Serendipitous Chapter 4 A

Tyler and Rebeka 6 days ago.

Previous Post:

About an hour later, Elizabeth and the pilot, Bob, walked through the front door.

Tyler introduced everybody and gave his aunt instructions on Rebeka's care. His eyes met Rebeka's. "Young lady, I want you to do nothing but rest and relax. Don't worry about anything. As I've said before, Roger's taking care of Stuart and once things calm down with the weather, you and I will talk with your dad." He checked his phone. "I need to leave. I will be checking in."

He grabbed a bag and motioned toward the door. "Bob, I'm ready." He winked at Rebeka. "I'll see you in a few days."

TODAY'S POST:

Chapter 4 A

About eight-fifteen Wednesday morning, Valentine's Day, Elizabeth and Rebeka leisurely sat around the kitchen table, when a male voice said, "Good morning, ladies."

Elizabeth hugged Tyler and kissed his cheek, as he stood at the kitchen door. Elizabeth said, "The bridge must be fixed."

"It is. After I took Missy to school, I brought your SUV home."

Rebeka glanced at Tyler's T-shirt she wore as pajamas. "No!" She rushed to the doorway, but Tyler's muscular frame filled it. She turned and ran through the dining room to the stairs.

"That shirt never looked that good on me." Tyler chuckled. "Don't run up the stairs, you could fall." He shook his head. "She didn't listen."

Elizabeth pointed an accusing finger at her nephew. "You shouldn't have teased her."

"Probably, but she looked cute."

Elizabeth headed toward the stairs. "I'll talk with her."

Tyler touched his aunt's arm. "Give her time. It's been my experience that she'll stay hidden for a few hours." He glanced at the table. "It looks like you two have become friends. How's she doing?"

"All right. She's filled with all sorts of guilt. With all those restrictions she grew up with there's no way she could follow all the rules. She feels damned to hell, and God will never forgive her. I don't think God's grace was ever discussed in her home." Elizabeth stared at her nephew. "You look tired. How much sleep have you had since you left Sunday?"

Tyler ran his hand through his short hair. "Maybe five hours, total, if that much. I'm going to grab a few hours now. Rebeka has a doctor's appointment at one-thirty. Can you have lunch ready around twelve-thirty? If I'm not up, wake me."

"Go ahead and sleep. I'll take Rebeka."

"I want to. On the way to my room, I'll tell her."

Tyler stood outside Rebeka's door and heard crying. More guilt. He knocked. "Rebeka, I'm sorry my comment upset you," he spoke through the closed door, "You have a doctor's appointment at one-thirty. We'll eat lunch at twelve-thirty, then I'll take you to the appointment."

He grinned when he heard almost a whisper, "Thank you."

He started to walk away, but said, "I'm serious about running up or down the stairs. I'm worried you might fall." He continued to his room, as he muttered, "What am I going to do with her?"

*****
The three of them sat for lunch, as Elizabeth asked, "Ty, what are the plans for Lily?"

"I'll pick her up if we're finished in time. I let her teacher know I'd either be there half an hour early or not at all. If I'm not there, she's to ride the bus home."

"Good."

During lunch, Rebeka remained quiet.

*****
Tyler backed the SUV from the garage, and said, "I see you went back to the clothes you wore when you arrived." Not receiving a comment, he continued, "I wish you'd start talking. I shouldn't have commented on the T-shirt."

"I shouldn't have been downstairs undressed. It's my fault."

He glanced at her and frowned. "As far as you knew only you and Aunt Beth were in the house. You didn't know I was coming home. How could you? It was an innocent mistake. No big deal." He hesitated. "I'm glad you're comfortable enough to come to breakfast like that."

"Aunt Beth's very nice." Rebeka studied her hands. "The next time something like this happens could you call ahead when you're coming home?"

"I'll do my best."

"Thank you."

Tyler parked in his hospital staff parking spot, went around, and opened Rebeka's door. "Ready?"

