Chapter 36
Alexei
When Zoya finally falls asleep, I ease out of the room and walk down the corridor to the doctor’s office. I knock and hear her say, “Come in.”
I open the door to find her at her desk. She waves me toward the chair across from her. “Please, sit.”
I cross the room and lower myself into the chair.
She folds her hands on the desk and looks at me directly.
“I know this came as a surprise, and I apologize for not realizing you were unaware of the pregnancy.” She glances at me, her tone measured and calm.
“Based on the ultrasound measurements and fetal development, she’s approximately twelve weeks along—so conception would have occurred around late February or early March.
The baby appears healthy from what we’ve seen so far.
Heart rate is strong at 160 beats per minute, which is exactly where we want it at this stage. All the early markers look good.”
I exhale. “That’s a relief.”
“However,” she continues, “there are some things I held back when your wife was awake. Things I think we need to talk about now.”
My grip tightens on the armrests. “What things?”
“Your wife is under significant stress, and her cortisol levels show it. She’s also anemic with very low iron, and the physical exam showed signs of malnutrition. It’s not severe yet, but it’s definitely a concern.”
I sit up straighter. “Malnutrition? How can she be malnourished?”
“She’s either not eating enough or not eating the right things, and when you combine that with the stress and the anemia, it puts her pregnancy in the high-risk category.”
High-risk. The word echoes in my head. I force myself to focus on what she’s saying, but all I hear is that phrase on repeat.
“Tell me what that means exactly.”
She leans forward slightly. “It means that if nothing changes, the risk of complications goes up significantly. We’re talking about miscarriage, premature birth, and developmental problems. She needs to lower her stress, eat a balanced diet with iron supplements, and come in regularly so we can monitor her closely. ”
I move to the edge of my seat. “What do I need to do? Tell me exactly what she needs, and I’ll make sure it happens.”
She reaches for a notepad and begins making notes. “First things first, she needs complete bed rest for at least one week while she recovers from the concussion. Once that week is up, she can move around, but only with light activities. Nothing strenuous and nothing stressful.”
I sit back. “Consider it done.”
“She needs to have three balanced meals a day, plus snacks in between. Everything should be high in iron - things like red meat, leafy greens, fortified grains. I’ll prescribe prenatal vitamins and iron supplements to help bring her levels up.”
I tap my fingers against my knee. “What else does she need?”
“She’ll need regular prenatal appointments, weekly for the first month, and then we’ll reassess from there. We need to monitor her blood pressure, iron levels, and the baby’s development closely.”
“And if she follows all of this, what then?”
“Then her chances improve dramatically. But only if she follows everything to the letter. She can’t cut corners”
I reach for the notepad and look at everything she’s written. “What about her schoolwork? Can she still attend her classes?”
“School should be okay as long as it isn’t stressful for her. But if she feels overwhelmed, she has to scale back. Her health and the baby’s health need to come first, always.”
“Understood.”
She holds my gaze. “There’s one more thing I need to mention. The accident and the trauma could have caused complications that won’t show up immediately. I’d like to do another ultrasound in a week to make sure everything is developing the way it should.”
I feel my stomach drop. “Do you think something is wrong with the baby?”
She meets my eyes calmly. “I think it’s better to be safe than sorry. The baby looks healthy right now, but trauma can sometimes cause problems that don’t appear until later. This is just a precaution.”
I give her a nod. “Schedule it. Whatever she needs, I’ll make sure she gets it.”
She hands me some pamphlets from her desk. “I will. These cover high-risk pregnancies, proper nutrition, and warning signs you should be aware of. If she has any bleeding, severe cramping, or dizziness, bring her back immediately.”
“I will.”
She stands, and I follow. “Your wife is young and otherwise healthy. With proper care, there’s every reason to believe this pregnancy will be successful. But she has to take it seriously.”
I meet her eyes. “I’ll make sure of it.”
She offers me a small smile. “That’s good to hear.”
I step out of the office and into the hallway where my men are waiting. Bohdan is the first to move toward me. “Pakhan?”
“Tell me you found the bastard.”
Bohdan straightens. “We did. He’s locked up and waiting for whatever you want to do with him.”
I nod. “Good.” I draw in a breath and force myself to focus. “What about the others? Her classmates who were in the car?”
“Yegor had minor surgery on his arm. It was broken in two places, but he’ll be fine. The two girls are sedated in hospital rooms. They have bruises, and they’re in shock, but they’ll recover.”
“And Lev and Grigori, how are they?”
Bohdan hesitates before answering. “Still in surgery. But the doctors say they’ll survive.”
I nod, my mind already moving to the next steps. “Keep guards stationed on all of them. I don’t want anyone getting close to Zoya’s friends. And double the security outside her room.”
Bohdan dips his chin. “Already done, Pakhan.”
“Good.” I glance back at Zoya’s door before continuing. “I need to make some calls. Stay here and don’t let anyone into that room except doctors and nurses. Understood?”
Bohdan nods. “Yes, Pakhan.”
I walk down the hall and pull out my phone. There’s work to be done, but first I need to deal with Kostya. That little shit is going to pay for what he did to my wife.