage, where I was placed on a gurney and wheeled away. I saw the look of distress on his face, and felt terrible. I needed to call Mick, but everything was happening so fast that all I could do was ask someone to call him for me.
Behind the curtains, I was hooked up to monitors which showed all of us my heart rate, blood pressure and O2 saturation. I was terrified and crying, thinking something bad might have happened to the baby. I'd never forgive myself if anything went wrong because I hadn't been careful enough!
Dr. Mineo showed up very quickly, and as I explained what had happened, he directed his staff, who wheeled in ultrasound equipment while others helped me out of my wet clothes and into a gown. Then the doctor examined me inside and out.
"Everything seems normal here, Beth, but I'd like to do a transvaginal ultrasound just to be sure everything looks all right on the inside."
I nodded. "Whatever you think best, Doctor."
A pretty nurse came in and said, "Your husband is here, Mrs. St. John," she winked and whispered, "he seems awfully upset, so I'm letting him come in, if that's okay." I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief that Mick had gotten here so quickly, but just then Ben, of all people, entered my private space, looking at everything with a face filled with fear, uncertainty and shock.
"Beth! What in the world!" He watched as the ultrasound machine was being calibrated and set up for action, while other people were busy hooking things up here and there.
"Ben—could you please leave and call Mick? I need him here now!" I tried to sound stern, but since I was also crying, it probably came out more pathetic than anything.
Someone pulled up on my gown, and I quickly pulled it down. I didn't exactly want my boss seeing me in all of my glory. It was none of his business whether the carpet matched the drapes!
"Ben! Please—get Mick!" I felt a towel go over my nether regions as my gown was raised again. Slimy gel was squirted all over my belly, and someone began to run a wand over my still flat stomach. I watched with a mixture of terror and fascination as a snowy image appeared on the screen.
I looked back over at Ben, who hadn't moved, despite my pleas. He seemed to be frozen in place, watching the picture emerge on the screen. 'Well, screw him,' I thought to myself, looking back at the ultrasound screen, squinting intently at the image, but unable to make any sense out of what I was seeing. Fear took a hold of me as I thought that if I couldn't see a baby, maybe there was no more baby. I flopped back onto the pillow and began to cry in earnest. I couldn't even look at Ben, whose dark presence was still in the room.
"Please—call Mick! I need Mick here now!" A nurse handed me a wad of tissues and patted my arm.
"Who is Mick, Mrs. St. John? Do you want me to contact him?"
I nodded. "Please. Mick is my husband, not him." I nodded to Ben as the radiology tech told me to move my feet into the stirrups. Ben seemed to finally get that he should leave, so he turned and went out the door.
"This is going to feel a little cold, Mrs. St. John, but we need to do a vaginal ultrasound. At this stage of pregnancy, it's really the only way to see what's going on. It won't hurt. Just bear with me for a few more minutes."
I nodded and sobbed and watched the monitor. This time I thought I could see something—like a black space in the middle of chaos. I was instantly fascinated and didn't hear the door burst open.
"Beth!"
I turned, eyes full of tears. "Oh, Mick! Thank God you're here!" He came over and hugged me as best he could with all of my hookups in the way.
"Beth—are you hurt?"
"No—I'm fine, Mick—it's the baby I'm worried about! I fell!"
The tech said, "I'm going to get the doctor—he'll be in to explain the pictures to you." She smiled and walked out the door.
"She's smiling," Mick observed, "doesn't that strike you as a good thing?"
"I guess." I was shaking now, cold, scared and grateful to have Mick here—my rock in the midst of uncertainty.
"Hello, Mick! Dr. Mineo shook Mick's hand and patted me on the arm. "Well, it seems we got that early ultrasound after all!" He clicked a button in his hand, and the screen flashed still shot after still shot, and we watched in stupid fascination at the frozen-in-time pictures of my womb.
"See this black spot here?" He pointed to the blob I had seen earlier. "This is where the baby is," he said as he flashed by more pictures until he stopped at one he liked. "See this? It's a yolk sac, and it looks perfectly normal for a pregnancy in this stage of development."
"Can you tell if it's alive?" I asked, beginning to cry again.
He clicked again, and a moving picture came up on the screen.
"See this little bit of light here?" He pointed at a tiny flashing light on the moving picture screen. "This indicates a kind of pre-heartbeat. It's a good sign that all is well. Soon the heart will start beating in a rhythm, but it's just a bit early for that right now. All in all, I'd say you are perfectly healthy. You have no pain?"
"No, still no pain except a little bump on my head."
"No cramping either, right? Still feeling all right that way?"
"No—I'm not having any cramping."
"And I find no blood, no discharge—looks as though you're fine, Beth. I would like you to come see me in five days or so to let me look at you again to be sure, but of course, come right back if you should see any blood or feel cramps of any kind."
"So she can leave now?" Mick seemed tight with anxiety.
"She may leave, and you may have these pictures, Daddy! That's your baby, believe it or not!"
Mick looked dazed as he held the small black-and-white pictures of squiggles and snow. "If you say so, Doc!"
"I do. Now get on home, rest for the next day or so, and come see me soon."
