Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen

Author:Sarah Pekkanen [Pekkanen, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781451673531
Amazon: 1451673531
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Published: 2014-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

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Chapter Fifteen

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“EXCUSE ME!” ALYSSA CALLED to a passing nurse. “Do you know how much longer it’ll be before I can leave?”

“Just a few more minutes,” said the nurse without looking at them or slowing her pace. Somehow Alyssa wasn’t reassured.

Dr. Natterson had been delivering a baby in the same hospital at the time of her procedure, and apparently he wanted to come by to give her recovery instructions. Which made no sense to Alyssa. The cerclage had been ridiculously simple, and she was going to see Dr. Natterson for a follow-up in a few days. Couldn’t the doctor who’d performed the cerclage tell her to drink fluids and avoid lifting anything heavy for forty-eight hours and send her on her way?

“Maybe I should go get the Jeep and pull it out front,” Rand said. Alyssa was sitting in the hard chair, and he was leaning against the wall next to her, still jingling the change in his pocket.

“But we don’t know how long it’s going to take,” Alyssa protested.

“Right,” he said. Jingle, jingle.

“I wish they’d hurry,” Alyssa said.

“Yeah,” Rand agreed.

They waited for a few more minutes.

“Can you please stop making that noise?” Alyssa finally asked.

“Huh?” Rand followed her gaze to his pocket. “Sorry,” he said, withdrawing his hand.

They were silent until Dr. Natterson finally appeared, still in blue scrubs.

“Hi,” he said, giving Alyssa a smile that instantly made her forgive him for any past, current, and future transgressions.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Pretty good, just a little tired,” she said.

“That’s to be expected,” he said. “I don’t know anyone who sleeps well in the hospital. Make sure you go to sleep early tonight and stay hydrated.”

“Okay,” she said, glancing at Rand out of the corner of her eye. Was that all they’d been waiting for?

“I talked with the doctor who performed the cerclage,” he said. He sat down on the edge of the bed Alyssa had recently vacated and rested his elbows on his knees. “Your cervix is measuring at about three point five centimeters.”

“What’s the normal number?” Alyssa asked.

“Five centimeters,” Dr. Natterson said. “It thinned more than I’d previously thought. So we’re going to have to take some precautions for the rest of your pregnancy. You’ll need to be on bed rest.”

“Bed rest,” Alyssa repeated.

“You can take a shower every other day, and walk to the bathroom, but other than that I want you lying down on a bed or couch,” he said. “No unnecessary movement for the next five or six months.”

It took a second for the realization to sink in—the kind of dazed, fuzzy moment that separates a terrible fall from the resulting crush of pain.

“Grace,” she whispered.

She looked at Rand, who was staring back at her, his eyes wide.

“No!” Alyssa yelled. “I need to get her! She’s waiting for us, in China! My daughter needs me to bring her home!”

“I’m sorry,” Dr. Natterson said. He exhaled and ran his hand over his face. “I don’t . . . I’ve never dealt with this particular situation before .

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