So I am definitely going to do my best to get accurate facts and research for all the medical references and lingo for this story but don't hold it against me! I really just want to explore how this scenario would have affected Rayna and her decision to cover up Maddie's true paternity. It really does give a great opportunity to explore all the complex emotions and relationships that are affected by the news. Let me know what y'all think!
Rayna nervously sat in the waiting room of the pediatrician's office, trying to soothe Maddie who was fussing in her arms.
"Relax, Rayna, I'm sure it's nothing. Kids her age catch colds and get rashes all the time with them putting everything into their mouths. It'll be fine." Teddy said, trying to reassure her.
"I know, I know. But I know my daughter, something just isn't right, I can just feel it."
"Our daughter, Rayna, ours." Teddy muttered.
"Really? Now? You know what I meant." Rayna fired back.
They sat there in silence as Rayna clutched Maddie to her chest.
"I'm sorry," Rayna said, breaking the silence, "I'm just worried."
"I know." Teddy replied.
"Maddie Conrad?" a nurse in pink scrubs called out.
She led them down the hall into a room that was obviously decorated in a kid-friendly manner in order to mask the fact the everything about the room was cold, metallic, and clinical.
Rayna had hated doctors and hospital ever since she was little and her mom had died in one. The stuffed animal and cartoon posters did nothing to ease her discomfort as she placed her one year old daughter onto the exam table.
"Now what seems to be the problem, with little Maddie?" the doctor asked, as he moved the stethoscope around Maddie's chest and back.
"She hasn't been eating much lately and she's had a cough for the past two weeks now. Then I noticed she had a rash on her back when I was changing her the other day," Rayna reported.
"Well, kids her age do get colds that can lead to their loss of appetite for a couple days as well as a cough. The rash could be caused by irritation due to clothing or maybe even the detergent type. However, just to be on the safe side I'd like to do a blood test in order to rule out anything more serious."
"More serious? Like what?" Rayna asked, her voice wavering.
"It's nothing to be concerned about right now. I just want to double check that Maddie's white blood cell count are normal. It's more of a precaution, these things tend to be nothing and go away after a week or two."
"Okay." Rayna said, swallowing the lump in her throat.
The nurse came in to draw Maddie's blood and Rayna handed her over to Teddy to hold while the nurse inserted the needle. Rayna's heart ached as her baby girl cried out, but after getting a sticker from the doctor and being rocked in Teddy's arm, she was sleeping only moments later.
Rayna smiled seeing Maddie so peaceful in Teddy's arms.
"We'll have you guys come back in in a couple days to get those results," the nurse said as they walked out of the office.