Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (10 page)

“The baby belongs to Borgoz, but I didn’t lie. He told me he didn’t want me and I should find another mate.”

“And did he know you carried his heir when he said that?”

She nibbled her lip and slowly shook her head.

“I’m supposed to send word that you’re here and arrange for you to be on the next shuttle back to Terran. However, I’m concerned about the baby you’re carrying, and I’m not certain that sort of trip would be a wise thing right now. I’m going to check the baby and then we’re going to talk about options.”

“Cosmir said I should tell you about my weight gain. I can hardly fit into my clothes any longer, but you said the baby was tiny… so if it isn’t the baby’s growth making me fat, what is? I’ve been so depressed I’ve barely eaten anything, so it can’t be overindulgence.”

The doctor frowned and pulled out one of his gadgets. He scanned her from head to toe, pulled out another one and scanned her abdomen. She watched as he studied the results, then his frown grew.

“The scanner I’ve been using detects whether or not a life is growing inside of you, but I have a hunch about something. Will you allow me to use a more in-depth scan that will require you to go to a different room with me?”

“If you think it will help.”

She allowed him to help her off the exam table and then she followed him down the winding halls and into another room. Once she was settled in the chair, he pulled a large machine over and scanned her abdomen, his face paling.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I never thought…” He blew out a breath. “The Chief Councilor is going to kill me when he hears of this.”

“What is it?” she asked again.

“There was more than one baby, but only one is still alive. I’m not sure if it was your trip home or your lack of nutrition, possibly a combination of the two, but there were three babies.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “I killed my babies?” she asked softly.

“No! Don’t even think that. What happened wasn’t your fault. There was no way for you to know there were three, not without proper medical treatment, and I’m guessing you didn’t have that before you left my world. I should have checked you more closely and then I would have discovered them sooner. They don’t show on my thermal scan, but they’re rather large babies.”

“What happens now?”

“I’m going to set you up for emergency surgery. Have you eaten anything today?”

She shook her head.

“Good. Then we can take care of it now. I’m going to escort you to a room where you can change, and then I’ll transfer you to the operating room and we’ll get started. I assure you that you won’t be conscious while I do this, but those two babies need to come out to give your remaining child the space it needs to grow. Judging by the size of your womb, there wouldn’t have been room for all three and you would have eventually lost all of them.”

Charlotte’s hands shook as she changed into the thin garment the doctor gave her. Nausea rolled through her stomach as she thought about the other two babies. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she silently mourned their loss. With a fervent prayer that her remaining baby would be okay, she met the doctor in the hall. They entered the operating room and he helped her settle on the table. The bright lights made her even more nervous.

“My baby is going to be okay, right? I mean, removing the other two won’t harm this one?”

“I won’t lie. This is a very delicate procedure and I’d prefer having another set of hands to help, but I’m excellent at my job, Charlotte. Our technology far surpasses yours so you’ll barely know the operation even happened. There will be some tenderness around the incision site for a few days, maybe a week at the most. You’ll need to take it easy and get plenty of rest, but you need to do that anyway for your remaining child.”

“Then let’s get this over with.”

The doctor nodded and injected her with something. Her vision blurred and the room spun right before everything went black. When she next woke, her abdomen was sore and the doctor was calmly sitting in a chair next to her.

“Is it over?” she asked.

“Everything went fine. A little more fluid seeped out than I’d wanted, but not enough for it to be critical. You’ll need to eat plenty, especially the next few days, and stay in bed as much as possible. I’m sure Cosmir won’t mind bringing meals to you, I can even arrange for him to have time off work to watch over you.”

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

“I spoke with him briefly after the surgery was over. He told me that he thinks of you as a friend, possibly like a little sister, and he wants to do anything he can to help you right now. He’s concerned, especially after I told him about the father of the baby.”

Her eyes widened. “You told him Borgoz is looking for me? Does everyone know?”

