Chapter 21
21
Chloe was jiggling around in her seat like a child who needed a wee, but had left it far too late to get there. She couldn’t seem to keep still as they waited for the consultant to call them in. It was hardly surprising, because Chloe was waiting to hear how her fertility might have been affected as a result of the ovarian torsion. Wendy hadn’t spoken to her about the prospect of trying again, because all the reading she’d done had told her that would be a mistake. Beau was irreplaceable, but what Chloe needed now more than anything was hope for the future. Wendy was scared of what it might do to her if the doctors said there was a reduced chance of a falling pregnant again and it felt as though there were butterflies fluttering inside Wendy’s chest too. Chloe desperately needed some good news, even if another baby was the last thing on her mind right now.
‘Chloe Adlington please.’ The consultant who’d called Chloe’s name was a kindly looking woman, who appeared to be in her sixties, and had the sort of warm demeanour that immediately made Wendy feel a bit more relaxed. She couldn’t say the same for Chloe, whose legs were still frantically jigging up and down, even as they sat opposite the consultant’s desk. Wendy had looked up the doctor’s details on the system before the appointment, and Miss Cohen had decades of experience as a consultant gynaecologist and surgeon, which had reassured Wendy that Chloe would be getting the best possible advice.
‘I’m so sorry about what you’ve been through.’ Miss Cohen’s gentle tone finally seemed to make Chloe’s legs stop moving.
‘Thank you.’ Her response was barely audible, and Wendy instinctively reached out and took her hand.
‘I can’t imagine how difficult this has been for you emotionally, but it’s obvious you’ve got a lot of support and hopefully you’re drawing on what the hospital can offer you in that respect too?’ As Miss Cohen waited for a response, Chloe gave an almost imperceptible nod and Wendy had to stop herself from saying that she wasn’t sure Chloe was taking full advantage of professional help. ‘That’s good and I’m here to support you with the physical side of things.’
‘Can I still have a baby?’ It was as if someone had suddenly turned the volume dial up, and Chloe’s question sounded almost like a shout.
‘Yes.’ As Miss Cohen spoke, all the tension seemed to be released from Chloe’s body, like air being let out of a balloon, and she slumped slightly in her chair. ‘Your left fallopian tube and ovary had to be removed as a result of the torsion, but the good news is you’re in the optimal age range to fall pregnant without this affecting you too much. Up until around the age of twenty-eight, as long as your right ovary and tube are healthy and functioning normally, you’ll have an 85 per cent chance of falling pregnant within two years.’
‘That’s great news.’ It was Wendy who spoke, and when she turned to look at Chloe the young woman had an unreadable expression on her face.
‘I’ll be twenty-five soon and I’m single now.’ Chloe touched the place on her finger where her engagement ring had sat for such a short period of time that there wasn’t even a hint of an indent or tan line left behind.
‘Try not to worry about that for now. The important thing is to make sure you’re maintaining good physical health, and I am slightly concerned about how underweight you are.’ As Miss Cohen spoke, Wendy continued to watch Chloe, and she could see her shutting down. She wasn’t listening to anything the doctor had to say, and Wendy had no idea whether that was because she didn’t want to hear it, or because Chloe was fixating on the fact that – in her mind – she now only had three years to have a successful pregnancy. All Wendy could do was hope that it didn’t weaken Chloe’s resolve to stay away from Mike, because at that moment she couldn’t imagine a worse outcome than the two of them getting back together.
‘How are you feeling?’ Wendy handed Chloe one of the lattes she’d ordered and sat down opposite her. She’d needed to deal with a work issue straight after the appointment with Miss Cohen, authorising the purchase of some supplies that an inventory had shown were urgently needed, but it had taken less than ten minutes to sort out. Wendy had been determined to take Chloe out for a quiet coffee afterwards, so they could talk properly about what the consultant had said, without the risk of Zara overhearing anything that Chloe might not want her to know. ‘I thought the appointment went well and the scan results suggest that everything looks good on the right-hand side too.’
‘Umm.’ Chloe sounded unconvinced, as she wrapped her hands around the cup Wendy had just passed to her. ‘It’s just that it suddenly feels like there’s a big clock counting down inside me. Three years is such a short time, especially if it could take up to two years to fall pregnant even within that window. I’d have to start trying pretty much straight away.’
