Prince Charming of Harley Street / The Heart Doctor and the Baby by Anne Fraser / Lynne Marshall Page B

T-shirt, his wife was dolled up to the nines.
    While Jenny organised drinks for them Jonathan called Rose into his consulting room.
    ‘Mark and Colette came to see me a couple of weeks ago as they are thinking of starting a family,’ he said. ‘The last time they were here I arranged for them to have some tests. I have the results back. And I’m afraid it’s not going to be the best news they ever heard. IVF is the only way forward for them unless they adopt. I’m going to arrange for them to have further investigations at the London Fertility Clinic, but in the meantime I think it would be helpful if you could sit in while I chat to them. If they agree.’
    Rose nodded. She often sat in with the doctors in her surgery when they were giving unwelcome news. That way she could be there if the patients telephoned later, looking for clarification. A large number of patients were unable to take in everything they were told when they first heard that there was a problem.
    The couple were happy to have Rose present. From their smiling faces, Rose knew they weren’t expecting bad news. At least until something in Jonathan’s face alerted Colette
    ‘What is it, Jonathan? Something’s wrong. I can tell from the way you’re looking at me.’ Colette’s voice shook and Mark took her hand firmly in hers.
    Jonathan pulled his seat around to the side of the table where Colette was sitting. His green eyes were full of sympathy.
    ‘The initial bloods I took from Colette the last time she came to see me suggest that her ovaries are working normally. That’s good. Although I think you should have the test repeated at the London Fertility Clinic. They will probably also suggest an ovarian scan, just to confirm the results of the blood test.’
    ‘So there isn’t a problem, then. We should just keep trying. We don’t need to be referred.’
    ‘There doesn’t seem to be a problem with Colette.’ Jonathan kept his voice steady. ‘Although that’s not a helpful way of looking at it. As if it’s a problem belonging to one of the partners. Whenever couples are having difficulty conceiving, we like to think of it as a couple thing.’
    ‘Come on, Jonathan. Stop beating around the bush. We come to you because we know we’ll get straight answers.’ Mark said.
    ‘The difficulty is on your side, I’m afraid,’ Jonathansaid sympathetically. ‘The semen sample you gave last week had very few motile sperm. The clinic will want to repeat the test again, but it would seem that you are unlikely to conceive without ICSI. That’s an IVF procedure where Colette goes through IVF treatment to stimulate her production of eggs then her eggs are injected with one of your sperm. It’s very successful. If…’ He stressed the last word while looking Mark directly in the eye. ‘If they can find sperm that’s healthy enough to do the procedure.’
    Mark looked as if he’d been poleaxed. ‘Are you kidding? But I’m healthy. You won’t find anyone fitter this side of London.’
    ‘I’m sorry, Mark. As I say, you’ll need to have more tests, but I’m pretty sure. That’s why it’s a good thing you came to see me sooner rather than later. The quality of your sperm is only likely to deteriorate the longer we wait.’
    The shock on the couple’s faces tore at Rose’s heart. She could see Colette making a determined effort to pull herself together.
    ‘I don’t mind, darling,’ Colette said. ‘I don’t care about having IVF as long as we can have a baby. Jonathan’s not saying we can’t have children and that’s all that matters.’
    But Mark was still looking dumbfounded. Suddenly he got to his feet and lurched out of the room. Jonathan looked at Rose, and reading the unspoken question in his eyes she nodded. ‘I’ll stay with Colette.’
    Jonathan followed Mark, leaving the two women alone.
    ‘Jonathan can’t be right,’ Colette said after a moment. ‘It’s not possible. Mark won’t accept it. We always assumed that if