Growing Grounds

Chapter 19: Good News, Bad News

According to Dr. Hyder, all the tests and the ultrasound came back fine. All of Tammy’s blood work was in the normal ranges. The twins were healthy and developing normally, he assured her as he sat by her bed the next day just after breakfast.

“That’s great. That means I can go home now, right?” Tammy looked hopefully at Dr. Hyder.

“Not so fast. You have a rash on the back of your right thigh and the same rash is on your back. Now, we’re not sure what’s causing them, but the dermatologist has suggested that it’s contact dermatitis—caused by coming into direct contact with something that you’re allergic to—perhaps a new body wash, soap, laundry detergent, that sort of thing. Have you started using anything new in the last month or so?” He was again flipping through pages in a file and on the clipboard.

“No, I haven’t. I have some cream to use on the rash at home. It’ll clear up soon, I’m sure. It isn’t bothering me at all.” Actually, it itched like a mad bastard sometimes, but he didn’t need to know that; not if it might make him keep her in the hospital anyway.

“Dr. Mathers, the dermatologist who looked at your rash when you were admitted, might want to give you something else for it. Just do whatever he says and it probably will clear up soon. Pregnancy does funny things to some women’s bodies.” He glanced up at her and then back to the file. He wasn’t scribbling notes onto the pages, he was looking for something. Maybe a note about the rash he’d made earlier.

“When do you think he’ll be in to see me? I really want to get home this morning.” Tammy fidgeted.

Something wasn’t right. Matt had left the room when Dr. Hyder entered and she could hear him outside the door talking to someone. Dr. Mathers? Someone else? The monitor picked up her quickening pulse again. The numbers climbing from a sedate 72 bpm to a racing 92 bpm within seconds. If it reached 100, an alarm would sound and Dr. Hyder would have more questions and more reason to keep her here.

“That depends. There is another battery of tests I want you to have done today. When I told you that you were pregnant before, you didn’t know. At that time you were very early in your pregnancy, a few weeks, maybe six at most.” He looked over the top of his glasses.

“Okay.” Tammy’s heart skipped a couple beats and fine beads of sweat popped out on her forehead.

Looking back to the file, he flipped a page, and said, “Yesterday’s ultrasound said that you were almost six months along.” He closed the file and gave her a solemn look.

“How can that be possible? I don’t understand.” Tammy couldn’t hear Matt’s muffled voice in the hallway anymore—her ears were ringing too loudly. “Maybe the first test was wrong. Maybe I was farther along than a few weeks. Or, maybe the ultrasound was wrong.”

Panic crept into the room on its long, sharp claws. Any moment, it would pounce from the corner onto Tammy and sink those claws deep into her mind and wouldn’t let go until she was sharing a room with Cindy. Tammy tried to breathe deep and found that was impossible while looking at Dr. Hyder.

“There was nothing wrong with the ultrasound, Tammy. There’s really no way to flub these tests. And besides, look at your baby belly. Didn’t you think it odd when you looked down and couldn’t see your feet one day? Didn’t Matt?”

“I just thought it was because I’m carrying twins. I guess he did, too. We are new to this, you know.” Self-consciously, Tammy pulled the cover up until it covered her to her neck.

Her body began to tremble and the twins became active. Tammy could feel their unease before they started pleading with her to leave, to get away from Dr. Hyder.

Mommy, get away from him. He’s dangerous. He wants to take us from you. You have to leave. Tammy rubbed her baby belly, sending silent reassurances to her babies.

After a very long silence, Dr. Hyder said, “The sooner we get these genetic tests started, the sooner you and Matt can get home. We need to test and see what’s causing this unusual growth rate in the babies. It could be life-threatening to you and to them.” Standing, he patted her leg just above her foot and smiled an almost fatherly smile. “Don’t worry. I’m sure whatever it is, we can fix it. There are all sorts of treatments in use these days.” He patted the leg again and moved toward the door. “It’s scary how far science has advanced in the last twenty years. I see things I never dreamed of on a regular basis now. You’ll be fine, Tammy.” He raised a hand in a quick parting gesture and opened the door.

