Claire and Gloria sit in the waiting room of a doctor's office, thumbing through magazines a few weeks later. Claire shifts in her seat. Gloria rolls up her magazine, and hits Claire on the leg.
"What was that for?"
"Stop shaking your leg," Gloria insists.
"I am just so nervous."
"About what?"
"I don't know what the doctor is going to say."
"I was there when he talked to you on the phone. He said that he just wanted to go over the results of your lab tests."
"I know, but what if it is something serious?"
"He didn't say that it was."
"He told me that I should bring someone," Claire points out.
"He said you could bring someone if you wanted."
"Why would he want a follow up appointment? I mean I just saw him last week."
"He agreed with you. He scheduled your follow up appointment to go over your labs last week, before you had even had them."
"I feel like I'm going to be sick."
"You are fine," she insists.
"No, I feel nauseated."
"It is all in your head," Gloria argues.
Claire vacates her seat, and heads towards the bathroom. She doesn't make it. She vomits into a fake fern near the receptionist's area. Without a word Gloria walks up behind her, and hands her a tissue. The receptionist slides open the window, and looks at her.
"Claire Dunphy."
"I am so sorry," Claire apologizes as she wipes her mouth.
"It happens more than you think. You can follow Janine back to an exam room."
Claire nods, and follows the nurse back to an exam room. Janine takes her vital signs, and leaves the room. Claire sits on the edge of the exam table. Gloria sits in a chair nearby. Claire pulls at the collar of her shirt.
"Do you think that it is hot in here?"
"No."
"I feel hot."
Gloria pulls a bottle of water out of her purse, she vacates her seat, and hands it to Claire.
"Thanks. I am sorry I am being such a basket case, I am just afraid something is wrong."
"I understand."
She takes a drink of the water, and recaps the bottle. She watches impatiently as the hands on the clock move. Ten minutes later there is a knock on the door. The doctor enters the room, and takes a seat.
"How are you feeling today, Claire?"
"A little nauseated, I guess I'm just nervous."
"I am not surprised."
"Can you just tell me?"
"Well the good news is that you aren't going through menopause."
Claire furrows her brow, "I'm not?"
"Nope. Tell me, how long have you been feeling nauseous?"
"On and off for a while. I don't know, why?"
"I was able to go over your test results. Your blood count is normal. We checked your thyroid, and that came back normal as well."
"What about the estrogen levels?"
"Some of your hormone levels were higher than what we expected."
"Which ones?" Claire questions.
"Doctor," Gloria bats her eyelashes, "Claire has been worrying about these tests all week. Will you just tell her what is wrong, so I can take her home, before she has a breakdown?"
"Of course," he nods in agreement, "Claire," he touches her knee, "There is nothing wrong with you."
She sighs a breath of relief, "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
"So my symptoms, they are all in my head?"
"No, your symptoms are real," he assures her.
"You just said that there is nothing wrong with me."
"There's not. Claire it is all to be expected."
She furrows her brow, "To be expected?"
"They are common symptoms during pregnancy."
"Excuse me!" Her eyes widen.
Gloria speaks up, "Claire, I think that he is saying you're pregnant."
"No. He's wrong. I'm not pregnant," she argues.
He removes the paper from her chart, and hands it to her, "I have the lab results right here."
She stares at the paper in complete and total shock.
"There has been some mistake, or mix up. I'm not pregnant. I think you have me confused with someone else."
"Our lab is one of the best in the entire state," he assures her.
"Run it again," she argues.
"There is a very easy way to determine the validity of this test."
"Do it again?" Claire suggests.
"We can schedule you for an ultrasound. We should be able to get you in within a couple of weeks."
"Weeks?!" Her face turns six shades of red.
"You know what, I think I heard the receptionist say that we had a cancellation for this afternoon, let me check with her. I'll be right back."
He leaves the room, and Claire turns to look at Gloria. Words escape her.
"Claire, are you okay?"
"No. I just found out that my doctor is a complete, and total quack. There is no way that I can be pregnant, there just can't. "
The doctor reenters the room. He takes a seat once again.
"We did have a cancellation. The appointment is at two o'clock," he glances at his watch, "Which is five minutes from now. Janine will take you across the hall, and get you ready."
"This is ridiculous," Claire insists as Janine enters the room. Gloria follows her down the hallway to another exam room. She waits outside as Claire reluctantly gets changed into a paper gown. Once Claire is situated she returns to the room, and takes a seat next to her. The tech enters the room, and begins to prepare her supplies. Claire turns to Gloria.
"This is completely ridiculous. There is no way that this is even remotely possible."
