Part 10 ****************** Max turned on his side, extending his arm to spoon against Liz. But instead of being met with the warmth of her tiny body, he was met with air, and rapidly cooling sheets. Sitting up slightly disoriented, Max looked around the room, his eyes flying to the light seeping through from the crack of the bathroom door. He threw his legs over the side of the bed, walking towards the bathroom. His stomach clenched at the sound of retching come from the other side. Pushing the door open, he came in to find Liz sitting on the tile floor, her head hanging over the toilet as she emptied out her stomach. Walking briskly towards her, he slid to the floor, pulling the hair away from her face. Liz leaned her cheek against the cool porcelain, taking a deep breath as she squinted to get a look at Max’s face. “What are you doing up?” Max just raised his eyebrow, indicating that she shouldn’t even be asking the question. He stood up again, pulling open the bathroom drawer. He took out a wash cloth, wetting it in the sink. He grabbed an elastic band from the vanity, pushing his hand through it so that it was on his wrist like a bracelet. He sat on the floor again, beckoning Liz to him. She shifted on the floor, crawling to him. He instructed her to turn around as he gingerly put her hair up, making sure not to tangle it up against the elastic. He brought the cool wash cloth to her face, gently wiping it down, bringing it down her neck, trying to cool down her heated body. Letting out a sigh of appreciation, Liz fell back against his chest. She turned her face to the side, placing a light kiss on his skin. “Thanks babe.” She inhaled his familiar scent, her eyes closing as sleep started invading her body. “I’m so tired.” Max kissed her forehead, gathering her close to him. “Sleep already. We have a Dr.’s appointment tomorrow.” He had barely finished his sentence when he heard her softly snoring. He smiled, slowly standing as he carried Liz in his arms. He pulled her closer against his chest, walking back inside the bedroom. He lay her on the bed delicately. He moved around her, pulling the cool sheets around her body. He kissed her again, walking back to the bathroom to shut off the light. When he got into bed, he tried pulling up the covers, but realized that they were tangled around Liz’s legs. He sat up, tugging on the blanket so that he could pull it over her body again. Once he finished his task, he lay down on his back, reaching for the blanket. A rustling sound came from beside him, as Liz kicked off the sheets again. She turned on her side, snuggling against Max. “Too hot.” She mumbled, returning to her slumber without a second thought. Max just shook his head, chuckling as he pulled Liz against him. ******************* Roswell Memorial Hospital Liz sat in the waiting area, staring at Max who had his head buried in a parenting magazine. With a grin on her lips, she whispered in his ear. “You know, you didn’t have to come with me today.” He grinned, putting the magazine on his lap. “Yeah?....Well I wanted to. I missed so much with Noah, that I want to be here for everything this time around.” Liz put her arm around his neck, pulling his lips down for a kiss. “Evans, Liz?” The nurse looked up from her chart, taking a closer look to see who would claim the name. Max stood up, dropping the magazine. He grabbed Liz’s hand walking to the nurse. “This is Liz,” he beamed with a smile. The nurse smiled at them leading them to the back. “Let me guess? This is your first?” Max and Liz exchanged a look. “Sort of....well, not really....” Max stuttered. Liz smiled. “It’s a long story, but this is our first one together.” The nurse smiled, opening the door to one of the exam rooms. “Ok, I’m going to need to ask you to step on the scale.” Liz handed her purse to Max, stepping onto the scale as the nurse had asked. She watched as the nurse fiddled with the weights, quickly scribbling in the chart. “You can step down, now.” She pointed to the exam table. “Ok, I’m going to ask you take a seat so I can take your blood pressure.” Liz as she was told, extending her arm as the nurse checked her bp. She looked over the nurses head, giving Max a quick smile. After writing a few more things in Liz’s chart, the nurse handed Liz a cup. “We’re going to need a sample.” She opened the door, pointing down the hall. “Bathroom’s that way. You don’t need to fill it up all of the way. Bring back the sample to me, I’ll be over there.” ************** After a few minutes, Liz reemerged from the bathroom, with cup in tow. She handed it to the nurse. The nurse took