Challenge: A Contemporary MMA Romance: Oni Fighters Book 3 (30 page)

I turned to follow her and Xander caught my arm. “I’ll wait here, mate.”

“Bullshit, come with me. You’re family.” Right then, I realized I could use his solid strength. I had no idea what I was about to walk into, that in itself, was fucking terrifying.

The receptionist led us down a hall then knocked lightly before sticking her head in the room, blocking us from seeing. Whatever words were exchanged were enough for her to open the door and the receptionist stood back to let us in.

Sophia was sitting on the edge of the bed and Eden had a chair pulled over beside her. Everything blanked out and all I saw was Soph. Her face was etched with worry which then changed to relief and then to tears flooding her eyes and cheeks and her bottom lip trembling.

She didn’t hesitate. She was off the bed and flinging herself at me hard enough that I had to brace.

There was no way I’d let her fall.

“You came.”

Those two words spoke volumes.

Right there and then, I vowed to myself, I’d never let her down again.

I pulled her tight to me and ran my hand over her hair. “Yeah, baby. I would have been here earlier but I had car trouble. Damned thing’s dead. Xan picked me up from the dealership.”

Her head drew back from under my chin and she looked at me with disbelief and tears trailing down her face. “You were coming?”

I nodded slowly. “I had some things cleared up for me, and I was coming to surprise you. Guess it all kind of backfired. I should have called to let you know I was going to be here.”

Her arms wrapped around me firmer.

“Want to tell me what’s going on?” I whispered to her.

She pulled back again and a sob wrenched from her throat and that, in turn, struck me to the heart. Sophia glanced at Eden, and something unsaid transferred between them.

I edged us over to the bed and sat down, holding Sophia on my lap.

Then, I looked to Eden, who now had Xander standing behind her with his arms locked around her shoulders.

“Dr, Collins said the baby’s belly is distended with fluid. He’s not sure why and wants a fetal specialist to take a look. Apparently, the baby’s little tummy is the size of a twenty-one week old fetus. He said he’s never seen it before.”

“What?” I was trying to comprehend it.

“He left a still image on the screen.” I glanced over to where she was pointing at the ultrasound machine. “See the black area, that’s it.” I looked but I wasn’t seeing. There were lots of darker areas on the screen.

Sophia let forth with a whole new round of tears and I held her through it. Eden’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears and I glanced up at Xander and his jaw was tight.

“So, what’s happening next?”

“Dr. Collins said he would be a few minutes. He hasn’t come back yet and that was ages ago.”

It’d been the longest hour of my life. I was fast learning that allowing myself to feel stuff was far more exhausting than physical exercise.

“We’ll get through this, Soph,” I whispered in her ear. I had no idea what else to say or promise. Just how bad was it? What did it mean when this guy said he’d never seen it before?

She curled in tighter.

The door opened.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting like this. Took me a little while to locate Dr. Chambers. I’m Dr. Collins.” He moved across and stuck his hand out. I would have stood but Sophia seemed comfortable. I shook his hand a little awkwardly from my seated position.

“Seth Harris. Sophia’s boyfriend.” I needed to figure out a better title. Boyfriend seemed weird. I was the father of our child, boyfriend seemed far too casual now.

The doctor looked to Xander and we all knew he recognized Xan.

“Xander Todd.” He had the advantage of standing to shake hands.

“Great fight in Vegas.”

“Thanks.”

The doctor turned back to me, all business again. “So, as I explained to Sophia and Eden before, the baby has what we call ascites in the abdominal cavity. It happens from time to time. I’ve just never seen it in a fetus this early. I’ve organized for you to head down to Dr. Chambers’ rooms. Hopefully, he can shed some light on this and come up with a plan of action.”

I didn’t like the sound of any of this.

“Be honest here, Doc. What are we looking at?”

He sighed and looked grim.

“Very hard to say. And I don’t mean to be evasive. The Nuchal fold test was good for Down Syndrome, that’s a positive. I can’t tell if the baby has any other chromosomal issues from what I know and the tests we’ve done to date. Most pregnancies with chromosomal issues spontaneously miscarry by this stage. Let’s see what Dr. Chambers’ thoughts are then work out what to do.”