"Thank you so much, Doctor," Mick said shaking his hand.
"You're so welcome. Now take your wife home and dote on her!" He smiled, waved, and left the room, shutting the curtains behind him.
Mick held my hand tightly. "You scared me! I thought this time you'd be in real trouble! You and Talbot—what is it with you two? Can't you stay out of the hospital when you're with him?"
I squeezed his hand. "I was so afraid for our baby, Mick. I think I'd just die if something happened!" I cried and he bent over to hold me tight.
"It's okay Beth—it's all okay."
I shook in his arms as he held me until the aide came in to unhook all of my equipment. Mick helped me back into my clothes, and we walked out of the room and down the hall together. Ben was in the waiting room. He looked us both in the eyes, then focused on me.
"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" he whispered loudly.
I looked around the waiting room at the people staring at us. I pointed to some chairs in a corner. "Let's go sit for a minute. Mick?"
"Okay."
We sat. Mick spoke.
"Ben, Beth is pregnant. That fall could have been disastrous! We have to hope she and the baby are all right."
I touched Mick's arm. "It wasn't his fault, honey—the photographers and reporters were all over and somebody shoved me—and I just went down. Ben came right away and rushed me here."
Mick looked at me for a second, then at Ben.
"Well, I've got to thank you for getting her here safely, man, and quickly too."
Ben looked as though he might now be the sick one. "How? This isn't. . ."
"What?" I asked him pointedly, wondering what in the world was wrong with him. Couldn't he be happy for us?
He seemed to compose himself, but looked at me with what I took to be a knowing, sly, half-smile. "Well! It seems that once again congratulations are in order!" I thought he said it a little too loudly for the close circle we were in.
Mick said evenly, "They are, and thank you."
"I'm not that far along, Ben. That's why I hadn't told you yet, but the cat's out of the bag now, I guess."
"Yeah—kind of thanks to the cat, huh?"
Mick shot me a look. "I'll explain later," I said wearily. "For now, can you take me home?"
"Let's go."
He held me around the waist. His leather jacket covered me.
"She won't be in tomorrow, Ben—doctor's orders—she needs a recoup day."
"I guess I'll see you the day after tomorrow then. Oh--and good work today. The gun was a great find!"
We left him standing there, and I was pretty sure I was the only one of us reading something awfully strange into his facial expression until Mick brought it up in the car.
"What was with Talbot? He was acting very oddly about this whole thing. I mean, it's not so unheard of that a couple gets pregnant on their honeymoon!"
"He almost asked me if I was pregnant the day I passed out on the bathroom floor, you know. He was suspicious then, but I thought he was trying to make up an excuse for why we were getting married so quickly."
"Well! Maybe he's not as dumb as he looks! Bastard."
"Mick! That's hardly called for! He's been a good friend to me!"
"And I've told you he wants to be much more, Beth. I can see it in his eyes, and I can smell it on him every time he looks at you. I know he'd never hurt you, but I have to say—it makes me uncomfortable."
"Ah! You're jealous?" I smiled and looked closely at his twitching jaw muscle.
"Should I be?" He shot me a quick glance that told me he wasn't completely serious.
"Of course!"
Mick gave me a sideways glance. "If I didn't know what you were up to at all hours of the night and day, I might have cause to be jealous, but seeing as how you don't have time to cheat on me. . ."
I laughed. "Let's get home. I need you to hold me for a while."
"Deal."
--
Ben was back in his office on his phone. "I know—you told me at your meeting that St. John is one of them! Now I have a question! Can he get his wife pregnant, being--what he is?"
He nodded, listening.
"Thanks, Christoff. I appreciate the information." He hung up and swiveled in his chair for a moment. Then burst out with a very loud "HA!!!" He was talking to himself while he drummed the eraser end of a pencil on his desk.
"I thought so! He married her because she was pregnant!" Then he frowned, thinking. If it was Josh's baby, she'd be showing by now. He had died back in January, and it was now late June! She certainly wasn't six months gone, if he knew anything at all, so when did she conceive, and with whom? Of all the crazy scenarios he could conjure up, none seemed to fit with the Beth he knew. She wasn't the type to go bar-hopping and picking up men! Besides that, if she'd wanted someone to fill her lonely nights, he had certainly been willing! It made no sense at all. He'd love to know the story, but couldn't ask, and that made him furious. And oh, man! Was he ever jealous! But then, somehow, just knowing that St. John couldn't be the father of Beth's baby calmed him. Maybe eventually there would be a chance for him, like if she wanted more children! St. John couldn't give them to her, and maybe she'd only married him out of convenience! But, he thought, if she ever did want more kids, well, he'd be perfectly willing to help her out with that!
--
Hank and Morgan held hands as they walked through the doors of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. They had been out all night, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. Now it was time to sleep. Morgan looked up at him and thought again that he was handsome. The way he carried himself was attractive too—the confident swagger of a perpetually cool vampire!
"I really want to bite you," she said as they waited for the elevator.
"Two can play that game, you know."
"Okay, but let's not break all of the furniture this time."
"Right—only a few pieces."
They smiled at each other with anticipation.