Beautiful Creatures Series

The weeks passed quickly, and the crisp autumn was upon them. Soon the Colorado mountains would be blanketed in snow, and the ski resorts would be firing up for the busy season. It also means the wedding season was over. The business was about to drop off, and Mackenzie would have to live off her savings. It was not that people did not get married in the winter. Just fewer did. Mackenzie would be able to work but not as much as she would like.

Unfortunately, work was the farthest thing from her mind lately. The anniversary of her parents’ murder was nearing, and each year it left her feeling anxious, haunted, and on edge. On top of that annual nightmare, Mackenzie had been just all-around ill for over a week. Gordon had been great. Each day after work, he came over and made her homemade soups and stocked the fridge with ginger ale. He would spend the night and lend a hand by cleaning up and doing her laundry. Then they would cuddle on the couch and watch TV. Even as sick as she was, Mackenzie enjoyed the times when she could fall asleep in his arms on the couch.

Mackenzie shot out of bed and into the washroom, where she dropped to her knees, hugging the bowl and vomiting. It was not long before Gordon stood beside her. Sitting down on the edge of the tub, he swept her long hair up and out of her way to keep it clean. “You’ve been sick for a long time,” he commented.

“It is flu season,” she reminded him. People always got sick when the weather turned cold.

“I guess, but maybe a doctor could give you something to help settle your stomach and help you sleep better. If you could sleep better, you might recover faster. The body heals itself faster if you can sleep,” she just groaned at his comment. “What if I take the day off? I can drive you to the doctor.”

“There is no need. I can drive myself.”

“Are you sure,” he asked.

Mackenzie smiled up at him weakly. “I’m a big girl; I can tie my own shoes and everything.”

He grinned at her. “Alright. Do you want me to make you some coffee before I leave?”

She frowned. “I don’t think I could keep it down.”

“You are going to go to the doctor, right?”

“Yes.”

“Promise?”

“Yes,” she laughed, getting up. “You nag worse than a woman.”

“I nag because I care,” he said as they left the washroom.

“I think I’m just going to try and get a little more sleep,” she said, crawling back into bed. “I’ll go when I get up,” she promised.

Gordon took hold of the blanket and pulled it up around her tucking her in, so she was nice and cozy, then he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll see you tonight,” she listened to him leave as she dozed off once more.

As promised, when she woke from her nap, Mackenzie showered and got dressed. Then she drove herself to the doctor’s office, where she had to wait an hour to been seen. As she sat in the uncomfortable chairs in the packed waiting room watching as a mother with three sick young children, do her best to entertain them in the agonizingly long wait. She was playing a cute little game she called “What am I?” Where she would give her children three clues as to what she was thinking of, and they had to guess what it was. The winner of each round got to start the next. It was extremely cute, and even some of the other waiting patents had joined in the game. Mackenzie could not help but think it was an ingenious way to keep bored children from going stir-crazy.

When she was finally called, Mackenzie followed the nurse to a private room where she sat and looked at the medical posters on the wall. One was an example of COPD, another of sleep apnea, and a third appeared to be colon cancer. There were also signs posted about the fees the doctor charged for filling out forms, doctor's notes, and copying or transfers of files. Mackenzie was so bored as she wanted she read each wall three times before the doctor finally came in.

He asked her why she had come, and she told him. He asked the usual questions then told her he wished to rule things out, so he was sending her for some lab work. Complete blood work and a urinalysis. He told her to go next door to the lab and get it done, then to come back tomorrow for the results.

home to nap again. She had no idea how long she had been asleep when her

“Mackenzie Starr?”

“Speaking.”

Chow’s Office. The doctor would like you to come back in. Can you

I have to

we will fast-track

to fast-track

go with her; she did not want to go alone. When he heard the fear in

the typical get-to-know-you conversations, Mackenzie had come to enjoy her time with Gordon and having him close made her feel safe. Over the last month,

office. With the weather cooling, he had retired his bike until spring. Mackenzie enjoyed his car; it was a gorgeous Camaro, and

walked them back into one of the private rooms. She sat up on the exam table while Gordon leaned against the walk next to the table. They did not wait long before Dr. Chow came in with a tablet in his hands. “Welcome back, Miss. Starr. We have your test results back, and I

“Concerning?” Mackenzie asked.

“Yes.”

how?” Gordon

had uncovered some unusual cellular activity. For example, your white blood cell count is off the charts. We expect to see it elevated when fighting off an

snapped. “Did you just

Dr. Chow said, looking at his file on the tablet. “I’d say, Miss. Starr is two to three weeks pregnant,”

not possible that she

Gordon’s confusion. “Is it possible to still get

does happen. If the procedure was not done properly, it could fail. It is

the doctor. “It’s not possible that I got her pregnant. It’s just not,” Gordon then looked at her questioningly. “Who else have you been

more than him. “No one. Your

so certain he could not be

I said, your white blood cell count is way too high, and you have been producing a growth hormone-like I have never seen before. Honestly, I don’t even think there is a name for this hormone. Normally pregnant women produce a lot of human growth hormones to help build the baby, but this growth hormone that is surging through your body… it’s not human.

necessary?” Mackenzie

helped her down off the exam table. “Thank you, doctor, but I think we will be fine. Come on, let’s go,” Gordon ushered Mackenzie out of the office and out to his car. They drove home, and Gordon never spoke. He just stared straight

apartment, Mackenzie wanted answers. “Don’t you think maybe

go to a hospital, and you can’t go to any more

anxious, like he did not know how to tell her what he knew.

didn’t know it was possible. I didn’t think it was possible. This has never happened in the entire history of my kind. How is this even possible?” He seemed like he was still trying to wrap his

with a guilty look on his face. “You

“No.”

“No!”

didn’t want

it, Gordon!” She screamed.