He didn’t know.

I had to ask the question that everyone was skirting.

“Are we going to lose the baby?”

Gasps went up from Eden and Sophia.

“I don’t know, but I don’t think the odds are good.”

I felt like I’d been punched in the gut.

If we lost the baby, would I lose Sophia, too?

I
t felt
like I was in a daze.

Dr. Collins had directed us down to Dr. Chambers’ rooms and, the next thing I knew, I was back on the bed beside an ultrasound machine. Only this time, it was Dr. Chambers at the controls, one hand pressing buttons, the other guiding the probe over my goop covered belly.

I guessed Dr. Chambers was in his fifties. He had kind, blue eyes and lots of salt and pepper hair. Eden and Xander had decided to go and get a coffee while we saw the doctor.

It was just Seth, me and the fate of our baby.

Seth was holding my right hand and had his left cupped over my shoulder. I swear, his presence was about the only thing stopping me from disintegrating into a million tiny pieces.

I don’t think the odds are good
.

I couldn’t get those words out of my head—round and round they ran.

I never knew just how much I wanted the baby until the thought of something happening to him or her was real. Maybe it was maternal instinct kicking in. I had no idea.

Dr. Chambers frowned at the screen, then stuck his head forward to get a better look.

None of this was good. I just knew.

I glanced over at Seth and his face was set in a frown as well. He noticed me looking at him and dropped his head down to place a light kiss on my forehead.

“It’ll be okay,” he whispered close to my ear—his breath warm and tickling in complete contrast to the cold fear that had settled over the rest of me.

The doctor continued his perusal, before finally placing the probe back in it’s cradle and turning on the swing stool to face us.

It wasn’t good news. In fact, I knew it was terrible news. His eyes told me everything.

I felt fresh tears trickle down my cheeks.

“What is it, Doc?” Seth asked.

“I have to agree with what Dr. Collins has told you. It’s ascites and I’ve never seen it this early either, not in thirty years of practice.”

Oh, God. There were no words to describe how I felt.

I was going to lose our baby.

I gripped Seth’s hand tighter.

“The question comes down to what we’re going to do about it?”

“What are the options?” Seth asked logically, although his voice sounded a little off.

Dr. Chambers rotated his jaw from side to side and pursed his lips as if figuring out how to tell us the news. “Well, from what I can see, there are really only two options. We do nothing and I’m almost positive you will lose the baby or we can try something a bit radical.”

His words sunk in…lose the baby or radical.

One sounded unbearable, the other only marginally better and probably crazy.

“What’s the radical?” Seth pushed.

The doctor sighed heavily. “Let me back track a little. So, what we know is that the baby almost positively doesn’t have any chromosomal issues for Down Syndrome. We also know that the baby only had a tiny black spot on it’s belly last scan.” I hadn’t known that. Why had Dr Collins not told me or did he figure it wasn’t important?

“Dr. Collins marked it as something to watch. This fluid has built up over that short period of time. It will get worse, to the point where the baby’s heart and lungs can’t develop properly and the fetus will most certainly die.” Dr Chambers delivered the news in a very matter-of-fact manner.

Seth and I both gasped a little as his words sank in.

“The radical option, which I think is worth a try, is to do an amniocentesis.”

“What’s that?” I pounced all over the strange term.

“That’s where I go through your abdomen with a large needle and draw off fluid from the amniotic sack the baby is encased in. I want to test for chromosomal issues. Amniocentesis is quite a normal process in older mothers. It’s not something we tend to do as much in younger women.” He paused. “Here’s where the radical part comes in.”

I held my breath.

“My gut is telling me to drain the fluid from the baby’s belly.”

“What? Can you do that?” Seth looked as shocked as I’m sure I did. I was trying to get my head around it.

“Yes. I’d go in with the amniocentesis and I’d use the ultrasound to locate the spot I want then I’d go through into the baby’s belly and drain the fluid.”

There were a few long moments where both Seth and I mentally wrangled with the suggestion. It seemed so implausible. Could he really do that?

“What are the risks?”

