Disclaimer: I own nothing...the lovely Mrs Charlene Harris does...I couldn't help but play with some of her babies..
I am so sorry that I've been a bad author, being late with updates and such...there is some things going on with my family and family is important to me. Although at times they can be annoying, I still love them and will do anything for them...but soon things will get back to normal...
Please review and Enjoy...this is a sad one too...please ensure that you have a box of tissues by the computer...
Chapter Two
Eric POV
I hate doctors. It seems like all you ever do is hurry up and wait for them. God forbid if you're ever late for an appointment, but then they keep you waiting for hours, sitting in the waiting room, with only outdated magazines and newspapers to keep your anxious nerves company. And that's exactly what we are doing right now, waiting on Dr. Ludwig. I suppose I should be happy that she was able to work us into her schedule on such a short notice, but well, did I mention that I hate doctors? Though, to be fair, I'm not the only uncomfortable looking father-to-be sitting in this particular waiting room.
Everyone in here looks like they're shell-shocked, waiting for the next bomb to drop. All of the men look worried and helpless, while all of the women are almost identical in their poster and pose. Each and every one of them has their hands wrapped protectively around their stomachs, which are all in various states of roundness. Every man in the room has his hand place comfortingly and protectively somewhere on their spouse's body, confirming the hopes that this will not be a bad news kind of visit, myself included.
While waiting to see a doctor is annoying, I am here for Sookie and our baby. After Sookie told me what she had found out during her unexpected and devastating appointment with Dr Cage, I began to fear for both Sookie's and our baby's life. The condition that Dr Cage had diagnosed her with, placenta previa, is a serious condition and I wanted to know everything I could to be better able to take care of them. So, after Sookie had gone to bed the previous night, I had stayed up and Googled her condition. Quite frankly, the information I found was terrifying. It stated that she could be at risk of bleeding internally, losing the baby and even dying herself. The more I read the more worried and anxious I became. That is one of the reasons I'm sitting here, in this waiting room, today. That, and the fact that I love this woman that is sitting beside me, more than life itself. I can't bear the thought of anything hurting her or taking her away from me. Not now.
I start fidgeting and Sookie places a hand on my knee, instantly calming me down.
"We will see her soon. Stop being so anxious." She says.
"I can't, I'm jumpy because I want to know what is going to happen." I tell her.
She lays her head on my shoulder. "I need you to be strong Eric, 'cause I need someone to hold me if it all goes wrong."
I place my arm around her shoulders to reassure her, and I say, "Everything will be alright."
"Sookie Stackhouse?" a nurse calls out, beckoning us towards the back.
Sookie takes a deep breath, rises from her chair, and together we walk into the doctor's office for our fist meeting. A short woman with brown hair and classes is waiting for us as we enter. She gestures to use to sit down on this side of her large desk and smiles at us in a no-nonsense sort of way.
"Miss Stackhouse? I'm Doctor Ludwig. It's very nice to meet you. Is this the father?"
"Yes, this is Eric Northman, my fiancée, and the baby's father." Sookie answers, grasping my hand.
"Dr Cage has diagnosed you with possibly having placenta previa, correct?" she asks.
Sookie nods. "Yes, he told me that that's what my condition probably was after running some tests and doing an ultrasound. Is my baby gonna be alright?"
Dr Ludwig smiles reassuringly at us both. "Sookie, Eric, placenta previa is a very serious problem in a pregnancy, but since you were diagnosed early, there may be a small chance that you will carry your baby full term without any complications. That being said, there are risks involved with carrying to term, both for you and the fetus."
"Dr Cage told me I could bleed internally, suffer a miscarriage, and that it could even cause my own death." Sookie says.
"In some cases, yes but that was much more common before we came to understand how to diagnose and treat it properly. Did Dr Cage tell you what is normally recommended for patients with this diagnosis?" Dr Ludwig asks.
Sookie shakes her head. "He didn't really tell me much; he just referred me to you."
