The Love We Choose

Chapter 54

A/N: Hey there lovelies. **Warning!**This chapter deals with miscarriage. Where there are no graphic descriptors of the process, it can be triggering to some. If you or a loved one have dealt with this situation in your lives, I am sending you warmth, love, and positive feelings. It is not a subject to take lightly or one given its proper respect in any community. Also it must be noted that when a child is lost, no matter at what stage of gestation, it mattered in the lives of both parents when love is involved.

When the curtain was drawn back again a few hours later, Lynne saw Dr. Walton had walked back into the room with a tall fair-skinned woman with pale pink scrubs and a lab coat. "Ms. Prentice, this is Dr. Nettle from the OB department and she's going to examine you. I've consulted her on your case and she wants to take a look at your baby." They pulled the curtain back around them to give privacy for the examination.

"Hi, there. I just want to see what is going on and if we can narrow down a reason for your bleeding. If you could lie back, I'm going to scan your baby again. After that I'll give you a pelvic exam and we can make a decision on whether or not you need to be admitted for overnight observation, ok?"

"Ok," Lynne replied with a nervous smile. Laying back as comfortably as she could, she focused on a spot on the ceiling in order to block out the sounds from the rolling ultrasound machine and the area around them. After a few minutes of Dr. Nettle running the wand over her small bump, pausing to take still shots, and mumbling medical jargon to Dr. Walton. After a while she removed the device and wiped off Lynne's belly before she moved on to the pelvic exam.

Once she was finished she turned her kind eyes to Lynne, "Alright, Ms. Prentice, we're going to go ahead and admit you." Lynne's face fell at the doctor's next words. "I'm sorry to say that your symptoms are showing signs of a possible threatened miscarriage."

Unable to hold back the tears, they flowed freely down the sides of her face.

"There's no need to despair just yet," the doctor told her, gently grabbing her hand in comfort and handing her a tissue. "Your scan shows a healthy uterus, your blood work shows your electrolytes are low, and your blood pressure is a little bit on the low side as well. You're not actively miscarrying as of yet. Both that and the fact that your cervix is still closed. We're going to monitor you overnight and keep a close eye on your hCG levels and your baby's heartbeat. Our hope is that your cervix remains closed and the bleeding and cramping stops. However, I do need you to understand that there is also a possibility of miscarriage. It is crucial that we monitor how your body reacts in the next twenty-four hours."

"What can I do? What can we do to stop it from happening?" Lynne asked, dejected, placing a loving hand on the swell of her abdomen.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing either you nor I can do in this situation. It is up to your body. As advanced as we are in the field of medicine, there is still much that is unknown when it comes to the human body. The best you can do is rest and relax," the doctor told her with a pat on her hand. "Transport will be by to take you up to the Obstetrics floor as soon as a bed opens up for you. In the meantime, do you have anyone you can call? Maybe the father? Or a family member to wait with you."

"N-no. I'll be ok," she told them as she wiped at her eyes. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, Ms. Prentice?"

"I'm quite sure. Don't worry about me."

"Alright. I know there's a lot of noise at the moment, but do your best to relax," she told her with one final comforting pat on the shoulder before both doctors left her alone in the exam room.

Closing her eyes, Lynne cleared her mind and started praying. She prayed for the little life growing inside of her. She prayed that Huan would get the chance to meet him or her when they were both healthy. She prayed for the strength to make it through the next few days without falling apart because she had to be there for Ying.

At some point, she must have drifted off to sleep, because when she opened her eyes, the scenery had changed. She was in a room with light lilac walls and considerably less noise. An iv was attached to her arm along with a few other wires. She felt a pressure on her abdomen and looked down. There was a device strapped around her stomach.

Ok. We're in the hospital and they're monitoring the baby. No one has woken me to tell me bad news, so that's a positive.

Turning her head to look out the window, she noticed that the sky had the hazy purple glow of dusk. Her body had definitely succumbed to the lack of sleep she had accrued over Huan's stay in the hospital. She chided herself mentally at her carelessness for her own health and that of their unborn child. "I promise I'll do better, mooncake. I'm just worried about your daddy. Hang on for us, please," she whispered.

A light knock on the door interrupted her thoughts as it slowly opened to reveal Ying. Lynne greeted her with a small smile as she came over and sat in the chair setup next to the bed.

"How's Huan doing?" Lynne asked, unable to stop herself.

"You need to focus on yourself, not my son. There are people coming in and out of the room all the time to check on him. He is the same as he has been. How are you doing, Lynne?"

Shifting to sit herself up, she shrugged lightly. "As fine as I can be, I guess. The doctor wants to monitor me overnight," she paused to take a moment to settle her nerves before continuing. "They think I might be miscarrying."

"Oh, Lynne," she clucked her tongue sympathetically before reaching over and enveloping her in a hug. "I'm so sorry."

Lynne hugged her back as the emotional turmoil she felt began to leak into her words. "A-and there's nothing I can do about it but wait and see."

"My dear girl, you need to relax. If I had known you were carrying a child, I would have insisted on you staying away from the hospital."

"I wouldn't have listened."

Ying shook her head, "you and my son are far too stubborn for your own good. Have you called your family to have someone come stay with you?"

"No."

"Would you like me to do it for you?"

"Please don't!" Lynne exclaimed anxiously.

Ying's eyes widened at her outburst. "You shouldn't be going through all this alone, Lynne."

"I'm not alone. You're here," she said with a half-smile.

"I came here to check on you before I went home for the night. You really should have someone with you for this."

"I'll be fine, mama Ying. It wouldn't be fair to call someone to be with me, when I haven't told them I'm pregnant," she informed her, shifting her eyes to the bedspread, voice dropping off at the end.

"Oh Lynne."

"I know. I know. It's my own fault. And I have to live with my choices. But I can't change anything now. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

"Alright. I'll come see you after I check-in on Huan tomorrow."

"Ok. Good night. Get home safe," she told her as the older woman kissed her cheek before exiting.

"Good night, Lynne."

After Ying left, the night shift nurse checked in with Lynne and brought her up to speed with how she was doing. She was a young, perky bespectacled nurse. Perfect for the labor and delivery floor. Once she was done with taking Lynne's vitals and adjusting the iv they had given her for mild dehydration, she exited the room, turning off the lights.

In the relative stillness, Lynne closed her eyes and silently wept until exhaustion dragged her back to sleep.

XXX

A/N2: Hello dear readers.
I thank you all for sticking with me thus far. Please let me know what you think in the comments and share with your reading circle. See you next chapter. :)