Prognosis Baby Daddy - Amy Andrews Page 0,55

‘Katya, think of the baby.’

She heard the reproach in his voice and wanted to kick him in the shins. Well, as long as the baby’s OK. ‘The baby is fine,’ she said, and turned on her heel.

Except somewhere in the execution of her about-face she tripped herself up and before she knew it she’d slipped and fallen and was bumping down the stairs, flailing around like a beached whale, trying to stop, trying to protect the baby from the fall.

‘Katya!’ Ben lunged for her but couldn’t grab her in time and he rushed down the stairs, reaching her as she came to a stop in a crumpled heap at the bottom. ‘Katya. Katya!’ His heart was galloping in his chest. ‘Are you all right?’

She was lying very still and he turned her over, a dozen dreadful scenarios marching through his brain. God, please, let her be all right!

Katya’s eyes fluttered open. She moaned. Now she really did ache everywhere. Her arms and legs felt battered and she lifted her hand to the back of her head and gingerly prodded a rapidly growing lump.

Ben gently investigated the bump. ‘I think you need an X-ray.’

Like hell. She wasn’t exposing her baby to any unnecessary radiation. ‘I’m fine, Ben,’ she protested weakly, pushing herself up.

‘You need to get checked out,’ he said, supporting her into a sitting position.

Katya looked into his eyes. She could see the concern in his brown gaze. Was it for her or for the baby? ‘Don’t worry. Ben, the baby’s fine.’ She stood up, shaking his hands off her.

‘The bump on your head needs looking at. You took a big tumble.’

‘I feel fine,’ she reiterated, pushing away from him irritated by his concern.

Ben watched her go and raised his eyes heavenward. Give me strength! If she thought he was just going to let her walk away and not get checked out then she didn’t know him at all.

Katya hurried away, knowing she was being unreasonable, but loving him and knowing that his only interest in her was the baby and some latent sexual chemistry was harder than she’d thought.

She felt a sudden warmth between her legs and stopped abruptly, looking down, her pulse spiking. ‘Ben!’

He was at her side in seconds as she stood stock-still in the corridor, her hand clutching her stomach. ‘I’m bleeding,’ she said, staring at the growing red stain on her scrub pants.

The baby. Had she hurt the baby?

Ben’s heart climbed into his mouth when he saw her bloodstained clothes. Swearing, he swept her up into his arms.

‘Where are we going?’ she asked, clinging to him, trembling all over, biting her lip to stop the tears that were building in her eyes.

‘Rocco.’

Katya lay very still as Rocco ran the transducer over her belly. Her mind was frozen, fear for her baby bringing up all the horrible possibilities.

How could she have been so stupid?

Why had she insisted on working?

If she’d been sitting at home with her feet up, this would never have happened. I’m sorry, baby, I won’t put you in danger again.

Ben and Rocco were talking in Italian over her, pointing at various things on the screen, but she wasn’t listening. Her eyes were fixed on the image. At the baby’s strong heartbeat and its vigorous, healthy movements.

He was OK. The baby was OK.

Her relief was immense. As was the sudden clarity that descended on her. She could no more hand her son over to Ben than fly to the moon. She touched the screen as she had done at her first ultrasound.

I promise to protect you from everything. I promise to be vigilant. I promise to give you everything I have.

I promise to love you above all else.

‘Rocco says the baby looks good. The fall seems to have caused a small area of the placenta at the margin to come away and bleed. But the rest of the placenta looks healthy.’

Katya nodded, a surge of relief bringing her thought processes back on line. ‘Thank you,’ she said to Rocco.

‘As the bleeding’s now stopped Rocco recommends bed rest for a couple of days and then he’ll scan you again. But if you notice any decrease in foetal movements or any more bleeding, he wants to see you straight away.’

‘Of course,’ Katya nodded. Anything. She’d lay in bed for the duration if that’s what it took for the baby to be OK.

Rocco left and Katya sat on the narrow couch, letting Ben do a full neuro assessment on her. It was making him feel better and