Chapter 4A
Natalia lay on the bed in the hospital section, with Kacey at her side. That morning there was a definite jump in the meter. They contacted the doctor. Now they waited for her. She came in took urine and blood samples and left to run tests to confirm the time was now to start their family.
Natalia had been taking supplements so that more than one egg was released when she ovulated to better insure the multiple birth they hoped for.
"Everything looks good, Natalia. you are definitely ovulating."
"Then lets do this Doc." Kacey said.
"Hold on Colonel. There are a few things I want to go over with you again." She sat down on the rolling stool next to the bed. " I was able to find a match for the specific parameters you gave me. But the chances of the child or children having black hair and blue eyes are about fifty percent. With Natalia's light coloring and green eyes, your child could have dark hair with green eyes, blond hair with blue eyes or any shade and combination. The child could completely have Natalia's coloring. Those things are hard to predict. So do not get your hopes up that the child will have Kacey's coloring."
"We know that Doc. We have been going over all that information you gave us."
"Good. Secondly, This may not take the first time. I do not want you to think you just come in and boom, you are pregnant. Sometimes it takes two or three times. Occasionally it take more attempts. If in two weeks, Natalia does not get her period, chances improve.
"We are fully aware of that also, Doc." Kacey stated.
"Thirdly, even though more than one egg may have been released, does not mean both will be fertilized. Or if more than two eggs are released and all are fertilized, you could be looking at triplets or quadruplets."
"Three or four?" Kacey uttered, the blood draining from her face.
"You had better sit down Colonel." The Doctor stated and pushed the chair towards Kacey. "Would you like a little more time to discuss this?"
Kacey and Natalia looked at each other. "Let's do this Kacey."
"Are you completely sure?"
"I am positive." Natalia told her.
"The boss has spoken Doc." Kacey told the doctor.
"All right. Let's get you into position. Natalia, I want you to scoot down to the foot of the bed and placed your feet into these hold overs from Torquemada's dungeons." She helped Natalia place her feet in the stirrups. "The head of the bed is going to tilt down just a little." She touched a button and the bed tilted. She moved into position on the rolling stool and angled the light. She put on rubber gloves and picked up a speculum. "Natalia I need you to relax" Natalia held tight to Kacey's hand, took a deep breath and felt the Doctor insert the device. Neither could see what the Doctor was doing. She then picked up a large syringe with a long flexible tube. She inserted the tube. "Colonel, do you want to do the honors?"
"Me?" Kacey asked with a shaky voice.
"Sweetheart, do it, then you can say you got me pregnant." Kacey smiled and released Natalia's hand and walked to the foot of the bed. The Doctor moved to the side just a bit.
"Colonel hold the syringe tightly and slowly push the plunger all the way in." Kacey found her hands shaking. "Relax Colonel, you are trying to impregnate your wife not diffusing a bomb." Kacey got her nerves under control and pushed the plunger in until it stopped. "Very good Colonel. That wasn't so hard now was it?" The Doctor removed the tube and then the speculum. She took Natalia's feet out of the stirrups and pulled up the foot of the bed. Natalia, I want you to lie quiet for fifteen minutes, then we will raise the head of the bed. Do you feel any cramping"
"No should I?"
"It is not carved in stone. Some women experience cramping others do not. Every woman is different. It is not a sign of success or failure. When you go back to your quarters, you should rest for the remainder of the day with your feet elevated. Do not be alarmed if you see some spotting. That is normal and should disappear in a few hours. Do either of you have any questions for me?" They both shook their heads no. "I would like you to come in next week for blood and urine tests."
"What is that for Doc?"
"Those are just the first in a series of tests we will do during the next few months. We will be able to tell if the procedure worked as hormone levels will change. Even if we get a negative reading the first time does not mean it failed. It could take up to a month to get a positive reading. If you miss your period, which according to the chart you kept, is due to come in two weeks, then the chances are good the procedure worked. But until you are more than ten days late, we will not assume anything. So do not break out the champagne until then."
"After today, is there any thing special Natalia should do? What about drinking alcohol?"
"Yes, live your life as normally as possible. Go about your daily routine. Do not, I repeat do not spend your time worrying whether the procedure took or not. Being that you are still newlyweds, this may be hard for you to do, but refrain from any sexual activity for twenty four hours. A glass of wine occasionally will not do any harm, but no more that twice a week. No hard liquor."
"I prefer wine to anything else." She said. "We can hold off for tonight, right sweetheart? "
"Of course I am a Marine. We are not strangers to hardship." Kacey said with a wink.
"Let me raise the head of the bed." The doctor said and pushed the button to bring the head of the bed up. "Once the blood returns to your legs, you can get dressed."
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Kacey walked Natalia slowly back to their quarters. Once inside she helped Natalia into her sleep clothes and brought her to the couch. She grabbed extra pillows and a blanket from the closet. She placed one pillow under Natalia's head and the second under her feet as they rested on the arm rest. She placed the light blanket over Natalia.
"Can I get you anything?" Kacey asked.
"I would love a cup of tea." Natalia answered.
"One cup of tea coming right up, beautiful." Kacey went into the kitchen. She filled the teapot and put it on the heating unit which turned on automatically. Kacey took down two cups. She looked through the cabinets for the tea bags. After opening and searching all the cabinets, she called out, "Do we have any tea bags?"
"Yes we do. Go to the storage area." Natalia told her. Kacey opened the storage door and walked into the multi rowed, shelved area.
"Any particular spot you keep them in?"
"First row, third shelf on the right," Natalia told her.
"I do not see... Wait, there they are. Why don't you keep them in one of the kitchen cabinets?"
"They usually are, but I emptied the box yesterday and forgot to take out a new box."
"Make sense." Kacey stated. By the time she had the box open and a bag in the cup, the water was hot. She poured the water over the bag. While it was steeping, she poured herself a coffee and pulled out the honey Natalia preferred to sugar. She poured a generous amount into the tea. Kacey stirred the tea until the honey was dissolved. She removed the used bag and threw it into the disposal unit. She carried both the cups into the living room and placed them on the coffee table, that she pulled closer to the couch.
"Be careful, it is very hot." Kacey told Natalia. "Can I get you anything else? Another pillow or blanket or..."
"Kacey, could you just sit here with me?" Kacey sat next to Natalia, who took her hand. "Sweetheart, please, just relax, or you will drive both of us crazy, by the time we know if it took."
"Am I being to over protective and obnoxious?"
"Just relax. You can not wrapped me in bubble wrap or cotton, nor would I let you. The Doctor said I should just go about my normal routine."
"I can not make any promises, but I will try."
"That's my Colonel." Natalia said. "I know we talked about not saying anything to your family until we knew it took, but I think you need to tell your mother."
"Why?"
"Think, Kacey. Remember how upset she was when she found out you and Kate kept things from her when you were a teenager. I think you should tell her and Kate."
"Kate knows. I was in her office when the Doctor's message came through
"Then you really need to tell your mother."
"I will talk to her when I go get our lunches." Kacey told her.