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Chapter 9: First Visit & Still Alot of Questions

Dave looked at the calendar he had pinned up in his room; or more specifically a date that was circled red on the calendar he had pinned in his room. That date was tomorrow and it would be his first visit to the doctor since, he found out.

Even though his face didn't show it, his heart raced with anticipation for this date. He had been anxious about it for quite some time. He's had lots of questions, or concerns rather, for the doctor.

Was he doing everything right, for the baby that is? Was it okay? Was he eating the right, or enough of the right, foods? Did he need to do anything differently, as far as his and the baby's health was concerned?

Every time he tripped and fell or bumped into something, his bro nearly lays a gold brick. He'd give him the talk of how he needed to be more careful, that he had a baby growing inside of him to think about.

Dave would play it off all cool, reassuring his bro that he was fine, but honestly it scared him too whenever he would be clumsy and fall or bump into something. He couldn't bear the thought of doing anything to hurt the baby slowly growing inside of him.

That's why he was so anxious about going to the doctor the next day. He had been particularly clumsy this past week, he bumped into the table three times and tripped going down the hallway. And if it weren't for him quickly grabbing onto the wall, he would have fell.

Dave looked down at his now semi-flat tummy as he sat down on his bed. He had a tiny little baby bulge going on. It was BARELY noticeable. And if just anyone took a good look at Dave, they probably wouldn't notice anything was out of the ordinary. But Jade noticed it all right, and she thought it was the cutest thing since she discovered kittens on the internet. Every time Dave and her were together, she couldn't keep her hands off his belly. She was excited about the baby. They all were, in their own way.

And as bad as he hated to admit it, Dave was excited too. About his appointment tomorrow that is.

If everything was okay, they'll most likely be able to see the baby through an ultrasound for the first time, and get to hear it's little heart beat.

Dave put his hands on his stomach, almost trying to feel the beat for himself before anyone else had the chance.

Dave felt a faint smile creep up on his face as he rubbed his hands over his belly. But, that smile soon fades as he ponders the questions he's been asking himself for a while now?

'Should I do it?' Dave asked himself, 'Should I keep the baby?'

Dave laid down on his bed and stared up into space, almost trying to envision himself raising the child.

He started picturing all the horrors of being a parent. 3 am wake ups, stinky diapers up to his neck, the crying and screaming all the time!

But then again, he imagined all the joys of being a parent. The baby's first smile, first words, first steps, first day of school. All that, he would miss out on if he decides to...

'Oh what on earth am I going to do if I keep it?!' Dave mentally screamed at himself.

'But what am I going to do if I can't give it?' Dave sighed as that mental coin flipped.

All the "what ifs" and "should Is" were making his head spin. And if this kept on going like it was, Dave was certain his head would roll right off his shoulders. He needed to talk to someone, get this thing off his chest.

And he knew just who to do it.


*Ring...Ring...Ring...*

"Hola," John answered his phone, practicing his Spanish.

"¡Hola Egberto! ¿Como estás?" Dave decided to play along.

"Yeah, I haven't got that far?" John gave up, "Man I am so screwed on that upcoming test! You do not know how lucky you are! With your 'getting-home-schooled-self' and being spared the agony of Ms. B's Spanish class!"

Dave chuckled as he heard his best friend rant over the phone, "I'm telling ya man. Lalonde has something with this home schooling gig. I get up whenever I want, I do my school work whenever I want. And when I get tired, I just go take a nap. While you're right in the middle of Ms. B's Spanish Inquisition."

"Hahaha...you lucky prick," John retorted, "You're sitting back and relaxing, while my brain is being tortured!"

"Heh," Dave said sitting up on his bed, rubbing his back, "I don't know about the relaxing part, but I've certainly been sitting back."

He repositioned himself to the head of his bed.

"That reminds me, how have you been these past two week?" John asked.

Dave ran a hand through his hair, recalling all the events of these past two weeks, since Jane has basically been living with them.

