Ryan changed his initial plans of going home after what he had just read. He smiled as he thought to himself, 'Just what are the odds.'
He turned to Arla and offered to take her back to her house instead. "Let me take you home if you don't mind. It's stopped raining but I'm sure that it would still be difficultt to get a car back?"
"Yes, sir." Arla was grateful to the kind yet very intimidating man. She wondered how her other friend is connected to someone like him.
She didn't know whom he was nor has he done anything since he arrived at her house, but she could discern that this man's aura could swallow up everyone's whenever he entered a place.
Even how those top doctors kept calling him "Alpha Ryan," is an indicator. Arla doesn't think that she would've even dared to talk to him if they had met elsewhere as his charisma was too suffocating for people like her.
*
"So your friend, Sienna, what is wrong with her? Why did she have to keep drinking to that extent when she knew of her health conditions? Or was she trying to have a natural abortion and claim that she miscarried?" Ryan asked, on their way to Arla's place.
Usually, he is never interested in other people's business but for this one, he very much was. He's hoping to use the chance to get more information on the admitted friend, to supplement what his PI sent him.
"No! My friend would never think of killing am innocent baby. Why would you even think that of her? Do you know long she's been waiting to have one?"
Arla was annoyed at his accusation but then she remembered that he was kind to them so she calmed down and added,
"She didn't know that she's pregnant. She and her fiancé broke up not too long ago and just a few days ago the new woman sent her an invitation card to their engagement, so that is taking a toll on her. That's all. Stop making up stories in your head about my friend. She's not anything like that. Please."
Ryan smiled and thought to himself. 'Now that explains a lot of things. This sh*t is about to go down.'
**************************
"Congratulations! You're pregnant!!!" Arla shouted to her friend immediately she got to her hospital room.
"What!? Are you really serious? Is it true? Arla? Don't play with me." Sienna's heart raced faster with expectations.
"Yes, yes, it is. You really are pregnant, Sienna. Dr. Guna says she would let you go for a scan once you wake up, and then you'll get to know how far you are...oh, why are you crying?"
"I don't know. I just thought of Noah and sharing the good news with him, then I remembered our current status, so I guess that might be why."
"Don't worry. Let's go to Dr. Guna's office before her shift is over."
*
"Congratulations!!! But I need to scold you for drinking. Don't ever do that again. Take this sheet and go for a CT scan." Dr. Guna said to her.
"Thank you." Sienna was beyond happy to hear her confirmation.
*
Dr. Guna checked the time again, and it's already 9:00am, yet the other lady that she was waiting for hadn't shown up yet. Her shift was over three hours ago.
She waited for thirty minutes more and then decided to leave things in her colleague's hands before calling Alpha Ryan.
"Hello? Is everything over now?"
"No, Alpha Ryan."
"Why?" Ryan got up from his desk.
"Because the lady hasn't shown up yet. It's been three hours since my shift ended. I need to go and rest now before I end up causing harm to anyone due to exhaustion.
But don't worry. I've left my colleague in charge. She will take good care of her once she comes. Now I've got to go."
*
"You're done? Let me see. Is it a boy or a girl?" Arla took the CT scan result, but it was sealed. "I guess we have to take it to Dr. Guna to read and check it first.
"Hm. But I was told by the examiner that it's three weeks old." Sienna said to her curious friend.
Arla started to do some calculations in her head. "Three weeks old?" She repeated in confusion, and then a realisation hit her.
She leaned closer to her friend as they walked to the doctor's office, and teased teased her. "You've been at my place for only two and a half weeks now, then does that mean that you and Noah did the deed just a few days before your breakup? Was it the day you went for that last trip then? Ouch...why do you knock me? You meanie!"
"Shh! Mind where you are." Sienna tried not to laugh at her friend's childishness during moments like this. Her cheeks turned pink as her mind went over her and Noah's last lovemaking. Leaving her a bit sad that all of that is now over.
*
Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
Both Sienna and Arla entered Dr. Guna's office, but there was only someone else with no Dr. Guna in sight.
Arla didn't know her, but Sienna recognised her as Dr. Maher. Another reproductive endocrinologist (RE), whom Dr. Guna had made her to have a consultation with those times when she and her ex were considering going for IVF.
"Sienna. What a nice surprise."
"Dr. Maher."
"Come. Have a seat. I didn't know that you're the patient that Guna was waiting for. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Dr. Maher, and you and your family?"
"We're all doing great, Sienna. Are you ready for the new life?" Dr. Maher said the latter part in a musical way.
Sienna just smiled and nodded shyly.
"Okay! Let's get started. Please come with me. Do you mind if your friend were to wait outside for a while?"
"Okay." Arla said and went out, leaving the two inside.
*
"What at all were you doing? It's been over an hour now. She didn't even take the scan result." Arla asked Sienna once she came out of the doctor's office.
"I don't even know. She made me lie down and was checking me while taking about foods to take and whatnot. It was just weird, but maybe that's the normal procedure for women like me. I feel too tired to go back in now. Let's just go home."
"Okay." Arla said.
*************************
Rrring! Rrring!!
Freya saw her friend's call, but she didn't answer; instead, she sent him a text message, telling him that she would explain things later.
She was sure that he was calling concerning why the lady didn't show up for the surrogacy. Just then, her eyes spotted the familiar backs of her two close friends.
"Sienna? Arla?"
The two were about to leave the lounge area when they heard Freya's voice from right behind them, so they stopped in their tracks. Arla was the first to turn, but Sienna was finding it awkward to do the same, so she turned alright but avoided looking in Freya's direction.
"Hey! I thought you said that you're out of town. What are you doing here this early in the morning? Don't tell me that you guys had an accident."
"Yes, we just returned this morning, and no, there was no accident. I came here to do something for a client, but it's not going so well. What about you two? Sienna, are feeling ok now?"
Sienna raised her head up and turned to look at Arla, and then she got the understanding that she had been the one to tell Freya about being admitted. "So fast, right?"
"Do not blame her. She was scared that something bad could happen to you and so she asked for my help. How are you feeling right now?"
"I'm...I'm fine. And...you?" Sienna stuttered due to the awkwardness, her eyes were staring at her own toes.
Freya was very worried seeing how much her friend had changed in just the last few weeks that they haven't spoken nor seen each other. "I'm also fine. Have you been discharged yet?"
Sienna only nodded. Still awkward being around her friend.
Arla stepped in. "Yes, she is. And guess what?"
"What is it?" Freya became curious.
"She's pregnant! We just found out this morning." Arla said excitedly.
"Whoa! This is good news. Sienna, congrats. This is really great news." Freya held her across the shoulder and shook her lightly. "I'm really happy for you, my dear friend. Then let me give you guys a ride home, and let's talk more about this. Okay."
Sienna smiled happily as her awkwardness with Freya started to evaporate. "I'm sorry about what happened between us the last time."
"It's water under the bridge now. Let's get home first and talk about this." Freya put her hand on Sienna's shoulder and walked out of the hospital with the two.