An Old Friend: Version B Part 21

That afternoon, Michael had sat watching Lisa sleep for longer than he'd cared to remember, just gazing at her lovingly and thinking of how nice it would be if they were to start their own family. More than once he scolded himself not to think so far ahead. He could be jumping to conclusions. Still, he didn't think it would hurt to fantasize about it …

Lisa had finally awoken close to an hour before they'd planned to have dinner, saying she'd felt better than she had earlier, although still a bit queasy. Still feeling a little bad, Michael decided to cook dinner for the two of them, which she really seemed to appreciate (and he didn't muck it up this time!).

The next morning, Lisa seemed to feel a little better and had gone to work, opting to work a full day. Not long after she'd left, Michael set to work on placing the honeymoon photos inside an album. He was concerned he wouldn't find enough to occupy his time, but as he arranged the photos his thoughts turned to his other friends and how he'd very much like to share these memories with them. Rising from the sofa, he neared the telephone, deciding to phone Terry Jones.

He didn't have to wait long before a woman's voice answered. “Hello?”

Michael smiled. “Hello, Al. It's Michael. Is Terry available?”

“Sorry, Mike. Terry's gone out with Nigel,” Jonesy's wife replied contritely.

“Oh, I see. Do you expect him back soon?”

“No, actually you just missed him. By the way, you've just got back from the honeymoon, haven't you?”

“Yes, that's right.”

“Well, I hope you and Lisa had a lovely time. The four of us should make plans to visit soon so you can tell us all about it. I'll have Terry ring you once he gets back, yeah?”

“Yes, I would like that very much, Al. 'Bye now.”

“Goodbye, Mike,” he heard her say as he replaced the receiver on the cradle. Heaving a sigh, he looked around the room once more, trying to figure out what else he could do to keep himself busy and not let his mind wander so much.

His eyes settled upon a book lying on an end table which he'd been meaning to finish reading for ages, but somehow had never got around to it. Smiling, he reached over and grabbed it before sitting himself down on the sofa. Most disappointingly, he'd discovered he'd read further through the book than he'd remembered and there were only several chapters left.

“Better than nothing, I suppose,” he muttered to himself as he removed the bookmark and continued reading where he'd originally left off.

He didn't get very far, however, as the question of whether Lisa could be pregnant or not kept invading his thoughts. Why did his mind keep circling back to this? It seemed rather obsessive and he started questioning if it really meant that much to him. Surprisingly, that question was very easy to answer: Yes, it did. He finally admitted to himself that he'd actually be very disappointed if it turned out Lisa wasn't with child.

“Oh, hell, what am I doing?!” He opened the book once again and decided to try reading from it aloud. Perhaps that would take his mind off this.

“'With a profound determination, he set out into the evening rain in pursuit of his baby'-- Oh, buggeritall!!” he shouted, having replaced the last word he'd uttered – which was 'dog' – with the one his brain picked for him among his pervasive, obsessive thoughts. Mike slumped over, covering his face with his hands.

“I don't believe this,” he groaned. Straightening up, he took a deep breath to calm himself. After thinking a few moments he realized there was only one person he could talk to about this. Rising from the sofa, he went back over to the telephone and dialed the number of the friend he needed most at this time.

“Hello, Graham?”

“Mikey! How was the honeymoon?”

“Oh, Lisa and I had a wonderful time – bar a circumstance with some quite rude, intrusive fans.”

“Oh, dear. I should have lent you my carrot costume. All you'd have to do is put it on, stand in the middle of the room jumping up and down and screaming like a chicken in 'Pink Flamingos.' I can guarantee they would leave you be.”

Michael quirked an eyebrow. “Er … no, I believe the way we took care of it was quite sufficient,” he replied in a mock nervous tone. “Plus I don't fancy the possibility of getting arrested and spending my honeymoon in police custody.” He felt his lips twitch into an amused grin. “Thanks anyway, Gray.”

He heard the other man chuckle briefly before changing the subject. “How is Lisa doing?”

“Alright. Actually, that's why I wanted to phone you. She's been feeling quite under the weather ever since the last day or so of the honeymoon. She thought it was a stomach bug of some sort.”

“Ah, I believe I know where this is heading,” Graham replied knowingly. “What symptoms has she been experiencing?”