Dr Ludwig nods. "Well, let me start by explaining what exactly will happen over the next few months. As you know, placenta previa is a condition where your placenta sits low in the uterus, covering part, sometimes all of your cervix. According to Dr Cage, your placenta is covering the majority of your cervix, which can be very dangerous. Usually during a normal pregnancy, the placenta starts at the bottom of the uterus and as the baby grows and the uterus stretches and expands, the placenta is moved towards the top of the uterus. In the case of Placenta Previa, the placenta is not moved enough to allow for a normal pregnancy to develop. In your case, you aren't very far along, but already your placenta should have started 'drifting' upwards, which it hasn't. Right now, neither you nor your baby is in much danger, but as the pregnancy progresses, the danger to the both of you will climb exponentially. What I plan on doing today is to go over your ultrasound results with you, I want to do a full pelvic exam, and I want to talk to you about all of the things that you can do every day to make this pregnancy as safe as possible for you and that little one riding around inside you. Do you understand this so far?"
"Yes." Sookie whispers. I can only hold her hand, squeezing it gently, nodding to the doctor myself.
"Alright then, there is limited treatment for this condition, but what I recommend to you is to greatly reduce the stresses that your body faces every day. I think that you will probably have to give up your day job, unless you can do the majority of it sitting down. Over the next three to five months, you will be coming in for bi-weekly ultrasounds so that we can track both the progress of the baby and the progression of your placenta, and if needed, you may receive some steroid shots to help your baby develop a bit quicker. When you are in your last couple months of your pregnancy, you might have to be admitted into the hospital on mandatory bed rest, if you start bleeding. When all is said and done, if your placenta doesn't move enough for a natural birth to no longer be dangerous, the baby will have to be delivered by caesarean; in fact I would pretty much count on that with your diagnosis. Now, although there are many risks, there is a chance that you pregnancy just might go smoothly. You are after all just entering your second trimester, and that still leaves plenty of time for your placenta to rise off the floor of your uterus." She tells us.
"Can I plan my wedding?" Sookie asks.
Dr Ludwig smiles. "Of course! You can do anything during your pregnancy, as long as you take it easy. No going off and being bridezilla." She winks in my direction as she says this.
I laugh. "Don't worry doctor; I'll make sure she stays calm."
"Oh, of course, you can still walk around and go shopping and such, but you need to take it easy, and make sure you have plenty of time off of your feet, and rest whenever you need to. In most cases like these the pregnancy does go smoothly, but if you're not careful, it can also end in tragedy for the two of you. Sometimes women miscarry late term, due to not taking care of themselves properly, or not having been diagnosed in time to treat it correctly. But I am confidant that you will be fine since we have already found it, and are going to act accordingly. And, if you experience bleeding, pain anything of the sort, you ring for an ambulance and then call me straight away and I'll meet you at the hospital." Dr Ludwig tells us to make sure that we understand the severity of our situation. Once she is sure that we do, she smiles at us and stands, saying "Alright then, let's go check out your progress. If you'll follow me to one of the exam rooms, we can get you on your way soon."
After another half hour of poking and prodding Sookie, Dr. Ludwig seems to be satisfied with her findings, and tells us to make a return appointment for two weeks from now on our way out. Sookie and I nod and I shake Dr Ludwig's hand. We then leave the office and Sookie books her first of many ultrasounds. We then head home, a little more relieved and breathing a whole lot easier.
We arrive home and Sookie goes and sits down on the couch. I sit next to her.
"Well, time for bed I think." I say to her.
"Not yet, and besides, she said take it easy, so I don't have to be laying down all the time." Sookie tells me.
I nod. "Yes, but she said plenty of rest."
Sookie sighs, and her head and shoulder sag in defeat. "Why me? Why did this happen?"
"I don't know, but you're gonna be fine." I assure her.
She groans, getting up. "Stop staying that! You heard what she said. I could bleed internally, I could miscarry...anything could happen!"