“I’ve spread the word, but I’ve also told them you’re in no shape to be returned to our world. Quite honestly, I’m not sure I want you on a shuttle until after this baby is born, but I know Borgoz can’t come here and he won’t want to be away from you that long. He definitely won’t want to miss the birth of his first child.”

“First?” she asked softly. “You mean I’ll be able to have others?”

The doctor sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I won’t lie. Any future pregnancies could be dangerous, and you’ll possibly be on bedrest the entire time, but it is possible for you to have another child. I’m not sure how many you’d planned to have, but I’d stop at three. More than that and your body could give out. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend having a second one. It could be dangerous for the baby and possibly for you.”

Charlotte nodded but decided she would worry about that part later. The important thing was to take care of the child still growing inside of her and ensure that it was born safely. She’d do whatever the doctor told her from now on. If only she’d seen one sooner. Her brief visit on Terran had only been to check for a pregnancy, not to assess the status of her unborn babies. Now she felt guilty for not insisting on a more in-depth exam. Would she have been able to save the other two if she had?

“You look guilty.” The doctor reached over and took her hand. “I meant what I said before. It’s doubtful there was anything you could have done to save the other babies, and if they’d survived, you might have lost all three before carrying to term. You’re a small woman and our babies tend to be large.”

“Borgoz is going to hate me when he finds out.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. “He may never want to see me again.”

“I’ll make sure he knows it wasn’t your fault. I’m sure he’ll just be glad that you’re safe and will be thrilled to have a child on the way.”

Charlotte wasn’t sure that would be the case, but she hoped so. If Borgoz came back to her now, only to turn away in disgust and anger, she wasn’t sure she would survive it. Leaving him once had been hard enough, but if she had to walk away from him a second time, she didn’t think she could do it. Her heart ached for him every day, and now that she knew he wanted her back, that he was looking for her, she would stop at nothing to return to his side.

“Will you contact Borgoz and let him know that I’m all right? If you have to, tell him about the babies and that I’m on bedrest. And whatever you do, find a way to get me on a shuttle as soon as possible. I want to have this baby on Terran.”

“
If
you return to my world to have this baby, it’s going to be a month or more. I want to make sure it’s growing well and that your health is improving. In four to five weeks, I’ll make a decision about you getting on a shuttle but don’t even ask before that.”

She nodded and sat up. “May I go now? Or do I need to remain here a while longer?”

“You can go. Cosmir is waiting for you out front.”

She thanked the doctor, changed back into her clothes after he left, and then went in search of Cosmir. He was frowning and pacing when she stepped out front, and he stopped the moment he saw her. His brow was furrowed and his mouth set, but he stood still while waiting for her to approach him.

“Should you be up and walking around?” he asked.

“The doctor said I was fine to go back to my room. He said I need to eat a lot and that I’ll have to have someone fetch meals for me for at least a few days, possibly longer. I was hoping you might be up to the task, at least for today.”

“I’ll escort you to your room and then I’ll find something for you to eat. Order anything you like from anywhere, and I’ll see that you get it.”

Charlotte smiled. “Thank you, Cosmir.”

When they reached her room, he helped her remove her shoes then waited until she was stretched out on the bed before claiming a nearby chair. Without a word, he handed her the restaurant guide that was provided in every room and waited for her to make a selection. She perused the menus in the book and decided a steak, baked potato, and garlic butter shrimp sounded good. The protein would be good for the baby, and baked potatoes were her favorite thing to eat. She wrote down her order then handed him the slip of paper.

“I’ll return as soon as possible. Until then…” He handed her the remote. “Find something to watch so you won’t be bored.”

With a resigned sigh, Charlotte accepted the remote and clicked the TV on. Sitting still had never been her forte and she knew the next month was going to be miserable. But if the doctor wanted her to lie still all day, then that’s what she would do. No matter what it took, she was going to guarantee this baby arrived safe and happy. She just hoped Borgoz would understand if she couldn’t make it back to Terran before the child arrived. It sickened her when she thought of him missing the birth of his son or daughter, and it was all her damn fault. She should have stood up to her father and told him to go to hell when he’d demanded she return home.

