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“Did you find something?” Thank God, she was regaining her faculties.

“We did. I’m going to do my rounds now, which will give you time to wake up fully. When I come back, we’ll go through the operation and what we found, okay? Take your time, you’re in no rush. When you feel up to it, I need you to pee, and then eat. The nurse will be in shortly to check your incisions.”

“Alright. Thank you, Elise.”

“See you soon.”

The second the door shut; Cathy whistled. “Wowzer, she is stunning. Jesus, are all medical professionals that hot?” Cathy fanned herself with a Vogue magazine.

“She dated Halle briefly.” Mentioning her name was a mistake. Now Lydia felt a rush of emotion she’d tried to keep at bay since last week.

“Oh, darling, don’t get upset. It’s the meds. They’re messing with your emotions.”

“I can’t believe Fe isn’t here. After all the times I’ve supported her.” Ugly crying wasn’t on the top of Lydia’s To Do list today, but she couldn’t stop the downpour. There had been such a build-up to this moment. Three years of frustration and now she was about to get help, her sister was nowhere to be seen. And for what reason? Because Lydia had almost slept with her best friend.

“I know, sweetheart. Let it out.” So, she did. For quite some time. Enough time, in fact, for the nurse to stop by and then Dr. Maynard.

“Emotions can be a little heightened after being anaesthetised. It’s normal.” Elise said gently as Lydia hiccupped and snotted into a tissue. “Would you like me to come back later?”

“No, please stay. I want to know what you found. Cathy can stay too, if that’s alright?”

“That’s fine.” Elise pulled up a chair. “Okay, ‌I can tell you without a doubt you have endometriosis.”

A rush of air left Lydia’s body. “Oh, my God.” The tears were back again. Elise and Cathy sat patiently while Lydia gathered herself again. “Sorry, go on.”

“I felt it was necessary to remove the tissue as soon as possible. I’m thrilled with how it went. We’ll need to discuss what comes next. I want you to start a new pill. It’s a much more effective medication for your condition than anything you’ve been prescribed. The good thing about this medication is we can start you on it immediately. No need to wait for your period. It will also regulate your hormones, which from your bloodwork, I can see are all over the place. It’s a progesterone-only pill. You may find it takes several months to work, but I need you to trust me and stick with it. You’re going to feel tired for a few days, but you’ll be back to full capacity around two weeks’ time. If you have to work, light duties only.”

“I’ll talk to Norris,” Cathy commented.

“Make sure you keep hydrated and continue eating healthily. If you feel any pain, or you see inflammation around your incisions, come straight back, okay?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll look after her, Doctor.”

“Good. Now, there is one other thing I think we should talk about. The endometriosis was heavily situated around your ovaries, which could have caused an issue with egg development. There’s a chance that getting pregnant may be difficult.”

The walls felt as if they were closing in. Could she not have babies? All Lydia ever wanted was a family of her own. Children she’d carry and cherish. “Am I infertile?”

“No. However, if you get to a point where you want to stop the pill and get pregnant, we will have to do some further tests. It’s not impossible, Lydia, I just wanted you to have the full picture.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Let’s get you feeling better, and then we can look at options. Lydia, please don’t feel disheartened. You’re on the right path and I’ll help you every step of the way.”

* * *

Babies. That’s all Lydia could think about. A panic resided in her chest at the thought of not being able to have children. A family of her own, why was that so much to ask for? Why did it have to be her?

Tired of feeling sorry for herself, Lydia happily took the painkillers Cathy offered. They’d arrived at Lydia’s flat an hour ago and Cathy hadn’t stopped fussing.

“Once they kick in, you’ll sleep better.”

That’s what Lydia was counting on. Rarely relying on medication to solve her problems, Lydia conceded defeat this time. Her brain wouldn’t stop, so pharmaceutical intervention was required.

Monty lay at Lydia’s feet, keeping a concerned eye on her. In all honesty, she didn’t feel bad, just sleepy. Although her throat still felt raw, which was an unexpected and unwelcome side effect of the surgery.

When she wasn’t feeling so fatigued, Lydia would address everything Elise had said post-op. But for now, sleep called.