New chapter! Hope you enjoy it! I think it's my longest one yet!
"You still okay Gill?" asked Cal for what seemed like the hundredth time.
Gillian nodded apprehensively, "It doesn't hurt. And I don't think you really needed to call an ambulance."
"Gill, I don't know the area and bleeding in pregnancy is nothing to mess around with," scolded Cal lightly.
Gillian nodded and went back to staring at the fetal monitor in the ambulance. Thankfully, Sophie's heartbeat was still strong and steady. When they arrived at UCSF Medical Center, the paramedic began reading Gillian's vitals, "Patient is Gillian Lightman, forty-one year old female, twenty-nine weeks gestation, BP 123/85, pulse 86, pulse ox 93, severe bleeding without pain, we gave her one unit O neg to make up for the blood loss, but it hasn't done much," he informed the E.R. doctor.
"Got it, someone page Dr. Michaels," said the doctor. The nurses made sure Gillian's IV and fetal monitor were still in place before they went to wait for the doctor. Cal kept his eyes on the monitor the entire time.
"Gillian Lightman?" asked a doctor who had just entered the room.
"Yeah that's me," said Gillian quietly.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Michaels. I'm one of the OB/GYNs here at UCSF," he said, "So you have heavy bleeding with no pain?"
"Yes, heavy bleeding, and no pain," confirmed Gillian.
The doctor nodded, seeming to connect the symptoms with conditions, "Well right now we'll do some tests. We'll most definitely draw some blood, take your blood pressure, and do an ultrasound, and most likely we'll be able to get a diagnosis that way okay?"
"Okay," Gillian and Cal nodded simultaneously. Dr. Michaels disappeared leaving the expectant couple alone in the room. Tears started to stream down Gillian's cheeks, "Hey it's okay love," said Cal rubbing her arm.
"Everything is NOT okay!" shouted Gillian, "This baby is going to be taken away from me just like Sophie was!"
"Ssh. Ssh. It's okay Gill, it's okay," said Cal wrapping his arms around her as best as he could, rocking her, and rubbing her back soothingly, "You'll be just fine love."
A nurse walked into the room at that moment, "Um, I'm sorry to interrupt but I'm here to take Mrs. Lightman's vitals."
Cal nodded and pulled away from Gillian, "I'm right here love."
Gillian forced a sad smile as the nurse came over and asked, "Can you tell me your name and date of birth?"
"Gillian Lightman, and May 10, 1970," she answered.
The nurse nodded as the name and date of birth on Gillian's hospital bracelet was confirmed, "I'm just going to take your temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. A phlebotomist will be in to do a blood test shortly, and then Dr. Michaels will perform the ultrasound." After the nurse finished her tests she said, "Well your vitals are stable, no signs of preeclampsia, so that's good. I'm assuming you've already been screened for gestational diabetes?"
Gillian nodded, "Yes at twenty-four weeks, it came back negative."
The nurse nodded to the phlebotomist who nodded her understanding at the information. She came over and took several tubes of blood before she exited the room.
"Was it really necessary to drain you?" asked Cal, "You'd think they're feeding a bunch of vampires."
Gillian had to chuckle at that statement. Despite it being a terrible situation, Cal always knew how to make her smile.
"Okay Gillian let's see what we can find," said Dr. Michaels rolling the ultrasound machine into the room. He shifted Gillian's fetal monitor and placed the gel and transducer onto her abdomen. A strong heartbeat was immediately heard once again, "Well the fetal heartbeat is strong."
"She's healthy?" asked Cal indicating to the doctor that he could go ahead and use feminine pronouns.
"Yes sir, your daughter is fine. Developing properly, nice and healthy," he said. The doctor moved the transducer farther down Gillian's abdomen closer to her pelvis. He observed the screen for a few moments before saying, "Just as I suspected."
Gillian sighed and asked, "How bad?"
Dr. Michaels put down the transducer, "Mrs. Lightman, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have Placenta Previa, which means instead of lying at the op of your uterus, your placenta is lying near your cervix."
Cal grabbed Gillian's hand protectively and asked, "How serious is this?"
"Well, there are two types of Placenta Previa: marginal and complete Previa. Right now, Gillian has marginal Previa, which means her placenta is only lying near her cervix, not covering it," said Dr. Michaels, "But it's still making this pregnancy high risk, with this, tour age, and your history of having trouble conceiving."
"What can we do about?" asked Gillian nervously. She didn't care about anything else at this point other than making sure her baby girl was safe and healthy.
"Unfortunately, there is not much we can do. Once you get home, your obstetrician can continue to monitor the location of your placenta, because sometimes as your uterus grows, the problem will correct itself. If not, then most likely you'll have to deliver your baby via C-section. I would also recommend talking to your employer and starting your maternity leave if you haven't yet," said the doctor.
"We can arrange something," Cal smirked at Gillian who couldn't help but chuckle.
"What?" asked Dr. Michaels.
When Gillian gained the ability to speak she said, "We're business partners, but he's technically my employer."
"I see," he smiled, "Well then sir, you might want to let your pregnant employee rest and start her maternity leave."
"Will do doctor," said Cal.
"Well, you've stopped bleeding, your vitals are stable, and your baby seems to be unharmed, but I would still recommend staying overnight. I can work with the airlines and get you a flight back to Washington D.C. tomorrow," said Dr. Michaels.
"Thank you Dr. Michaels," said Gillian.
"Also you might want to stay in bed or at least on a couch as much as possible. For exercise you can do some walking but I wouldn't recommend swimming or strenuous activity."
"Trust me, in a few weeks it'll be too cold to swim in D.C.," said Cal.
"And if you start bleeding again, get to a hospital right away. Placenta Previa and/or placental abruption is not something you want to mess around with."
"Okay," said Gillian softly, half relieved her baby was okay, half terrified of her condition.
The doctor nodded, "Get some rest and I'll check on you later." He left the room.
Cal heaved a sigh and looked over at his wife, her blue eyes fixed on the monitor and Sophie's heart rate once again. He rubbed soothing circles on top of her hand and asked, "You alright Gill?"
Gillian glanced over at him and observed his worried look. She took a deep breath as more tears streamed down her cheeks, "I don't know," she said honestly, "It's all just…"
"Too much?" Cal ventured.
Gillian nodded as she started to sob, "This pregnancy could kill me Cal. I know how serious Placenta Previa is. If I don't die, she could die!" Gillian's hands moved to her abdomen, a small smile forming when she felt their daughter move within her, "I can't leave you Cal, and I can't lose Sophie. We both want her so badly. She's you and she's me, she's us."
Cal's heart broke for Gillian. She was right: both lives were threatened though the doctor didn't want to scare them any further, so he hadn't said that. He curled up under the blanket next to Gillian and she laid her head against his chest, tears still streaming down her face. He laid his hand on her abdomen and smiled when he received a not so gentle kick. He kissed the top of her head and said, "You'll be okay love. You'll both be okay." But this was one of the few times in his life he wasn't sure he was telling the truth.