Chapter 12
Jules
The doctor’s appointment had to be scheduled a few days out, which seemed to make Kilo even more nervous.
For his part, Jules was content to sleep in every day and rummage through the refrigerator when he woke up. While he had to admit that his current change in energy level was a bit abnormal, he didn’t feel like anything was inherently wrong with him. He felt happier and more content than he could ever remember feeling.
With his cookie shop closed, Jules was free to pick India up early from daycare and take her to the park. Playing with her allowed him to feel like he was actually getting something done instead of just lazing around all day. He even had her “help” him make lunch for them to take to Kilo in the afternoons.
If it wasn’t for the fact that he was so tired all the time, going to bed early and waking up late, he might have tried to convince Kilo to call off the doctor’s appointment. But he could see the fear and concern in his Alpha’s eyes every time he looked at him. If getting a checkup would allay his fears, then Jules owed it to him to see this through. Even if he honestly thought it was just a waste of time.
Checking his reflection in the full-length bedroom mirror, Jules frowned a little. His favorite jeans were getting uncomfortably tight around his waist and thighs. Because he’d been sleeping so much, he’d been skipping his morning runs, and it was starting to show a little. It still wasn’t terribly obvious, but he was beginning to get a little bit of a tummy.
He turned sideways and checked his profile. There was definitely a little bit of a gut protruding over the top of his waistband now. Sighing, he took a deep breath and sucked his stomach in. His reflection improved somewhat, but there was no way he’d be able to keep his abs flexed like that all day long. Jules patted his stomach as he relaxed and adjusted the edge of his shirt. He’d always prided himself on his slender figure, but it seemed that the past few weeks of slacking were beginning to catch up with him.
The only solution would be to get back out there and start running again. That and maybe cutting back on the junk food. He’d gotten far too lazy over the past few weeks. They both had really. Kilo had brought home takeout all but two nights over the last week. It was convenient, but if he wanted to keep fitting into his skinny jeans, Jules was going to have to start making some changes.
Checking his reflection one last time, Jules shook his head and reluctantly made his way downstairs.
The house was quiet. Kilo was at work and India was at daycare. There was a note on the table waiting for him.
“Hope you slept well. Come by the shop after the appointment. I wanna hear what the doctor has to say as soon as possible. Take care. Kilo.” Several hearts were doodled around the outside edge of the note.
He smiled and tucked the note into his wallet before grabbing his keys and heading out the door. Kilo had taken to leaving little notes for him over the past few days. Usually just something sweet or thoughtful, but sometimes they were little reminders of things that needed to be done. Jules found that he really enjoyed these little insights into his lover’s mind and needs. It helped them stay in touch with one another, despite the fact that his sleep schedule was so out of whack.
When he got to the doctor’s office, he was given a form to fill out and told to sit in the waiting room.
The form was just the usual medical questions. Are you on any medications? Do you have a history of certain diseases? Does anyone in your family have this? Check all that apply, and so on and so forth.
Jules finished filling it out relatively quickly. He was lucky in that his family was generally pretty healthy. No real major diseases or illnesses plagued anyone that he was immediately related to. As for him, the only time he’d ever really needed a doctor was the time he broke his arm in high school. He’d been practicing his back handsprings with the rest of the cheer squad and wound up landing wrong. The bones had healed up perfectly in the end, and he was able to finish out his senior year as the squad captain.
Looking down at his right arm, he smiled a little and flexed his muscles. He was almost certain that whatever was wrong with him was nowhere near as bad as Kilo suspected.
“Julian?” A nurse called out his name and he quickly rose to his feet. She led him through the clinic to an examination room. After taking his vitals, she informed him that the doctor would be in shortly and then left.
Jules sank back in his chair and sighed as he stared up at the tiles on the ceiling. He stifled a yawn and shook his head in dismay. He’d gone to bed around eight o’clock the night before and hadn’t gotten out of bed until nearly eleven. Other than grabbing breakfast, getting dressed, and driving to his appointment, he hadn’t really done anything. How could he possibly be so tired?
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before the doctor arrived, but it felt like an eternity.
“Julian, hello. I’m Doctor Fitzhugh.” The middle-aged doctor with salt-and-pepper hair smiled broadly as he entered the room. “I understand that you’ve been feeling fatigued lately.” He grabbed the rolling stool from one side of the room and pulled it up so that he was a comfortable distance from Jules.
“I guess I just never really feel well rested,” admitted Jules. “I used to get up really early and go for a jog with my Alpha every morning before work. Lately, I’ve just been unable to get up in time. I’ve been going to bed early and not waking up until almost noon sometimes.”
“Any changes in your diet or schedule?” asked the doctor as he made some notes on a clipboard.
