Chapter 36 Nolan
Nolan
Hailey looked dead to the world when she came back from her shift. Merrick was still at work, so Wilder and I were hanging at the house, trying to be useful.
The moment Wilder saw how run-down Hailey looked, though, he jumped right into nurse mode.
Which was kind of adorable for both of them.
Within twenty minutes of her coming home, he had her in a clean set of pajamas, lying on the couch with a dozen blankets and chicken soup in her hands.
“I'm not sick. I don't need soup,” Hailey grumbled through a grin.
“You're clearly exhausted, and chicken soup is good for the soul. Like that book. It's hydrating and nourishing and actually has vegetables in it.”
Wilder grabbed the thermometer. Touching it to her forehead, he waited until it beeped and then read the screen, nodding approvingly. “The good news is, you're not running a fever.”
“I'm just tired. The baby is taking it out of me,” she admitted, rubbing her hand over stomach.
“How is the little nugget doing?” Wilder asked, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth.
“Good…I think. I really need to schedule some doctors’ visits soon.”
“Actually, I’ve been looking into that.” I stepped forward, seeing that this was as good a time as any.
Hailey's lack of prenatal care had been concerning, and we all thought so. Most of her medical visits had been taken up by the separation sickness.
Understandably, of course. The doctors were concerned with putting out the bigger fire first, which was the sickness, but because of it, there hadn't been many official prenatal appointments.
“There's a doctor only about forty minutes away from here who specializes in separation sickness and pregnancy. Her name is Dr. Chen.”
Hailey frowned. “Forty minutes away? Do you mean that fancy private clinic in Greensburg?”
I nodded, the corners of my mouth turning down. “I think that's the one.”
“I have civil-servant insurance. I don't think it will cover all that.” Hailey grimaced. “I can just go to the out-of-town doctor I’ve been seeing.”
“That’s too far away. We’ll pay out of pocket for it, if necessary. It'll be worth it to make sure you're okay.”
Hailey looked taken aback for a moment before nodding.
“All right, I guess we better book me for a sonogram. I’m due for my anatomy scan soon.
I’ve been thinking, and I’m going to take early maternity leave now—it’s not safe to be working in smoke-filled areas, especially when I’m having a difficult pregnancy already thanks to the separation sickness. ” Hailey frowned.
“Are you okay with that?” I asked. Hailey adored her work, and she was damn good at it.
“I have to be. As much as I love the job, I won’t let myself or the nugget be in any danger,” she said, hand on her small bump. “I can take the time to rest, maybe catch up on some quilting projects…”
“That sounds like an excellent plan,” I said. “Your job will be there for you as soon as you’re ready to go back. We will support you. Or if you want to go to nursing school, whatever you want.”
“Thank you.” She beamed at me. “I know I’ll miss it, but it’s not forever.”
“Also, don't forget to take these,” Wilder said, passing her the prenatal vitamins and a bottle of water. He’d taken it upon himself to manage a strict regime for Hailey to ensure the baby was doing the best they could be.
And as much as she rolled her eyes, Hailey had been good about taking them.
It was obvious the guy missed working too. He thrived when caring for people, though I got the impression that caring for Hailey was that much more satisfying for him.
That, I understood.
Looking after my omega was one of the best feelings, and now that we were officially bonded, there was a closeness between us that was indescribable.
Except to say that it was wonderful.
Thinking about all this made me consider our living situation again. “We should probably have a conversation soon about where we want to settle long term.”
Wilder and Hailey looked at me as if I’d grown two heads.
“What do you mean?” Hailey straightened.
“Well, we have a house in Seattle that we either need to return to or sell. Have you thought about where you want to live for the foreseeable future?”
“I just assumed I'd be living here,” she admitted, sagging as she looked around. “I knew you guys lived in Seattle, but I just can't picture moving there.”
I knew it would have been different if Hailey had chosen to bond with us, but given that the first bond was completely accidental, the idea of turning her life upside down with a move was probably too much.
Plus, she and Merrick had stable jobs that they loved.
“I can reregister in California as an attorney. Family practice is needed everywhere. I can set up shop in any city or state. Preston will deal with whatever you decide because he owes it to you. Wilder, do you think it's possible for you to get a job locally?”
“Hailey mentioned that there’s a nursing shortage here, so I don't think it will be difficult. I’ve taken a look at a few of the local hospitals, and I think I wouldn’t mind settling down here. It would be nice to get back to work, but also I want to be here when the baby comes.”
“Maybe part time?” Hailey suggested. “Just to get you out of the house a few hours a week so you don’t go stir crazy? Because I’ll admit, the end of today was rough, but I liked getting back to work for a little bit.”
Wilder chuckled. “Hmm, that’s fair, but I’m already crazy, cutie.”
Hailey rolled her eyes, but I couldn’t help but think that it had all been settled that easily.
