Aeromancist, The Beginning (SECOND EDITION) - Charmaine Pauls Page 0,9
a while as I don’t really know what I’m looking for.” Eve gave Kat a bright smile. “Shall we do the ultrasound now?”
The smile was meant to mask the inevitable destiny that awaited the tiny being growing in her womb. Not trusting her voice to speak, Kat only nodded.
Eve asked her to unbutton her pants. The doctor spread gel over her abdomen and switched on the ultrasound monitor.
“Gifted babies develop faster than normal ones. We’ll be able to hear the heartbeat.”
She moved the transducer probe over Kat’s stomach, and paused when she found what she was looking for. There it was, the little person, their child, no bigger than a lentil. And just like that, she fell in love. Irrevocably and completely. An overwhelming feeling of dearness flooded her heart. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to love and protect it. Her unborn baby had stolen her heart in a second flat.
Kat crumpled the sheet in her fist. Joy, grief, and terror bled together, but not even those emotions were powerful enough to overshadow the love that had nestled in her heart. A strong, steady rhythm beeped from the monitor.
The heartbeat.
Her baby’s tiny, beating heart.
Tears of wonder and fear for the life she carried filled her eyes. Lann’s reaction was very different. He showed neither joy, nor concern. He sat frozen. Another few beats fell in the silence. Her own heart was hammering in her chest, out of sync with her baby’s much faster little heartbeat. Abruptly, he got to his feet, and turned away from the sight and sound of the new life he’d helped create. He walked to the window and pressed with his palms on the frame, looking down into the square.
Eve’s gaze followed him. She switched off the monitor and handed Kat a paper towel to wipe away the gel.
“Well,” she said, too cheerfully, “you’re doing great, Kat. Everything seems fine. Now we just have to weigh you.”
Lann faced them again, leaning against the windowsill. “We have to tell her, Eve.”
Trepidation pulled Kat’s stomach into a knot. Kat lifted herself up on her elbows. “Tell me what?”
“We have to terminate the pregnancy by next week,” he said, “or your body would’ve altered too much. It has to be done before seven weeks. Every day after that puts your life at risk.”
What? The shock was like a shard of glass in her heart. Laying back against the pillows, she placed a palm over her stomach, sheltering her child from the cold words.
Lann moved back to her side. “I’ll be here, every step of the way.” He took her hand that rested at her side. “You won’t have to go through this alone.”
She pulled free. Pain lashed at her from all sides. It was impossible to hide from the onslaught.
“I’m afraid it’s true,” Eve said. “We can’t gamble with your life.”
Kat fought the tears, but failed, and looked away.
Eve’s voice was gentle. “I know this is hard. I’ll recommend a good therapist to help you deal with the trauma.” She walked to Lann’s side and touched Kat’s shoulder. “There’ll be other babies.”
Lann’s back went rigid at Eve’s last words. The idea of children truly appalled him.
“I need you to sign an indemnity form,” Eve continued. “Do you need a moment?”
Kat closed her eyes. Worse things happened on a daily basis. People suffered, people died in war. Then why did this feel like the end of the world?
“Kat?” Eve coaxed. “If you need a minute—”
Kat shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“I’ll book a theater at the clinic in France,” Eve said to Lann, who nodded.
France? If it was possible, Kat tensed even more. “What?”
“I’m based in Paris,” Eve explained.
Kat wasn’t leaving the country. “I’m not going anywhere.” She sounded rude, but she didn’t care.
“We can’t do the procedure here,” Lann said. “It’s illegal and we couldn’t find someone trustworthy on a moment’s notice. If we don’t leave by tomorrow morning, it’ll be too late.”
She stopped breathing. Tomorrow? No. Everything inside her protested. It was too soon. No matter if they gave her weeks, or months, it would always be too soon.
Lann addressed Eve. “Can you give us a minute, please?”
When Eve left the room, he removed his glasses and left them on the nightstand, just as he’d done when he’d made love to her. No, when he’d fucked her. There had been nothing more to their intimate moments, and she’d be better off getting that fact through her head.
When Lann took her hands to pull her into a sitting position,