There and Back Again Ch. 148

"Sierra?"

I heard Alistair nudge open the door, and embarrassed, I threw a towel over my lap before he could see me. I looked up to see his concerned face peeking through the door; he blanched again when he noticed my destroyed clothes, and came inside, shutting the door carefully behind himself.

"Are you okay? Is this...normal?" he asked carefully, obviously afraid I'd be offended by the questions. Not like I haven't been irritable as hell the last few days – I can't really blame him for being cautious.

"I don't know," I mumbled, groaning as another wave of cramps overtook me.

He rushed over and knelt in front of me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling my head to rest on his shoulder. I drooped in his embrace, horribly embarrassed but so grateful that he was there and wasn't too disgusted to comfort me. And while he held me, I tried to think.

When was my last period, anyway? I considered, and decided that it had happened the last time I was at Soldier's Peak. Which was...I did some rapid math on my fingers, checking the numbers once, and then again, and again. Sonofa...that was seven weeks ago.

Seven. Weeks.

My period hadn't been a day late in over a year, nor anywhere near this heavy.

"Uh, Alistair?" I sat back, lifting the towel to glance down between my legs, shuddering at the amount of blood pooling underneath me. "How long has it been since Denerim?"

He thought about it for a minute. "Seven, eight weeks? Something like that. Why?"

"After we left Denerim...that was the last time I had my monthly. Right after. I remember because the timing seemed so lucky." I blushed.

He smiled, not enough to erase the worry on his handsome face, but enough to crinkle his eyes a little. "Okay...?"

I sighed. "Do you know how far apart periods...uh, I mean, monthlies normally are for most women?"

The confused look intensified. It would have been adorable if I hadn't been so scared. At least I'm not at risk of falling asleep any time soon...

"Um, fo...four? Weeks?" I nodded, and he contemplated his answer for a moment. I could see the second his confusion turned into something else. "And this has been...seven?"

I nodded again. He glanced over at my pile of soiled clothing, then down at the outside of the chamber pot, as though he expected to see something there that would make everything make sense, take away the horrible feeling of wrongness that was palpable in the tiny room.

Finally he met my eyes again, mouth open, face pale with pity and understanding. I nodded miserably, a tear finally overflowing my eye to run down my cheek.

"I'm pretty sure I am – uh, was? - pregnant."