Damn. If only life could be like that.
“This place is too fancy for me,” Hailey muttered as we sat in the waiting room.
The clinic was extremely nice. Every surface was polished within an inch of its life, and even the chairs in the waiting room were comfortable. Like real comfortable, not that, it looks beautiful but you have to sit like a mannequin, comfortable.
“It's worth it to make sure you and the baby are doing well,” I insisted, resting a hand on her knee in a gesture I hoped she found comforting.
“This place looks like it has up-to-date equipment as well,” Wilder commented as he read a pamphlet.
Unfortunately, Merrick couldn't come to the anatomy scan because he had to work. Hailey had offered to take a later appointment because she wanted all three of us there, but he insisted she go and bring him back some scan photos.
So it was just Wilder and me accompanying our omega.
“Miss Hana?” a woman with a clipboard called.
“That's me,” Hailey said, sticking her hand in the air. It took her a moment to get out of the seat, given her belly was actually starting to get in the way now.
Reaching out an arm, I helped her as gently as I could, and we followed the woman to the back.
After a few pleasantries, Hailey hopped onto the table and lifted her shirt so the ultrasound technician could take a look. The tech grabbed a piece of paper cloth and tucked it in the top of her pants, pushing them way down.
“Will it be cold?” Hailey asked, eyeing the gel as the tech took it out of a little pocket and shook it to get it all near the tip.
“Nope. We have warmers. It may feel odd, though.”
Hailey hissed slightly when the gel hit her stomach, and she giggled. “Oh, it’s like someone hocked a loogie on my stomach.”
The technician laughed in return but quickly got to work, placing the wand on her stomach and moving it around until the screen filled with what was undoubtedly our baby.
The little black-and-white image on the screen was so well developed, I could make out the facial features, the nose, the chin. That was a real baby Hailey was carrying.
“Holy shit.” I chuckled, my body erupting with goose bumps as my chest pinched.
“Holy shit, indeed.” The technician laughed. “Here is the heartbeat.” She flipped a switch and the rapid beat filled the room. I’d done enough research to know that babies’ heartbeats were very fast, so I didn’t immediately panic.
“How does everything look?” Hailey asked, concern filling her voice.
“So far, so good. I'm going to take a few measurements, but everything is looking in order,” the technician reassured her.
Hailey nodded, looking at the ceiling as the technician did her work.
“Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?” she asked.
Hailey’s eyes darted to mine and then Wilder’s in surprise. “Uhh… do we?”
Personally, I wanted to know, but it was up to her.
Luckily, while Hailey and I were running on zero brain cells, Wilder, for a change of pace, actually had a smart idea. “Could you put the sex in an envelope and then we can open it later when we’re with the rest of our pack?”
Hailey relaxed, nodding as she looked back at the tech. “I like that idea! Merrick should be there when we find out.”
It didn’t escape me that she hadn’t bothered to mention Preston. I didn’t know whether that was because she was keeping quiet to protect him, or she didn’t want to wait until he eventually got out.
Not that she needed to wait. Hailey had every right to know the sex of the baby she was painstakingly growing herself.
“I can do that. Where’s your other pack mate today?” the woman asked nonchalantly, just making small talk.
“Working. He’s a firefighter,” Hailey explained with a beaming grin.
A sweet smile graced the technician’s face. “I totally understand. My partner is a sheriff, and sometimes he has to miss appointments. That's what we get for dating heroes.”
“It's totally worth it, though.” Hailey giggled.
“Hey, I'm a nurse. Does that make me a hero?” Wilder asked, wagging his eyebrows at Hailey.
All three of us broke into laughter. Not that he wasn’t, but Wilder's need to be part of the praise was hilarious. He was basically a giant golden retriever puppy who constantly wanted love.
“I suppose it does. But I think that means I am too. EMT and all.”
Wilder kissed the top of Hailey’s head. “Oh, you definitely are.”
Twenty minutes later, the doctor came in to check the tech’s work and gave Hailey the all clear. There were several sonogram photos printed out so she could put it on the fridge too.
They discussed nutrition for a while, timelines, birth plans, and more. I sat there and listened intently, only chiming in when Hailey asked me a direct question.
The last thing I wanted to do was talk over her or overstep, so I contented myself with absorbing every piece of information I could and memorizing it.
Wilder was clearly doing the same, judging by the way he was craning his neck to listen in.
“Well, that was good,” Hailey said when we all got in the car. She held the sonogram picture in her lap.
“It's wild to think that in a few months, we'll have a baby.” Wilder smiled, looking down at the photo as he leaned between the seats from the back.
“Yeah… Our own little human. So…” She turned to me with a sneaky grin. “...since Merrick is busy, can we go get ice cream?”
I didn't even answer before turning the car toward the ice cream parlor.