Chapter 36

Alex was very quiet on the way to the car. He held the door for her as she got into the SUV, and then shut it for her before going around to the other side. She rubbed her temples as he slid into the seat.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Headache," she said. "This is stupid."

"It won't hurt to get off your feet for a while."

She frowned, but said nothing, and he pulled out of the garage.

His place was closer, and he parked the car as close as he could get it to the building. He helped her out and walked close beside her as they went in. They rode the elevator up and he moved ahead to unlock the door.

She was walking more slowly than usual. She'd barely gotten back into her shoes, and now they were too tight. She started for the couch, but he took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

The sheets were a tangled mess. Bobby shook them out while Alex got out of her clothes. She grabbed a shirt from his drawer and pulled it over her head. It was tight against her belly. "I never thought I'd see the day when I didn't fit in one of your shirts," she said.

Bobby smiled, and helped her into bed. He kissed her, and she held one hand against his beard. "You're coming, too, right?"

He was surprised, though he shouldn't have been. He nodded. "O-Okay. Let me get you some water, first. And… are you hungry?"

"No, but I probably should eat something." After another quick kiss he scurried off to the kitchen. He came back with sandwiches for both of them, and waters.

"How are the feet?" he asked her.

"Feeling better already," she admitted.

Bobby stripped down to his shorts before they ate their dinner in bed. He gathered up the dishes and took them back to the kitchen, leaving the water behind. When he returned, she was rubbing her chest with her hand.

She saw the look he gave her. "Heartburn," she explained.

Bobby nodded and climbed into bed with her. He spent some time smoothing his hand over her skin. She closed her eyes and enjoyed it, and was especially pleased when his hand slowed, and then stopped. Bobby was asleep.

Normally, the slightest motions would wake him. Even when she turned in bed, he almost always stirred. This time, nothing could shake him out of it. He slept for 16 hours straight.

Alex was already dressed and ready for work when he shuffled out of the bedroom. "Good morning," she smiled at him.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes with one hand. "Morning," he mumbled back. He took a few more steps and glanced at her feet, then nodded his approval.

"Good as new," she said. "I have that appointment today. The Captain already said you could come, so long as you flex the time."

"I'll be there," he said.

She reached up and gave him a hug. "Thanks for taking care of me yesterday," she said. "I guess I needed it."

"Hmmm," he agreed. He kissed her cheek, and then zeroed in on the coffee pot.

Alex sighed and rubbed her temples again. "Maybe they'll tell me something I can do about these headaches."

"Want some water?"

She held up a glass. "Already have some."

"Have you had any unusual symptoms, such as blurred vision or headaches?" The Doctor asked.

Bobby looked at Alex in alarm.

"I've been having headaches. I didn't know that was unusual, though."

"How often?"

She explained, and the Doctor scribbled some notes. "What about pain in your abdomen that seems unrelated to the baby's movements?"

"I don't know."

"H-heartburn, you said you had heartburn," Bobby said. "Her hand was… here…" he showed the doctor.

Again, the doctor asked for more details and wrote some notes. "Alex, if you recall, during your last pregnancy, your blood pressure was on the high end of normal. Fortunately, it didn't progress past that. Your blood pressure today is quite high. I'm going to ask you to come back in tomorrow morning, and we'll take your blood pressure again."

"What do you suspect?" Bobby asked.

"It could be any number of things, but unfortunately, all can be serious, even life threatening. The first thing I want to rule out is preeclampsia. I'll order some blood tests today, and then we'll check her blood pressure in the morning."

"But why would I get that this time when I didn't have it last time?"

"Your age could be a factor, and there is some evidence that the father's DNA in your body plays a role. I don't want you to worry about it. We'll run the tests, make sure, and then go from there."

The doctor watched as Bobby's hand went to Alex's back. He comforted her, rubbing a slow circle there. "How are things at work?" she asked.

Alex bristled. "Okay."

"You've been experiencing edema?"

"Yeah, but not till the end of the day. That's nothing, right?"

"It can be a symptom. How much time are you spending on your feet?"

"I don't know, a couple of hours, maybe. It's different from day to day."

"You were on your feet at least four hours yesterday," Bobby corrected her. He looked at the doctor. "She's too proud to tell anyone she needs to rest."

Alex glared at him.

The doctor looked at her sternly. "This isn't about you, Detective, it's about your baby. I'm going to order you on desk duty until we find out why you're having the high blood pressure. After that, it could very well be bedrest."

Alex sighed in disappointment.

"It's for the baby," the doctor reminded her.

After the appointment, Bobby drove her home. It was a long and silent ride, and he was glad he had to go back to 1PP. Alex was furious with him.

"I'll… uh, I'll see you later," he said, and quickly kissed her cheek before she could protest.

She frowned as she watched him leave. After a heavy sigh, Alex picked up the phone and dialed her sister.