Page 36 of Spike's Perdition
“Perfect.”
“Dr. Wilde will be right in.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be back when the tech comes in,” she says as she opens the door.
Seconds later, Dr. Wilde appears.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Wilde.” She holds her hand out for me to shake.
“Ivory,” I respond.
“Let’s get to it, shall we?” she says before opening her laptop. “Is this your first pregnancy?”
“Yes.”
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you.”
I’ve come to terms with being pregnant, but fear still swirls in my gut. Will I be a good mom? Can I do this on my own? I know I have Eric and Megan in my corner, but it’s not the same as the baby having its father in its life.
Dr. Wilde studies me. “Judging by the look on your face, I’d say this was a shock.”
“You could say that,” I mumble.
She squeezes my hand. “We’ll get you through it. I’m sure Paula told you that we will explain everything that is happening as it comes up?”
“She did. She’s great.”
“I’d be lost without her,” she says fondly. “Ask as many questions as you need to. If you can’t think of any now, you can always call, and wewillcall you back.”
“That’s good to know because my mind is a jumbled mess right now.”
She winks. “We get that a lot here. Today, all we’re going to do is an ultrasound and some other tests, along with your medical history.”
“Isn’t it too early for an ultrasound?”
“It is for an external one, but we’re going to do an internal one.”
“Internal?”
“I’ll insert a wand into your vagina and take some pictures.”
“Does it hurt?” I ask.
“Not at all. You might feel some pressure, though,” she explains. “When we’re done, you’ll have pictures of your little bundle to take home.”
For the first time, excitement builds. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Dr. Wilde completes my history and has Paula come back in when she performs the physical portion of the exam. The ultrasound doesn’t hurt, but it is uncomfortable having another person jam a probe up my hoo-ha and wiggle it around.
Tears prick my eyes when Dr. Wilde turns the screen toward me. “There he or she is.” She points to a blip on the screen. “See that fluttering?”
I nod because words are caught in my throat.
“That’s the heartbeat.”
