Dr Harris nodded. “The lab did me a favour.”
“So.” I exhaled. “What’s wrong with me?”
“You have anaemia, Branna. Very bad anaemia from the state of your bloodwork. Both an iron and a folate deficiency. I’m surprised you haven’t come in sooner for blood tests. Haven’t you been feelin’ more than just a little breathless?”
Yes.
“I didn’t think it was anythin’ bad.” I frowned. “I just thought the weather change was makin’ me feel sluggish.”
Ryder’s hold on my hand tightened.
“Is it serious?” he asked.
Dr Harris shook his head, and I practically felt the worry leave Ryder’s body.
“If left untreated, it can cause complications, but once treated, both she and the babies will be right as rain.” Dr Harris looked at me. “I’m prescribin’ you iron tablets and folic acid tablets. I know you’re a midwife and all that jazz, but you’re gettin’ the same talkin’ to as all me other patients. You need to take the tablets every day, and changin’ your diet a bit to get more intake of the substances in food wouldn’t hurt either. You and the babies will benefit greatly.”
“She’ll take the pills and change her diet,” Ryder replied firmly. “I’ll make sure of it. Don’t worry, sir.”
Bossy man.
I sighed. “I’ll take them, even if they are horse-sized tablets.”
Dr Harris laughed, and Ryder smirked.
“So,” Dr Harris said as he glanced back at my chart, “your babies share a placenta, so you know what that means?”
It meant not only were my twins identical, but also that sharing a placenta could have problems.
I nodded. “More frequent check-ups to monitor the pregnancy closer.”
“Exactly. We want this to go as smoothly as possible.”
“Is her pregnancy high risk?” my husband asked.
“Higher risk than most because it’s a twin pregnancy, but her anaemia is actually quite common. Things will only go in a direction we don’t want if she doesn’t get regular check-ups and report any problems she is havin’, no matter how small.”
Dr Harris was definitely chastising me because being a midwife, I should know better, and because he was correct, I only nodded.
He gestured to my leg. “You sure you don’t want to be transferred to—”
“No,” I cut him off. “It’s not broken; it’s just bruised. They’ll want me to do an x-ray, and I won’t have one being pregnant, so there is no point in goin’.”
Dr Harris nodded in understanding. “Okay, but if the swellin’ doesn’t go down, you get your arse to A&E. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you.” I smiled.
“You’ll be stayin’ overnight with us,” he then stated.
I sighed but didn’t protest, knowing it was for the best.
“I just want you to stay hooked up to the CTG for the night then you’ll be discharged come mornin’,” he added. “Just to be safe, okay?”
I nodded. “Will I be moved to the lower wards?”
“And take you away from Sally?” He snorted. “Even though you’re not in labour, sweetheart, there isn’t a chance I’d leave ‘ere with me testicles intact if I signed off on that.”
Ryder choked on his laughter while I embraced mine.
“It’s gettin’ late,” Dr Harris said. “Get some sleep; it’ll be sunrise before we know it.”
It was pretty late, and at the reminder, exhaustion suddenly struck.
“I’ll have a fold-up bed brought up—”
“He’ll just sleep with me.” I cut him off, smiling. “There isn’t a point in havin’ one brought up when he won’t use it.”
Dr Harris grinned. “I understand.”
He hugged me and shook Ryder’s hand before he left us alone. I was still in my clothes, and Ryder was still in his, but it didn’t matter. Both of our babies were okay and healthy, and that was all that mattered. Before I drifted off into a much-needed slumber, I wondered how my sister would take the news, and without realising it, I dozed off with a huge smile on my face.
“Are you ready for this?”
Ryder glanced at me when I asked the question as we pulled into our driveway. It was just after nine in the morning, and I had just been discharged from the hospital. I had a headache from not sleeping well, but I was sick with excitement to share the news of our twins with our family.
“I’m ready,” he said. “Are you?”
“I’m ready for a shower,” I replied, “and some good food.”
“Me too,” my husband said as he glanced at the car parked next to ours, “but your sister and my brother are already here, so we’d best tackle them first.”
“You shouldn’t have phoned Bronagh,” I said to him. “We could have just told them what happened when we got ‘ere.”
“She rang me to make sure we were okay after the storm last night, and she just so happened to hear Ash talking in the background,” he stated as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “Not even I could talk my way out of that; your sister is too clever for her own good.”