Surgeon Boss, Surprise Dad

“Then take a vacation. Go play golf. Go on a cruise. Make up with Liz. Please, make up with Liz. Let her help you through this.”

He ignored the making-up-with-Liz suggestion. Ignored the pang that went along with the thought she might be with someone else this very minute, laughing, smiling, sharing dinner, more.

“Fine, I’ll rest.” Today had scared him more than he liked to admit, but not nearly as much as the thought of how he’d react the first time he saw Liz with another man. How would he contain what he had no right to feel? “But not until after I finish this week’s schedule. I’ve already rescheduled appointments too many times over the past month.”

His friend shot him a glance from the driver’s side of the car. “Dr Winters may put you on medical leave, Adam. I hope he does. If he asks my opinion, that’s what I’m going to tell him.”

“Which is why you won’t be invited into the exam room when he examines me.”

Larry glared.

“Actually,” Adam conceded, “my schedule is fairly light. I’d given myself time…in case things didn’t go well with my injections.”

Larry shook his head. “And they say nurses make bad patients. Surgeons are far worse.”

* * *

Late that night Liz paced across her living room and racked her brain for clues as to what she should say to Adam.

She’d exchanged work days with another nurse today and gone for her doctor’s appointment that morning. Not only had Dr Saunders confirmed her pregnancy, she’d listened to the baby’s heartbeat with an ultrasonic Doppler that had allowed her to listen as well.

Their child had a strong, steady heartbeat.

Almost giddy with the confirmation, with the affirmation given by listening to that heartbeat, she’d made a casserole and some goodies and stopped by the Probsts’ home. Once there she’d learned from a neighbor that May wasn’t home, had been in surgery that day.

She’d called the hospital to check on her, but had only been told that May was holding her own.

Adam had operated.

The board had only given its OK grudgingly.

He’d put his career on the line to attempt to save a woman’s life.

Because it was the right thing to do.

That was the Adam she loved.

The Adam who’d stood by her side many a long night caring for her grandfather, who’d stood by her side at his funeral, who’d fathered her baby.

Adam’s baby.

The weather had turned drizzly, but she was too wound up to sit at home.

Not when she wanted to scream her news to the world. She was having Adam’s baby!

Now that she had the lab slip from Dr Saunders there wasn’t any reason to prolong telling him. OK, so the weather was a little foggy, but not too bad.

Her silly heart was racing again. Probably because of worry about Adam’s reaction.

She loved Adam, never wanted to see him hurt, and when she thought back on the last time she’d seen him, he had looked hurt.

He’d looked jealous, but hurt had also shone in his eyes. Tormented hurt almost.

Why would Adam be hurt? She’d reached out repeatedly only to have him push her away time and again.

For the life of her she couldn’t figure out what might have changed. Then again, those first few days following Gramps’s death she’d moved in a fog. Perhaps she’d said something out of line. Something that had hurt Adam and made him step away from the closeness they’d shared.

What of his distraction? The times she’d caught him rubbing his temple? Had that only been a stress reaction? A headache?