There was a small Vid-Comm on the opposite wall, and she wondered if she should contact Borgoz herself. Seeing him again would be nice, even if it was just on a screen. No, she should wait and let the doctor explain everything. Borgoz might have questions that she couldn’t answer.

What would he think about everything? And what would they do if they had to remain apart for much longer?

Borgoz stared at the doctor on the Vid-Comm screen as the horror of what he’d said washed over him. His hand shook as he reached for his drink and downed it in three gulps. The glass missed his desk when he set it back down and it went crashing to the floor, but even that couldn’t chase away the thoughts circling his mind.

“She’s all right?” he asked. “You’ve done everything to ensure that she survives this?”

“With rest and food, she should be fine. The baby… I can’t promise the baby will make it. It’s underweight and the heartbeat is still too slow. It’s possible, now that the other two are out of the womb, that the baby could thrive. Or…”

“Or she could lose that one too,” Borgoz said. “I want her returned to me.”

“She can’t travel for at least a month. There’s a good chance she won’t be able to return to Zelthrane-3 until after the baby is born. I know you can’t come here because of your position, especially not for an extended stay, but please believe we’ll do everything we can to keep her safe and healthy.”

“There’s something you aren’t saying.”

The doctor fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.

“Either you tell me or I hire someone to go through your records and find the information for me.” Borgoz glowered at him. “This is my mate we’re discussing, and I will know everything.”

“I told her it was possible to have more children in the future, but I really don’t recommend it. As hard as this pregnancy is, I’m not sure her body could handle it. She would likely miscarry, or if she went to term, she could lose her life delivering the baby. I’m not entirely ruling that out with this child.”

His heart clenched in his chest. “Terminate the pregnancy. I won’t risk her life.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t your call, Chief Councilor. While you claim her as your mate, you’re not officially mated. It’s her decision, and she wants to keep the baby.”

Borgoz knew in that moment that he had to get to Charlotte, had to convince her they would try again later but not at the expense of her life. Yes, mates were approved so their population could flourish once more, but he now understood how Thrace felt about Avelyn. It didn’t matter to Borgoz if Charlotte could have children. He just wanted
her
. Waking up every morning to find her slumbering in his embrace, watching her smile at the beauty of his world, getting to kiss her for the rest of his life… those were the things that were important. Not whether or not her reproductive organs worked.

“Thank you, Doctor Banchek.”

He signed off and immediately called a council meeting. Today was going to end in one of two ways. He would either gain permission to leave his world and travel to Earth to comfort his mate, or he would resign his position and go anyway. Nothing was going to keep him from Charlotte’s side.

The council gathered at his home, and he took a breath before addressing them. For once in his life, he was nervous. Borgoz loved being Chief Councilor, but he loved Charlotte more. He only hoped he didn’t have to choose between them, but if he did, he knew he would choose his mate.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you on your day off,” he said. “I’ve received word of Charlotte. She’s at the Terran Station outside of Richmond, Virginia. Charlotte, as you know, is pregnant with my child. What I didn’t know until tonight was that Charlotte was pregnant with three babies. She’s lost two of them and there’s a chance she’ll lose the third. Even if she doesn’t, giving birth could kill her.”

He looked around the room, meeting the gaze of every council member. “I’ve never asked for anything for myself in all my years in the position of Chief Councilor, but I’m going to ask for something now. I want to travel to Earth and convince Charlotte to terminate the pregnancy and return here with me. I know in the past I’ve made it difficult for couples to mate if the woman couldn’t get pregnant, but I now understand how they felt.

“I love Charlotte more than my position, and more than any child we would ever have together. I’m asking the council to approve a mating between Charlotte and me, and to give me permission to go to Earth to bring her home. The doctor said that if she remains pregnant, she’ll have to stay on Earth a minimum of one Earth-month, but there’s a chance she would be required to remain there until the child is born.”