"Everything's going great man!" Dave honestly could say.

Things at the Strider household have taken a turn, for the better.

That first Monday, Dirk went down to the school and told a little white lie about Dave being continually sick and having to be put on a home study program for the time being. He sighed all the paper work, got his transcripts and when he got home, enrolled Dave in that home school that Roxy had Rose in. The tuition wasn't bad and Dave did get his school work done, on his own time.

Dirk and Jane have worked out this system.

Jane would come and live with them. She would go her work at the FBI Headquarters in Houston. Dirk would stay home with Dave. Then Jane would come home and cook dinner. And then when Dirk would go to work. And then Jane would take care of Dave and make sure he done his school work.

This system was very effective, for all parties.

Dirk didn't have to worry about Dave being left at home alone at nights, and be on a silver platter for Noir; and he was able to spend real quality time with his little bro. He could watch out for his little brother and make sure he didn't get into anything. And he didn't have to worry about any unwanted eyes finding out about their little 'dilemma'. Dirk had made sure to keep Dave in the house as much as he could. But when going out couldn't be avoided, Dirk made sure Dave was right up under him.

Jane was able to perform her motherly duties and look out for Dave, and the baby, while keeping a low profile and dropping subliminal hints to both of them; and she was also doing a pretty good job at getting Dave to do his school work. She told Dave that since he liked to stay up late that he could do his school work at night. And it was proving to be very effective. He made an A on his last math test.

And Dave, well he was just laying back and trying his best to obey ALL the doctor's orders. Trying, but temptation is oh so powerful. Yesterday, he drank the last of his contraband sode he has hid in his room from Jane. Since she had came to live with them, she had taken out almost every sugar filled drink out of the house. But Dave managed to spare a few cans and keep them hidden in his room. But now, they were all gone. Oh well, at least apple juice wasn't on that 'do not' list.

"But yeah, everything is going great man. The home schooling's going good. Jane said that since I like to stay up late at night, that that's when I could do my school work. Let me tell ya man, it's working. I could always concentrate better at night anyway. And I made an A on my last math test," Dave said.

"Oh really?! An A?! Oh my gosh, call Ripley's someone! Dave got on A on a math test," John playfully joked to his friend.

"Call the presses," Dave joked.

"How's your bro and Jane doing? They haven't bit each other's heads off have they?" John asked.

"No, they're doing great. They pick at each other all the time, but they get along great! Maybe alittle too great..." Dave smirked and he threw his hand on his face as he recalled the sight that was before one particular morning, "I swear man, the day after we came back from y'all's house, I woke up and both of them were stark nekkid on the couch. I already was nauseated enough that morning! I didn't need that image being burned into my retinas!" Dave said rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to get the reoccurring image from popping up in his head again.

"Hahahahaha wow, oh my God!" John laughed over the phone.

"Yeah, that's what my stomach was saying when I ran to the bathroom and regurgitated my insides," Dave said, trying not to recall the experience.

Dave could still hear John snickering over the phone, "So aside from those two getting alittle too friendly, everything, everyone is going good?"

"Well, I don't know about everyone," Dave finally admitted, "I think, I think Jane wants me to keep the baby."

"Oh really? What makes you think that?" John asked.

"I don't know, it's almost like she's been dropping subliminal messages to me," Dave explained, "Like the other night, after Bro had done gone to work, she had asked me if I have had any ideas for names, for the baby. I told her I don't know, that I was kind of gonna let the family that gets the baby decide the name. But she said that I should still think of a name for it in the mean time, that a baby shouldn't come into the world nameless. And then other day, I found a baby catalog in the table, buried under my books."

"Well as far as the name goes, I suppose that kind of makes since. You could call it at least something for the time being and when you guys find parents, let them pick out a name," John said, trying to be supportive.

"No, I don't want to do that," Dave defensively said.

