Chapter 10

Brynley

I wanna say all these conditions are being caused by my fall.

That that’s why my head throbs.

And stomach churns.

And why I wanna punch Doogie Houser here in the middle of his can’t grow facial pubes covered face.

It has nothing to do with the information he just read to me off his corner computer.

It can’t.

It’s impossible.

“You’re wrong,” I effortlessly argue while attempting to sit up a little higher. “I’m not pregnant.”

The young, blond doctor whose real name I can’t quite remember – another sign of having a concussion not being knocked up – sympathetically tips his head to the side. “Miss Winters-”

“ Bryn. ”

“ Bryn ,” he corrects at the same time he angles himself to completely face me. “According to your blood test results, you are in fact pregnant.”

“But like I can’t be.”

“You’re a virgin?”

“No.”

“Celibate?”

“No.”

“Then…?” The polite hand gesture indicates it’s my turn to fill in the answer.

“Because I took one of those piss on a stick things that says right on the box – in big bold print – that the results were ninety-nine percent accurate!”

“Ninety-nine percent does leave a one percent margin for era, Miss Winters.”

“ Bryn! ”

“ Bryn. ” His maroon covered torso leans slightly forward. “There is a possibility that you and your test fell into that very thin exception percentage.”

Frustrated squeaks are attached to me curling my fingers like claws yet all the extra movement results in sharp pains reappearing in my head.

Fuck.

Can’t move like that again.

Or that fast.

Or maybe at all for a minute.

Two.

Seven.

I momentarily shut my eyes and release a deep exhale.

His test has to be wrong.

If the piss one I took at work earlier this week can be wrong, then so can his!

Unless…unless the one I took in the bathroom wasn’t wrong so much as wasn’t done processing?

I mean I did chuck it the second I saw one line appear because Raquel and Heidi were entering, and I didn’t want them to see me waiting for results.

But like…there weren’t two lines on that test, were there?

There just…couldn’t have been.

“Bryn?” cautiously questions the male in the room forcing my attention back over to him. “How have you been feeling lately? Nausea?”

“I thought it was a stomach bug.”

“Lightheadedness?”

“I forget to eat.”

“Fatigue?”

“Who doesn’t get that way when they haven’t had a vacation in the last decade?”

“Tender breasts?”

“I bump into shit.” A comedic point to head is attached to a snarky, “ Obviously. ”

“Moodiness?”

“Born this way.”

He let’s the corner of his lip kick upward prior to stating, “You have all the early indicators; however, if you would like us to run your blood sample to double check your pregnancy results then-”

“ Pregnant ?” Wes’s deep voice unexpectedly rattles the room. “ You’re pregnant? ”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Are you family?” Doctor Can’t Remember His Name politely inquires. “Those are the only individuals allowed in the room at this time.”

His cut jaw throbs during his proclaiming, “ I’m. Her. Fiancé. ”

“Dr. Wallace Markman.” He extends an open palm in his direction. “Her attending physician.”

Wes crosses over to shake while Calen cringes and shuts the door with himself on the other side.

Great.

Now, he knows too.

Just what I didn’t need.

“As I was just expressing to Bryn,” the doctor resumes speaking while Wes plants a protective palm on my thigh, “I can rerun the blood test to verify the pregnancy if you’re truly concerned it’s a mistake; however, I can also run a different test that would be able to tell us about how far along you are. If the other test you took was too soon- ”

“ What other test?” Wes snips at the same time he snaps his attention to me. “ When did you take another test, Brynley?”

Oooo.

Yeah.

No.

Not ready to take the bait off that hook yet.

I gently flick my finger back at the doctor. “Let’s um…let Doctor Wahlberg-”

“ Wallace .”

“-finish talking, first.”

The glare I’m shot barely precedes our eyes returning to medical professional in the room.

