"Finally" Karen stated. "I thought I would need to drag you out of your room like a Neanderthal if you took any longer."
Abby snorted "Sorry sweet heart but you know how it is. You can't rush perfection."
Now it was Karen's turn to snort as she pulled away from under their apartment complex parking lot and onto the road. "I see, even after all these years, you my dear have yet to come up with new comebacks."
Abby just smiled and rolled her eyes. Than angled her body so she could comfortably look out the window.
The two of them drove in silence for the first ten minutes Karen occupied with driving and Abby string out the car window watching as people walked and interacted on the streets of D.C and spotting the occasional bum here and there.
"What's on your mind, giggles?" Karen asked in a soft voice, smiling when the corners of Abby's lips slowly started to rise.
"I forgot that used to be my code name." Abby chuckled "Oh how the times have changed."
"I know legs" at this Abby groaned "oh wait hold it there red."
"Stop" Abby moaned into her hands that now covered her face. "I don't know what's worse." Her words muffled by her hands, "being known for seducing a Russian politician using my legs and being caught or being a terrible assassin."
Karen laughed "Well you know what's worse?" she asked with a teasing tone that made Abby wince.
"What? What is possible worse than being known for having terrible nicknames?" Abby asked in a way that showed her reluctance at wanting to know what for best friend was getting at.
With a big grin Karen took a deep breath and was about to say something when she suddenly closed her mouth "umm never mind." She chuckled "I'll tell you once you're checked in."
Looking up in the direction Karen was smiling at she noticed that they had arrived at the doctor's office quicker than she had anticipated.
Abby's POV:
"What is taking so long?" I could not help my irritation from showing. "We got here twenty minutes ago and look we got her before that lady." I snarled quietly to Karen who was calmly reading a celebrity magazine, while openly pointing to a woman whose name was just called and sporting with a tiny baby bump half the size and width of my gigantic beach ball that was being escorted by a nurse going through the doorway to the exam rooms. "What is taking so long . . ." I opened her mouth to complain more to Karen, but closed my mouth when Karen gently placed her open magazine on her lap showing a feature of who wore it better and turned her torso to face me.
With the straightest face Karen leaned towards me making sure the other pregnant women and their families or friends wouldn't over hear but she could spot some who were listening with interest to what the two of them where saying.
"Maybe" Karen started "there conspiring against you" she paused and glanced around skillfully at everyone in the room noticing the closest women directly across them where in fact listening. I glared dangerously at my friend for teasing me, making sure that my eyes showed promise that even though I was having a hormonally temper tantrum I would get her back.
"This must be your punishment for not coming to your previous appointments and now that you're here" she grinned and continued "they were so shocked at your size so they needed to prepare a special room to accommodate. . ." But before she could finish the door opened and a young couple walked out with foolish identical grins followed by an elderly nurse with a kind face who called out with firm and loud voice "Abigail Smith."
With a chuckle Karengot up gracefully, lended a hand to me but I huffed not in the mood and slapped the hand away grunting unladylike when I hopped up not bothering to look graceful or patient.
I could not help myself as I, mumbled for all too "Finally" under my breath not caring who heard. So it was loud enough for half the room to hear, gaining small chuckles and smiles of amusement from the waiting families and women.
The elderly nurse smiled despite my glare as she said "this way sweetie" and directed Karen and I to the room directly across from the waiting room door. Walking down the spacious hallway I could not help my instinct to obverse my surroundings noticing that in that hallway there were eight rooms and the only windows where on the doors. The first four rooms to our left had couples talking to their doctors, and the first firt rooms on our right was a woman getting an ultra sounds, and the rest on the rooms were mostly of rooms occupied with just couples waiting for their doctor as the women were laying down on a table talking to someone out of view or just reading a book or magazine and the last room on the right looked like storage room filled with shelves and cabinets.
