“My name is Pia Giovanni. I need to see a doctor or a nurse practitioner,” Pia said, keeping her voice quiet so other people couldn’t hear. Her face and neck muscles ached with tension. She twisted her hands together. “Dr. Medina knows me. I’m sorry. I don’t have an appointment. I—” Her eyes glittered. “I’m afraid it might be an emergency.”
“Oh, honey,” said the nurse with quick compassion. She handed Pia a Kleenex and motioned her through the doors and into an alcove with a sink, a chair and a weighing scale. “All right, what’s going on? Are you sure you should be here and not in the ER?”
“I don’t know. There’s been so much happening.” She swallowed. “I’m a half-breed Wyr so I have an IUD. You know, the one with copper, not the one with hormones, because of not being quite human. And I’m in this new relationship with a full Wyr, and I managed to change last night—”
“Congratulations!” offered the nurse with a wide smile. RACHEL, her name tag said.
“Thanks.” She tried to smile as she remembered how happy she had been. “But all of a sudden I’ve gotten sick the last couple days. It was really bad this morning, and I’m pretty sure that somehow I got pregnant. I can feel it now that I’ve changed. And the IUD’s still in place.” She focused on the nurse, her expression intense. “I’m in shock. I can’t think straight, but I do already know one thing. I do not want to lose this baby.”
The nurse put her hand on Pia’s abdomen, her gaze going inward. Pia stood still. She felt the tingle of magic as the nurse scanned her. “Oh wow, you’re right, you are pregnant,” said the nurse, her eyes lighting up. “What a sweet little strong spark.”
“Did changing last night hurt it?” she asked.
“No! Oh no, shifting is the most natural thing in the world. Your nausea does sound a little different, though. And with the IUD, you did the right thing by coming in. We’ll get you in to see a nurse practitioner or doctor. Just go ahead and take a seat right there, and I’ll pull your records. In fact, I’m going to see if I can catch . . .”
Muttering to herself, the nurse rushed off. Pia slumped in the chair and put her head in her hands. Thank God Dragos had stopped roaring in her head, because otherwise she thought she might spin into the air and fly into pieces. She thought his silence was ominous, but she didn’t care as long as she could hear herself think for just a little damn while.
She felt shaky and on the edge of nausea again. She put her hand on her abdomen. Stay in there, peanut.
Luck continued to flow her way, as Dr. Medina was getting ready to go on vacation and had just seen the last of the patients she’d had scheduled for the day. Pia was acquainted with Dr. Medina and comforted by the familiarity. She was a brisk, gray-haired canine Wyr with a no-nonsense attitude and a sense of humor Pia found calming.
After a quick examination and a pulse of Power, the doctor removed the IUD and grinned at her. “Good news. You, my dear, are in excellent shape and it isn’t ectopic, which is one of the major risks when pregnancy occurs with an IUD. That baby is exactly where he’s supposed to be, all snuggled in right and tight in your uterus and not in a fallopian tube or anywhere else. I’m glad you came in so soon though. Women who put this off for too long run a high risk of miscarriage or other serious complications. Now tell me about this nausea you’ve been experiencing.”
Pia sagged with relief. She described the last few days. “I’ve not ever been tempted to put meat in my mouth,” she said with a shudder. “But it’s smelled so good. And that’s so wrong.”
The doctor regarded her over half-glasses. “Are you by any chance with a predator?”
“Yes?” She didn’t mean that as a question. Did she?
“Well, that’s your problem.” The doctor sat back and smiled at her. “Predator/herbivore mixes are much more unusual than homogenous matches, although they do happen, of course, since we Wyr are much more than just our animal natures. I’m not going to lie to you. You’re in for a bumpy ride for the duration, and it may seem at times like your instincts have gone haywire.”
“Will it be a high-risk pregnancy?” Her hand went to her abdomen again.
“I wouldn’t say that. There’s no reason to go there right now. Think protein and calcium. If you can’t force yourself to be omnivorous for the duration of the pregnancy, you’ll need to stock up on protein drinks. Soy is fine. Whey is better. Along with the prenatal vitamins, I’ll prescribe an anti-nausea charm that should help. It won’t block pain, mind you. Pain is too important a messenger. But it should help you keep your food down. Keep it with you everywhere but in the shower. It loses its efficacy if it gets wet too often.”
“Thank you so much, especially for seeing me before you left on vacation,” she replied with heartfelt feeling. The doctor scribbled on a prescription pad and handed her a slip. She said, “One last question, if you don’t mind.”