Don
Dad? Having a kid at his age? What is he thinking??? He'll be in his nineties when the kid is my age! It didn't help that I doubted Natalie's ability to be a good mom. Well, it looks like they're gonna keep it and Dad's gonna need my support. How was I gonna break this to Charlie? He was just getting over the elopement. Poor guy's gonna go Ballistic!
"Don..." she began instead of answering me.
"How far along?"
"A few weeks" she finally admitted but tried to explain. "We haven't told anyone as it was too soon"
"yeah?"
"We were gonna make the announcement when I reached three months"
"Is it safe for you to be working?" What about all those germs you can get from animals?
"I have to avoid cat feces and take extra precautions." she replied.
"Okay" I nodded. The reasoning for keeping the pregnancy a secret kind of made sense, though I still felt hurt that Dad lied to me and Charlie. "When did you guys find out?"
"A short time after we got married. I started having symptoms on the ship, and Alan got me to go see the Ship's doctor."
"Have you gone to the doctor here in L.A.?"
"Yeah I did. Everything's looking great!"
"Anything I can do?"
"I might need you to do some background checks"
"yeah?"
"I'm thinking of hiring a temporary sub to work here during my maternity leave. " She explained. "In the past, my partners and have used a security company to do background checks, but you probably have access to more information. The last thing this clinic needs is a vet with a bad professional record."
"As soon as you've got some candidates, give me their names, and I'll check 'm out for ya" I promised.
"Thanks!"
At moment, Dad came in with a plastic bag. To say the least he was surprised.
"Donnie?"
"He knows, Babe" Natalie said.
"I was uh...hoping to tell you myself when the time was right" Dad said sheepishly. At least he didn't blame Natalie for spilling the beans.
"Don't worry...about it" I said as he put the bag on her desk.
"Don't tell Charlie" he told me. "I should be the one to break the news to him."
"I won't." This was gonna be easier said than done.
"Promise?" he gave me a knowing look.
"Yes Dad..." I said.
"Aren't ya gonna eat your lunch, Nat?"
"It's not even eleven" Natalie pointed at the clock, that was shaped like a napping cat.
"The baby doesn't care about the time!" Dad protested.
Before I could hear more of this arguement, my cell rang, and I had to go to a new crime scene. The issue about what to tell Charlie stayed in the backburner until he showed up to help, and we both were drinking coffee in the breakroom.
"Did you talk to Natalie?" Charlie asked. We sat together.
" She was with a patient. I tried to wait, but got called" I lied.
"Oh..." he sounded disapointed.
"We'll find out soon enough" I assured him, and wondered how he was going to handle being a big brother. I began to realize that I'd probably grow to love the baby as a daughter, rather than as a sister, given the age difference. I just hoped that he or she inherited Dad's personality. At the moment, my concern was how Charlie was gonna take the news.
"What if Natalie is pregnant?" he persisted.
"Let's deal with things as they come, buddy"
"I doubt Natalie's ability to be a good mother!" my brother remarked with a concerned look that spoke volumes.
"Either way, we'll need to pitch in , right? Like I did with you" I laid some ground work.
"If dad were with a woman his age, we wouldn't have to worry about this!" he complained.
"it is what it is" I reminded him. There was no use in lamenting.
After a while, he left for Cal Sci, and I called Dad.
"You should tell him" I advised. "He suspects, and I want him to find out from you"
"He's coming over tonight for dinner. I'll tell him then." he promised.
"I'm coming over too" I told Dad
I got the sinking feeling that sparks were gonna fly tonight.
TBC