Immediately he wished he could take back what he said, at least in that tone of voice. Dave could tell John recoiled alittle on his end.

"Look, I didn't mean to say it like that," Dave said calmly, trying to put this as best as he could, "What I mean is I'd really prefer it if I could find a family first and let them pick out a name. I mean it'll be their baby after all, they should have the right to name it. Not me," Dave sadly said at what he was admitting.

John took a moment before replying, he knew Dave. He knew Dave more than Dave knew that he knew him. And he could knew it in his voice, Dave secretly didn't want to give up this baby.

"Dave, I'm going to be honest with you and I want you to be honest with me," John finally spoke, "What do you really want to do? Do you really want to give up this baby?"

'Dammit Egbert...'

Dave really, truly, honestly didn't know how to answer that question.

Does he truly want to give up this baby? No...he didn't. He wanted to keep the baby. To love and be there for it and raise it with his bro and Jane, as a family.

But, does he want the absolute best life for this baby; something he knew full well that he wouldn't able to provide for it, of course.

To Dave, that's all that really mattered, providing this baby with the best life possible. And if that meant him giving it to a couple, a family that could provide for it whatever it needed and wanted, then so be it.

"Dave? You still there man?" John asked, snapping Dave out of his little daze.

As Dave opened his mouth, he started feeling some more of the effects of his new body changes.

For some ungodly reason unbeknownst to him, he felt weird tingly feeling steadily kept pulsating through his chest.

"Yeah, I'm here," Dave said, rubbing his chest, "My tits are just feeling weird again. It feels like they're pulsating."

"That's weird," John said, "Maybe it has something to do with your hormones or something."

"Probably," Dave said, "They've been feeling that way for a couple of weeks now. It feels really weird. I swear I'm growing boobs! The other night, I was getting out of the shower and...Alright Egbert, what is it?" Dave had to stop when he heard snickering on the other end of the line.

"Alright, go ahead and get it ou..."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" John erupted into laughter on the other end.

"Yeah yeah yeah, laugh it up Egbert! We'll see who's laughing when Uncle John gets to change the first stinky diaper," Dave blurted out without thinking, and immediately slapped his hands over his mouth when he realized what he said.

"Oh so now you're keeping it?" John retorted.

"Yes! I mean, no! I mean, I don't know alright!" Dave stammered.

John stopped laughing and was quiet for a moment.

"Dave, I want you to hear me out," John finally said, "I can't tell you what to do in this situation. But I can tell you this. Listen to your heart, do what your heart is telling you to do."

"Egbert, if only it were that simply," Dave admitted, "My heart is screaming so many things right now, I don't know what to listen to."

There was another pause between the two boys before John finally spoke once more.

"Well Dave, you've got 7 more months, that's still a long time to thing about things," John said, "But hey listen, I gotta go. I think Dad needs my help in the kitchen. Please let us know what the doctor says tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, see ya later John. I will and say hi to Dad for me," Dave slightly smirked.

"Will do, see ya later Dave. Bye!" John said hanging up.

Dave threw his phone on the bed, and sighed.

"7 more months, if only it were that easy Egbert," Dave said staring back up at his ceiling, "If only it were that easy."


"Dave Strider, the doctor can see you now," the nurse said as she opened the door to the waiting room.

"'Bout freaking time," Dave mumbled as he, his brother and Jane followed the nurse into the examination room. They have been waiting for over 45 minutes, and let's just say that the Striders are not known for their patience.

"The doctor will be with you in just a minute," the nurse smiled at Dave as she left the room.

"As long as that minute doesn't turn into another 45," Dave could hear his brother mumbling.

But, thankfully, true to the nurse's word, the doctor arrived very promptly.

"Hello David!" the doctor happily greeted, "How are you this fine morning?" the doctor asked as he began to examine Dave.

"Pretty good," Dave said, "My sides have been cramping a bit and chest have been feeling weird, though."

