Annnnnd then it was a case of hurry up and wait.
“So if you were going to get married, what kind of woman do you want?”
iAm glanced over at her. “Can’t we talk about baseball or something?”
Oh, crap. “Or guy, as the case might be. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
He laughed again. “I’m not gay.”
“So what would she be like?”
“Man, you don’t quit, do you?”
Now it was her turn to laugh. “Listen, I’m sitting here, freezing cold in this paper doily, about to be told that I have the flu and shouldn’t have bothered coming in. Do me a solid and get my mind off my reality, will you?”
iAm sat back in his chair. “Well, like I said, I haven’t really given it a lot of thought.”
“Can I set you up with someone—”
“No,” he barked. “Nooooooooo. No, no, no, back right off the edge of that ledge, girlie.”
She put out her hands. “Okay, okay. Just, I don’t know, you seem like a good guy.”
He didn’t respond to that one.
And as he fell silent, she figured, damn it, she had made him feel awkward—
“Can I tell you something nobody knows?” he blurted.
Beth sat up straighter. “Yes, please.”
The Shadow let out a long exhale. “The truth is…”
Oh, God, please don’t let the doctor come in before he—
“I’ve never been with a female before.”
As Beth’s brows punched up to the center of her forehead, she gave them a strict lecture about resettling. She didn’t want him to look up and see the shock on her face.
“Well, that’s…”
“Lame. I know.”
“No, no, not at all.”
“Trez has been more than making up for it,” he muttered. “If we averaged his sex life and mine, we’d still be on the Wilt Chamberlain curve.”
“Oh, wow. I mean—”
“Before my brother bolted from the s’Hisbe, I was too goddamn shy. And then once the shit hit the fan with him? I’ve been trying to keep him from spiraling completely out of control. Plus, I don’t know, I’m not into the sluts. Our tradition says you honor your body by sharing it only with someone you are halved with. Guess I can’t get that bullshit out of my head.”
After a moment, he glowered across at her. “What.”
“I just … I’ve never heard you say that many words at once. It’s nice to have you open up.”
“Can we keep this between us?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
She waited a couple of beats. “But if I meet someone, like, you know, who might make sense, can I introduce you two?”
He shook his head. “’Preciate it. I’m not a good bet, though.”
“So what are you going to do, live your whole life alone?”
“I have my brother,” he said gruffly. “Trust me. That shit is more than enough to keep me busy.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it is.”
When he got quiet again, she assumed he was done talking. Instead, he spoke up one last time: “I only have one other secret.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t tell anyone … but I like that goddamn cat of yours.”
Tilting her head to the side, Beth smiled at the Shadow. “I have a feeling … he’s pretty fond of you, too.”
It was a full hour before the door opened again.
And it was only another nurse. “Hi, I’m Julie. Dr. Sam’s tied up in an emergency. She’s really sorry. She’s asked me to take a blood sample to speed things along?”
For a split second, Beth worried about that bright idea. There were anatomical differences in the two species. What if they found something—
“Ms. Marklon?”
iAm had said he was going to take care of any fallout, though, she reminded herself. And she could guess how he was going to do that.
“Yes, of course. Which arm do you want?”
“Let me take a look at your veins.”
Five minutes, one alcohol pad, two sticks, and three filled vials later, she and iAm were alone again.
For a while.
“Does it always take this long?” he asked. “With humans?”
“I don’t know. I was never sick, and I sure as hell never wondered if I was pregnant before.”
The Shadow rearranged himself in his chair again. “You want to call Wrath?”
She took out her phone. “I’m not getting a signal. How ’bout you?”
He checked his. “Nope.”
Made sense. They were in one of St. Francis Hospital’s newer buildings, a twelve- or fifteen-story-high steel-and-glass number—and they were only on the second floor. In the middle.
Not a window in sight.
God, she wished Wrath were here—
The door swung open, and later … much later … she would recall the first thing that struck her:
I like this woman.
Dr. Sam was five feet tall, fifty years old … and all about her patient. “Hi. I’m Sam, and I’m sorry you’ve had to wait.”
Shifting the folder she was carrying to her opposite arm, she put her hand out and smiled, flashing pretty white teeth and a face that had aged well naturally. Her short blond hair was a good dye job, and she had some nice gold bangles and a diamond ring on her left hand. “You must be Beth. Manny’s an old friend of mine. I used to do ob-gyn consults for him in the ER from time to time.”
For absolutely no good reason, Beth felt an absurd urge to cry—and tamped it right down. “I’m Beth. Marklon.”
“And you are?” she said to iAm, also offering her hand.
“A friend.”
“My husband can’t be here,” Beth said as those two shook.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“He’s … not going to be able to be at the appointments.”
Dr. Sam propped a hip on the exam table. “Is he in the military?”
“Ah…” She glanced at iAm. “Actually, yes.”
“Thank him for his service for me, will you?”
God, she hated lying. “I will.”
“Okay, so let’s get down to business.” She opened the folder. “Have you been taking prenatal vitamins?”
“No.”
“That’s going to be first on our list.” Dr. Sam glanced up. “I’ve got some good organic ones that won’t make you sick—”
“Wait, so am I pregnant?”
The doctor frowned. “I—I’m sorry. I thought this was your ultrasound checkup?”
“No, I came in to find out whether I have a stomach flu or if I’m … you know.”
The doctor pulled the chair the nurse had sat in up really close. Then she put her hand over Beth’s. “You’re very definitely pregnant. And you have been for a while. That’s why we need to get you on those prenatals right away—as well as try to put some weight on you.”
Beth felt the blood drain out of her head. “I—that’s not possible.”
“Going by your HCG results, I’d say you’re into your second trimester—although, of course, levels vary significantly. But right now you’re over one hundred thousand. So as I said, I’m hoping you’ll let me do an ultrasound so we can see what’s going on.”
“I … I … I … I…”
“Yeah, she’d like that,” iAm said remotely. “Can you do it now?”
“I … I…”
“Yup, right now.” Dr. Sam didn’t move, though. “But let’s make sure Beth’s on board. Would you like some time with your friend?”
“I can’t be four months. You don’t understand … it’s not possible.”
Maybe this was a vampire thing, she thought. Like, the reading was wonky because she was a—
“Well, again, HCG levels are really only an indication in the very beginning—and solely in relation to how much they’re increasing.” The doctor stood up and opened a drawer, taking out a little boxy device that had a sensor attached to it by a thick wire. “May I check for a heartbeat?”