"I'm nervous. What's the doctor going to do?" asked Rebeka.

"I'm sure Heather ordered some labs. Probably talk with you awhile and then give you a complete exam."

"Okay." As he held the hospital entrance door for her, she asked, "Will you be there?"

"If you want, I will."

"If you have the extra time, I'd like that."

"Then I'll be there." They entered the elevator, and Tyler pressed the button for the third floor.

"Thank you." They stepped from the elevator, and Rebeka glanced around. "You're being watched."

"No, my dear, we're being watched. They're wondering who I'm with."

Her hands flew to her mouth. "No!"

"Don't worry about it. I'm not." Tyler opened the OB/GYN door. "We're here." He walked toward the reception desk. When he glanced around, he noticed Rebeka remained at the door. He held out his hand. "We'll do this together."

Rebeka swallowed and took his hand. "Thank you."

At the counter, Tyler said, "Rebeka Miller's here for a one-thirty appointment with Dr. Heather Sharp."

The young receptionist studied the computer screen. "Sorry, but I don't see an appointment with Dr. Sharp. She's booked for today. Maybe it's with another doctor."

"Ma'am, it's with Dr. Sharp. I spoke with her myself."

The young lady glanced at Tyler as her face flushed red. "Sorry, Dr. Butler." She handed him a tablet. "Please fill this out. I'll let Dr. Sharp know you're here."

Tyler took it and put his hand on the small of Rebeka's back and led her to two empty seats. "Let's get this started."

Once seated, Tyler handed Rebeka the tablet. "You'll probably feel more comfortable filling this out rather than giving me the answers."

She took it. "Thank you. It'd probably be quicker too.

Once Rebeka finished with the questionnaire, she returned the device to the front desk and then sat beside Tyler.

It wasn't long before they were called back to an examination room. Tyler stood off to the side when Rebeka's weight, blood pressure, and temperature were taken. It wasn't long before a lab tech came in and took a blood sample and asked for a urine sample.

A little later, Dr. Sharp appeared. She hugged Tyler. "I heard you were really busy with that accident."

"We were. I sent a few patients your husband's way. The roads were a sheet of ice. I don't know why people thought they could drive on them."

"I don't either." Before Heather sat, she held out her hand to Rebeka. "Hello, I'm Dr. Heather Sharp. It's a pleasure to meet you. While we wait on your labs, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

Rebeka glanced at Tyler, who nodded. "Start at the beginning."

Without any details, Rebeka explained when she got pregnant and that she hadn't seen a doctor. She went on to tell how she met Tyler.

Heather's eyes met Tyler's. "I understand her blood pressure and glucose levels are high and there's been cramping and some bleeding."

Tyler handed her his documentation. "These are the readings I've had."

Heather read them and compared the blood pressures with the one just taken. "Today, your blood pressure's higher than these readings."

"She's nervous about the appointment," offered Tyler.

"I understand. I have a few questions. Tell me about your mother's pregnancies. How many siblings do you have?"

"I'm an only child." Rebeka studied her hands that lay in her lap. "Mother was pregnant eight times that I know of."

The doctor's eyes met Tyler's as she exhaled. "Do you know what happened?"

"Mother was fourteen when she and Father married. She lost her first baby within the first trimester. The next two babies were born too early to survive."

"Do you know the reason the doctor gave her?"

"She never saw a doctor. Babies are born at home. We rarely go to the doctor."

"I see. Please continue."

"I was born next."

"Early?"

"I've heard Mother carried me to around thirty-two weeks." Rebeka watched Tyler get her a drink of water. She smiled and accepted it. "Thank you." After a couple of sips, she continued, "The next four were born too early. Three died during birth and the last one died a few hours after birth."

Tyler answered a knock on the door and accepted some papers. He handed them to Heather, who said, "Your lab reports." She tapped the paper. "There's a note here that you didn't fill out all your vaccines."

"Ma'am, I did."

Tyler set his jaw. "Along with not going to doctors you don't always get vaccinations, correct?"

