North Stars
Chapter 9
Christine missed Mike. Of course; she should be used to being alone after so many years apart, but she missed him. She missed waking up next to him. She missed the way he made her laugh. How he kept Katie's spirits up and made Hannah sing along to his little songs. The way he would randomly hug her at different points throughout the day.
Calls and emails were few and far between and the media wasn't reporting how serious things were. Mike had told her before he left that he felt the President was picking a fight that the United States might not be able to win. Tom and various members of the James crew checked in frequently, but most of them had retired. Mike just hadn't gotten his paperwork through fast enough. Christine could only hope it didn't get him killed.
She didn't feel good. At first she told herself that it was nerves and missing Mike, but finally, she made a doctor's appointment. Katie had offered to come along but Christine opted to go alone, not knowing what the end result would be and not wanting to burden the girls unnecessarily. After blood work and a urine test, Christine sat on the exam table and smiled when the doctor came in.
"So, have I given myself an ulcer?" Christine asked.
"Not quite. Congratulations. You are having a baby." Doctor McKinley answered. Christine shut her eyes in disbelief.
"I'm too old." Christine finally said.
"You've not gone through menopause so not quite. However; there are a lot of things that need to be considered and thought about…but first of all; do you want this baby?" Doctor McKinley asked. Christine liked her. Doctor McKinley was her age and seemed to understand that at forty-five; a new baby wasn't necessarily a joyous event.
"I've never given a newborn at our age a thought. Mike and I only recently reunited and now he's deployed." Christine said.
"And your daughters are nearly grown?" Doctor McKinley asked.
"Katie is nineteen. Hannah is sixteen. If Lucas had survived; he would be fifteen." Christine answered.
"Well, you and your husband have some decisions to make. I will start the referral process to get you into an OBGYN that specializes in geriatric pregnancies. This pregnancy will have…more cautions and such than your prior pregnancies. Did you ever have any complications before?" Doctor McKinley asked.
"No. My pregnancies were always fairly easy. Some morning sickness. I had some pre-eclampsia with Hannah and she was a breech. I had to have a C-section, but my next pregnancy and delivery was completely normal." Christine answered.
"Those are both risks that go up as you age. As well as developmental disabilities. Of course; I tell you this and you can look it up on the internet and read every horror story, but you could also have a very normal and healthy pregnancy with a perfect baby." Doctor McKinley warned.
"I am almost two months along." Christine remarked as she blinked tears away.
"And you thought when you missed your period that you were starting menopause?" Doctor McKinley asked.
"Yeah, pretty much. And Mike being gone." Christine said.
"Christine…I get it. I had a son three years ago; after losing another son to the Red Flu. I was not…happy. My husband was, thankfully and it wasn't until I held Tucker that I really understood it. The entire pregnancy…I was miserable. Not because of morning sickness or swelling. I didn't want a new baby. I just wanted my older son back. I didn't think I could ever love Tucker the way I had loved Matt. And the truth is; I don't. Tucker is his own individual person and he makes my husband, his sisters and myself laugh every single day. He is a cuddler and he'll curl up in my lap and will fall asleep…something Matt never did. Just take care of yourself and I promise; you will come around and if your husband is on the fence; he will too." Doctor McKinley said as she handed Christine some tissues to wipe the tears away.
"I don't know what Mike will say. He loves kids and I know he misses Lucas. Of course, he won't care if it's a boy or girl. I won't either for that matter." Christine remarked.
"Of course. Here are some prenatal vitamins. You are older so rest when you need to. Let the girls take care of you and when Mike comes home; he can take that over. You know what sort of foods to eat and all. Just relax. Try not to worry too much about the scenarios or if Mike is safe. My office will set up for an OBGYN and of course; you can call me if you have any questions or concerns." Doctor McKinley said as they both stood up. She handed Christine a bottle of prenatal vitamins and then gave her a hug.
"Thanks." Christine said. She walked out of the office and to her SUV in a bit of a daze. She wasn't sure how she was going to tell the girls or Mike the next time she spoke with him. All she could do at that point was pray he made it home in one piece. She couldn't do a pregnancy without him and she didn't want to have a baby without him there.