AFTER YOU SAVED ME // ZESSA

Chapter 14: Some Good and Bad News

"What?" I ask, feeling stunned at the sudden change of atmosphere in the room. Looking frantically from my mom to Dr. Weaver, I see both have changed their previously giddy demeanor.

"What is it?" my mother asks the doctor, her voice shaking as she grabs my hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Well, I am afraid we won't be able to complete the paternity test today, and you'll need to come in for bi-weekly scans, because Tessa...well look," she says pointing to the screen.

She once again points out that tell-tale flicker – the baby's heartbeat.

"You see that flicker of the heartbeat? Well, hold on." She pauses, rolling the probe over to the other side of my abdomen, right to the spot she was previously examining so closely.

"What's wrong doctor?" my mother whines, now squeezing my hand a bit too hard for my comfort level.

Giving her a pained look, I try to shake it free. She understands at once and loosens her grip, giving me and apologetic smile.

"Do you see that?" Dr. Weaver asks, pointing to the flicker.

"Yes, you already showed me that," I answer, frustrated she won't spit out whatever deformity it is my baby has.

"No... that's a different flicker. Another heartbeat," she says carefully, looking slowly between me and my mother.

"The baby has two hearts!" my mother screams, clasping her hand over her mouth to muffle her oncoming sobs.

"No, Ms. Young. The baby does not have two hearts. In fact, the babies are perfectly fine," she smiles, moving the probe around once again.

I do not move a muscle, my mind trying to process what I have just been told. Babies?

"Tessa, you're having twins," Dr. Weaver utters, moving closer to my bed side. "There's two," she elaborates, giving me a cautious grin, awaiting my reaction.

However, I remain frozen. I cannot even blink. I even forget to breathe at one point.

"Tessa, hello?" my mother asks, an edge of concern lacing her hurried words. She gives me a slight shake, pushing my shoulder back and forth trying to jog some sort of response from me.

"What... I... what?" I ramble, feeling my forehead wrinkle as I stare at the screen, both flickers in clear view on the monitor.

"It explains why you are so big Tessa. I didn't want to say anything of course until I knew, as I mentioned before some women do just get bigger," Dr. Weaver explains. "And when I heard you were still having morning sickness I became extra wary. It's why I wanted to schedule a scan before the blood test," she continues, placing a hand softly on my other shoulder.

The phrase blood test finally elicits a response from my frozen body.

Jolting up a bit, I frustratedly blurt out, "I don't care if there's two. I want the blood test. The whole reason I am here is to get that blood test. To finally know who the father is."

Taking a deep breath and sitting up straighter, Dr. Weaver turns to face both me and my mother.

"I'm sorry, Tessa. But a prenatal paternity test cannot be performed on twins due to the clashing DNA in your blood stream. We will have to wait until after they are born to test them," she explains, giving my shoulder a small squeeze and trying to ease the news.

"I can't believe this," I whisper, completely slouching in the elevated exam bed. I feel the familiar sensation of the blood rushing away from my face, my vision starting to cloud black and a wave of nausea sweeping up my middle as my head feels hotter than normal.

"Tessa, you look pale," my mother says loudly, standing over me to feel my head.

"Uh-oh, Tessa? Are you feeling well?" Dr. Weaver asks, grabbing at my wrist.

"I don't feel good," I mutter, a strange blackness slowly clouding my vision.

"She's going to faint," Dr. Weaver says as I feel her release my arm.

"Honey," I hear my mother cry, but it sounds as if she is far away, echoing, instead of right next to me. Then everything goes black.

Suddenly, I am waking up from a very deep sleep. I try to open my eyes but find it difficult, wanting to continue my slumber.

However, something feels off. I am not in my bed and I do not feel the same form of sleepiness. My eyes shoot open and I see my mother in tears above me, next to a calm looking Dr. Weaver.

"Welcome back, Tessa," Dr. Weaver chimes, adjusting something very cold on my forehead. Reaching to feel it, I realize she must have placed an icepack on me at some point.

"Oh, thank God," my mother bellows from above me, nearly crushing herself to me the second I try to speak.

"Please, don't worry yourself, Carol. It is quite common for pregnant women to experience fainting spells. Especially mothers of multiples," Dr. Weaver says very matter of fact. Removing the ice pack from my head, she hands me a couple of pills and a bottle of water. "Here, take these. They're glucose pills, to even out your blood sugar and get you feeling better."

I take them from her hand, immediately swallowing them down. In a few moments, I feel well enough to sit up.

"Easy, Tessa," my mother says, almost fawning over me as if I were a house of cards that could be blown to pieces at any minute.

"I'm fine," I say annoyed, turning back to Dr. Weaver.

"So, there's no way I can know the babies' paternity results?" I ask brashly.

"I'm sorry, no," Dr. Weaver says apologetically. "But there is still good and bad news. I believe the babies are identical, so you don't have to worry about the children having different fathers," she says coolly, as if anyone knew something like that was possible.

"That can happen?" I ask shocked, my mouth hanging open as I stare at Dr. Weaver in astonishment.

"Yes. It is very rare, but it happens. If you release two eggs and have... relations with two different men in about a five-day period, the different sperm can fertilize each egg, resulting in a different father for each baby."

"I can't believe this," I say again. Swinging my legs over the table and getting up.

"Tessa, we need to finish the scan and get blood work for reasons other than the paternity test you were hoping to get. This appointment isn't over," Dr. Weaver says, her voice a bit frantic as she rises from her chair.

"It's over for me," I say, grabbing my t-shirt from the chair.

"Please, I don't think your babies will have two fathers. As I said yours seem to be identical as it appears they are sharing one amniotic sac. I can't determine that until I further complete the scan," Dr. Weaver pleads as I unabashedly remove the paper gown from my torso, exposing my bare back to the room as I turn and quickly put on my shirt.

"Tessa!" my mom yells, obviously embarrassed by my undressing in front of the doctor.

Once my shirt is on, I take in a deep breath, shutting my eyes to try and regain composure as my pregnancy hormones rage. Just then, I feel the familiar sensation of bubbles popping in my lower abdomen – the baby moving. Well, babies moving.

"I just need a minute," I say, grabbing my purse and rushing out of the room. Maybe if I can calm down, I can go back in there and finish the appointment.

I just need to speak to Zed. I need to hear his voice – to hear his reassuring words. And I desperately need some fresh air.

Bursting out into the parking lot, the sun warming my face, I take a seat on the old wooden bench in front of the doctor's office.

Pulling my phone from my purse, I immediately go to dial Zed's number, not caring if he is in the middle of a lab or not. I believe this qualifies as an emergency.

However, before I can call him, I see I have a new text message from a number I do not recognize.

Opening it, it reads: Hey Tessa. It's Steph. I need to speak with you as soon as you get this. Call me.