“Just leave it in the sink, Mrs. Ibarra,” Dr. Hall called. Retreating from the awkward situation, I closed myself in the bathroom and went through the process to get him the sample he needed. I straightened my hair slightly before returning to the bedroom, refusing to meet Rafe’s eyes as the doctor stepped into the bathroom and emerged a moment later as I settled back into the center of the bed. Crossing my legs beneath me and pulling the dress down to cover my knees, I waited for what might come next. “Everything was fine with your bloodwork. Did you notice any bleeding when you were in the bathroom?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head slowly. I knew well enough to know that blood during pregnancy, particularly after an accident, would be the first sign of something concerning. “When did you draw blood?”
“When you were sleeping,” Rafe said. I should have known better than to think my husband would allow me any control over my body, especially when there was a risk to my health. “Can we do an ultrasound?” Rafe asked, continuing on as if the violation was of little concern to him.
I supposed it was.
“I don’t suggest it at this stage in her pregnancy. It’s too early for a heartbeat, so the results would be inconclusive at best, and probably cause more stress than it would be worth. I’d like to do an internal examination of the cervix, but other than that everything so far has been reassuring that the baby will be just fine. Why don’t you go ahead and remove your underwear and lie back at the edge of the bed, Mrs. Ibarra?” the doctor asked, going to his bag and grabbing an exam glove.
I stood to do as he said, discreetly lifting my dress in the back to grasp my panties and slide them down my thighs. Rafe grasped my hand, tugging it away from my underwear and glaring over at the doctor as he averted his attention and waited for me to be ready. “Is that really necessary?”
“Is what really necessary?” Dr. Hall asked, turning to level Rafael with a confused stare.
“The exam. What will that tell you that the samples can’t?”
“Rafe,” I mumbled, snatching my hand out of his grip. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I promise, exams are a standard part of the first visit, even under normal circumstances,” the doctor returned, his discomfort with Rafael’s line of questioning obvious.
“Rafe, it’s fine. It’s not like it's my first time going to the gynecologist,” I scoffed.
He leveled me with a glare. “It was a man?”
Rolling my eyes, I turned my attention to the doctor. “Do you perhaps have a female associate?” I couldn’t repress the groan that came from my throat having to ask such a stupid question, but I suspected the doctor may find it difficult to perform pap smears in the future if Rafe severed his hand from his body.
The fact that it was a distinct possibility said mountains about the state of my life.
“I don’t,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Right. He’ll control himself,” I said, pinning Rafe with a look as I tugged my underwear down my thighs and let them pool on the floor. Kicking them to the side to avoid the awkwardness of having to bend down, I went to the opposite side of the bed and positioned myself appropriately so that Rafe wouldn’t have an unobstructed view of the doctor's hand on me.
“You’re going to have a female doctor from now on,” he barked, taking a seat next to my head. I grasped his hand in mine, holding his eyes with my gaze as I released a chuckle. There were the faint sounds of rustling as the doctor got into position.
I kept my face neutral, refusing to show the uncomfortable grimace that I wanted to make as soon as unfamiliar hands touched me. Rafe glanced down my body and growled, and I caught his hand in mine and squeezed to reassure the nightmare within him that everything was as it needed to be.
The doctor’s spare hand pressed down on my stomach, feeling my uterus while he went through the motions of his exam. “All done,” he said, standing and giving us privacy for me to sit up and let Rafe wrap me in his arms.
I had to be impressed that the doctor had survived the ordeal, so I’d give Rafe whatever he needed to calm the raging possessiveness in his nature.
“Well?” he asked, his impatience coming through as the doctor moved to the bathroom to wash his hands.
“Everything looks good. I see no indication that the pregnancy has been affected at this point. It’s not surprising that your body served as adequate protection at this stage. The uterus is tucked behind the pelvic bone, and I’m optimistic that you’ll be fine. I’d like you to have a follow up in a couple weeks to confirm. Until then, I advise no penetrative sex.”
“What?” I asked, blanching as I stared at him. Were Rafe and I even capable of abstaining for that long?
The doctor chuckled, lifting his bag off the foot of the bed. “Somehow I think you’ll manage for the sake of the baby. It was nice to meet you and best of luck.” He retreated from the room, leaving me with the caged animal holding me tightly in his attempt to restrain himself.
“He’s gone. You can release the precious,” I said, trying to restrain my smile. The silence that met my statement made me pause, freezing as I glanced over my shoulder to look at Rafe where his head touched my shoulder. “Rafe?”
“I don’t think waiting for two weeks will be a problem,” he admitted, lifting his head to meet my gaze. “I don’t want to endanger either of you.”
His hand trailed down to my stomach, touching me through my dress. I needed to shower, to wipe off the traces of another man’s touch that left me feeling icky even knowing it was just an examination. Knowing what I would feel if the roles had been reversed made me want to get rid of that feeling for Rafe’s sake. “Why do I feel like there’s more to that than what you’re saying?”
He blew out a breath, touching his lips to the name carved into my skin gently. They moved over my skin when he spoke. “My mother was prone to miscarriages. She evidently had two before I was born, and there were more after me. Unsurprising, given the state of her life in the last few years. I’ll be on you constantly and annoy the hell out of you with how protective I’m going to be, but I won’t be sorry for it.”
“Only a fool would expect you to be genuinely sorry for the things you do,” I murmured, a bitter smile transforming my face. I knew Rafe far too well to expect anything less from him. Silence met my response again, and I sat there and let him hold me for a few precious moments.
The reality of what was coming sank in, lessening some of the contentment I should have felt in his embrace. When I couldn’t put it off any longer, I finally dared to ask the question burning in my brain. “I’ve waited. I’ve slept. I’ve been seen by the doctor. Now tell me.”