the cup, sticking all sorts of labels on it. “Dr. Walker will be with you in a moment. I’ve left an exam gown for you to change into.” Liz just nodded, returning to the small exam room. Max’s eyes flew up, smiling when he saw Liz. She closed the door behind her, unbuttoning her blouse as she moved closer to Max. Max’s eyes bugged out of his head, as he saw Liz undressing. “Liz! What are you doing?” he hissed. The sound of Liz’s light laughter, echoed in the small room. She stepped closer to Max, her face inches away from his. They were so close, his harsh breathing fanned across her face. She grabbed the paper gown from beside Max. Laughing a little when Max caught sight of it, his face dawning with realization. When his eyes met with Liz’s, he blushed. Liz laughed a little more as she changed. When she was done, she sat on the exam table, her short legs swinging back and forth. A few minutes passed with Max and Liz sitting together in silence, just enjoying being together without saying anything. A knock from the door, made them turn their heads as a brunette in her mid forties walked inside, holding a chart. “Dr. Walker.” Dr. Walker looked up, smiling at Liz. “Liz, it’s so good to see you again.” Her eyes landed on Max as he sat on a chair in the corner, clutching Liz’s purse in his lap. “And you must be Mr. Evans.” She held out her hand for a handshake. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Max shook her hand. “Likewise.” Dr. Walker instructed Liz to lie back as she got ready. “We’re going to be doing a pelvic exam today.” Max just sat silently, watching as Liz put her feet up on the stirrups. He could hear Dr. Walker talking, explaining to the both of them what she was doing, but he couldn’t hear a thing. All he could hear was the pounding of his blood in his ears. He had no idea why he was getting so worked up. A pelvic exam was normal. There wasn’t anything sexual about it, but he was still feeling a little weird with having Dr. Walker down there, talking so casually. He averted his eyes, trying to look elsewhere, as he began grinding his teeth. ************** When Dr. Walker was done, she and Liz exchanged a few more words. Dr. Walker smiled, bidding goodbye to them as she left. Liz slipped off the table, walking to where Max was sitting. She cupped his granite like jaw, realizing that he was grinding his teeth. “Hey, are you ok?” Max looked up, realizing for the first time that they were done. “You’re done?” Liz nodded as she pulled her clothes back on. “Yeah. I just have to make an appointment at the front desk.” She slipped her jeans on her hips, zipping them closed. “You seem better. Everything ok now?” Max breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah....I just...” He looked away, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “You just what?” She tipped his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes. He let out a breath, realizing that he could never lie to her. “I guess I just felt a little uncomfortable while she did your pelvic exam. I know that there’s nothing sexual about it, and that it’s all part of the deal, but I still feel a little weird with having someone that isn’t me....getting to see you.” He whispered. Liz smiled at his awkward explanation, her heart swelling with love for him. She placed a kiss on his lips, hugging him tightly. “I love you.” *************** When they finished making another appointment, the two of them headed towards the parking lot where they ran into Courtney. “Hey, Court. Getting ready for your shift?” Courtney threw her badge around her neck, smiling. “More like running late.” She smiled. “Look, I don’t have much time to talk, but our house this weekend. My sister and her husband are coming in from Texas with their twins, so we want everyone there.” Liz gushed. “Aww, how cute. How old are they?” “Dexter and Damian just turned two,” she smiled proudly. Liz patted Courtney’s hand. “How sweet. Ok, we won’t keep. We’ll see you later.” They waved at each other, with Max pulling Liz to the jeep. “Twins, huh?” Max asked casually. Liz pinched his side. “Don’t even think about it, Max. We haven’t even gotten through this pregnancy yet.” Max yelped, jumping away from Liz, and into the driver’s seat. “Jeez, all I asked was a question.” He laughed, his eyes full of mirth. Liz shook her head, wagging her finger at him. “You are such a bad liar.” Their laughs reverberated in the jeep, both of them just enjoying the laughter and the fun. The past few days had been filled with so much tension, and raw emotions, that it was nice to just be silly for a little while.