The Doctor's Fake Nanny(43)

Chapter Seven




"Ron, do you mind if I take off after lunch? I'd like to go see a  doctor. I can't seem to shake off this bug," Cassidy complained to her  boss.

"Sure thing," he replied. "You've been looking a bit pale lately."

"Thanks, Ron. I shouldn't take too long. About an hour or two, maybe?" she assured him.

Cassidy was glad Tristan was away for the next couple of days. It was  difficult keeping things from him, and she didn't want him to know she'd  be seeing a doctor today. The nausea was coming more often and it was  difficult to pretend that everything was alright. She didn't want to  make a big issue of it, but she had to admit that it worried her a bit.  She'd never been truly sick in her entire life and the idea of having  cancer just like her mom was distressing, to say the least.

She took a bus to union      Square and entered a small waiting room. The  receptionist was entertaining another patient as she entered the door.

"Will be with you soon, honey," she called out, pointing to some chairs by the wall.

Cassidy rifled through some old magazines before the receptionist was  ready for her. She asked her to fill out some forms as Cassidy began the  laborious task of writing down her medical history on a paper. She  ticked off boxes pertinent to her.                       
       
           



       

Prolonged Medical treatment or repeated admission for treatment  – No

Heart condition  – No

Diabetes  – No

Blood condition  – No

Kidney or Bladder disease  – No

Cancer  – Yes. (Mom. Stage 3 breast cancer.)

An addiction to drugs or alcohol  – No

Are you taking any prescribed pills or medication  – No

Are you pregnant  – No

She handed the form back to the nurse who announced, "Dr. Perry will see you now."

Cassidy entered the doctor's office. It was small with an examination  table pushed back against one side of the wall. Dr Perry, an elderly  gentleman with bushy white hair and twinkling blue eyes, motioned her to  sit in one of two chairs fronting a table littered with medical reports  and tests results.

"What can I do for you, Missy?" he asked in a melodic voice.

"I've been feeling sick lately. I think I must have caught a virus or  something … " Cassidy replied as she recounted the nausea, lack of  appetite, and the constant headaches. " … and because my mom has cancer,  I'm scared I might have it too," she ended.

Doctor Perry listened attentively before he said, "Tut! Tut! Tut! Let's  not jump into any conclusions yet. Most people are born with a gene  mutation that they inherited from their mother or father. We often refer  to this as a damaged gene that puts someone at higher risk for cancer  than a person who does not possess that gene. It normally lays dormant  in the body, but can be triggered by too much stress or an unhealthy  lifestyle."

Cassidy nodded her head, trying to keep up with the doctor.

"So …  how will I know if I have it or not?"

"We can usually determine it through a simple blood test. I need to draw blood from you."

She swallowed hard. She always hated needles.

Doctor Perry smiled at her reaction and said, "Oh, you'll hardly feel a thing. I'll give you a lollipop if you don't cry."

Cassidy laughed and was instantly at ease. The doctor was telling her  the truth. She closed her eyes as the needle entered her skin. It was  like getting bit by an ant.

"There you go …  Come back in thirty minutes. We should have the results by then."

She spent the time waiting by sitting on a bench, munching on a hotdog  in a park just across the street. She mused over how great things were  going between herself and Tristan. Although they hadn't discussed their  relationship seriously, Cassidy had never been happier. Tristan was  easy: undemanding and with a great sense of humor. He wasn't the type of  guy who held back when they were having sex. He came with guns blazing.  Cassidy had no complaints. Neither did he poke his nose in into the  things she did when they weren't together. He accepted her quirkiness  and said it made her more desirable.

Since that night at the park when she rebuffed his offer to help with  her mom's medical expenses, he'd never talked about it again. Sometimes  she wondered if she did the right thing. His offer could ease her  family's burden, but the thought made her cringe. It wasn't like they  had some sort of commitment. If he was her fiancée or her husband, maybe  things would be different.

Fiancée? Is he even the marrying type? She wondered silently.

There was really a lot she didn't know about him. Where did he go  everyday when she was out working? He must have a large allowance from  his rich parents. He didn't seem to do anything else except for his  photography. What else was he into?

When he casually mentioned last night that he would be gone for a couple  of days, she was tempted to ask why, where, and when he was coming  back, until she realized it wasn't her business to pry. He did suggest  that she stay instead of going back to her apartment, but Cassidy said  no. He shrugged his shoulders and left it at that.

"You're such an obstinate little creature," he muttered, before taking her into his arms.

Cassidy missed him now that he was gone. She would have wanted him to be  her with her to hold her hand if the results of the blood test were  bad. Glancing at her watch, she realized Doctor Perry should have them  by now. She chucked the remains of the hotdog and the paper cup into a  nearby trash bin. She walked briskly back into the clinic, quite aware  of how nervous she was to hear the results.

The nurse at the reception gave her an odd look she couldn't fathom, and  then ushered her straight to the doctor's office. Doctor Perry was  studying a piece of paper and gave her a warm smile before gesturing for  her to take a seat. Cassidy felt her heart beating like a caged animal  inside her chest. This was the moment of truth.

"Well," Doctor Perry began, slowly placing the paper on table, "the good  news is you don't have any signs of cancer in your blood … "                       
       
           



       

"Oh thank goodness," Cassidy sighed in relief.

" … there is something else that you have, however," he added.

Cassidy stiffened, her relief vanishing into thin air.

"I see from your medical form that you're single. Am I right?" Doctor Perry asked.

Cassidy nodded, wondering what that had to do with being sick or not.

"You have a boyfriend?"

She nodded again, wondering where this was leading to.

"You've been having unprotected sex."

Cassidy nodded, flushing. It wasn't a question. And then it hit her.

"Do I have some kind of STD?" she asked in shock.

Doctor Perry's face turned serious. Cassidy blanched. She was right. Tristan had given her an STD.

"No! No! No! You don't have any sexually transmitted diseases."

Cassidy fell back into the chair with relief.

"Miss Johnson, it appears you're pregnant! I believe six to seven weeks, if my estimate is correct."

Cassidy staggered. Doctor Perry could have hit her with a feather and  she would have fallen backwards if she wasn't already seated.

"How? Wait, what? Huh?" she stammered, unable to make a coherent thought.

"My dear girl, babies are usually the result of having sex. And if you have no birth control, well …  this is what happens."

Cassidy turned into a statue. Her legs felt leaden and her arms flopped  by her side. She hardly understood the questions Doctor Perry asked. Her  world was spinning and yet everything fell into place. The nausea,  feeling ill all the time, the sudden mood swings, the smell of coffee  that she found detestable: these were all symptoms of pregnancy.

She was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. Tristan's baby.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, startled and surprised.

"You haven't discussed this possibility with him, then?" Doctor Perry asked sympathetically.

Cassidy shook her head.

"You have options if this isn't something you want."

"An abortion?" she asked in horror.

"That's only one of them. I was going to say adoption. Give the baby up  after you've given birth. Abortion is not something I would suggest, but  yes, it is an option for you. And you're still in the early stages for  it to be done safely."

Cassidy was staggered. Were those her only options?

"Miss Johnson," Doctor Perry continued, "in all the years that I've been  a doctor, I have seen countless girls go through the same thing. There  is one piece of advice I always give, and it is to talk to the father of  the baby. Don't make this decision by yourself."