Karen calm as ever walked in first looking at the L-shaped counter top opposite to us, examining the room as well missing nothing from rolling chair directly across the room from the door, to the two padded benches that completed out lining the square border of the room and could probably only fit two full grown adults. Karen's gaze pausing on a door with a plaque that read RESTROOM, covered in informational posters showing diagrams of what the stages babieslooks like in the womb, and quickly glancing at exam table in the middle of the room that was angles parallel to the door. She walked in only when she seemed satisfied about the room, than sat down on the bench that was against the wall where the door was.
"The doctor will be right in." the nurse said with a kind smile as she walked into the room after the two women, and set a thin manila folder on the counter corner directly across from the door and walked out closing the door when she existed.
"She's a sweetheart." Karen muttered as she opened a different magazine, she took from the waiting room and started to flip the fashion magazine.
I snorted but didn't comment as I glanced at the clock irritably from on top the table watching as every minute passed.
"Relax GI Jane" Karen said absentmindedly five minutes latter, as she turned another page. "The doctor will come, so relax you look as though you're an about to commit murder, this is a doctors appointment, not a mission. So chill."
I opened my mouth, ready to snarl back but just as I was about say something too Karen. She closed her magazine and set it aside and a second later the door opened and closed as an elderly woman came in wearing a white lab coat covering a grey pantsuit and a spotless white blouse, wearing a kind, gentle smile.
"Hi, Ms. Smith. I'm Sarah Wilkinson your OBGYN." She said walking in and sticking out her hand.
"Hi" I said slowly in a tone crammed with irritation, and returned her hand shake.
I watched as she turned to Karen and offered her hand to her as well "Karen Johnson" Karen started jerking a thumb in my direction "Her cousin." she lied with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Wilkinson."
"Please call me Sarah. It's a pleasure to meet the two of you as well." Sarah smiled and pulled out a rolling chair that was almost the same height as the exam table and grabbing the manila folder skimming through it. "I'm sorry for the delay but seeing as this is your second check up we needed to set up all the tests that you were supposed to having at the beginning of your pregnancy" Sarah's tone of voice immediately made me like her. I had been expecting a lecture or a judgmental Bitch but Sarah the complete opposite, she seemed nice as well as understanding and something about her was absolutely trustworthy.
"So first things first" she started, her expression stern and professional. "We will need to have blood work done, then give you the appropriate shots if there is anything wrong with your blood work." She held up a hand when she noticed our panic. "Don't worry it's rare but sometimes the baby gets sick or something is wrong while in the womb and needs emergency medicine or antibiotics,its not uncommon but it's ususally not life threathening" She motioned to the closed door. "I'll have one of the nurses, do your blood work and other test that are needed than you can wait for the results or leave, it's up to you and once we have your results we will call you to come in and then you will have an ultra sound."
"Do you have any questions?" Sarah asked calmly, when she finished.
I looked at Karen and she looked at me. I could tell from her expression that she also felt way over our heads with this. It made me fell immediately guiltily for not coming in early. And just like before, almost like she could read my mind my baby kicked my side reminding me she was there.
Smiling and placing a hand over my belly where she kicked "No. it's to early to for questions." Knowing that I had almost no information besides my fears to ask about and I didn't feel like spending what would most likely be hours in that room if I wanted my questions to be answered.
Smiling warmly as well as knowingly at me, Sarah stood up holding the manila folder and walked towards the door saying "Ok, good. Your nurse will be right in and if you have any questions you can ask her or you can write them down and ask me when I you later." Smiling at the two of them once more, she walked out without a word.
Looking at Karen I opened my mouth to apologies for not listening coming in earlier and being bitchy earlier. But like always she beat me to it showing that she knew me better than I thought "What's done, is done, it can't be changed."
But when I opened my mouth and started "But if I. . . " tears already in my eyes.
