Chapter Five

Of Cabbages and Kings

Invitro fertilization.

On paper, it's a simple process. Take an egg from the female, a sperm from the male. Combine the two in a Petrie dish, reinsert in woman, and abracadabra – instant zygote. Then an embryo. And finally a baby.

That's how it's supposed to go. Sounds quick, easy, and painless.

Deceptively so.

After Dr. Roberts gave Jordan a clean bill of health and after she had filled out mountains of paperwork that included a psychiatric check that attested to the fact she was mentally sound and was fully aware of what was about to happen, she underwent hormone treatments.

In the typical female cycle, only one egg is generally released. The hormone treatments would increase this egg production so that Dr. Roberts' staff could harvest several eggs at one time.

Jordan knew this was going to happen. She was a doctor and was aware this was normal procedure. What she was unprepared for were the mood swings and hot flashes the injections produced. She would have gone to work naked, if she thought Garret wouldn't have minded.

But after her second round of treatments, six viable eggs were harvested. Jordan didn't know whether to jump for joy or try to fill her tub with ice cubes with her in it to celebrate. Instead, she went back to work and shared the news with Lily and Bug.

Lily's eyes glinted. "Six…"

"Six…that's …that's wonderful, Jordan," Bug added. "More than I expected."

"Evidently I'm a fertile Myrtle…at least that's what Dr. Roberts' nurse said. They were expecting four at the most and I popped out six," Jordan replied, dropping into a chair in Lily's office. "At least that stops the hormone treatments for a while and I can stop turning down the thermostat in my office."

Lily giggled. "Yeah. Garret was beginning to ask questions…if you were harboring a family of penguins or polar bears in there."

Jordan chuckled. "Well, at least the temperature can get back to normal."

Bug nodded. "So when…" he let his voice trail off.

"Next week," Jordan answered. The first implantation attempt would be next Thursday. She already had the paperwork to ask off work for Thursday and Friday, as she would need to go home immediately after the procedure and put her feet up. Bug would have to agree to cover for her, but that wouldn't be an issue.

The issue would be when to tell everyone what was happening. So far, only the three of them was aware of what was going on. Jordan already had to miss a couple of days of work, but slid that by on Garret by declaring she was seeing a doctor for a few "female" issues. No questions were asked, and since she was owed the time off, it really didn't matter.

A pregnancy would be a whole different issue. Especially when she would have to explain that yes, I'm pregnant; yes, I'm the mother – but it's Bug's and Lily's baby. She could imagine trying to have that conversation with Garret and Nigel. Some how her mind couldn't wrap itself around it.

"Next week…" Bug echoed, bringing Jordan out of her thoughts. "Next Thursday…Well, then." He gave Lily and Jordan a small smile. "Guess I'd better get back to work. I may soon have a child to support." He gave Lily a quick kiss and slipped out of her office and back to the lab.

Jordan watched him walk down the hall. "I hope…I hope he remembers that it usually takes more than one try…just like a normal conception."

"He will," Lily told her. "He's just excited about becoming a dad. I think he wants it to happen as soon as possible."

"Well," Jordan said standing, "I'm willing to try as many times as it takes. Oh…" She scribbled the dates on a piece of paper and handed them to Lily. "See if Bug can work for me next Thursday and Friday. I'll need to pretty much keep my feet elevated during that waiting period."

Lily nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem. We'll bring you dinner…"

"Okay..I need to finish up the Anderson file and a few things before lunch." She left Lily's office and turned the corner to reach her own when she hit a six foot wall of solid muscle and bounced back.

Woody.

"Sorry…" she said backing away. "I wasn't looking where I was going…"

His arms automatically went out to keep her from falling. "Obviously. Have you seen Bug?"

B.B..B..Bug?" His physical touch still left her tongue tied like a school girl.

"Yeah, Bug. Works here. Short man…" His sarcasm soon untied it.

"He's in the lab." Smart ass…

"Good. You okay?"

"Just fine…" she turned to go as he headed down the hall and knocked on the door to the lab. Idly she wondered if he had put Bug down on his Daytimer or if Bug was just one of the lucky ones Woody let into his life now that he had shut most other people out.

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For Lily, Bug, and Jordan, the fourth time was the charm. After three unsuccessful attempts, the fourth one "took."

Jordan was pregnant.

She had tried not to think about it when she was one day late for her period. After five days, she was cautiously optimistic.

After a week, she told Lily and Bug. All three huddled together in Dr. Roberts' office as a pregnancy test was done. All three of them cried when it came back positive. Jordan was officially four weeks pregnant.

With none of the "normal" unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy. She didn't have morning sickness. She didn't have any unusual appetite changes. She was a little more tired than usual, but she excused that to everyone by saying she thought work was just getting to her.

Garret had frowned and asked her if she needed a few days off. Jordan told him no.

Bug was more difficult to deal with. He tried to unobtrusively monitor what she ate and drank…how she felt…if she was getting enough rest…All without arousing any one's suspicions. Lily was almost as bad…but not quite.

Still, it did get on Jordan's nerves. She hadn't been monitored that closely since she was in elementary school. So when Bug and Lily told her they were going to take a vacation together away…a second honeymoon of sorts…before Jordan got too far along…she silently rejoiced before sending them on their way.

She was into the second trimester. She wasn't showing yet, so no one was asking questions. There were no problems with the pregnancy. Dr. Roberts said that she and the baby were perfectly, wonderfully healthy. He even teased Jordan that "she was made to have babies….lots of babies…why stop with just one?"

So she didn't have a second thought about anything before she kissed Bug and Lily good-bye and sent them on their way. They were planning a leisurely drive into the wine country of New York state…through the Finger Lakes region. They left on a Sunday, Jordan went to work on Monday. It was good day, as far as Mondays go, until she saw Woody that afternoon. He had wandered into the lab looking for test results that Bug was supposed to have left him. They were nowhere to be found.

To keep Woody's temper at bay, Jordan made a few calls. Another lab was the hold up, Woody should have them tomorrow.

Which meant she saw him on Tuesday, too. She called his office and left a message on his voice mail that she had the results from the lab. Did he want to come over and get it or did he want her to have a courier to take them to him?

Woody showed up after lunch to get the results.

Jordan was rattled the rest of the day. His presence still unnerved her…whether it was the ghosts of what-might-have-been from the past or the fact that he still wore the same knee-melting cologne, she wasn't sure. She just knew her heart still beat a little faster when he was in the room.

For which she promptly castigated herself for. It was more than over between them. He remained unaffected by her presence. Cool. Calm. Collected.

Wednesday clicked by. Then Thursday and Friday. The weekend. Each day she either spoke with him by phone or saw him in person. And despite the fact that any past they had together was long buried and forgotten by him, Jordan still dreaded the day when he asked her – and he would – who was the father of the baby she would be so obviously pregnant with by that point.