Chapter~34~Facing the facts.

Harley~

We arrived at the station separately and were on time for the morning briefing. As I suspected, the stalker hasn't returned to either branch, and nobody has used the debit card. A weary sigh escaped me somehow. I'm feeling neither shocked nor surprised. Captain Howard wants us back on the streets in full force, but I reminded him of my appointment. My Wolfman may not be an agent, but he is smart.

"I'll be out of the office sometime this afternoon as well. My SAC is expecting an update on our progress."

I focused on the Captain. "Did we get anything from Peter?"

"Yes, a couple of descriptions, but neither of the sketches matches our suspects. I need you both back here ASAP."

Howard calls the powwow, and we all leave the SCIF room. I want a moment alone with Nick before my appointment, but I know it's not appropriate. He is in my head, before I get out of the parking lot, telling me he loves me and will wait to hear from me, and I smile as I return his sentiment.

'He's worried about you, Harley.'

'I know, Rae, it will be over soon; it doesn't take long for the shots to kick in.'

As I pull into a spot in front of the doctor's office, Rae snarled at me. 'Shut it, Rae!'

After checking in, I sit down; this is the part I hate. As the song says, the waiting is the hardest part. Lucky for me, it isn't too long before a nurse calls me back to triage, and I'm sitting in the little chair while she takes my blood pressure and heart rate. The nurse looks at the monitor with concern, as if something is wrong, but says nothing as she removes the cuff and exits the room. A few moments later, she comes back with a gown, leads me to a room, tells me to strip, and walks out. Talk about bedside manner; I sit halfway naked in the hospital gown on the side of the bed, swinging my legs, thinking about my new life with Nick, and how wonderful it will be.

'What is taking so long, Harley?'

'Calm down, Rae, and I am not sure.'

'Did you see the look on the nurse's face when your vital signs popped up?'

'I did, Rae, don't panic. I'm sure it's nothing. The doctor will be in soon, and we will get some answers.'

Back to daydreaming, I am picturing Nick and me living our peaceful life in the mountains, when Doctor Blake enters the room, followed by the nurse, pulling me back to the here and now. I am looking at her intently, but I can't quite interpret her expression.

"What's up, doc?" I try again with my humor, but I get the same result. Doctor Jones stares at me over her gold-rimmed glasses.

"I am a little concerned about you, Harley. Your blood pressure is elevated, and your pulse is racing. I would like to have bloodwork done before we proceed with the injections. There may be something more going on that we need to address."

Ok, now, the idea of going to a pack doctor doesn't seem so outrageous anymore. I have given no blood before. The nurse applied the tourniquet around my arm, inserted the needle, and my blood filled the tube. As soon as they leave, I open up my mind.

'Nick?!'

'What's wrong, Amante?'

'Is it possible for the doctor to know I am a werewolf through a blood sample?'

'I don't think so, why?'

'The doctor said she had questions about my elevated vitals, so she requested a blood sample, and I provided it to her.

'I'm on the way.'

'No, you can't come here! The doctor is back. I will call you when I leave here.'

Dr. Jones rolled over on her little rolling chair, sat with my file open-faced on the bed, and leveled me with a stare. "Harley, I've got good news and bad news. Depending on which way you look at it." If my blood pressure wasn't already elevated, it has risen now! "I'm afraid you won't be getting any injections today or for a while."

"Why not? All this is driving me crazy." I made a circle around my face and head with my index finger.

"You're pregnant, Harley, and I suspect your symptoms are part of your morning sickness, not so much allergies."

I raised my arm in objection and pointed toward the birth control implant. "There must be some mistake; I can't be pregnant."

"Harley, lie back and let's have a look at that implant, shall we?" I do, positioning my arm above my head, just as I did when I got the implant. I'm barely breathing as Dr. Jones examines my arm. "Here's the problem right here. One needle is bent." She removes the implant. "You won't be needing this anymore." She tosses it in the trash, along with my hopes and dreams.

"I don't understand?"

"Have you suffered any damage in the area where the implant is located?"

"Not that I can remember, but I'm a cop; I sustain damage everywhere!"

She nods her understanding. "We will have to discuss maternity leave once you get further along in your pregnancy. For now, I'd like you to take it easy behind the desk, at least until the morning sickness passes."

They're gonna bill me anyway, and I feel as though an atomic bomb has just hit me, so I don't stop at checkout. I'm numb by the time I make it to my car, get inside, bury my hands in my face, and sob for the life of me.

'What's wrong, Harley? You should be happy.'

'Rae, don't you realize what this means?!'

'Yeah, we're gonna have a pup with the mates we love.'

'No, Rea, you heard what she said about the time frame. There's no way for me to know when the implant broke or when it stopped working. This baby could very well be

My words hit my Wolf, and she whines. 'Oh, Harley, what are we gonna do?'

'Ben can never know, even if he is the father; we will have to leave LA before the pregnancy is noticeable, but I have to tell Nick.'

'What if he doesn't want us anymore?'

'Then we leave alone; we must protect our pup regardless of who the father is.'

I wait until I get back to my apartment to call for Nick, needing some time to get beside myself. Once I am a blubbering idiot, I open my mind to him. 'I am home, hurry.' I don't give him a chance to respond before I close the connection.