“If the over-the-counter test you took was too soon that could’ve also been why the test gave you a negative read rather than a positive.” He uses one hand to wake his computer back up. “I’ll reorder that while we’re waiting on the results from your MRI. Due to the severity of the hit and its location, it was marked a rush order, which can still take up to twenty-four hours depending on how many other patients are a head of you.” His fingers begin to get to work. “From your initial exam and reviewing your chart, I believe you’re experiencing a mild TBI.”

“TB…what?” The wrinkling of my forehead is instant. “Is that better than a concussion? Worse?”

“One in the same,” Wes calmly replies to my surprise. “It stands for traumatic brain injury, which is any physical disruption to normal brain function.”

Doctor Marky Mark pauses his typing and shoots my fiancé an arched eyebrow. “Doctor?”

“No, I’ve simply spent years with one at my estate.” After the announcement, he relocates his stare to me to make another. “Who will be tending to your follow up and insuring you follow any recommended regimen for recovery and any for…proper… pregnancy …care…as well.”

Additional throbbing to no real shock appears.

“Having a doctor on hand will be quite useful during the three Rs and prenatal care,” informs the male at the computer. “With a mild TBI you’re going to rest – both physically and mentally – rehabilitate – some minor exercises to gage and/or improve cognitive responses – and lastly a return to regular activities such as work . Considering what you do for a living according to your paperwork, it may be in your best interest to avoid diving as well as potentially hazardous areas where a repeat injury could occur. With that said…if you are indeed pregnant, you are still being advised not to do diving – particularly scuba – to avoid areas that increase the possibility for a fall and any heavy lifting.” A pause in typing is taken once more for him to make eye contact with me. “Monitoring you overnight is protocol; however, if there are no major issues with your MRI or blood tests, we should be able to get you out of here by late tomorrow morning.”

I nod my understanding.

“I’m gonna finish putting in these orders and then have Nurse Anita come draw some more blood. After that, additional visitors are welcome, but let’s keep their time in the room to a minimum.” He resumes his clicking. “Rest really should begin now.”

No one says another word until the scrub covered man is preparing to exit.

At that moment, we both politely thank him and properly say goodbye.

The instant the door is shut the man I’m surprised got to me as quickly as he did – considering he didn’t fly – quietly seethes, “ Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? ”

“I didn’t think that I really was.”

“Yet the thought crossed your mind if you took a fucking pregnancy test, Brynley.”

More pounds to the head have me groaning under my breath. “Am I supposed to tell you every thought I have, Weston?” The sneer he’s presented is bitter. “ Neither of us wants that. ”

“This is not a joke.”

“And you do not see ‘ha-ha’ thought bubbles surrounding my face.”

He folds his arms firmly on top of the black dress shirt and tie combination that’s admittedly one of my favorites. “How long have you known?”

“Since about two minutes before you walked into the room.”

“How long have you considered this to be a possibility?”

“I don’t know…like…” my shoulders innocently bounce. “Couple weeks maybe?”

“ Weeks?! ”

“I thought it was just shit I kept eating and then my mom reminded me that maybe it was time for my birth control shot and then when I checked about my appointment, I saw I had meant to move it and then never did and then the next thing I know I’m getting me a pregnancy test and Calen an orange soda so it’s not the only thing on the receipt.”

“Wait,” a single finger of objection is lifted up, “ he knew you might be pregnant before I did?”

“ No. ” Another attempt to sit up higher is made. “ He knew I needed to stop at the corner store and because I can’t so much as scratch my left tit without someone reporting on it, I thought buying something extra would help cover up what I was really buying.”

Relief settles on Wes’s shoulders upon his approach. “So, all the media speculating about your pregnancy was just that? Speculation? Not someone selling them your personal information?”

“If you’re implying that one of my only best friends outside of you, the person who apparently carried me to Hill, tried calling you on our way to here, collected all the information to give to you that he possibly could when you didn’t answer, is secretly betraying me then I suggest you go back to your Batman: Year One roots and fresh up on your investigation skills.”

Guilt grossly covers every crevice of his complexion.

As it should.