“Well, stomach upset as you'd imagine – nausea and a bit of vomiting mostly. She's also been quite tired. She said she felt better today and is working a full shift at the library, but in general she's been a bit queasy on and off.” He sighed, deciding to cut to the chase. “Graham, is there any possibility that she could be pregnant?”

“This has been weighing on your mind quite a bit, I take it?”

“No, I – Yes. It has.”

“Well, there certainly is a distinct possibility. How many days has it been since your sexual activity took place?”

“Er ...” Michael paused for a moment to count on his fingers. “I dunno. Eight days?”

“Mm. Do you know if Lisa is currently taking any birth control measures? Any pills or IUD, any sort of thing like that?”

“Um, no, I don't think so, I ...” Pacing the floor, he stopped to roughly run a hand back through his hair. “Oh, I don't know!”

“Even if she is, there's still a possibility she skipped taking a daily pill or failed to bring the device with her ...”

“Why would she do that?!” Michael suddenly snapped. He barely heard Graham utter a sound of surprise on the other end of the line and realized how unreasonable he was sounding at the moment. “I can't believe I'm even asking all this. How dare I. Lisa should be the one to share this with me when she's ready. What a bloody tosser I am.” He allowed himself to take another deep breath. “Graham, I'm sorry for even ringing you about this and pestering you. I need to get a hold of myself and stop obsessing over this so much.”

“Mike, really, there's no need to apologize to me. I believe we can call this 'New Daddy Jitters' – or perhaps the more appropriate term would be 'Prospective Daddy Jitters.'” Don't let yourself go mad over it, please. Do something to take your mind off it, else I'll prescribe some tranquilizers for you,” Graham finished dryly.

Michael felt the tension finally lift as his mouth cracked open in a grin and he started to giggle. “Yes, Doctor Chapman. Thanks for setting me straight – er, that didn't quite come out the way I intended...”

Graham laughed. “I know what you meant. Have a good evening, Mike. If you need any further advice, no matter what happens, do let me know.”

“I will. Thanks very much again, Gray.”

Having said goodbye to his friend, Mike hung up the phone. He took a deep breath and smiled. There was no doubt he was now feeling much better. The question over whether Lisa could be pregnant was left unanswered but it was no longer eating him up inside. He'd decided that he would let Lisa tell him herself when or if she found anything out. Satisfied with his decision, he sat back down and picked up his book once again.

*******************************************

Several weeks had passed and not much had changed, apart from the fact that Lisa started feeling a bit sicker. Ever since he made the decision to not obsess over the possibility that Lisa was pregnant and to let her be the one to tell him, Michael had been trying to act as though he didn't suspect anything. At the same time, he was also trying to maintain a perfect balance of not acting overly worried or constantly hovering over her, but not acting cold or uncaring either.

One quite warm day during the end of June, Lisa had once again left work early. Michael had been at Terry's house most of the morning and had returned before noon to find her sitting at the kitchen table in her dressing gown, drinking a cup of tea. She looked quite drained, as if she hadn't slept in days.

“Oh! Lisa,” he'd started, not expecting to see her there at all.

She'd taken a sip of tea and then met his gaze. “I'm sorry, Michael, did I startle you?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” he'd muttered sheepishly. The expression she gave him proved once again how bad a liar he was. He sighed. “Alright, yes, a bit perhaps. I thought you were at work. What happened?”

She gave a small shrug. “I couldn't last the rest of the day. I'm so tired and I found I had trouble concentrating at work. The other girls suggested I leave early.”

Michael sat next to her, his gaze never leaving her. Something was definitely up. “Don't you think you should see a doctor, love?” he asked gently. “You've been out of sorts since the last day of the honeymoon. It's gone two weeks already.”

“Michael, really, I'm fine --”

“No, you're not. It's no longer a stomach bug when I see you dashing for the loo every single morning and feeling tired so often, and now you're having trouble at work. Please, Lisa. Go see Doctor Martinson. If not for your own peace of mind, then for your husband who loves you more than anything and hates to see you feeling miserable.” His lips lifted into a tender smile as he brushed the side of her cheek with the back of his hand.

She appeared as if she were trying to keep her composure and not break down crying. Michael admitted she seemed a bit more emotional than usual lately, but reckoned it was due to her feeling ill. He witnessed a tear making its way down her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb. She gave him a watery smile and nodded. “Alright, I'll phone him first thing tomorrow.”

