Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 197

"Wait right here, I'll go get the doctor," the nurse said, scrambling out of the room in a panic.

The doctor arrived moments later, asking the moment he walked in, "What happened?"

"She took one bite of food and started feeling nauseous. She looked like she needed to throw up but couldn't," the nurse explained from the side.

The doctor nodded, reaching out to gently press on Willa's abdomen. "Does it hurt here?"

Willa shook her head.

The doctor pulled his hand back and asked, "Besides the nausea, are you experiencing any other discomfort? Dizziness? Fatigue?"

Willa thought for a moment. "I've been feeling pretty fatigued the last few days, and I'm always sleepy. I just thought it was a normal reaction to the medication."

The doctor pondered this for a second, his expression shifting into something far more subtle.

"Ms. Vance," he began, phrasing his words with utmost caution. "Pardon me for asking, but recently... have you and your partner been intimate?"

Willa froze for a second before the meaning of his words crashed over her. Her face flushed scarlet.

With the fractured bones and the fever, she had been entirely focused on recovering from her injuries, completely oblivious to the changes in her own body.

But now, prompted by the doctor, she realized... these symptoms had actually been going on for a little while now.

Her heart plummeted into her stomach.

"Ms. Vance?" the doctor prompted again.

"Yes." She felt deeply embarrassed answering with the nurse right there in the room. "But..."

Her health had always been poor, and irregular periods were incredibly common for her. Not to mention they always used protection...

Wait!

Willa's eyes shot wide open as she suddenly remembered that one specific time, over half a month ago, when she had inexplicably agreed to let him skip the protection.

Seeing her reaction, the doctor pretty much had his answer. "I recommend we run a test to rule out pregnancy first. If you are pregnant, we will need to completely adjust your current medication plan."

Willa nodded blankly, her fingers unconsciously drifting to rest lightly against her lower abdomen.

It was still perfectly flat; she couldn't feel a thing.

Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and her voice came out hoarse. "Doctor... I... my health has always been so poor. This baby..."

"Judging by your current indicators, things are relatively stable," the doctor assured her. "However, given your naturally weak constitution, you must be exceptionally careful moving forward. No exhaustion, no extreme emotional distress, maintain a regular diet, and take your Folic Acid on time."

Willa nodded, engraving every single instruction into her mind.

"Additionally," the doctor paused, "you've been given certain medications recently. Once you're discharged, please schedule an ultrasound with an OB/GYN as soon as possible. A specialist needs to evaluate whether those drugs had any impact on your early pregnancy."

"Okay," she agreed softly, before hesitating. "Doctor, about the pregnancy... can we keep this a secret for now? Including from... my... partner."

"Don't worry, we strictly respect patient privacy. Furthermore, this falls completely outside the scope of orthopedic notifications."

Willa finally let out a small breath of relief.

After the doctor left, the nurse brought her a bowl of clear soup. She forced down a few spoonfuls before lying back against the pillows.

Now, her mind was an even bigger mess.

Because her body had always been so fragile, she had long accepted the reality that having a child would be near impossible for her.