“An amniocentesis does present risks of miscarriage. Stats say one in two hundred. My results are closer to one in eight hundred or one thousand. That’s the simple bit to collect some amniotic fluid. The tricky bit is to drain the fluid from the fetus’s abdominal cavity.”

“What’s the percentage on that?” Seth asked.

He shook his head. “Don’t know. I’ve never done it before. Nor have I ever heard of it being done before in a fetus this young.”

I was shaking, horrified, numb all at once.

“At this stage, I’d give it a twenty percent chance of success.”

The bottom fell out of my world.

Twenty percent chance. Not fifty or forty. Twenty.

Was that really any hope at all?

The cold hard facts set in. My throat was so closed over, I couldn’t swallow.

I saw the lump in Seth’s throat move and I was almost sure it felt like mine.

“You think this is the best option?”

“I don’t see any other.” Dr Chambers said emphatically.

“When would you do the procedure?”

Dr. Chambers looked at his watch. “I could move a few things and do it in a couple of hours. The sooner, the better, to give the fetus every chance.”

Every chance…

Even when Seth had been in a coma, I knew in my heart he’d pull through. This seemed so surreal and out of control. The fragility of the situation was so apparent. They’d never seen it before.

“Do you know what’s caused it? And if we do this, will it come back?”

The only bright spot on my horizon at the moment was the way Seth said “we.” That gave me a sense of comfort. I was no longer on my own.

“It’s a guess. I’m thinking it’s a thoracic valve stuck which is not allowing the fluid to drain. Will it come back? I’m sorry, I have no idea. I can’t rule out chromosomal anomalies either.”

There wasn’t any good news.

It was all awful.

Was there really even a twenty percent chance? He’d never seen this before.

“Go take a walk and think about it. I’ll move things around, regardless of your decision. Come back in a couple of hours and let me know what you want to do.”

He left the room.

Seth helped me wipe the sonar gel off my belly. Then, in a move so tender, he dropped his head to my belly and brushed his lips over the spot where the baby lay.

“Hang in there little one.”

I’d never felt emotion like it in my life.

I helped Sophia off the bed. She looked shaken to shit and I figured I probably looked the same.

“Come on, sweetheart, we’ll go get a drink and find a quiet spot.” I put my arm around her and she snuggled into my side.

We walked in silence down to a little café on the ground floor. I bought a couple of bottles of juice and a couple of her favourite chocolate bars.

“I can’t sit here, Seth.” Her face was grey and I didn’t know whether she was feeling ill or just emotionally wrecked.

“Are you going to throw up?”

“I don’t think so. I just need to get outside, away from this noise.” Then, I realized what she was talking about. The steel legs of the chairs seemed to grate particularly noisily across the hard tiled floor.

“Okay. We’ll go and find a quiet spot. I need to call Xander.”

She nodded and let me guide her out into the sunshine.

We found a quiet corner in the grounds of the hospital. A bench had been placed out under a tree for what seemed to be the exact purpose we needed it for now—quiet contemplation.

For a long while, we just sat, her head on my shoulder, our hands threaded together and resting on my thigh.

“What do you want to do?” she asked me quietly.

“Babe, the way I see it, there is only one option. We have to give it a go. To do nothing would feel like we gave up on our baby.”

She nodded slowly. “I feel the same way, too. I guess it just feels so hopeless. Twenty percent is such a small margin.”

“I know.”

The silence sat between us again.

“I feel so awful. It feels like I’m being punished. For days, I didn’t know if I wanted this baby. I was so terrified and certain I was going to lose you. Then, when I made up my mind I was going to keep the baby regardless, its as if fate is punishing me for not wanting it or loving it enough. Maybe it’s my fault. What if it was all the training that did it?”

Her words tore at me. She was hurting so bad.

“Shhh, baby, it’s not like that. I’m sure what you were feeling was normal given what our situation was. The baby came as a huge shock to both of us.”

She humphed. “You’re not wrong. I still don’t even know how I conceived him or her.”

I let out a long sigh. “Condom broke. I didn’t remember until the other day. You were passed out. It’s never happened to me before. I guess we must have been particularly vigorous.”

“Well, I guess that at least explains it.” Her voice sounded flat and resigned.

