Multiple Fibriods

"Kimberly Campbell?" Nicholas asked, wondering why the name sounded so familiar.

"Yes. Kimberly is a remarkable woman. She is a senior consultant in the firm, and she is about to become director," Richard said and Nicolas raised a brow.

"Are we talking about the new girl from Brent?"

"You know her?" Richard asked with surprise. 

"I've heard of the girl from Brent and your unusual fondness of her. I heard she bagged the SNC contract."

"Yeah, she did," Richard acquiesced with a proud smile. "She is an intelligent woman, Nick, and she is a really good girl. She's the kind of woman a man like you should have."

"And you know this because?" Nicholas quirked a brow.

"Because I am a good judge of character, and while everyone believes I've only known her for a year, I've actually known her for longer than that. But I doubt you know that."

"I'm doubting everything, even this." He flailed the paper around. "I still can't believe you're doing this to me."

"It's for your good, Nick, trust me. And you know, I will never do anything that would hurt you."

Nicholas would have believed that before his father took an interest in some girl he had no clue about. 

He held the paper and gazed at it. The incredulity of the situation still overwhelmed him. He would never have expected this from his father, because he just wasn't that kind of man. 

This has to be because of that girl, whoever she was. She must be the reason his father was shoving this on him. She had to be. 

He raised his gaze to his father to see him staring at him. "So, what do you say?" Richard asked. 

"What do you expect me to say? You're threatening me with my inheritance because of some girl."

"Not some girl. She's someone I like and see as a daughter."

"If you hadn't used that last word, I would have said marry her, after all, you are still young. But since she's a daughter, then adopt her and leave me out of it."

"Nicholas,"

"Dad, this is crazy. It doesn't make sense. I don't understand this." He tried not to snap, but he was losing his grip over his temper. 

Richard sighed. "I'm not forcing you, Nicholas. You're the one with the decision. It's up to you to decide what you want."

"Up to me? You left me no choice. You can't ask me to decide what I want when you are forcing what and who you want on me, and tying my hands by threatening me with my inheritance," Nicholas said with a frown.

"No," Richard shook his head. "If you want the company, then settle down, but with someone you truly love."

"And the girl?"

"Meet her, then decide what you want to do with what you find. That's all. It doesn't have to be her. I like her for you, and I think she would be good for you, but if you don't think so, you are free to settle with anyone else of your choice," Richard said and Nicholas stood perplexed by what his father truly wanted of him.

He tried to assess whatever was going through his father's head, but that was an impossible feat, even for him.

Richard Vice was as enigmatic as he was loving and simple. No one could really tell what goes through his head, and Nicholas wished he could, now more than ever. 

A pregnant pause elapsed after a few moments of staring. Nicholas sighed. 

"Fine. I will meet her, and whatever happens after that, that's on you."

"Deal." Richard readily nodded, which had Nicholas puzzled. This was getting too suspicious.

"For real?" He asked with narrowed eyes, and his father chuckled.

"For real."

"Then I guess we have ourselves a deal." He said regardless of his displeasure at being cornered by his father.

"So, how do I see her?" Nicholas asked as he whipped out his phone when he received a text. 

Richard watched the smile that touched his son's face, and he had no doubt that it was a message from whoever he was seeing at the moment.

Ignoring it, Richard said, "I will be taking a break from the company till I'm fully recuperated. In the time being, you will fill in for me, so do whatever you deem fit with the opportunity. But be nice. Do not accuse her of anything. She has no idea about this, Richard warned.

Nicholas doubted that. To him, she had all her limbs in this, and he was going to unearth whatever she had on his father.

"I will keep that in mind," Nicholas said even though he had no plan of doing it.

Away from there, Kimberly silently pondered on Carol's ultrasound request.

Yes, the abdominal pain was slowly becoming unbearable, but knowing the cause of it didn't make the top of her list of priorities at the moment.

A few absent periods and abdominal pain can always be associated to stress and poor diet, and she was a defaulter of both.

"I appreciate your medical advice, but what I really need is an appointment to get rid of this pregnancy. And I will appreciate it if you stand with me on this."

There was a silent and subtle plea in her eyes for Carol's support and understanding, and as much as Carol didn't like the idea of getting rid of the pregnancy, she knew she couldn't force Kimberly into keeping a child she clearly didn't want.

She had a mind of her own— an annoyingly stubborn one, if she must add. Coaxing her into doing what she didn't want was next to impossible. But that didn't mean she couldn't get something out of it.

"Alright. I will help you book an appointment for the abortion only if you agree to run some tests today." She negotiated.

"I thought it was only going to be a scan—" Kimberly attempted to say, but Caroline continued.

"It's going to be quick. Probably a few blood work and a pelvic and abdominal ultrasound will do."

"Ultrasound?" She muttered, raising a brow. "I don't think that would be necessary."

"Yes, it is. You're probably going to need it before the abortion procedure. Doctors demand it just in case of an ectopic pregnancy."

Kimberly gave it a thought — a quick hard one. It would be stupid of her to be suspicious of Carol's intentions, because she knew she was only being concerned for her.

"Okay. Fine." She nodded, reluctantly agreeing to Carol's terms.

With a triumphant smile, Carol led her to the nurses station where she filled out the necessary forms, before moving to the lab.

It was silly to admit she was petrified by needles, but it was the truth she couldn't deny.

"You don't have to come around with me, you know? I can come find you when I'm done." Kimberly looked up from the needle being pierced into her skin, to Caroline, who was darting her eyes around in search of something or someone.

"It's fine." Carol looked back at her. "I have just finished my rounds, and I'm only assisting for Cholecystectomy before my 36 hours shift finally comes to an end. So I'm good." She said, before looking around again.

Kimberly watched her as she did. "Are you looking for someone?" Kimberly asked, still keeping her eyes on her. She couldn't tell if the needle was still stuck to her arm and she couldn't afford to look at it.

Carol gazed back with a sigh.."Not really." She lied. "She is done. Put some pressure on it." She tipped her chin, finally drawing Kimberly's attention to it.

"Doctor Calhoun hasn't been to the lab today, has he?" She asked the girl who had taken Kimberly's blood sample.

"No, he hasn't."

"Thanks." Carol nodded, there was a subtle change in her countenance that Kimberly didn't fail to notice.

"Who is doctor Calhoun?" She inquired, feeling the need to distract herself as Carol led her to the radiology department.

"Just someone." Caroline vaguely answered in that tone that told Kimberly there was more, but she'd rather not talk about it.

"We will probably get the test results in a few hours, so we can wait in the lounge after the ultrasound, and drink more water." She handed over another bottle of water, but Kimberly recognized the tactic for a change of subject.

While she could press, she'd let her get away with it. Just for today. Because right now, she was nervous as to what they'd discover from the ultrasound, or how she'd feel if she heard the echo of what seemed like a foetus heart beat.

Her hands were clammy as she climbed onto the bed for the ultrasound. The cold gel, and slow movement of the small, hand-held device in the hand of the sonographer made her suck in her breath.

"She's pregnant. Ten weeks." The technician said to Caroline, who affirmed with a nod.

"Move the transducer a bit to the left." Caroline requested and the man did as he was told. "What's that?" She asked, leaning over to the monitor.

The radiographer peered at it. "That's an acoustic shadowing. I think it might be a uterine Leiomyoma."

Carol's brows furrowed as she inched closer. "I think it is."

"What's that?" Kimberly asked, her eyes darting between her friend and the radiographer.

Carol sighed as she turned and glanced at her friend. There was no better way to tell her, but she knew had to. "You have multiple uterine fibroids, Kimberly."