Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“I can forgive you for not knowing this,” he tells the receptionist calmly, “but I’ve donated more money to this hospital than anyone else in the city. You have a whole wing named after me. I didn’t do that to be recognized or worshiped or any of that shit, but when my girlfriend and my baby are in danger, I expect to be seen in a timely fashion,” Viktor says.
Her jaw drops open. “Oh, you’re Viktor Leshchenko?”
“Yes,” Viktor admits.
“I’m sorry, Sir, I had no idea,” she stutters.
Viktor smiles his most charming smile. “It’s fine. I didn’t come wearing my name badge, so you’re forgiven. I trust we can go through?”
“Yes. Yes of course, Mr. Leshchenko,” the receptionist says. “I’ll page Doctor Patrick right away.”
“Thank you,” Viktor says.
He leads me down a wide corridor towards the back of the emergency room. Curtained cubicles line the walls and harried looking doctors and nurses swarm in and out of the engaged ones.
“You paid for the hospital?”
“Not all of it, but a lot of it. This is one of the few hospitals in the state with the resources to see people without insurance. Growing up, we were one of those families without insurance and it’s nice to be able to give something back now that I’m in a position to be able to do it. And for the record, that’s the first time I’ve ever played that card.”
A man in a white coat appears from a door to our left. “Mr. Leshchenko? Miss Madison? I’m Doctor Patrick. Come this way please.”
He leads us to one of the cubicles and pulls the curtain around us.
“What happened Miss Madison?”
“Umm…” I start hesitantly.
“I gather you are pregnant, and you took a blow to your stomach?” Doctor Patrick says.
I nod and he goes on, his voice gentle. “I’m not here to judge you and I’m not here to make trouble for you. I just want to establish what happened, so I know how best to treat you.”
Viktor nods to me and I tell Doctor Patrick what happened. He shakes his head solemnly.
“Some men aren’t fit to be around other people. Miss Madison, I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Have I lost the baby?”
“It’s possible I’m afraid, but let’s not jump to any conclusions. Have you experienced any blood loss or spotting?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “We came straight here, and I haven’t had a chance to check.”
“Please do so,” the doctor says, turning his back subtly.
I quickly open my jeans and push them down, relieved to see my panties are clean, dry and not dotted with red. I pull my jeans back up and re-button them.
“No,” I say. “No blood.”
“Any pain or discomfort in the area?” he asks.
“No more than I would expect after being punched,” I say. “I’m a little tender, but there’s no sharp pains or anything.”
“That all sounds promising. Why don’t you hop up onto the bed for me with your jeans open and top lifted past your stomach while I go and fetch the ultrasound machine?”
I do as he says as he leaves the cubicle, the curtain swirling around where he parts it to leave.
“That sounds good, right?” I say to Viktor.
He nods and smiles at me, taking my hand in his.
“It does,” he confirms. “I don’t think he would have been so quick to do an ultrasound in front of you like this if he thought there was a chance you lost the baby.”
I lay on the bed, taking comfort from Viktor’s words. The doctor returns quickly, with a nurse pushing a cart with a machine on it. She stands the machine beside me and switches it on. The doctor picks up the scanner and turns to me.
My heart is starting to race as nerves overcome me. This is it. The moment I will know if my baby is ok or not. The doctor apologizes in advance for the cold and then he rubs some icy cold jelly over my tummy. He smiles reassuringly and then he begins to move the scanner around my stomach. I hold my breath, watching Dr. Patrick look at the screen.
His expression doesn’t give a lot away, but I can see a slight frown on his face as he peers at the screen. I feel my heart sink. I’ve lost my baby. I turn to Viktor with tears in my eyes, biting them back, not letting them come. He squeezes my hand tightly and reaches out and brushes the hair back from my face. He doesn’t say anything. There’s nothing to say. Our baby is gone.
Suddenly, a thump, thump sound fills the room and Doctor Patrick’s face changes. He beams widely at me.
“That sound is your baby’s heartbeat, Miss Madison. The little mite gave me quite a scare there, but it turns out you just have a shy one,” Dr. Patrick says.