“That's my girl,” Michael replied, smiling contentedly before capturing her lips in a kiss. He felt his eyes widen as she held his face and deepened the kiss. Her behavior was nearly bordering on ravenous as she grabbed him and kissed him hungrily. He then felt himself being lowered almost to the tabletop and felt the top of the chair digging into his back.

He uttered a quick sound of surprise which was enough of a cue for her to bring them back up and release him. She did so and, as she gazed at him, the look in her eyes was one of lust. Michael had to admit that it intrigued him. He'd just walked in on his beautiful wife looking as if she had hardly any energy, but the way she grabbed and kissed him sure proved that appearances could be deceiving.

She'd finally sat back in her chair looking as though she was going to nod off any moment. Michael gazed at her lovingly before taking her hand, having her stand up and leading her to the sofa where he had her lie down. He placed a knitted afghan across her lap and watched as she fell asleep.

**********************************

Stepping out into the warm afternoon sunshine, Lisa felt as if she were in a daze, almost as if she wasn't a part of her body. Perhaps it was the leftover shock from what the doctor had just told her. She certainly was not expecting it. It was her own fault. If she'd taken the time to read up on her symptoms, perhaps she wouldn't have found it such a shock after all.

As she reached her car, her mind started drifting even further and she wondered what Michael would think. Would he be as shocked as she was? Would he be upset, especially with her? No, this was Michael. Surely he wouldn't have any reason to be upset.

Finally arriving home (she was glad she got home in one piece or didn't get lost given the fact her mind wasn't focused very much on driving), she slowly exited the car and made her way up to the front door. She mentally prepared herself for what she was about to tell him and his reaction.

She'd inserted her key to unlock the door but before she laid her hand on the knob, the door swung open, revealing Michael on the other side. The expression he gave her was one of fondness but also a bit of nervousness lurking behind it. She wondered if he'd spent a lot of time agonizing over the doctor's verdict.

She gave him a nervous smile as he stepped aside to allow her entrance. Making her way into the lounge, she sat on the sofa and watched as he sat down next to her and gazed at her expectantly.

“So, what did Martinson say?” he asked after a protracted silence. He scratched at the side of his neck nervously and then ran a hand through his hair. He'd briefly looked away and when his gaze returned to her, he looked almost petrified.

His expression caused her to laugh gently. He looked like a little boy dreading some punishment about to be doled out to him. “Michael, please, knock it off. I'm not dying.”

His expression faded and he became stone-faced. “Oh... Well, of course I knew that,” he said flatly, trying to mask any hint of sheepishness in his voice.

Lisa simply shook her head and grinned. “Well, he said that everything is normal.”

Michael raised his eyebrows incredulously. “'Everything is normal'??” His voice rose nearly an octave. “You've been exhausted and vomiting and all that almost nonstop for more than two weeks, how is that 'normal'?? I --”

She held up a hand to stop him. “Michael, will you let me finish?” He abruptly shut his mouth and eyed her warily. “He said everything is normal for a woman who is in the early stages of a pregnancy.”

“Oh, right, normal for a woman in the early stages of a pregnancy, but not for ---” He suddenly turned back to her, his jaw nearly on the floor. “What?” he squeaked.

Her reply was merely a nod and a huge grin that threatened to crack her face in half. Michael looked completely thrown and simply stared at her, open-mouthed. His gaze seemed to drift down to her stomach before he looked back up at her. “So, we're … having a baby? It's true, then?”

“Yes,” she stated, giving him a fond smile. Michael seemed to be taking a moment to digest this and she watched as tears sprung to his eyes. He'd begun blinking rapidly as if to wish them away and the last thing she saw was the large smile on his face before he gathered her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

“We're having a baby,” he repeated, giggling softly, as if the news made him positively giddy. He finally pulled slightly back and softly kissed the top of her head.

Pulling back even further, she met his gaze and could see the mix of emotions playing out across his face. It echoed the mix of emotions she was currently feeling: surprise, giddiness, anticipation, and perhaps just a bit of fear. It didn't matter, though. They were in this together and, if all went well, they would be welcoming a new little blessing into their lives around the beginning of March.

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