I sigh. "Yes, she did say that, but she also said that as long as you take care of yourself, nothing is going to happen! She deals with this problem every day, and if she thought you or the baby was in serious danger, she would have told us that. You're gonna be fine, and I'll tell Mia, Sam and everybody else. You'll be alright."
"But what if I won't be?" she asks.
I jump up, starting to get aggravated with her. "You will be fine."
"Why can't you face the bad side of things? What if I'm not okay?" she yells in frustration.
"You will b-"
"Don't tell me I'll be fine again...why can't you even consider the risks?" Sookie yells at me, tears streaming down her face.
"Because I'm scared!" I tell her, tears start swelling up, clouding my vision.
Sookie looks at me, shocked. "You're scared?"
I grab her by the shoulders. "The reason why I am trying to stay positive is because I'm scared. Damn it Sookie, I just got you in my arms after almost losing you to another man, and I can't gonna lose you again. I am scared...I'm afraid that we might lose the baby, that you'll bleed to death while you're pregnant, or maybe that you'll die when you have the baby. I'm scared of all of that, but I'm more scared of being without you, I need you too much."
Sookie continues to cry and I pull her to me, holding her close as I possibly can.
"Well, shit..." Sam was saying.
After our little talk, Sookie went to bed to take a nap, and I went to call Sam. Sam was at the park with a sleeping Claudine in the pram, so I decided to join him so we could talk. I told him everything about Sookie and what Dr. Ludwig had to say.
"Placenta previa...that's not something you come across every day. I don't even know if I've ever heard of it before this, but then again, I never did pay much attention to pregnant women before Mia got pregnant." Sam says.
"Yeah, tell me about it... But the doctor says that it's not that uncommon, and that if treated properly, everything should go fine. But what if they don't? Shit Sam, I can't lose her. I mean, what will I do if things go wrong?" I implore him.
Sam sighs. "Hey, you and Sookie have been through so much and this will be like a walk in the park."
"A walk in the park?" I question, wondering if he has finally changed one too many diapers and gassed himself crazy.
"What I meant, is that things will be okay and that you'll get through it. I know you will, and I know that all three of you will be fine." Sam assures me.
"Thanks...say where's Mia?" I ask.
"She's gone shopping...she needed a break away from this little one, so she went shopping." Sam tells me.
I smile. "Oh...well she needs it. You both have been busy with little Claudy."
"Claudy?" Sam questions.
"A nickname?" I say.
Sam chuckles. "Okay...so, what's happening with the wedding?"
"Well, Sookie has time on her hands now, so she can organise it while she's 'taking it easy'. Then after the baby is born, we'll get married just like we had originally planned." I tell him.
"Why don't you get married while Sookie is still pregnant?" Sam suggests.
I frown. "Why?"
Sam shrugs. "Just in case."
"Just in case what? She dies?" I growl at my best friend.
"No...No, that is not what I mean. I mean, take each day like it is your last and don't hold off until the baby is born. Get married sooner." Sam suggests.
I think for a bit and look at Sam. I nod my head in lieu of saying goodbye and take off, heading home to talk with Sookie about Sam's idea. As I open the door, Sookie is sitting on the couch, reading a book.
"Hey...Mia called, asking me to go shopping with her. I told her about what we found out, and she says that her and Sam will be by to see us soon." Sookie tells me as I sit down on the couch.
Okay Northman, Just tell her what you're thinking. She loves you, and even if she gets upset, you can work through it with her. This is important. I finish giving myself an impromptu pep talk and decide to just go for it. I take a deep breath, and think to myself, here goes nothing.
"Sookie, maybe we shouldn't wait until after the baby is born to get married. Maybe we should get married sooner." I just blurt it all out in one breath, then I wait for her to freak out, but it never happens.
"Just in case, right?" Sookie whispers to me, grabbing my hands.
I shake my head. "No...I mean, why wait? I love you, and I really do want to marry you as soon as possible."
"Okay...let's get married sooner then." Sookie says. I smile widely and wrap my arms around her to give her a kiss. As soon as I release her, she says, "Well, now I have to get moving, we have a wedding to plan!"