“Yeah, a ton actually,” said Jules with a chuckle. “I moved in with Kilo almost two months ago. He has a two-year-old daughter, and so now I’m acting as her caregiver, and trying to fit into this new family dynamic. We’ve been doing all sorts of family activities and events all over town. It’s just been nonstop chaos. I really feel like the exhaustion is just because I’m adjusting to the changes.”
“It’s possible,” said the doctor, with an inscrutable expression on his face. “I’m assuming that you’re here because your Alpha doesn’t necessarily agree.”
“He...he’s a cancer survivor,” explained Jules. “He also lost his first Omega in childbirth. So I think he might be overreacting a little. I’m here because I want to put his mind at ease.”
“Well, exhaustion can be caused by all sorts of things,” said the doctor. “Your medical history is pretty clean. Just glancing through it, nothing really stands out to me. We can check you for anemia, which could be caused by an iron deficiency. If your normal diet has been upset by all these changes, you may not be getting enough vitamins in the quantities that you’re used to. There’s also the possibility that it’s a hormonal imbalance of some sort.” The doctor checked the paperwork again. “Is there any possibility of a pregnancy?”
“No,” said Jules, shaking his head emphatically.
“Condoms and birth control can both fail,” the doctor began slowly. “I think—”
“There’s no possibility of pregnancy because Kilo’s infertile,” continued Jules. “He said it was a side effect of the cancer treatments. It’s impossible for us to have kids together.”
The doctor nodded his head. “I understand; I’m sorry for pushing. I realize this is probably a sensitive topic. I just needed to make sure.” He looked back down at his clipboard and made a few more notes. “Okay, I’m going to order a blood panel. If you go over to the lab, you can get your blood drawn right there. Then come back here and I’ll come see you once the results are in, okay?”
The doctor showed Jules to the lab waiting area and it didn’t take long for him to get his blood drawn. By the time he made it back to the examination room, he was beginning to feel a little sleepy again. In order to stay awake, he paced the floor of the small room, stared at the abstract paintings on the wall, and even counted the ceiling tiles a couple of times.
His thoughts were running wild in his head, distracting him with all sorts of nervous thoughts. He was still certain that there was nothing particularly wrong with him, but the possibilities running through his head were endless. There were any number of different fatigue-causing illnesses or imbalances that carried life-altering consequences with them. It would make perfect sense for something nefarious to rear its ugly head just when he was starting to settle into his life with Kilo and India.
Thankfully, the doctor reentered the room before his thoughts could devolve any further.
“Ah, Julian, there you are,” said the doctor with a smile. “Well...I...I think you should sit down for this. I’m not sure if this is good news or not, but either way, it’s big.”
Jules frowned. He didn’t particularly like the sound of that. He reluctantly lowered himself into his chair and folded his hands in his lap to keep from fidgeting.
“Well, so...we ran a complete blood panel and checked you for a number of different things,” began the doctor. “The good news is, from a disease standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with you. You don’t have any real deficiencies that we could find either. Though your iron is a little low, but that’s to be expected given...erm...the other thing we found. I...I ordered an extra test, just to rule out the possibility entirely. I figured it wouldn’t hurt anything if I was wrong.” The doctor looked down at his clipboard. He was stalling. That much was clear.
“Look, Doctor, whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as what I’ve been imagining while I’ve been sitting here.” Jules gripped the arms of his chair and looked up at the doctor with determination in his eyes. “Whatever it is, let’s just get this over with.”
“Very well then,” said the doctor before clearing his throat. “You’re pregnant.”
“I...what? That’s not...I don’t...” Jules’s mind reeled and he instinctively pressed the palm of his hand to his stomach. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” said the doctor, nodding his head. “You say your Alpha is infertile. I’m not his doctor so I don’t know what the likelihood of something like this even is. All I know is what the tests are telling me, and they’re saying you’re pregnant.”
Jules’s confusion immediately cleared. His chest tightened and his eyes blurred with emotion. “Doctor...I...this is a miracle. I can’t...I don’t know what to say...” He swallowed back the lump in his throat as he climbed to his feet. “I need to go find Kilo,” he said with a laugh as a smile spread across his lips. “I’m pregnant. I couldn’t even begin to hope...”
“Well, I’m glad this is good news then,” said the doctor with a relieved smile. “Go on then; give your Alpha the good news. Then be sure to schedule an appointment with an obstetrician. It’s vital you start your prenatal care as soon as possible. In the meantime, I want you to focus on eating lots of fresh leafy greens and look into picking up a prenatal vitamin, okay?”
“Yes, yes, of course I will,” said Jules, nodding his head enthusiastically. “Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much.” He quickly slipped out of the examination room and made his way back through the clinic. He was outside and in his car in record time.
Pregnant. He was pregnant. Despite the astronomical odds that must’ve been stacked against them, he had somehow conceived. His heart was full, and there was a permanent smile on his lips as he raced across town to give Kilo the good news.