Hitting the Right Note by Rhonda Bowen Page A

anticipate his appointments with Sheree because they almost always brought him into contact with Judith. He looked forward to seeing her, but it was almost painful to stand in the same room, look at her, talk to her, everything that had happened hanging in the air between them. But if she wasn’t going to say anything, neither was he. In fact, his approach thus far had been to interact as little with her as possible so as to preserve his sanity. He was content to continue with that approach.
    â€œGood afternoon, Sheree,” he said, prepared with a warm smile for Sheree as he pushed open the door and entered the room.
    â€œGood afternoon, Doctor,” she said, a tired smile lifting her lips.
    As suspected, Judith was standing on the other side of her bed. He was surprised to find her watching him, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if waiting. But for what?
    â€œHello, Miss Isaacs,” he said, nodding to her briefly.
    â€œPlease, call me JJ.”
    Not in this lifetime.
    He nodded and focused on Sheree. “So we got back your tests from two days ago, and we think we know what may be happening with your pregnancy.”
    Worry wrinkled Sheree’s features. “I’m listening.”
    â€œWe think that you may have a slight placental abruption,” he began calmly. “Basically, that’s where the placenta separates from the uterus. In a severe or complete abruption, the separation would cause the fetus to be deprived of oxygen and nutrients from your body. We would have to do an immediate C-section to save the baby.”
    He heard Judith gasp and saw Sheree’s eyes moisten with fear.
    â€œHowever,” he said, placing a calming hand on her arm, “in your case, the abruption seems to be quite small. So we should be able to manage it and your care, so that your baby can further develop and have the best chance of survival on delivery.”
    Sheree began to swipe at tears as they rolled down her cheeks. He knew she was afraid, but it would have been unfair to not give her all the facts. He watched JJ perch on the edge of the bed and take Sheree’s hand comfortingly. The compassion in her eyes stabbed at his heart.
    â€œHey, I know this is scary,” JJ said gently. “But Dr. Massri said that in your case we caught it. You know what that means? Chances are, everything will be fine. You have to believe that. This baby will be fine, Sheree.”
    â€œYour sister-in-law is right,” Simon chimed in. “About one in fifty pregnant women will experience an abruption at some point in their pregnancy, so it’s not that uncommon. We know how to handle it. So I want you to stop worrying. But we will have to monitor you closely to make sure that everything is going smoothly, and you will have to take it very easy. Your pregnancy is high risk, and so I want you doing no strenuous activity at all.”
    Sheree nodded. “Okay, I can do that.”
    â€œAlso,” Simon added, “I’d like to see you weekly, at least for the next few weeks, so we can keep track of things. If you have any problems, I want you to have the hospital page me.”
    Sheree nodded.
    â€œAny questions?” he asked.
    They had lots, just like he thought they would, and he did his best to answer them. When they had run out, Simon stood to go.
    â€œDon’t worry, Sheree,” he said reassuringly. “So far, your baby looks fairly healthy. All we’re doing is making sure he or she stays that way.”
    â€œThanks, Doc,” Sheree said, a slightly more relaxed look on her face.
    He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
    â€œYes, thank you,” JJ added.
    He glanced at her and found himself staring into her intriguing hazel eyes. Beautiful eyes that would draw him in if he stared too long. He tore away from her gaze and hastily exited the room. It was only when he was outside that he realized he hadn’t responded to her thanks at all.
    He had to stop