making the rounds [[ota]]

[island_juliet]

After seeing a small patient with a big cut on his arm (not paying attention while running down stairs can be dangerous), Juliet makes her way to the nurse's station to chit-chat, then heads into her office to take care of some patient charts she inherited. Making a few rounds, she finally ends her day back in her office, taking off her lab coat

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[deathtotoasters]

She was going into her fourteenth week of pregnancy and she was only showing a little, if you knew where to look. Kyla's active lifestyle, even though she dialed it down a lot, meant she was really only growing in the belly region. Despite all this, it didn't stop from her experiencing tremendous back pain.

Kyla had read that it was normal, though, from one of the pamphlets at the clinic so she hadn't returned to the clinic to see Juliet yet. She didn't want to come off as a bother for something Kyla was stubbornly determined to manage.

She was trying to carry her groceries home, but the more she walked, the more the pain increased. The muscles in her face tensed and her eyes showed the most discomfort before she had to move and sit down on the bench. Sitting down was done slowly and once she sat, Kyla still didn't look comfortable or relaxed.

[island_juliet]

Hands in her pockets, Juliet finally rounds a corner toward the hotel when she sees Kyla and tilts her head a bit to the side. Making her way over, she makes sure the young woman can see her, rather than approach from behind.

"People just don't get how much it sucks being pregnant, even when you aren't showing yet."

[deathtotoasters]

Kyla let out a long, low exhaled as she tried to calm herself. Her dogs sat on the far side of the bench, one watching the street and the other watching her.

"It's normal, though, right? To want to dig my back out?" Kyla always worried what she was feeling wasn't normal.

[island_juliet]

"Oh yeah. I started feeling it about week ten, so congratulations. You held out a lot longer than I did. But a warm bath helps, or even the hot tub on the roof so that you can float a little. Really get that pressure off."

[deathtotoasters]

She gave a small smile to Juliet. After all the nausea she had dealt with, she would have thought the back pain was relief, but now she was wondering if maybe she could trade back.

"You make it sound so good... I might end up just living in that thing." Kyla had actually never been in the hot tub, but she understood it to be like a much larger bath with jets.

[island_juliet]

"I tried," she chuckles. "Just take it easy and...." She stands, taking Kyla's groceries. "Let people help where they can."

[deathtotoasters]

She wasn't really good at that, either. Kyla was even trying to make sure that Leoben wasn't being bothered too much, even though he was around often.

Kyla stood up slowly. Sitting down had helped a little, but the pain was still here in her pelvis. She'd try to walk it off as they headed to the hotel.

"Thank you." Even though she felt like she should be carrying them. Despite being fourteen weeks pregnant, Kyla still tended to look anxious about the whole thing. She wasn't entirely convinced she was ready for this.

[island_juliet]

"Don't mention it, really. How are things otherwise?" she asks, unable to help being in perpetual doctor mode.

[deathtotoasters]

"They're fine." It didn't sound entirely truthful. She hadn't seen or heard from J.L. since their conversation weeks ago, for starters.

"Nausea's gone." Which was easier to talk about than the non-physical things in her life which were stressful.

[island_juliet]

"Oh lucky you. I was throwing up all day every day until I was about sixteen weeks." And then, of course, she'd nearly killed herself, but Kyla doesn't need to know that part.

[deathtotoasters]

That brought out a meek smile from her. "I think I'd trade the back stuff for nausea again." With the back pain, she couldn't run and walking wasn't fun either. Kyla wasn't used to being so inactive.

[island_juliet]

"It does get better," she promises. "And soon, we'll really be able to see the peanut. Fingers, and you sort of get...hit with why it's worth it."

[deathtotoasters]

Some days it felt like she was mostly doing this for Leoben because she was so scared to feel excited whereas Leoben seemed to exude the opposite more positive reactions.

"Leoben will be excited to see a clearer picture." She stole a glance down at her abdomen. "We've already framed one of the first ultra sounds."

[island_juliet]

"It does make it a little more real. And hearing the heartbeat. it's..." She lets out a breath. "It's suddenly pretty shocking and...happening."

[deathtotoasters]

Kyla nodded. "...It's nice to know it's healthy." It worried her that the baby wouldn't be, considering everything.

[island_juliet]

"I know there are things you worry about because of the nature of the pregnancy. But I'm always here if you have any...concerns or questions. Anything."