Page 190 of Haze of Obedience
"I'm good, Dirk."
"All right. If you need to talk—"
"Let's go see how Zoe is."
I don't push him anymore. We return to the main room, and Sloane is talking to Zoe and has her hand on her naked stomach.
"You're at the end of your first trimester?" she asks.
"Yes," Zoe replies.
"Pains can be normal. As your womb expands, the ligaments stretch. Sometimes hormones, constipation, or trapped wind, can also cause it. You aren't bleeding any more. From what you described, I would guess it's your bump growing."
Zoe's face lights up. "That's good then, right?"
"Yes."
"Can we do another ultrasound? I don't want to assume anything," I ask.
Sloane turns to me and smiles. "I can bring one around tomorrow if you like, but if she had one today and the other doctor wasn't concerned, there isn't a need."
"Will it put her or the baby in any danger to get another one?"
"No."
"Please do another one then."
"Dirk, I think you're overreacting," Zoe says.
"It's you. And my baby. I'm not overreacting," I growl.
Zoe signs. "You're acting overprotective right now."
"No, I'm not."
"Excuse me for being rude," she says to Sloane. Changing to Spanish, she says, "You’re being pigheaded and need to stop. I'm fine. Both doctors said the baby and I are healthy."
"You were smashed in the stomach," I bark out in Spanish.
"And I'm okay. Don't create problems where there isn't one."
"I'm not."
She switches to English and nicely asks Sloane, "Are you done examining me?"
"Yes. Unless you have any other issues going on?"
Zoe smiles and shakes her head. "I'm good. Thank you so much for coming over this late."
"Anytime."
She turns to Naomi. "Is there somewhere private I can talk with Dirk?"
Naomi points to a door.
Zoe rises. "You. Come with me."
I look at Sloane. "Please don't go yet."
