Page 27 of Lick

She helps me sit up, but the room pitches. She must be a dab hand at this because she has a cardboard kidney bean bowl in front of me before I start throwing up.

“What’s wrong with her?” Lick asks. If she answers, I don’t hear him, my consciousness fading in and out.

I’m aware when they put me into the back of the ambulance, but the ride to the hospital is a blur. It isn’t until sometime later that I finally pull free of the fog. I open my eyes and find Lick fast asleep in the chair next to the bed. Confused, I look around the room and wonder how I’m in a hospital and why?

The door opens, and a doctor walks in. He smiles at me as he moves closer. His eyes flick to Lick before they return to me. “How are you feeling?”

“Confused. I'm tired and I have a headache.”

Lick stirs beside me, our voices likely waking him. His eyes widen when he sees I’m awake. “Emma? Fuck, you scared the shit out of me.” His head snaps in the direction of the doctor’s throat clearing. “What’s the verdict, doc?”

The doctor looks at me. “Would you like me to talk to you alone?”

Lick bristles beside me, but I know the doctor is just doing his job, and I’m thankful he’s respecting my privacy. “It’s okay, doc. You can just tell me. It’s better than the alternative.”

“The alternative?”

“Lick here thought I was a druggie.” I roll my eyes as the doctor sighs.

“We found no drugs in your system at all,” he says emphatically, which I can only assume is for Lick, because I know damn fine I have little of anything left in my system.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to think. When I found her like that I thought she was dead.”

The doctor can read the panic in Lick’s voice, like I can, judging from the slight relaxing of his shoulders. He looks at me before he begins. “You have hyperemesis gravidarum, which is an extreme kind of pregnancy sickness. You’re dehydrated, which is why you are on a drip⁠—”

“Is the baby okay?” I interrupt, not wanting to be rude, but right now that’s my main concern. Isn’t it funny how you can not know how you feel about something or someone until you are faced with the possibility of losing them?

“Baby seems fine, but we’ll bring an ultrasound in to have a look. Have you had a scan yet?”

I shake my head. “My first antenatal is next week. I was told the midwife would book me in for a scan then.”

He frowns, looking down at my notes. “How far along are you?”

“Thirteen weeks. I tried to get in for the twelve-week mark, but apparently, everyone is pregnant right now, and they couldn’t fit me in.”

He huffs but shakes his head. “The NHS is a wonderful construct, and nobody will ever convince me otherwise, but I wish the government would pull its finger out and fix the staffing issue.”

I don’t say anything to that. I have a lot of respect for our doctors and nurses, but being a patient is hard when you can’t get in to see anyone.

“Alright, I’ll get a sonographer up here so we can have a look at the baby and put your mind at ease. Regarding hyperemesis gravidarum, I’ll provide you with some anti-sickness medication that should help a lot. I also recommend eating small meals, rather than trying to tackle three larger ones. Ginger can help. Try having a couple on the nightstand and eating one before you try to get up. Some women swear by acupressure bands, some say they don’t work at all, but they won’t harm you to try. The important thing is not to suffer in silence. It can become very serious if left untreated.”

“I didn’t even know this hyperemesis…whatever…was a thing. I thought it was just morning sickness,” I tell him somewhat defensively.

“I’m not judging you, miss, I’m simply warning you. A lot of people have never heard of it until they experience it themselves, but it is common. Heck, Princess Catherine suffered from it herself. The point is, it’s rather unpleasant but treatable. Most women will see a marked improvement between 16 and 24 weeks. Keep an eye on yourself, take lots of rest, hydrate, and if things get out of control again, come on in. You may need an IV again until you can keep things down on your own.”

I nod, feeling out of sorts, but also relieved that I have an answer to why I feel like hell, and it’s not that I’m just a bad mom.

“She’s lost weight. Is that because of this thing?” Lick asks, making me jump. I’d almost forgotten he was here.

“Yes. I recommend eating bland foods for now. Things like rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, crumpets, plain bagels, soup, and porridge are good options.”

“Okay.” Lick nods as the doctor smiles.

“It won’t last forever. And now we know what’s wrong, we can treat it. Trust me, when you hold your baby for the first time, you won’t remember any of this.” Says the man who has never been pregnant before.

I offer him a polite smile, managing to keep my eye roll in check as he heads to the door.

“I’ll be back to check on you later and to sign your discharge forms. The sonographer will be up shortly to do your scan. In the meantime, rest.”