Arrested By Love (21 page)

"What are you doing?" she asked between small sobs.

"Helping you warm up and calm down. Just sit here between my legs and rest against my chest while I put my arms around you."

When Tiffany didn't argue, he said, "Good girl. Now close your eyes and relax. You can even sleep if you want to. You're safe in my arms now, Tiff. So, nothing bad can happen to you."

She didn't say anything, but after a moment he felt her settle back against him. So that was how they were positioned when the doctor walked in and regarded Kyle with surprise.

Dr. Sloan appeared to be a kindly, older gentleman probably around the age of Tiffany's father. He wore the requisite white coat and had a stethoscope draped around his neck. But other than the slight rise of his eyebrows at Kyle, he didn't look at all fazed at having two patients lying on his examining table.

"I wasn't aware this was a two-for-one," Dr. Sloan said softly with a smile as he went and sat on the small stool in the room to look over Tiffany's chart. When he was done, he glanced back at Kyle. "I don't believe we've met."

"Kyle Sinclair," Kyle answered, keeping his voice low so as not to awaken his sleeping beauty. "I'm Tiffany's soon-to-be-husband."

Dr. Sloan grinned. "Nancy mentioned something about a dominant man being in the room with Tiffany. I guess you must be him."

"Guilty as charged," Kyle answered with a responding grin.

"Looks like she's resting peacefully now. Are you aware of her problems?"

"Yes. Kyle filled the doctor in on what he knew, then added, "And though I can't be certain, I don't believe that she's had her period since May or April."

"So, you think she's pregnant, right?"

"It's a possibility. The very first time we made love, we did it without protection. She was going to talk with you about going on the pill, but cancelled the appointment when we broke up due to a misunderstanding. I finally put a stop to that foolishness today."

"I see. So, you haven't been with her since she started showing these symptoms?"

"No. If I had, we would have been here a lot sooner. I'm not sure why she was so resistant, but she keeps insisting she's got the flu. However, she was clearly scared when I spoke to her earlier, so I suspect she really thinks it's something more serious than that."

"Well, I hate to wake her up, but if I'm going to examine her, I think we're going to have to do that. She looks really comfortable right now."

"All right if I stay where I am and hold her?"

"I think we can work around that, if she doesn't mind."

"Actually, I wasn't thinking of giving her much choice in the matter."

The doctor shook his head. "Sorry, but I have my license to consider. A patient suing me for examining her under duress will not look good to my insurance company."

"Understand," Kyle said, leaning forward to give Tiffany a kiss. "Sweetie, Dr. Sloan is here now, and he'd like to talk to you."

Tiffany blinked open her eyes. "I fell asleep," she said, sounding surprised.

"Yes, you did. How are you feeling, honey?"

"Better," she admitted, although her tone indicated she found that to be unlikely."

"Tiffany? Why don't you sit up for a bit while I listen to your heart and lungs?"

Kyle eased her into a sitting position, and pushed her a few inches away from him, but kept his hands firmly on her hips. She breathed as the doctor directed while he listened with his stethoscope. Then he felt under her chin.

"Glands don't appear to be swollen. Open your mouth and say 'Ahh,' Tiffany."

She did as the doctor asked, but still gagged. Kyle squeezed her hips a little to let her know he was still there and she settled.

"Ears now," the doctor said as he used his instrument to examine the inside of her ears. Then he stood back. "Well, Nancy reported that your blood pressure is low, you have a headache, sore breasts along with a general feeling of malaise and you're nauseated with some vomiting. Is that correct?" When Tiffany nodded, he asked, "Anything else bothering you?"

"No, Sir. Not really. Do you think I've got the flu?"

Dr. Sloan shook his head. "No, I don't think that's it. You aren't running a fever and nothing else I've seen indicates a viral or bacterial infection. When was your last period? Do you remember?"

Tiffany didn't say anything for a moment, then she shook her head. "No. With everything that's been going on, I haven't given it much thought. Early May I think."

"Well, it's been over a year since you've had a gynecological examination, so I'd like to do one now."

"No," Tiffany started to protest, but Kyle gave her hips a firm pinch.

"Ow!" Turning she scowled at him. "I don't need an examination," she protested.

