Page 34 of Rue

“Thereabouts. I want you to tell me when she gonna drop it and if it’s mine.”

“Of course… Yes, I can run a test. I’ll need your DNA. I can swab you before you leave and expedite it. Let me pull the bottom out for you, sweetheart, it works like a stool. There you are, hop on up there… you’re just a tiny thing, aren’t you?”

“That gon’ give ‘r issues? Droppin’ the kid?” Geo asked, moving closer to stand on the other side of the table as Sailor laid back.

“We’ll find out,” the woman smiled professionally at him. “Now, I’m Doctor Nagy, but you can call me Jill. What can I call you?” she asked Sailor soothingly.

“Sailor,” she answered, wishing she could ask for help.The woman was here alone before the rest of the office opened. Was Geo going to shoot her, too?

“Sailor, that’s cute. How old are you, Sailor?”

“18? 19 soon. I’m about to graduate.”

“Oh? Lay back and relax for me, okay, I’m just going to feel around your tummy right now, okay? You just don't have an extra ounce of meat on you, do you, Sailor?” she asked, half stressed, half teasing. “I’m going to need you to try and put some weight on for me, alright? I need you to eat three full meals a day, all healthy, with snacks. I know you may not feel very up to it, especially since it seems like you haven’t known a full meal in a few years.”

“I have a high metabolism,” Sailor muttered, her face red.

“Hold on to that as long as you can!” Jill chuckled, but it was forced. “Ok, Sailor, I’m going to feel inside of you for a moment, okay? It may feel uncomfortable, but I’ll try to be quick and painless,” she promised, putting on gloves and lubing two fingers as she moved down between her legs.

Sailor closed her eyes and didn’t object when Geo took firm hold of her hand.

“Relax now for me,” the doctor called, then eased her fingers in. Sailor felt her poking and prodding, pressing and feeling around, then she slid her fingers out and nodded. “Alright, I have a few more things I need to do,” she told her, pulling out a pink strap and attaching a little disc. “I’m going to find the baby's heartbeat, okay? This belt will hold the monitor in place, and I’m going to monitor the heart rate for about 10 minutes, okay?”

Sailor nodded, watching as the woman slid the belt under her and around, then moved the monitor around after pouring goop on her tummy. The woman smiled, then turned up the monitor so Sailor could hear.

Her eyes went wide as she listened, then tears welled up. “That’s it? That’s the baby?” she asked wondrously.

“That’s the baby!” the doctor agreed, smiling at Sailor.

“Why’s it so fast?”

“That’s normal! It’s good, actually. I’m going to check on you now, Sailor, okay?” she asked, then put a blood pressure cuff on her and an O2 sensor on her finger.

She did other things, but Sailor hardly noticed as she listened to the fast heartbeat and wiped away tears.

“How long till you know if it’s mine?” Geo demanded.

“I’ll have to take blood,” Jill told him. “I can send the results overnight and get them to you as soon as possible. I can probably call with the results tomorrow at this time.”

“You do that,” Geo scowled, looking down at Sailor. She was crying and smiling sadly while staring at the monitor.

Sailor was still staring off dreamily when the doctor spoke up several minutes later. “Dad, can I see you outside?” she asked him, standing up with her clipboard and looking stressed.

“What’s wrong?” Geo demanded.

“Can we speak outside?” she asked him again, opening the door.

Geo looked at Sailor, who looked alarmed but stepped out with the doctor as she shut the door.

Sailor sat up, afraid now. What was happening?!?

When they returned a few minutes later, Jill's face was red with anger, and Geo had a cool, calculating expression as he glared at Sailor.

“What is it?” Sailor asked Jill.

“Nothing you need to worry over, sweetheart, okay? All you have to worry about in this world is that little life growing inside you, alright? Eat like I told you, stay hydrated, get light exercise but nothing strenuous, okay? I don't want you lifting anything over 10 lbs, okay? No running or jumping, motorcycle riding, horseback riding, nothing, okay?”

“Okay?”

---