Objection | SVU

Chapter 36

[A/N: So just as a timeline, I leave for London to study abroad in a little under a month. Ideally, I want to be finished with this story by then, but who knows what life has in store. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!]

We got to the hospital, and I was admitted rather quickly. I was given an IV and some blood work was taken for them to run some tests, and the first thing the nurse said to me was that it was one of three things, she already knew. Either I was pregnant, I had been poisoned at that restaurant, or I had the stomach bug. Rafael and I had been talking about having a child and we agreed that we wanted to be parents, but with my new transition to work, I didn't think that now was a good time. 

After we waited for a while, the nurse came back with a doctor wearing pink scrubs, and I immediately knew what was going on. The doctor shook my hand and said, "Hi Jessica, my name is Doctor Edwards and I'm a pediatric doctor on call. After a few blood tests were taken and we got the results, I just wanted to ask you a few questions." She looked at me, not needing any notes as she asked, "Have you been menstruating regularly?" I suddenly realized everything coming together as I blankly responded, "No... I missed my last period..." 

Dr. Edwards must have seen the realization in my face, because she asked delicately, "Was it not planned?" I replied, "I mean, we want a child together, we've been married for a few years now and we'd talked it over... But I just got hired at a new job and I wasn't expecting it to happen now..." Dr. Edwards calmly looked at me and asked, smiling, "But you want a child?" I nodded, and she turned to Rafael and I and said, "Sometimes, the timing isn't always perfect, but trust me, it'll work itself out. If you're meant to be a mother right now, everything will be alright."

Oddly, that had calmed me down quite a bit. I turned to Rafael, and he looked down at me with complete joy and admiration. I must have looked terrified, because he looked at me worriedly as he asked, "Are you alright, cariño? This is what you wanted, right?" I replied, "Yes, of course Rafi... I'm just worried about work and everything and our schedules and our place is so messy, it's not ready for a baby..."

Dr. Edwards laughed lightly and said, "It's completely normal to be nervous about everything, Jessica. If it makes you feel any better, your bosses can't fire you or discriminate against you because you're pregnant." Before she could finish her sentence, Rafael and I said in unison, "The Pregnancy Discrimination Act." Dr. Edwards looked at both of us, and Rafael spoke up and explained, "We're both lawyers."

Dr. Edwards smirked as she grabbed what looked like an ultrasound machine, and I held Rafael's hand as she put the gel on my stomach and began to look around. She resumed her previous statement, saying, "No new parents are ever completely ready. You also aren't that far along, so you have time to prepare. You'll have maternity leave and your husband can probably take paternity leave so that you can take care of your newborn."

I heard the monitor start to thump, and Dr. Edwards smiled and said, "You have a healthy little baby in there, Jessica. It's too early to tell the gender, but I would schedule with your women's health doctor to consult with her and make a plan. But congratulations. I'm sure you two will be fantastic parents."

I was shocked, surprised, and thrilled, all at once. As we got up to leave, Dr. Edwards gave me a small pill bottle, and she said, "These will help with the morning sickness you've been having." I thanked her, and Rafael and I left the hospital and sat in the car.

"How are you feeling, Rafi?" I asked, nervously looking at him. He looked directly into my eyes and said, "I know you're nervous about it Jess, but I'm not. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see you be a mother to our baby, you're gonna be great. I'm sure of it."

I smiled widely, and he asked me, "How are you feeling, Jessi?" I smiled and replied, "Better, knowing that our child will have the best father ever. I'm just nervous since I've never been through this. I'm scared. What if something goes wrong? We have so much going for us..." Rafael took my hand in his and said, "We're going to get through this together, and we're going to learn how to be the best parents to our little cariño in there together," he moved his hand to my stomach and continued, "Whatever happens, happens. We can't control it. All we can do is our best to make sure that all three of us are happy and healthy and ready to be a family."

My eyes glistened with fresh tears of appreciation and emotion as I said, "Do you honestly have any idea how much I really love you, Rafael?" He chuckled and kissed the back of my hand, saying, "You're going to see how much I love you for the next nine months."

*

I knew that I had to tell my boss at work today, but I had to go to the precinct with the SVU to work on a case tonight as well. I was debating telling Liv. As we got breakfast ready, I said quietly to Rafael, "I don't want to tell everyone just yet." He looked at me worriedly, and I said, "I'm just not ready yet." He nodded and said, "I get that, Jess. I won't tell anyone." I kissed him on the cheek in appreciation, and he said, "You have to tell Liv, though. She needs to know."

Next thing I knew, I was in my boss's office in Nassau County, waiting to tell him the news. He walked in to his office where I had been sitting for a few minutes, and he closed the door behind him. "You needed to talk to me, Jessica?" I nodded and nervously said, "Yeah, I have something to tell you... The timing isn't ideal, I know and I'm sorry..." I trailed off and he smiled at me lightly.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" My face flushed of all color, and he must have sensed that I was nervous, because he comforted me, saying, "We had a pretty good hunch that this would happen when we hired you. In fact, we planned around it a bit. Don't even think for a second that we think anything different of you. In fact, I'm absolutely thrilled for you." I breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you so much... I was so nervous you'd be upset." He looked at me in disbelief and replied, "I'd never be upset. I'm so happy for you, and we'll do whatever we can around here to help you when and if you need it." I got up to leave his office, and I turned around and said to him, "I'd rather not tell anyone just yet if that's alright." He simply nodded, and I thanked him and left his office.

One down, one to go.

After my shift ended in Nassau County, I drove into the city and took the elevator up to the Manhattan SVU. I walked in and found Liv talking to Carisi, and they both greeted me happily. I turned to Liv and asked, "Liv, could I talk to you? In private?" She left Carisi's desk, and he looked at me worriedly as we went into Liv's office.

She closed the door as I sat down in front of her desk, and she asked me, "Jess, what's wrong?" I laughed lightly and said, "Nothing's wrong, Liv. I just have something to tell you that I want you to know, both as my boss and as my friend." I paused and added, "I haven't told anyone else."

She waited in anticipation as I took a deep breath and said those two words.

"I'm pregnant."