Читать книгу Midwives On-Call - Алисон Робертс - Страница 21

IT WAS THE promise of the weekend and the fact that her period was due that had Isla knocking on Darcie’s office door on the Monday morning.

‘Hi, Darcie …’

‘Hey, Isla.’

‘I was wondering …’ Isla started, but then she changed her mind. She would make an appointment with her GP, Isla decided, and turned to go. Except her period was due any time and for it to be safe she’d need to start the Pill on her first day. She also knew that she needed to have her blood pressure checked and things … So Isla took a breath. ‘Have you got a moment?’

‘Sure,’ Darcie said. ‘I’ve got precisely six.’ She frowned when Isla didn’t smile. ‘I’ve got all the time you need, Isla. Is everything okay?’

‘Oh, it’s not a biggie,’ Isla said. ‘It won’t take long. I was just wondering if you could write me a script for the Pill …’

‘Sure,’ Darcie said. ‘Have a seat.’

Isla did, though again she was tempted to change her mind. ‘What do you usually take?’ Darcie asked, pulling out a blood-pressure cuff. When Isla didn’t immediately answer, Darcie said, ‘Sorry, Isla, but I’m not just going to give you a repeat without checking your blood pressure.’

Isla nodded. She knew that Darcie was thorough and was starting to realise what a stupid idea this had been as Darcie quickly checked it. ‘All good.’ Darcie nodded. ‘So, what are you on?’

‘I’m not,’ Isla said.

‘What type of contraception do you usually use?’

‘Condoms,’ Isla said, and then cleared her throat.

‘Okay,’ Darcie answered carefully. They both knew that condoms weren’t the safest of choices.

‘Look, sorry, Darcie, I should have gone to my GP. I just—’

‘Isla, it’s fine.’ Darcie interrupted. ‘I’m not just going to write out a script, though, if it’s something that you haven’t taken before.’

Isla nodded.

‘Have you any history that I should know about?’

Isla shook her head.

‘Blood clots, migraines …’ She went through the list of contraindications.

‘Nothing.’

‘Good.’ Darcie smiled. ‘When did you last have a smear test?’

Isla sat there, her cheeks on fire.

‘Sorry, I keep forgetting I’m in Australia,’ Darcie said into the silence. ‘When did you last have a Pap?’

Isla had never had a Pap because she’d never been sexually active.

‘It’s been …’ Isla gave a tight shrug. ‘It’s been a while.’

‘I’m not going to tell you off for leaving it too long,’ Darcie said. ‘Let’s just get it over and done with. When is your period due?’

‘Today or tomorrow.’

‘Have you had any unprotected sex?’

‘No.’ Isla shook her head, but more to clear it. What the hell was she lying for? ‘Once,’ she amended. ‘But he …’ She let out a breath in embarrassment. God, no wonder the patients loathed all the questions. ‘He withdrew.’

‘Did you do it standing up?’ Darcie grinned as she teased. They’d both heard it all before and knew that withdrawal was far from safe.

‘I’m not pregnant,’ Isla said. She knew that she wasn’t—her breasts had that heavy feeling they always got when her period was near. Not that it put Darcie off.

‘Fine, then you won’t mind peeing in a jar to put my mind at ease. Then I’m going to do a Pap and give you a work-up and get all the boxes ticked so you can hopefully forget about things for another couple of years.’

‘You don’t have time.’

‘I just made time.’ Darcie smiled. She was a thorough doctor and refused to be rushed by anyone, especially her patients, and a little while later as she looked at the pregnancy card on the desk before her, a patient Isla suddenly was.

‘Isla,’ Darcie said, and Isla watched as she pushed the card over to her.

Isla stared at it for a long moment. There were possibly a thousand thoughts in her head but not a single one of them did she show on her face. She just looked up at Darcie.

‘Can we leave the Pap for another time?’ Isla said, her voice completely clear, her expression unreadable.

‘Of course, but, Isla—’

‘Can we not discuss this, please?’ Isla stood. ‘Just …’ She turned as she got to the door. ‘You won’t tell anyone …’

‘You don’t have to ask me that, Isla,’ Darcie said, and Isla nodded. ‘But if you want to talk any time, you can.’

Isla muttered brief thanks and headed out to her department, and for the first time ever she left early.

She lay on her bed and just stared at the ceiling and all she felt was stupid, naïve and embarrassed at having got pregnant her first time.

It was all she could manage to feel as she lay there.

When the phone bleeped to indicate a text, she knew it was from Alessi but she didn’t even look at it.

She simply could not bear to think of telling him or even attempt to fathom his reaction.

Far worse than his anger would be duty.

Isla lay there, recalling his words—how he’d done the right thing by Talia, how he’d offered to marry her as soon as he’d found out.

She didn’t want that for either of them.

They’d been going out for a couple of weeks, which surely meant, given his track record, that they had just about run their course.

Isla tried to comfort herself, reminded herself that the reason she’d been going on the Pill in the first place was that Alessi himself had wanted to move things forward, to lose the condoms.

On the proviso that she was on the Pill, though.

Isla felt a tear slide out and she screwed her eyes shut.

She heard the door open and Darcie come home and Isla wanted to call out to her, she wanted to sob, hell, she wanted to break down and cry.

But she didn’t know how to, scared that if she let out a part of her fear then the rest would come gushing out.

Secrets she had sworn never to reveal.