"Actually, the doctor disagrees with you, honey, and so do I, Would you prefer I leave the room?" he asked, not wanting to go, but willing to make it easier for her if she didn't want him there while she was being examined.

"No," she answered sullenly.

"Okay, Tiffany. I'm going to go get Nancy to assist me. In the meantime, just lie back against your future husband and relax, and we'll take a look in a few minutes."

When Dr. Sloan left the room, Tiffany glared back at Kyle. "Why did you tell him we were getting married?"

"Because we are," he answered, pulling her back against him.

"I didn't agree to that," she said with a small trace of petulance.

"Actually, you did, and I never agreed to break the engagement off. So, as far as I'm concerned, we are still engaged."

Tiffany opened her mouth to argue but shut it again when Dr. Sloan and his nurse entered the room..

"Okay, Tiffany. Put your feet up here on these stirrups then scoot forward a bit."

Tiffany slowly put her feet up, but Kyle had to actually push on her butt to get her to move forward.

"That's perfect. Now relax your thighs and spread your knees apart."

Tiffany didn't move, so Kyle leaned forward. "It's all right, honey. I'm here," he soothed, rubbing the sides of her hips to relax her. Her knees slid apart with ease.

"Okay, Tiffany, press down, dear."

Tiffany groaned, but from the way the doctor proceeded, Kyle gathered she'd obeyed. So, he ran his hands under her gown over her breasts and down along the sides of her ribcage. She gave a small moan.

"Easy, Tiffany. I'm almost done," Dr. Sloan informed her while he took a swab of her cervix. Okay, the area around your cervix is looking a little swollen and blue, which is normal, but not necessarily definitive."

"Normal for what?" Tiffany asked uncertainly.

"I'll want to take a blood test just to be certain," the doctor continued, removing the speculum and standing up between Tiffany's legs. "Let's just do a manual check as well," he said, and Tiffany gave a little grunt when he pressed his gloved fingers inside her and palpated her uterus.

Tiffany hissed out a breath.

"Feeling a little sore?" Dr. Sloan asked. When Tiffany nodded, he drew his fingers out and held his hand out to Nancy for her to apply lubricant to his middle finger. "From the feel of your cervix alone, I'd say you're about six weeks along, which is too early for anything but a blood or urine test to confirm accurately. Now bear down for me, Tiffany."

Kyle waited as did the doctor. Then the doctor looked to Kyle, so he bent forward. "Tiffany, if you want to get out of here without a hot and sore bottom, I suggest you do exactly as the doctor says."

Tiffany scowled, but clearly obeyed him for the doctor said, "That's good. Now just relax." The doctor continued to press on Tiffany's insides. "You're wincing. Does this hurt?"

"A little," she admitted.

Nodding, he removed his fingers, then glanced back at Kyle. "I think you're right."

"About what?" Tiffany asked, sounding a little frustrated.

Kyle leaned forward again. "Both the doctor and I suspect you are pregnant."

"What?" Tiffany replied almost sitting straight up.

"Doctor, is there any activity we need to be careful about at this stage? Sexual intercourse, corporal punishment, or any other bodily exercise?"

"Kyle!" Tiffany scolded, glaring back at him.

The doctor just chuckled. "Assuming we can get the nausea under control and she's feeling up to it, normal sexual intercourse shouldn't be a problem. I don't think you want her hanging from chandeliers, or anything too strenuous, but even a little spice won't hurt her, and gathering from your interplay I suspect she might even enjoy it."

"So, a firm over the knee spanking wouldn't be frowned upon?"

Tiffany slapped at his chest, but he held her hand and waited to hear the doctor's reply.

"I have a feeling Tiffany may frown upon it, but as long as you take care to make sure no undo pressure is placed on her stomach, there should be no problem at all if you continue as you have been."

"Thank you, doctor. Did you hear that, honey? I suggest you behave, or you and I are going to be revisiting some of our earlier practices."

Tiffany crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the doctor. "Did you really have to tell him that?"

"Sorry, Tiffany, but he asked, so I wanted to be honest with him. Now, I'm going to need you to lay straight back while I examine your breasts."

Kyle took that as his cue to get up, but Tiffany grabbed at his arm when he started to walk away, so he stayed and kept his hand on her shoulder as she placed her hands under her head while the doctor finished his examination.