"Abby" her tone immediately made me stop trying to talk but made my tears fall faster. Standing up she grabbed a tissues from the counter and handed it one to me "Don't beat your self up over it. Like I said what's done is done. At least you're here and getting check out. The baby will be fine and she will be healthy." Smiling softly at me Karen wiped away another tear "even though I'm sure she is going to be a he" I could not help myself and laughed even though it sounded like a sob. Karen smiled again knowing that mentioning the argument we have been having at what the sex of the baby will be will make me smile "everything will be fine" rubbing my back warmly.
There was a quick knock on the door ending our affectionate moment, it opened showing a young nervous nurse holding a manila folder. She looked slightly nervous and shy "hello, I'm Candice and I'm going to be your nurse." She said with a small blush, trying to cover her face with her dark brown bangs.
Karen smiled warmly at her "Hi, I'm Karen and this is my baby cousin Abby." It was obvious that she wanted the nurse to be comfortable.
Still feeling emotional I smiled as well, sniffing and said my hello.
"Hello, um" walking to the counter, holding the folder reading it. "Ok, first things first I will be taking a blood sample and then I will need a urine sample." Said not meeting our eyes but looking down at the chart, it seemed like with every word she got comfortable around us.
Nodding I took off my jacket and handed it to Karen who grabbed it and my tissues and sat back down on her bench opening up her magazine. As Candice opened drawers and cabinets grabbing sterilized needles and synergies and other stuff. I watched as she wrapped a rubber band around my arm and wiped my elbow down with an alcohol wipe and gauze dyed a brownish orange. Once she wiped down my arm she turned grabbing a pair of rubber gloves and put them on, she grabbed three bags, ripping both of them open, she assembles a needle with two tubes branching off the end. By then the brown gel on my arm had started to dry up, Candice slipped in the needle to a fat vein protruding noticeably from my arm causing ruby red blood to gushing evenly into the tubes.
"What do you think you will have?" Candice asked as she got up, Karen chuckled from her bench and I smiled.
'I want a little girl" I responded looking up at the ceiling and glancing at the needle every other second. "But Karen seems to think that I'm having a boy."
"Oh I can see why" Candice said while she cleaned up the mess she made and taking off the gloves she already had on and put on a new pair.
I looked at her quickly "Why?" very curious as to why she agreed with Karen.
Smiling kindly "Will when women have a girl they seem to um ..." she looked up at the ceiling in though, choosing her words carefully, Karen also looked up from her magazine interested at what Candice had to say. Candice blushed and crocked her head "they seem to um how you say . . ."biting her lip she whispered, like it was a secret "they tend to be meaner and have really bad skin." Karen laughed causing Candice to blush again "and women who are having boys seem have better skin as well, and better attitudes. But sometimes it just depends on the mother."
Sitting back down and using her feet to push her self so, she was next to me Candice grabbed my arm and pulled out the needle. Applying rolled up gauze and covered it with a piece of tape to my elbow to cover absorb the blood. "But sometimes you never know" Candice winked "you know what they say mother knows best." She said causing me to smile as she removed the vials of blood and set them on the table . Turning back to the counter and opening a drawer, while grabbing a plastic cup with a cap as will as a big paper package at the same time. "I will need a urine sample as well as give you some shots, the restroom is right through that door and then we will be all done." Candice said pointing to the door that said RESTROOM on a black plaque, and ripping open the package, pulling out three synergies and took off the plastic cap, off of the needles and sterilized my upper arm again before quickly giving me the shots and putting a band aid on after each injection.
"Once you are done you will open the metal door next to the sink and place it in the tray." Candice instructed this while writing down with a sharpie my name as will as other stuff on a sticker with lines on it, than applied it to the cup evenly. Smiling obviously satisfied at her work she looked up at us "and once you're done you will need to leave your number with the secretary up front if you're leaving or you can wait in the waiting room. It's up to you, have a nice day you two." Smiling Candice grabbed the manila folder as well as the vials of blood and left the room.
Karen chuckled and stood up. "I'm gonna talk to the secretary. Where do you want to have lunch?" she asked as she head towards the door to leave while I headed towards the restroom to pee.
"Um you choose." I responded as I closed the door.