Chapter 4: A Scare
On Monday, Amanda insisted on coming to work, although Lee thought that she should have stayed home another day or two. She said that she was feeling better than she had been, but her voice on the phone still sounded weak. She was just going to be a little late because she had to help the boys with something before school. Lee wished that he could persuade her to just take the day off and rest, but it was difficult to do that over the phone from his apartment. Besides, Billy had said that he wanted to talk to the two of them about the arrangements for the arrival of the Petrescus.
By then, the house was ready for the family, complete with the security system that would alert them if anyone broke into the house and which the family could use to summon help in a hurry if anything serious happened. There would be a security team checking in with the family regularly during the first few weeks that they were settling in. Later, as the family settled into their routine, they would only perform occasional checks to make sure that the family was still safe.
Anton Petrescu had enemies in the Romanian government who would love to either get revenge for his defection or to force him to return to Romania and spill his guts about the projects he'd worked on during his exile. These days, U.S. and Romanian relations were delicate, and Lee doubted whether any official agents of the Romanian government would make a move against the family. Still, better safe than sorry.
Since Amanda wasn't there yet, Billy and Lee started the briefing in the Q-Bureau without her.
"You and Amanda will meet the Petrescus at the gate," Billy said as they pored over the itinerary. "Johnson and Wheeler will follow you through the terminal to the parking garage. Carter and Lopez will be stationed in the garage and will follow you out in their car. Fielder and Benson will be at the house when you arrive."
"You had to put Fielder on this?" Lee groaned.
"We had to have someone replace Chang. He's out with the flu, too."
Lee would have argued more, but Amanda came in just then. She still looked awfully pale.
"Are you okay, Amanda?" Billy asked, getting up.
"I'll be alright, sir," Amanda said. Her voice was a little weak.
"You don't seem very well," Billy said gently. "Maybe you'd better spend the rest of the day at home."
"I don't want to miss the briefing," Amanda said. She seemed to be swaying a little on her feet.
Billy frowned at her worriedly. "I've started to brief Lee. Perhaps he can give you a ride home, and the two of you can talk in the car."
"I think that's a good idea," Lee said. "We have the itinerary, and we can-"
Amanda fainted right in front of the two surprised men.
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Lee waited in the Agency infirmary for the doctor to clear Amanda to go home. After she had fainted in the Q-Bureau, Lee had carried her to the infirmary and refused to let her go anywhere until the doctor said it was alright. By that point, Amanda was awake and protesting.
"I'll be okay," she murmured feebly. "I just didn't eat anything this morning."
"Why didn't you eat anything this morning?" Lee asked, still carrying her to the infirmary with Billy following closely.
"I just . . . didn't feel like I could handle it," Amanda mumbled.
"Then, you were too sick to come to work," Lee said. "I told you . . ."
There was little use in "I-told-you-so," but Lee always hated it when Amanda's sense of responsibility overcame her common sense. She should have spent the day at home, resting. The Petrescus weren't coming until Wednesday, and he could have briefed her at home.
"I think it's just the flu," Lee said to Billy while they waited for the doctor's diagnosis. It was partly to reassure him and partly to reassure himself that Amanda would be okay. "She's been feeling sick lately, and she was feeling pretty bad this weekend. She thought that she'd be better today but . . ."
Lee trailed off when he saw the look that Billy was giving him. It was speculative. And serious. More serious than any other look he could remember from Billy, and that was saying something.
"Lee," Billy said in a low voice, "before the doctor comes back, there's something I need to know, and I want a straight answer from you. Is it possible that Amanda is pregnant?"
Lee stared at his superior in shock. He struggled to find something to say. "Why . . . ? I mean . . ."
"You and I both know why," Billy said shortly. He leaned toward Lee and hissed, "You and Amanda are married. You've been married since last February. Never mind how I know, I just do! Now, Amanda's symptoms might be flu, but they can also be part of morning sickness. Wasn't she having weird food cravings last week? Peanut butter and pickles?"
"Lots of people like peanut butter and pickles," Lee said, glossing over the marriage part for the moment. "I don't know why. If you think Amanda's eating habits are weird, you should see what her mother-"
"We don't have time for this, Lee," Billy interrupted. "If she's pregnant, you're the father. Is it possible?"
Lee's head buzzed. Amanda . . . pregnant . . . father. Pregnant? They'd been together less often than Lee would have liked, but they'd been careful. Most of the time.
"Never mind," Billy said, seeing the look of silent panic on Lee's face. "I know. It's possible. Look, I don't know what the doctor will say. He might suggest the possibility, or he might say it's just the flu. But, whatever he says, make sure Amanda gets tested. You can do it quietly, away from the Agency. But, I'll want to know the results. We'll talk later."
The doctor was approaching. Lee tried to put on his best poker face. He knew he was failing. He just hoped that the worried look on his face would be attributed to concern for his partner. After all, that was at the heart of it.
"How is she?" Billy asked.
"She'll be alright," the doctor said. "It looks like she has the stomach virus that's been going around lately. Three people in Accounting and two in Crypto already have it, besides the ones from Field Section. I sent Jenkins home yesterday because of it. It lasts about seven to ten days, so she's about halfway through it, judging from when she first started feeling ill. I think that she'll be feeling better by the end of the week. She needs rest, and she should be drinking more water. She's a little dehydrated."
Billy nodded. "Thank you, doctor." Turning to Lee he said, "I'm giving Amanda the rest of the week off. That means that you'll have to meet the Petrescus alone on Wednesday. Amanda's very good at helping people to settle in, but most of the work has already been done. They have their furniture, and the house is stocked with food. There won't be much to do until next Monday, when the Petrescu girl starts school and Amanda volunteered to give Mrs. Petrescu a tour of the area. You can brief the Petrescus about the security arrangements on Wednesday, and that gives them a few days to themselves at home. Speaking of which, I'm giving you some time off, too, before you get sick."
"I'm okay, Billy," Lee said automatically.
"You might as well take a couple of days," Billy said. "You can review the files on Anton Petrescu and his family from home and check in with the security team briefly on the weekend. When Amanda's feeling a little better, you can brief her on the other little assignment she has." Another meaningful look. "For now, you'd better take her home and make sure she has someone to stay with her."
"Right," Lee said.
Amanda. Pregnant? It was the flu. It must be the flu. The doctor said so. Well, he's said a "virus," but that meant the flu. He didn't say anything about pregnancy. Pregnant. Baby. Father.
Considering how sick Amanda was and how preoccupied Lee was, it was a probably a miracle that they managed to get to Amanda's without an accident.