There was only one way out of the room and that was through the door where Dr. Hyder had just exited. Tammy wouldn’t stay another night in the hospital. What if her babies were right and the doctors wanted to take them from her. They would disguise it as the only way to save her life and perhaps the lives of her babies, but that would be a lie. They just wanted to take away her special babies.

Tammy had been chosen; she knew that. Though she was a little fuzzy about the details, she had been chosen to give birth to these two very special babies and she would see that through, she would protect them at any and all costs. Losing another baby was not an option and it would likely kill her.

She began devising a plan. Deceit had never been her strong suit, but she had been backed into a corner and would not stay there. She would not submit to any more testing.

Matt’s voice came to her through the door once again. Still, she couldn’t tell who was talking with him or what they were saying.

Tammy listened as the twins helped her plan her escape. She knew that’s what it was—an escape—because Dr. Hyder had avoided the subject of her going home today as he’d promised the day before. He wouldn’t sign release forms until the testing was finished, she was sure of that, too. As the plan formed and then solidified in her mind, she sat upright, leaning against pillows, staring at a blank spot near the ceiling.

Matt entered her room. His expression was one of worry; worry that he was trying to hide. Tammy was calm. Too calm for the current situation, but she was sure the babies had done something to make her calm. She watched Matt cross the room, different emotions surfacing on his face with each step.

Would he help her leave the hospital? Would he side with the white coats?

Coldly and without any emotional input, Tammy gauged his actions. If her husband was unwilling to help her, she would go alone and he wouldn’t know where she was any more than the doctors would know. The thought of leaving him, leaving everything and everyone, behind didn’t bother her in the least. All that mattered was the pregnancy. Saving the babies at any cost.

Matt asked, “How you feeling?”

“Who were you talking to out there in the hallway?” Tammy’s voice was robotic in her own ears.

Matt’s surprise and instant guilt was almost all the answer she needed. “The doctors.” He couldn’t hold eye contact.

“What did they tell you? Dr. Hyder was in here for quite a while with some rather unusual news; who were you talking to then?” Numbness had taken hold of her body. Not unpleasant.

“Just some other doctors. They want to do some, um, tests before they let you go home.” Matt avoided looking at her for more than a second or two at a time.

“Now, that’s vague. Why would you be so vague, I wonder?” Unblinking, she waited for his reply.

“What did Dr. Hyder tell you?” Matt stood by the bed, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“You know what he told me; he stopped and told you what we talked about as he left, Matt. Now, what are you being so vague about? Why did those people talk to you about my care? It’s supposed to be private.”

“What? You don’t want me knowing what’s going on with you and the babies?”

That was the last straw. She knew he was hiding something. Something terrible that the doctors had planned for her and the babies. Otherwise, he would have told her what they said. She couldn’t involve him, couldn’t trust him to help her. Deceiving him and leaving everything and everybody behind was the only option left to her now. Tammy knew exactly what she had to do.

“I want to go home. I don’t want to stay here another night, Matt.” Tammy pressed the button to make the bed upright. The little motor whirred and her slow ascent began. Matt remained silent, as if using the little interruption as time to think of what to say.

“You can’t go home today. Dr. Hyder said—”

Holding up a hand, Tammy interrupted, “I know what he said. I just told you what I want.”

“Listen, Tammy. They think it’s a possibility that they might have to take the babies for your safety. They’re developed enough to live outside the womb, though. That’s part of the reason for the next round of tests, to make sure they can live outside the womb. But they have to do genetic testing to figure out why they’re growing so fast. That could prove dangerous to them no matter where they are.” Matt had moved close and he held Tammy’s limp hand.

“Do you feel better now that you got that off your chest? Now that you’ve said it, does it make you feel better?” She turned her head and looked directly into his eyes. “Because that’s the last I ever want to hear about it. They are not taking the babies from me. Case closed. Don’t bring it up again.” She pulled her hand from his and turned her head away again.

Matt didn’t try to talk to her after that. He opted to sit in the chair and flip through the channels on the television.