Page 20 of One Night with the Doctor

Ginny had visibly responded to Callie’s practical approach so why reinvent the wheel? Every client and their needs were different and it took time and an experienced practitioner to know those needs.

‘Yes please.’

‘Okay, generally there’s not a lot of data about drugs in pregnancy because obviously no pregnant woman would volunteer for clinical trials. But because the medication you’re on has widespread use in the population, we actually have quite a bit of data.’

He paused to make sure she was following him. ‘There is one drug in particular that’s been linked with minor heart defects in babies but—’ He tapped her chart. ‘You’re not on that. On the other things – the premature birth and low birth weights, there is some evidence around these in a couple of studies but usually only in women who also drink and smoke while on their medication.’

Sebastian paused again to give it time to sink in. The Internet was a wonderful tool and he had no doubt that patients were more informed these days because of it – which was a good thing. But there was a maze of information out there that could be very confusing too. Dr Google could be just as damaging as it was helpful.

‘Your chart says you don’t drink or smoke.’

‘Never touch either of them.’

Sebastian smiled. ‘Good, then.’

‘But what about breastfeeding? Will I be able to do that on my meds?’

‘Yes.’ Sebastian nodded. ‘Quite safely. Only a very small percentage of the drug crosses into the breast milk and there are numerous studies reporting no ill effects from the medication you’re currently taking.’

‘Okay.’ Ginny sounded much more confident now and she sent him a tentative smile as Callie traipsed back into the house.

‘Right, then,’ she announced. ‘I have an appointment for you in half an hour.’ She strode to Ginny’s fridge and pulled out a two-litre bottle of water from the door.

‘Wow! That was quick.’

Plonking the water on the table, Callie tapped her nose twice on the side. ‘I have my sources.’ Then she winked. ‘Now, drink up. You need a full bladder. We’ll take you and you can ring Brad from the car.’ Her gaze skittered towards him and she asked, ‘You ready to go?’

Sebastian stood. “Yep.”

‘Okay.’ She turned to Ginny, who was already drinking from the bottle. ‘Let’s go.’

It was only about a ten-minute drive from Ginny’s to the local hospital but they were heading into peak hour so heavy traffic made the going slower. Callie drove while Sebastian talked some more to Ginny about managing her condition and the pregnancy. He explained it might be possible to reduce Ginny’s medication and that they would see her more frequently during the following months to monitor the situation.

By the time they arrived, Ginny was actually smiling. She was a little anxious that her calls to her husband kept going to his message bank but obviously feeling much more positive about the unexpected twist her life had taken and with her ability to provide as a mother.

Callie, on the other hand, was not doing so well. She’d tried to concentrate on the services and strategies she could put in place to support Ginny – child health clinic, community midwives, a lactation consultant. She’d made a mental note to take Sebastian to the psych unit at the hospital to introduce him around. She’d even recited the twelve times table.

But the lull of his voice had washed over her as she’d driven and she couldn’t banish the image of him that had been playing over in her head all day. Him reclining naked on his bed, the sheet pulled up over his hips, his chest beckoning.

‘I’ll wait outside,’ Sebastian said as Ginny was shown straight in.

‘Oh, no.’ Ginny placed her hand on his sleeve. ‘If it’s okay, I’d like you to be there. I’d like you both to be there.’

Callie nodded, even though she’d rather stick a poker in her eye than have to share such an intimate thing with Sebastian.

They’d already been intimate enough!

It was good – great, she supposed – that Ginny had taken so well to Sebastian. That would be important going forward. But it really was the last straw in a very long day!

‘Hi, Blake.’ Callie smiled at the sonographer who was a very good friend. ‘I really appreciate you fitting us in on such short notice.’

Blake grinned with a playful leer. ‘Anything for you, Cal.’

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her which Callie ignored. Let him wonder about her relationship with Blake. Let him wonder about their familiarity and whether or not they’d been involved at some point. Just because she’d opened up to him a bit didn’t mean her life and her past were his business.

‘Okay, Ginny, climb up here, my lovely,’ Blake said, holding out his hand to help Ginny onto the narrow couch. ‘Are you ready to see your baby?’

‘Yes. I think so,’ she said, her voice tremulous.