Nik swore in Greek, then spoke rapidly to the radiographer.
‘It sometimes takes a moment to get the probe in the right position.’ Nik translated what the radiographer said to him. His voice was comforting and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, but Carrie saw from his body language that he was tense.
At that moment the whomp, whomp, whomp of a heartbeat filled the room.
‘Look—there’s the baby, and there’s the heart beating.’ The relief in Nik’s voice reverberated through her, but she had to see for herself.
She stared at the screen with wide eyes, desperately trying to make out the shape of the baby, then suddenly she saw its tiny beating heart, pulsing like a little beacon on the fuzzy black and white screen.
Her lip quivered and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears of relief from falling. For a moment she’d been really scared that something was wrong.
‘The radiographer has to make some measurements,’ Nik said, holding her hand in both of his.
He looked at the screen, watching the little body come in and out of focus as the radiographer moved the probe about, trying to get the best angle for her measurements.
Suddenly it struck him like a thunderbolt out of the blue—he was looking at his baby!
His heart thudded powerfully in his chest.
; He was going to be a father. It was the first time that fact had really sunk in. When Carrie had told him she was pregnant he’d been so shocked he hadn’t known what to do. He’d understood it in his mind—although he’d shied away from thinking about it—but now he felt it in his heart. That little figure wriggling on the screen was his baby, and he already loved him.
‘Look—I can see its head,’ Carrie breathed. ‘And its little arms and legs.’
‘It’s incredible,’ Nik agreed, studying his baby intently. ‘Look—he’s really moving, and kicking his legs about. Can you feel that?’
‘No,’ Carrie paused and looked down at her still flat stomach. ‘You don’t feel them moving till later. And we don’t know what sex it is yet.’
Nik watched her as she turned her attention back to the monitor. The moment he’d come into the room and seen her stark white face and frightened green eyes he’d been racked with guilt. She shouldn’t have come to the scan alone—he should have been with her. It was his responsibility.
But now his feelings ran deeper than guilt and responsibility. Suddenly he was feeling an unprecedented wave of protectiveness towards her. Despite the tremulous smile on her face she looked so vulnerable that it made his chest ache. She was even paler than before, if that was possible, and there were dark circles under her eyes.
‘I’m sorry,’ Nik said. ‘I should have been here with you from the start.’
‘I thought you weren’t interested in coming.’ The haunted look in her eyes as she turned to meet his gaze sent a shudder running through him. ‘You never even mentioned the scan, even though I know you knew about my appointment.’
‘I didn’t intend for you to come alone,’ Nik said, breaking eye contact and looking back at the screen. ‘I just didn’t realise it was so soon.’
Carrie looked at Nik. He was staring at the baby on the screen with a look of awe on his face. She was used to seeing intense expressions on his face—he was a man who felt things passionately and didn’t mind her knowing the strength of his feelings—but his expression of open wonder as he gazed at the image of the baby—their baby—was strangely affecting.
A mixture of emotions stirred inside her. He did care about the baby. He might not care enough about her to remember the scan appointment—but he did care about the baby.
He was still holding her hand, and for a moment his grip was strong and warm. If he cared about the baby she had something to hang on to—something to give her strength.
She looked at the screen but the image was gone, and suddenly she realised that the radiographer had put the probe down. She wanted to catch one last look at her baby, but the radiographer was speaking to Nik, holding out a small printed photo.
‘Everything is fine.’ He handed the photo of their baby to her. ‘You’ll need another scan later on, but for now everything looks good.’
Carrie stared at the little black and white photo. It was her baby. It was real.
‘We can go when you’re ready,’ Nik said, taking the wad of tissue the radiographer was holding out and gently smoothing it over Carrie’s stomach, wiping off the lubricating gel that had been used for the scan.
Carrie lay still, surprised by the tenderness of his actions. He’d touched her before, but his touches had always been loaded with sensuality. Now he was smoothing the tissue softly over her skin in a tender, caring way.
A frisson of disappointment surprised her. Did that mean that now she was to be the mother of his child she no longer interested him on a sexual level? She wasn’t feeling very sexy—she was tired and nauseous most of the time—but the idea that Nik no longer thought of her in that way was horribly upsetting.
‘I’ll drive you home,’ Nik said, gently pulling her blouse down into position and sliding his arm behind her shoulders to help her up into a sitting position. ‘Unless there is anywhere else you’d like to go now we’re out?’