"Well the cramps are normal, that's just your body and your muscles adapting to the changes. And by weird, do you mean tingling?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah," Dave said.

"Don't worry, that is perfectly normal. You see, the tingling you're feeling is actually the milk sacks growing. And as they continue to grow, you will be noticing your 'breasts' getting larger," the doctor informed.

Oh Dave could just hear the giggles now coming from his friends; or maybe that was from his dear brother sitting across from him, holding his hand over his mouth, giggling like an idiot.

Dave smirks when he sees Jane quickly silencing by giving him a hard pinch on the arm.

"So do you have any other questions or concerns?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah, I do actually," Dave said, "Am I doing everything right? Is the baby okay? Is there anything that I need to do differently as far as the baby's health is concerned?"

"Well, you seem to be in good health. And from your little baby bulge going on, I'd say that your baby is growing and is healthy," the doctor said.

Dave wrapped his arm around his belly, alittle shy of his tiny bulge.

"I've been making sure he's stuck to the list doctor," Jane said.

"Well that's good then," the doctor said, "And I assume that you've been getting enough rest and haven't been doing anything strenuous?"

"He doesn't have to lift a finger so much as I'm around," Dirk said.

"Well then, with all of that in consideration, I'd say that you are doing everything right and everything is fine," the doctor smiled.

"Now, who wants to see a baby?" the doctor asked, setting up the ultrasound machine.


"That's cold!" Dave blurts outs as the doctor quirts the gel onto his belly.

The doctor smiled as he moved the sensor (thingy) around and a black and white image appeared on the screen. And for the first time, they get to hear it's little heart beat.

"And there it is," the doctor announced.

The three in the room stared into the screen with utter amazement.

None of them could help the ear to ear smile that made it's way across each of their faces.

"Wow," Dave quietly whispered.

There was the baby, his baby, right there in the screen. It didn't really look like a baby right now, but it is and it will.

Dave placed a hand over the area not being screened as he felt two more hands being placed in the other.

"It looks like your baby is doing just fine David," the doctor happily said.

For a moment, Dave is happy, excited even about bringing this soul into the world. All the happy thoughts of him first holding the baby after it's born, all the happy first moments of the baby's life, all come flooding back for a moment.

But just for a moment.

The smiled on his soon fades as his heart and his mind play tug of war.

His heart was screaming, 'No no no no, you can't do it. You can't give it up!'

While his mind telling him, 'You have to, there's no way you can keep in. What about college? What about your life? What about's it's life?'

Dave felt the grip of the heart's rope loosen and his mind seized the moment.

And for the moment, his mind had won.

As the doctor printed out the pictures of the ultrasound for the trio, he turned off the ultrasound machine.

"And here you are David," the doctor said handing the pictures to Dave.

"Thank you doctor," Dave said.

"Oh and I almost forgot to tell you," the doctor stayed, "the baby's due date is June 21. You'll have a little summer baby."

The three all looked at each other with wide eyes and shocked faces.

June 21, the first day of Summer, was also Cynthia's birthday.


'There's no way, there's no way we can give it up,' Dirk thought as he looked over the pictures in the hallway before they left the doctor's office, 'Mama would skin us alive. She'd want us to raise it, not some strangers.'

'What if I talk to Little Man, and tell him that this is what Mama would want. Maybe, I can convince him to keep it. We cold raise it together. Me, him, and Janey. I mean Janey helped me raise him, so...'

"Hey Little Man,' Dirk blurted out.

'Oh great going you big idiot! If he wants to give it up, that is his decision and I don't have the right to convince him other wise. If he feels giving it up is the best thing than so be it!'

"Yeah Bro?" Dave looked over at him.

To keep himself from blurting out anymore irrational decisions, Dirk switches from heart torn father/brother mode, into 'Dirk-Mode'.

"So I was just thinking, so now that your boobs are growing now you can play with your own titties."


And that ladies and gentlemen, is how Dirk Strider got a black eye.