Page 324 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 2

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"Okay, good news and bad news. What'll it be first?" Dr. Wells said as he scooted a chair over to me. His gray hair gave him a distinguished look. He had been doing this for over thirty years.

I bit the inside of my lip. I was going to believe whatever he was about to say. And I was terrified about what the bad news was.

James squeezed my hand.

"Let's just rip the Band-Aid off," I said.

"That's the spirit." Dr. Wells adjusted his glasses and looked down at his clipboard. "Your leak has progressed ever so slightly. Unnoticeable if it weren't for the echocardiogram. Despite your concerns, James, I truly believe that your OB-GYN wouldn't have been able to detect it with just a stethoscope."

"But shouldn't he have at least been a tiny bit alarmed?" James said. "Penny was having chest pains and he completely dismissed the possibility that something was actually wrong."

Dr. Wells nodded. "I understand. Us doctors all like to think we're right." He winked at me. "It is unusual to feel pain due to a murmur. It could have been a wide variety of things causing it. Your OB-GYN specializes in deliveries. I'm sure he's highly qualified in his profession."

I didn't care about Dr. Nelson right now and whether he was a good doctor. I wasn't even sure why we were discussing him. Dr. Wells had just said my leak had progressed and I really had no idea what that meant. "What do you mean that it progressed?"

Dr. Wells settled the notebook in his lap. "It's just a small amount, Penny. I'd probably classify the murmur as moderate to severe now. Somewhere in between the two classifications."

"That's bad, right?" Just talking about this made my chest hurt again.

"No, not necessarily. This baby is putting extra stress on your heart right now. I have every reason to believe the murmur will go back to being moderate after the birth."

"Before you said that it might go back to being mild after the delivery," James said.

Dr. Wells nodded and adjusted his glasses again. "This is something we're going to have to continue to monitor. But usually murmurs of this severity don't just disappear on their own. As long as you're not experiencing shortness of breath or any swelling in your legs and feet, your heart is working perfectly fine."

"When you say they don't disappear on their own, what do you mean by that?" James asked. "You mentioned before that if it got any worse she'd need surgical intervention."

"She'll live a long healthy life. Yes, a medical procedure may be in her future. But advancements in this area are astounding. By the time we need to surgically repair or replace the valve, we'll be looking at something a lot less invasive than open heart surgery."

For some reason my mind focused on the words, "open heart surgery." My mouth felt dry.

"The good news is, you're already on bed rest. So the odds of it progressing any further are very slim. I'd recommend staying off your feet as much as possible. We'll reevaluate your condition after your baby is born. Hopefully everything will go back to normal and you won't have to see my face anymore." He laughed at his own joke.

I didn't really know what to say. I placed my hand on my stomach.It's okay little guy. We're going to be okay.

"Should she be traveling at all?" James asked.

I glanced at him. He never let me fly when I was pregnant anyway. Did he suddenly have an urge to let me come to London with him?

"I'd recommend staying at home, Penny," Dr. Wells said. "The stress of travel isn't something I personally think is worth the risk."

James nodded his head. "And our incompetent OB-GYN said he may have prescribed bed rest too soon. Do you have names of any OB-GYN's that you'd recommend?"

"Why, certainly." He readjusted his glasses again. "My receptionist can give you a list of names. I've worked with all of them before. Top notch doctors."

"Thank you, Dr. Wells," James said.

"Did either of you have any other questions?"

"No, I think that about covers it." James stood up, put his hand out for me, and pulled me to my feet.

"Take it easy, Penny," Dr. Wells said. "And watch for any swelling or shortness of breath. You call me right away if you notice anything like that."

I nodded and let James escort me out of the doctor's office. His hand was gripping mine a little tighter than usual. And I couldn't help but think that it was because he thought I was slipping away.

The Light to My Darkness - Chapter 15