Just because he doesn’t love my relationship with Calen doesn’t mean he gets to blame him for every little leak the press and blogs receive.

Calen – like Vanessa – signed an NDA early into our friendship.

And like Vanessa he didn’t hesitate.

Didn’t think twice.

Couldn’t have cared less because that’s not what our friendship is about.

What it’ll ever be about.

It’s the same reason he doesn’t expect me to always pay for lunch or dinner or movies or bowling or whatever activity it is we decide to do.

It’s not about money.

And it’d be nice if the most important man in my life could fucking swallow that versus taking a bite out of my best friend’s ass every chance he gets.

“ My apologies ,” Wes quietly states at the same time he sits on the edge of my bed, facing me. “ You’re right. ”

“I know. I’m basically the captain of the USS Righterprise. ”

Light laughter is attached to a good-natured headshaking. “Letting you pilot that seems like a bit of a reach.”

“A reach around maybe.” The waggling of my eyebrows receives snickers from us both, but unfortunately for me, it hurts. “ Ou… ”

Wes immediately scoots closer to cup my cheek. “ You okay? ”

“You mean other than having an unexpected concussion and pregnancy?”

“I mean…” his hand falls down to grip mine, “ with the unexpected concussion and pregnancy, little prey ?”

There’s no stopping the corner of my lip from twitching. “Not really.”

His mouth opens yet instantly closes, clearly not wanting to cause me pain again.

Which is really not what I want from him.

I don’t need to be further protected and tanked in like I’m the hurt hammerhead and he’s the sexy beauty randomly saving me from the dangers of the unknown waters.

I need him to let me breathe.

Let me be.

A gentle thumb stroke is delivered to the area he’s cradling. “Shall we discuss one and then the other?”

“Shall we not?”

“ Brynley. ”

An unhappy huff escapes prior to me caving. “Accidents are always a risk in and on the water. That’s part of the job.”

“Then maybe you need a different job.”

“And maybe I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask me to give up the first and only real career I’ve ever had because I got a tiny bump to the head.”

“ You blacked out. ”

“I was knocked out.”

“They’re the same thing!”

“By a tiny technicality.”

“Be serious.”

“I am.” Snatching my hand away occurs out of spite. “ I’m not giving up my job because of a fluke accident, Weston. That’s non-negotiable. ”

“ And I’m not losing my wife and child because you’re too stubborn or selfish or both. ” He leans forcefully closer. “ That’s non-negotiable, Brynley. ”

“I didn’t know I was pregnant.”

“Now, you do.”

“No,” it’s my turn to lift a finger, “that’s still pending another test.”

Wes sarcastically cocks his head.

“Fine! I’m most likely pregnant!”

“And?”

“And I will refrain from falling to the best of my ability! Kind of like I already was!”

A simple lifting of his dark brows is all he presents.

“I will proceed with additional caution, Mr. Wayne.”

Hearing the nickname has him fighting a smirk.

“ I promise. ” Our fingers find their way back together. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep our mini caped crusader safe.”

For the first time since his arrival, joy successfully spreads itself through his stare. “ We’re really gonna have a baby. ”

“That’s what I’m told.” His excitement tries its best to trample my nervousness. “And you…seem…excited.”

“You don’t.”

My head thoughtlessly sways back and forth for a moment. “It’s not…the most… ideal timing.”

“Is that all?” Hurt struggles not to be heard in his tone. “Is that the only reason you’re not excited?”

“You’re concerned I’ve changed my mind about wanting kids.”

“Yes.”

“ Well, I haven’t. ” The firmness in my voice seems to melt his shifting demeanor. “I just…didn’t want one right now. ” Another shrug bounces my sore shoulders. “And considering I got my job because the woman before me was pregnant , I can’t exactly pretend I’m not worried that I’m about to meet the same fate.”

“ You won’t , little prey. ” Wes’s proclamation precedes him planting a gentle kiss to the back of my hand. “ I promise. ”