My phone pinged and I fired off a text. “Xander and Eden wanting to know what was going on.”

She nodded before seeming to retreat into herself again.

“They’re going to find us in a second.”

She nodded again and snuggled closer to me. I broke our hand hold, wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and pulled her in tighter to me. As far as I was concerned, she’d never be close enough to me.

Her right hand went protectively to her belly and her left onto my thigh. I covered her hand on my thigh with my other hand and wondered if she realized where her right hand was.

“Are we doing the right thing?” she asked quietly.

How did I answer that question? The only way I could think of was honestly.

“Well, Soph, if we do nothing, we’re going to lose the baby. If we do this procedure, there may be a chance. I figure fate will decide either way.”

She nodded slightly.

“Hey, you two,” Eden said as they walked up. Both Eden and Xander plopped themselves down on the grass in front of us and looked up expectantly.

I felt Sophia bury her head tighter to my shoulder and immediately knew she didn’t want to be the one to talk about this.

“Dr. Chambers confirmed the same as Dr. Collins.” I watched the anguish on both their faces. “We have two options. One, we do nothing and the baby will most certainly die, because it’s lungs and heart won’t develop.” Eden gasped and silent tears started to run down her face. I felt Soph shudder beside me and I knew she was doing her best to control her own tears and sobs.

“The other option is for Dr. Chambers to perform a procedure where he passes a needle through Soph’s belly into the amniotic sack and then into the baby’s abdomen. He’s going to try and suck the fluid off. He’s never seen this or done it before. He gives the procedure a twenty percent chance of success.” The last bit raced from my lips.

Xander placed his arm around Eden, as she mimicked Soph’s pose with her husband.

“Well, it’s twenty percent. That’s sure better than none or five, or ten, or fifteen even. You can’t think about the other, you have to focus on the twenty. This can work,” he said positively. “You two are both fighters. This baby will be one too. You’ll see. I have a good feeling about this.”

We both looked at him in astonishment.

His words sunk in.

We could dwell on the negative or we could focus on the positive.

He was right, fighters are what we’ll always be.

Eden passed me the keys to her car. “Looks like you’ve got this under control.” Her eyes boring into mine said far more than the words from her mouth. She was telling me,
“don’t fuck up.”
Or in Eden’s more polite manner,
“Don’t let my sister and the baby down.”
“We’ll head off. Call when you’re done or if you need us.”

I nodded my understanding. Hugs and “good lucks” were exchanged all around and they moved off. Then, it was just the two of us, or actually, the three of us.

Sophia had returned her hand to cradle her belly. I placed mine over hers.

“We’ll get through this, babe.”

She nodded and looked up at me with her eyes filled with shadows and fear, her body tight beside mine. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

What else could I say? I had no idea how this would work out. I only knew somehow, I’d make it right.

Sophia

“Okay, Sophia, try to relax, this is going to sting a bit.” The doctor pricked the local anesthetic injection into me. And yeah, it did sting. I hissed in a breath and tried to stay still. The whole idea of a needle passing through my abdomen was freaking me out.

“Now, I’m just going to insert the needle.” Seth had my right hand and I squeezed down hard and looked at the ceiling above. The doctor had dimmed the lights a bit, I focused on the ceiling and tried to distance my mind from what was going on.

I felt the cold trickle of the ultrasound gel and the probe start up over my belly again. I refused to look down. Looking down would take me too much into the moment. I needed to keep my mental distance to endure what was happening.

“You’re doing great,” I vaguely heard Dr. Chambers say.

I heard the swooshing and thumping again. My baby’s heart beat.

I lost track of time.

My eyes glanced to the screen and I could see the needle clear on the screen passed into my baby. I must have flinched.

“Stay still,” the doctor reprimanded me sharply.

Every muscle in my body tensed and my heartbeat accelerated as if I were doing a three-minute round on the pads.

I could feel the probe and the doctor’s hand on the needle. Stuff happening on and in my belly. I wanted to know and see, yet I didn’t want to know and see.

It was the weirdest conundrum, kind of floating in an in between place. Being in the moment and realizing being out of it was what I needed to do to get through.