Free The Power of Love by Kemberlee Shortland Page B

Gibbons put his hand up to
silence him. “Please, have a seat.”
    Ethan reseated himself on the bed,
never once releasing Elaine’s hand. When Doctor Gibbons stepped
around the bed, Ethan assumed so he and Elaine could see him
easier, Ethan realized the man’s demeanor stemmed more from
agitation than rudeness.
    “By the look on your face, Doctor, you
might as well just come right out and give us the test results.”
Ethan really didn’t think he wanted to know, but if they were going
to help Elaine get better, they had to know what they were facing.
The sooner the better.
    “Yes, Doctor. Please, what’s wrong with
me?”
    Doctor Gibbons again sighed heavily.
“There is never an easy way to tell patients when their test
results are unfavorable. But you need to know you do have
options.”
    “I’ve only fainted. I’m tired, but
surely there isn’t anything seriously wrong with me. Tell me what
the tests say so we can discuss the options you
mention.”
    “The test results show a weakness in
your heart, Mrs. O’Donovan.”
    “A weakness?” Ethan and Elaine asked
together. Ethan spun to look at his wife and saw bewilderment in
her eyes. He was sure her expression echoed his own.
    With obvious reluctance, she turned
back to the doctor.
    “I’ve been healthy my whole life. Why
is this weakness only now showing symptoms?”
    “As your baby grows, it’s pushing on
your insides and diaphragm, and ultimately your heart. With the
weakness, the heart is unable to function properly. Other things
can also affect the heart’s function, such as genetics, diet,
exercise, trauma, even stress. The simple movement of bending over
puts pressure on the heart which can totally prevent functionality.
You may not have noticed it over the years, but your advance
pregnancy has exacerbated your condition.”
    “But I wasn’t really bending over. It’s
kind of hard these days.” She rubbed her belly.
    “Nonetheless, when the heart doesn’t
function properly, the oxygen supply to the body is diminished.
When that happens, a person can faint. We believe this is what
happened today.” The doctor flipped through the test results again.
“Is this the only time you’ve fainted? Have you felt weak or more
tired than usual?”
    Elaine glanced at Ethan again. He knew
by the look on her face she had been struggling. How could he have
missed her distress?
    Elaine shook her head. “No. I’m tired
all the time and not sleeping well these days since it’s so hard to
get comfortable. And with work and everything that’s been going on
at home, well . . . But I did go see my doctor. He said I was
probably just down on my vitamins and to get some rest. I’ve been
trying . . .”
    Ethan sat up straighter, glancing at
the doctor. “So, what does this mean? Elaine just needs more rest,
right? Get those vitamins into her?” He turned to Elaine. “I’ll
call Mary and tell her you’ve worked your last day, love. You
should have quit weeks ago.”
    “I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated
than that,” the doctor continued. “Mrs. O’Donovan, I fear your
heart has irreparable damage.”
    “What are you talking about? She only
fainted. You said so yourself. The baby pushed on her heart and she
fainted.” Ethan felt the air in the room become suffocating. He
felt like he was gasping for breaths and feeling the hollow cells
in his lungs filling with stale nothingness. And overwhelming
pressure pushed down on his body and he struggled to stay
upright.
    Elaine squeezed his hand again. He met
her gaze and took all of her in—her pale face, tired eyes,
quivering lips . . . lips he had kissed so passionately just this
morning when he dropped her off at work. The sounds of the blinking
and beeping monitors surrounding her were like gongs going off
around him.
    “ I’m sorry, Mrs. O’Donovan,
but there’s no easy way to say this. Your heart is too weak to
survive the birth of your child.”
    Just then, Ethan’s own heart