"Yes. I got some. Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, and Polio."

"We'll go from there." Dr. Sharp read over the results. "Your RH factor is good. You must have had the childhood diseases, measles, mumps, rubella, (German Measles) and chicken pox."

"I did and had whooping cough."

"Everything looks good, but you're anemic. I'll prescribe some iron. Your glucose is high." She glanced at the paper Tyler had given her. "It's about the same. I'll give you a diet to follow." Heather glanced at Tyler.

"It won't be a problem. I'll see Aunt Beth follows it." He grinned. "She needs it herself. I know she'll follow it for somebody else, if not for herself." He checked his ringing phone. "I need to get this. I'll be right back." He stepped from the room.

Heather handed Rebeka a gown. "I'll step out while you put this on. Completely undress and open it to the back." She left.

*****
Dr. Sharp returned and asked Rebeka to lie back on the table. The doctor covered Rebeka's lower half with a sheet and raised the gown, exposing Rebeka's stomach. She pointed to a machine. "I'm doing an ultrasound. If you watch the screen, you'll see your baby."

"Really?"

Heather smiled. "Really." She spread some gel on her stomach. "This will be a little cold." It wasn't long before she moved the probe around. "Here's your baby." She pointed. "That's the heart beating."

Rebeka smiled. "He or she's so tiny."

"Your baby's about the size of a navel orange, maybe three and a half inches long and weighs about two ounces. All the internal organs have formed and will continue to mature."

"I've heard you can tell if the baby's a girl or boy."

"Ultrasounds can tell but not always accurate until around the eighteenth week, and then only if the fetus cooperates. It's up to you if you want to be told."

"I'm not sure. I'll think about it."

The doctor did a few more measurements and then said, "Everything looks normal. Now it's time for me to do an internal exam. She covered Rebeka's stomach using the gown and the sheet a little below her knees. "You'll need to scoot all the way down to the edge of the table and put your feet in the stirrups."

As Heather helped Rebeka place her feet in the stirrups, Tyler walked in. "Excuse me. I'll wait in the hall."

*****
Dr. Sharp had already noted fear in Rebeka's eyes as soon as she mentioned the internal exam and said, "Excuse me a minute." She went into the hall. "Ty, she's petrified of this exam. I think it's her first. You need to be there and reassure her."

"I doubt it. It bothered her when I measured the baby bump. I'm the last person she wants in there."

"I have a feeling you're the only person she trusts."

"Maybe." He rubbed his chin. "Okay."

Heather opened the door. "Ms. Miller, Ty's coming in. He'll stand by your right shoulder. You'll be covered. He won't see anything. Is this all right?"

Rebeka nodded and held out her hand for him.

He took her hand and stood at the head of the bed. "It'll be okay. You'll feel a little discomfort. Heather will talk you through it."

She, again, nodded.

Dr. Sharp described everything she did, before she did it. During the discomfort Rebeka squeezed Tyler's hand and looked into his eyes. He took his other hand and patted hers.

When the exam was over, Heather said, "We'll step out while you dress. We'll be in shortly, and then we'll talk."


~~~~~
Rebeka Miller - our heroine, she's twenty -two, a romance award winning author, extremely old fashioned

Dr. Tyler Butler - 'Ty' an ER doctor, raising his niece, Lily.

Richard Stuart - Rebeka's agent and rich spoilt brat, a not nice person

Amber Wilson - Rebeka's personal assistance and best friend

Peter Dawson - Tyler's friend and part-time ranch hand

Elizabeth - 'Aunt Beth', helping raise Lily and helped raise Tyler after parents died

Christina - Elizabeth's close friend

Lily - 'Missy', Tyler's niece, 5 years old

Lori - Tyler's deceased sister and mother of Lily

Zeke - Golden Retriever mix, family dog

Roger Whitmore - a lawyer and Tyler's best friend

Dr. Heather Sharp - OB/GYN and Tyler's childhood friend