The Sheikh's Twin Baby Surprise by Holly Rayner Read Free Book Online Page B

came with trying to conceive a baby.
     
    Dr. Issa stepped forward with a soft smile. “It’s normal for you to be concerned, Dr. Green. After all, this is the start of many more worries you will have—all of them normal. This is part of motherhood.”
     
    “But what can we do?” I asked urgently. “There has to be something else we can try to help this along.”
     
    The doctor was thoughtfully silent before she spoke again. “How is your stress level?”
     
    “Well, bad, obviously,” I half-laughed. “I’m stressing about not being pregnant already most of the time.”
     
    “Certainly, but is there anything else weighing on you that you may not have considered yet? What about your duties to the palace?” she turned to look at Omar.
     
    “The usual,” I said with a shrug. “I give His Highness and the Queen Regent a short exam each week—just the basics. One of the security staff has been ill lately, so I’ve been attending to him. He’s caught whatever bug it is that half of Al-Thakri have endured this spring.”
     
    “Is he stable?”
     
    “Oh, yes. It’s nothing life-threatening.”
     
    “And is there anyone under your care that is in dire straits?”
     
    “No, not at all,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s all very minor, as usual. Why do you ask?”
     
    “Even so,” Dr. Issa said, “work can be a stressful activity that can prevent you from focusing on relaxation. Perhaps you should think about taking some time off and having His Highness hire another doctor to take over for you, at least through the conceiving stage, if not the entire pregnancy.”
     
    I looked at Omar questioningly. We hadn’t talked about me quitting my duties since my decision to stay on and have his baby. But the look on his face was determined, and he was clearly taking Dr. Issa’s words to heart.
     
    “She will take leave,” said Omar without hesitation, nodding at me. “I will hire another physician to be on-call in her stead. I’ll make the arrangements at once.”
     
    “Are you sure?” I said to him in a quiet aside. “I hate the idea of not doing my job. That’s what I came here for, after all.”
     
    “You are doing your job,” countered Omar. “You agreed to be the mother of my child. That is your most important job right now. There are other doctors in the city; let them deal with the minor scrapes of my staff.”
     
    I felt a little uncertain about the decision. Being a doctor was all I knew—I hadn’t taken a break from it since I entered med school.
     
    “I’m afraid,” I admitted to him. “Work has been my whole life up to now.”
     
    “Well, now you have a different life,” said Omar softly. “At least for a little while. You deserve a break, Carrie. You’ve been working hard your whole life, saving others in war zones and the like. What could be wrong about taking a few months off to bring your own life into the world?”
     
    “I agree with His Highness,” said Dr. Issa. “Your reputation precedes you, Dr. Green. I’ve heard of your work in Africa. No one would ever doubt your commitment to your duties, or how much you love your work. Everyone deserves a break once in a while.”
     
    I took a deep breath. They were right. If my goal was to give Omar a healthy son who would take the throne one day, then I should do everything I could to make that happen, even if it meant taking a break from work.
     
    “Okay,” I told them finally. “I’ll step down from my position, at least until the baby is born.”
     
    “I think that is wise,” agreed Omar with a smile.
     
    After a few more of my nervous questions, we left the OB/GYN’s and walked casually back toward Omar’s office, where he had more work to attend to.
     
    Outside Omar’s office, Rafiq was in his usual protective spot. He gave me a sly glance when I passed him by. I returned it with a playfully sour one, but he only winked at me knowingly.
     
    “Do you feel better?” asked Omar once we were