"The tenderness in your breasts and the nausea you're currently experiencing is perfectly normal, Tiffany. So, don't worry about it. I am going to order a blood test, just to make certain. But right now I'm ninety-nine percent sure that you're pregnant."

Tiffany just groaned at that news.

"Given that you've lost a lot of weight, I'm going to want to prescribe some vitamins and other medicine to help restore your strength until I see you next month." The doctor looked at Kyle, then. "Have you had any experience giving injections?"

Kyle ignored Tiffany's squawk of indignation and just nodded. "I worked as a medic in the army, and completed EMT training, but joined the police force instead."

"Too bad. I think you'd be good working with patients. All right, since you have experience, I'm going to give you a few prescriptions for Tiffany. I'll make sure all necessary instructions are included, but call if you have any questions. Both injections should be given intramuscularly, so I assume that won't be a problem for you?"

Kyle gave his head a single shake, knowing Tiffany was not going to be happy about this, but he had no problem with it at all.

"Good. One of them may make her a little woozy, so I'll just let you fill the prescription and see to their administration." Then looking at Tiffany, he said, "I'll send the technician in for a blood sample, so you can get dressed now, dear, but I want to see you back here in one month. If the blood test turns out to be negative, I will want to see you sooner than that, but I sincerely doubt that will be the case. We'll call you with the results as soon as we have them."

Kyle advised Dr. Sloan that he wanted to add his numbers to the file, which the doctor agreed would be helpful. Then he reached over and clasped Tiffany's hand. "I can see that I'm leaving you in very capable hands."

Tiffany nodded, but gave a small growl as she did.

Before Dr. Sloan left, Kyle asked him if there were any foods he should concentrate on to help Tiffany gain weight. The doctor gave him several suggestions, including adding a protein shake drink to her diet, then blending in a scoop of ice cream, to make it more palatable, and an egg for protein.

"Thanks," Kyle said. "I'll be sure to add those items to my shopping list."

Tiffany snapped her head around to glare at him. "Don't be so sure I'm going to stay with you, Kyle Sinclair. I still haven't forgiven you."

Kyle bent forward pressing his forehead to hers. "I know and understand that, but believe me when I say that I plan to do everything I can to convince you to let me take care of you, as I have wanted to do for the past six weeks."

Tears started to roll down her cheeks, so he wiped them away with his thumb and kissed her.

Dr. Sloan left them then, and Kyle insisted upon helping Tiffany get dressed.

"I am old enough to dress myself, Kyle," she snapped, grabbing her clothes out of his hands.

Kyle started to scold when he saw her complexion go suddenly pale and she put a hand out to steady herself.

"Tiffany Anne Morgan, unless you wish for me to take you firmly in hand this minute, you will stop this idiocy and let me help you.

Tiffany scowled back at him, but handed him her clothes without further protest. Noticing the sheen of tears in her eyes, Kyle drew her back into his arms.

"It's okay, sweetie. You just got a little dizzy. That's all. Once you feel like eating again, you'll start to feel stronger. I promise."

With a nod, she let him finish dressing her, and was sitting down while he knelt before her to tie on her sneakers when the phlebotomist knocked and entered. Seeing the way Tiffany stared at the medical technician as though the woman had sprouted horns, Kyle rose and introduced himself.

Chapter Fourteen

Wearing blue scrubs and carrying a plastic tote filled with needles and vials, the perky black woman accepted Kyle's hand with a smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Sinclair." Then she immediately turned to Tiffany who'd grown suddenly pale. "Okay, Miss Tiffany, I've been instructed to take four vials of blood." She set her tote down on the counter and pulled out a flexible plastic tourniquet. "Do you have a preference as to which arm?"

Tiffany shook her head, but folded her arms over her chest. It wasn't a strong resistance, but enough for Kyle to grasp a wrist and pull her up out of the chair. Tiffany was just letting out a sharp squawk of protest when he pulled her back onto his lap and secured her there while he raised the sleeve to her left arm and held it out for the phlebotomist. Surprisingly, Tiffany raised no argument or complaint over his high-handedness, but merely pressed her face against his shoulder.