‘Miss Cohen didn’t say you couldn’t fall pregnant after that, just that it might be a little bit easier if you’re under twenty-eight.’ Wendy was still trying to keep her tone light, but if Mike’s name came up, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stay anywhere near as calm.
‘It doesn’t give me long to meet someone.’ It was as if Chloe hadn’t heard what Wendy had just said, and she couldn’t stop herself from responding in the way she’d been trying so hard to avoid.
‘Please tell me you’re not thinking of going back to Mike, because that would be a disaster.’
‘God, no!’ The force of Chloe’s response was like a weight lifting off Wendy’s shoulders. ‘There are other options. I don’t know, maybe sperm donation, or if I can’t fall pregnant… There are lots of other ways I can still have a family, aren’t there?’
‘There are loads of options, but I really don’t think it will come to that.’ Wendy put a hand over Chloe’s. ‘And whatever happens, I want you to remember you already have a family. Beau has bonded you to Alice and Zara forever, and nothing is going to change that.’
‘I hope not, and I’m so grateful to you and Gary too.’ Suddenly Chloe flung her arms around Wendy, hugging her so tightly that for a moment it was hard to breathe, and then she let go. ‘I’m going to get myself sorted out, I promise.’
‘I know you will.’ Wendy smiled, and resisted the urge to ask Chloe whether she’d made any decisions about the funeral, because time really was close to running out. She was still wary of pushing her too hard about anything else, and asking her whether she’d given any thought to whether she might go back to work at the college could wait too. For now it was just so wonderful to hear Chloe sounding as if she could imagine a future where she would be happy again. That was more than enough for one day.
‘Is it something we need to be concerned about?’ Charlie furrowed his bow, as Dr Kowalski shook his head.
‘A haemorrhage always sounds terrifying, but as Danni will know it’s a broad term.’ He smiled as he turned from Charlie to Danni. ‘A secondary post-partum haemorrhage is most likely caused by an infection, but there’s a small chance there may be some retained tissue. We’ll get you straight onto antibiotics to clear any infection, and uterotonics to help reduce the bleeding. Have you got any known allergy to penicillin?’
‘I haven’t got any allergies that I’m aware of.’ Danni held her as-yet unnamed son close to her chest. He’d taken to feeding like a dream, and he was happily snoozing, completely oblivious to the conversation going on around him.
‘Great, in that case we’ll start you on a combination of ampicillin and metronidazole. Hopefully that will resolve things, but we’ll also give you a scan to see whether you need surgery to remove any retained tissue. I’m confident it won’t come to that, but we’ll be keeping you in until we’re certain all is as it should be. I’ll see you soon, Danni, but for now you need to get as much rest as possible.’
‘Thank you, Pieter.’ Danni leant back against the pillows behind her, as Dr Kowalski left the room.
‘Are you okay?’ As Charlie spoke, he gently swept the hair away from her forehead.
‘Yes, just a bit tired and feeling guilty that this is going to delay your parents and Joe from meeting the baby.’
‘The meeting will be all the sweeter when it comes, and all any of them want is for you to get well. So, even if they have to wait a week, they’ll all understand.’
‘God, I hope I’m not stuck in here for that long.’ Danni pulled a face. ‘I love St Piran’s, but right now all I want is to go home and be with my boys.’
‘That’s all I want too.’ Charlie reached out and stroked the baby’s cheek. ‘I can still hardly believe he’s ours, and that I got lucky enough to find the most wonderful woman in the world to do this with.’
‘Hang on to that feeling, because I think it’s going to be a very long time before you get lucky in any other sense of the word!’ Danni started to laugh, but even that hurt.
‘No one deserves more luck than I’ve had already.’ Charlie kissed her gently before pulling away again.
‘We really have hit the jackpot with this little guy, haven’t we? Although we probably do need to decide on a name.’ Danni breathed out slowly and Charlie nodded.
‘I think all of that will be easier when we’re back home and we get settled in to our new life as family. I’ve got a feeling the name will just come to us then.’
‘I think you’re right and I’m sure from what Pieter said that we’ll be home by tomorrow at the latest.’ Danni looked down at her little boy again, already picturing the three of them curled up on the sofa together, with Brenda and Maggie at their feet. It might sound incredibly simple to some people, but it was all she’d ever wanted.