3.
Today was Tadashi's first day of at The San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Luckily it was only the orientation and meetings with his professors.
It also is the day he and Vivienne are going to find out the baby's gender at the ultrasound. He promised her that he was going to be there right after the orientation. He was not going to miss that for the world.
It'd been three months since he found out about the pregnancy and Cass was still acting a little hostile and aloof towards him. She had calmed down a bit after he told her he still intended to go to college, but she was still sensitive whenever he brought up the pregnancy. He had a feeling it might be best to do what she expected him to do and give the baby up for adoption. He was still on the fence about that.
He stood nervously in the audience as the dean of the school addressed his welcoming speech to the new class before everyone split to meet the professors of their programs.
Tadashi knew he was definitely going into the robotics program along with basic medical school in the possible future. He wanted to engineer a robot that can care its patients at home and in professional facilities. He just didn't know how he'd be able to do that at the moment. So far he had managed to make a prototype that got him into the school in the first place, but that's as far as he thought it through.
He was just about to head towards his final professor when he is bumped into a tall girl on stilettos and fell flat on his face.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to knock you down!" She said as she helped him up. She was a tall girl with blonde hair in a bun and brown eyes behind glasses. She wore a yellow dress over white skinny jeans.
"No, that's ok." He said kindly brushing the dust off his grey cardigan that he was wearing.
"I'm Aiko! Going into chemistry! " She introduces herself excitedly as she kissed his cheeks holding out her hand to him.
He chuckled at the different greeting. "Tadashi. Robotics engineering" He shook her hand as he blushed from the kisses awkwardly.
"That's so cool!" She giddily said. " My roommate is also going into engineering! Her name's Leiko. You two should totally meet up." She practically squealed, a large smile on her face.
"Uhhhhh... appreciate the offer but I'm not planning on dating anyone for a while." He said in a nervous manner.
"Lot of stuff on your mind?" She suddenly dropped the smile in favor of an understanding look.
"You could say that." He shrugged. He didn't want to have explain to anyone about his current situation.
"Excuse me?" A muscular dark skin guy asked them. "Do you know where Professor Conners is?" He checked the name on the schedule in his hands.
"Oh! I have him for Chemistry. I can take you with me to meet up with him." Aiko chirped. " What's you're name?"
"Darius." He responded with a small smile.
"I'm Aiko. This is Tadashi." She introduced the two of them to Darius.
"At least I'm having a conversation with people that aren't in a suit. There's this one guy by the door wearing a dinosaur costume named Fred trying to give a nickname to everyone he sees." Darius gave an awkward laugh.
"What so bad about having a nickname." Aiko asked.
" He nicknamed me Wasabi because there's wasabi on my shirt!" He huffed, outraged, as he showed the stain on his shirt.
"To be quite honest, it actually fits you." Tadashi chuckled and he honestly liked the nickname better than Darius.
"Thanks." The now nicknamed Wasabi grumbled in slight annoyance.
"I got to go meet my last professor. It was nice meeting you guys." Tadashi waved as he left the duo.
"It was nice meeting you Tadashi!" Aiko called after him as he left.
He walked to the back of the showcase building 'til he found the head of the robotics department at his stand, Professor Callaghan.
"Here for the robotics program?" Callaghan greeted kindly.
"Yes I am. My name's Tadashi Hamada." He introduced, holding out his hand to his new professor.
"I know you." Callaghan smiled and shook the bright young man's hand. "You're the one that impressed me with your medical bot prototype at the showcase audition. You're also the only one who won the full scholarship." Callaghan smiled.
"Yes and thank so much for giving me this opportunity." Tadashi told him, a grateful look on his face.
The professor gave a small nod. "I trust that you will use this opportunity to the fullest extent.
Tadashi nodded confidently. "I will."
The older male smiled. "That's what I want to hear. I look forward to seeing in my class." Callaghan nodded approvingly.
After a bit more talking to his professor about the engineering class, Tadashi left Callaghan now feeling more determined to make something of himself.
But at the same time he felt like he had other priorities.
An hour later he found himself sitting with Vivienne at the hospital as the lights in the ultrasound room dimmed. The only light that's showing is a TV screen.
The ultrasound technician runs the flashlight like device across Vivienne's now swollen belly. The screen changes as it shows an outline of a little person inside.
"There's your baby." The technician said with a small smile. Vivienne almost violently turned away from the screen, but Tadashi kept staring at it, not wanting to even blink. The baby moves its hand around looking like it's waving at the people watching him.
"Wow." Tadashi mumbles to himself. Never in his life had he seen something this amazing.
"The baby's head is little on large side. Looks like your kid might be a thinker." The technician said as he chuckles.
"Just like it's father." Vivienne said in quiet, monotonous voice, still not looking at the screen.
"Well then do you guys want to know the sex of the baby?" The technician asked the ex-couple. Vivienne looked over to Tadashi to answer the question.
"Uh, sure." Tadashi shrugged with a curious look on his face.
"You guys are having a baby boy." The technician announced, pointing to the screen so the two could see. "I'll print some pictures out and have the DVD disc burn so you guys can watch it later." He informed them as he took the device away from Vivienne's stomach and turned off the screen.
The technician left the two soon-to-be parents alone. They hadn't really spoken to each other since she announced she was pregnant, there was a tense and awkward aura to the air around them. The only time Vivienne had communicated to Tadashi since that day was when she texted him the appointment for the ultrasound.
"How's it going?" Tadashi asked quietly.
Vivienne huffed. "My mom kicked me out. I'm now living with my sister and my niece." She said as she pulls her baggy shirt down.
"I'm so sorry. How do you feel?" Tadashi said.
"Surprisingly good. I didn't get morning sickness during my first trimester. Though this kid sure likes to kick up a storm." She shrugged.
"Seems like he has patient issues." He smiles softly at her. He kind of wished she'd let him be a part of what she's going through. Even though he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do yet, he wanted to be there for her. The baby, the boy, is half Tadashi's genes and the young adult would love to feel the little boy kick or something. But he stayed quiet about it.
"Look Tadashi, I still haven't changed my mind. In fact, I'm getting a job in the army after the baby's born" She stated, she knew Tadashi would attempt to change her mind.
"The Army?" Tadashi said in shock. This is the first he's heard of this.
She nodded slowly. "They pay good money and will give me an education. Plus I'll get out of this life I was born into. I have a shot at not ending up drugged up and dead on the street. I may seem selfish, but it's best for everyone. Including your son."
"My son?" Tadashi asked. "You mean our son."
"No, your son. I can't get attached. Please don't this to me. If you care about me, at all, you will not talk me out of this. You have multiple shots at a future. I only have one." She told him before she left without saying goodbye.
The technician came back in dumbfounded that the mother is gone, but gave the DVD and pictures to Tadashi before he left.
Tadashi spent that whole night watching the ultrasound video on his computer; ignoring everything else in the world. Just watching his son wave at him. Over and over again.
