Chapter 230
CASSIE heard her phone ring at the same time she exited her car to head into her doctor’s office. She hadn’t made an appointment, but they were usually really good about seeing her last minute.
She’d been fighting fatigue for the past two weeks. IVY had called and annoyed her enough times about going to the doctor that she’d given in and left GERRI’s early in order to make the doctor’s office before they closed.
Since they’d been back from AURORA, GERRI had gone off to visit a sick friend for the past few weeks, so she’d been working at GERRI’s on her own.
She glanced at the screen. MASSIMO. She’d been chatting with him online randomly. Though he still flirted with her, he didn’t try to push the issue. She felt a little guilty since her main desire to speak to him was to find out more about shifters. She was thirsty for knowledge and couldn’t stop thinking about TALEN.
“Hi, MASSIMO. How are you?”
“CASSIE, I’m good. I understand you are still not well?”
She heard concern in his voice and smiled. He really was a nice guy. Too bad she had zero desire to go out with him.
“I’m fine. It’s just overwork and stress. How are you?”
“Good, good. IVAN was supposed to come into town with me, but he’s being held up at his office down south, so I will be there in a few hours and wonder if you’d like to meet up for dinner?”
She bit her lip. She should reject the idea, but he was nice and he could be her friend. Heck, he was IVY’s friend and they had nothing going.
“Sure.”
“Great. Shall I come by your place to get you?”
“No. Meet me at my job,” she said and gave him the building address. “I have to go through the mail after my doctor’s appointment, so it’s easier to meet up there.”
“Okay. I will see you soon then. Take care.”
She hung up and entered the building, her gaze scanning the usually empty office. It was packed. What the hell were they doing—giving free exams?
The receptionist gave her an apologetic look.
“Hi, CASSIE.” She glanced at her computer screen and frowned. “I don’t have you in for an appointment today.”
CASSIE leaned forward to speak over the open glass window into her reception desk so others wouldn’t hear.
“I haven’t been feeling very well, and I went through the medical self-diagnosis sites online, and I either have lupus, mono, some Brazilian bug, or anemia. I prefer to think it’s the latter. Though anxiety was in the list too.”
The receptionist, who happened to be her doctor’s wife, grinned through the visible exhaustion on her face.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop looking on those websites and self-diagnosing?”
CASSIE grinned.
“It’s not my fault. The commercials are always saying to ask my doctor about different types of meds. How am I supposed to know which meds I need to ask about if I don’t know what’s wrong with me?”
“That’s what we’re here for, CASSANDRA. We’ll figure it out.” She chuckled and wrote on a pad. “Have a seat,” she whispered. “I’ll squeeze you in, but don’t say anything. I swear it’s a full moon tonight with all the craziness happening here.”
“Thank you, MYRA.”
She grabbed the only empty seat and pulled out her cell phone to text IVY. She didn’t want her cousin worrying about her any longer, so she let her know she was being checked out.
Forty-five minutes later, she sat on an examination table, waiting for a nurse to come in.
“Hey, CASSIE,” said TESSA, one of the nurses. “MYRA filled DR. LEVI in on what you told her.” She took CASSIE’s blood pressure and temperature.
“You seem to be running a bit of a fever.”
DR. LEVI walked in.
“Hello, CASSANDRA. We are packed, so let’s do some blood work and…” He stopped and frowned at the chart. “Let’s do a pregnancy test, too.”
CASSIE frowned.
“Why? I’m on the pill.”
DR. LEVI gave her the look.
“Because we never know what could be the cause of exhaustion, and pregnancy has those symptoms you’ve been talking about.”
“But I haven’t…” She stopped. Her face heated with embarrassment. She’d been on the pill since her youth to regulate her cycle, but other than abstinence, nothing was one hundred percent effective.
DR. LEVI gave her a warm smile.
“I’m guessing you’re rethinking that thought? Listen, let’s do it anyway. Precaution and all that. I don’t want to give you any medication without being sure nothing would harm you if you happen to be pregnant.”
She stayed quiet, her mind counting back the days since her last period and trying to figure out if there was a chance at all of pregnancy. Her trip had been about a month ago, so she had no idea if that was a possibility.
Her period wasn’t due yet for a few days, but she definitely felt cranky and bloated, so that had to be a sign it was on its way. Dammit!