Chapter Twelve: Dr. Duncan
The crowds refused to make themselves scarce over the next couple of months, so Bryce was unable and unwilling to venture out again.
Chicken was not forthcoming, though Edison was able to bring him some string cheese. He was also able to find some chicken-flavored crackers, though Bryce thought they tasted nothing like chicken.
"They're still good, though," Bryce said, popping one into his mouth. "But I don't think I'll eat too many of them."
A thought crossed Edison's mind. "When's the last time you saw a doctor? I mean a real one. Not those quacks at Ovu-vat?"
"I haven't," Bryce admitted.
"Bryce, you need to see a real doctor." Edison told him.
"How? I can't even leave anymore!" Bryce explained. "Those people out there are dangerous. Or had you forgotten what almost happened last time?"
"I haven't forgotten," Edison said. "But the network has it's own physician. I'm sure Dr. Duncan will be happy to help. So let's go…"
"Don't I need an appointment?" Bryce asked.
"You're already overdue for one," Edison pointed out as he led Bryce to the medical level.
Dr. Duncan looked up from the paperwork he was going over when his receptionist appeared on his view-phone screen.
"Bryce Lynch is here," she told him.
"About time," Dr. Duncan said. He had been wondering when the pregnant teenager would be paying him a visit. "Send him in."
The receptionist looked at Bryce. "You may go in," she said.
Bryce entered the doctor's office.
"Take a seat," Dr. Duncan offered.
As soon as Bryce was on the examination table, the doctor began.
"You should have been seeing me as soon as you were pregnant," he said. "This is a unique situation and it requires careful observation from a doctor."
"I.." Bryce began.
"Let me continue," Dr. Duncan cut him off. "I know you were going over it with Ovu-vat. But tell me, are they doing regular exams?"
"No," Bryce admitted. "They ask me to monitor my symptoms and let them know how I'm doing."
"I see," the doctor shook his head. He touched the view-phone calling button. "Nurse. Would you bring in the ultrasound machine. I'd like to have a look at something."
"Yes, doctor," the nurse replied.
The doctor disconnected the call then turned back to Bryce.
"I'm going to have a look at this gro-bag," he said. "I want to see how it's attached and determine the course we should take over the next several months."
The nurse came in with the ultrasound machine which she wheeled before her on a cart.
After starting it up, the doctor rubbed the gel on his gloved hands. "This may feel a little cold," he warned as the nurse pulled up Bryce's shirt and the doctor applied the gel to his abdomen, being careful of the scar from the earlier surgery..
Bryce flinched slightly, but was otherwise still.
The doctor turned the machine on and placed the paddle on the gelled spot on Bryce's abdomen.
It was then that Bryce saw his implant for the first time as well as the tiny shape inside that was starting to look a little like a human being, even if the head and limbs weren't quite in proportion yet..
He and the doctor both marveled at it.
"The bag seems to be stitched to the abdominal wall with the baby and its cord attached to the wall and feeding from you as it would in a female pregnancy," Dr. Duncan said in wonder. "They've done a good job of stitching it. However, I am concerned that the weight of it could cause abdominal tearing later on. I want to monitor you on a weekly basis right now. But starting at the sixteenth week, when movement begins, I want to see you every day to make sure fetal movement doesn't cause tearing. If that happens, Ovu-vat will have to end the experiment and transfer the fetus to an external gro-bag."
"And if it can't…"
"If the baby is outside the gro-bag it will not survive," Dr. Duncan told him. "You'd lose it in either case. I know you don't want to hear that, but I wanted you to know that's something you might face."
"Is there any way to keep the baby quiet so it doesn't move too much?" Bryce asked. "Something that won't hurt it?"
"Not in a case like this," the doctor shook his head. "There's too many uncertain variables. I don't know how much nourishment the baby is taking from you, so I don't dare give you something to pass on. It could hurt the baby. It's best that you just refrain from doing anything strenuous until the baby is ready to be born."
Bryce nodded.
"And that's another thing. I want you to come here for the birth. Not to Ovu-vat. You're very lucky they did as good a job as they did for the implant. But I don't trust them to take the baby out carefully. I expect they'll be too overexcited. I also doubt they have the means to deal with emergencies. So remember. Come here when it's time."
"I will," Bryce promised.
The doctor turned up the sound on the machine and Bryce could hear a sound that made him smile.
"That's your baby's heartbeat," Dr. Duncan said. "It sounds perfectly normal. Very healthy. Everything looks normal, except for the fact that you're male. I'll see you next week at this time."
Bryce pulled his shirt back down and carefully slid off the exam table.
"Oh, and I want you to take some maternity vitamins," the doctor added. "I'm going to write you a prescription for one each day."
Bryce accepted the prescription. He'd have to ask Edison to pick them up. But he was too happy to worry about that.
The image of that tiny life growing inside him, and the sound of its heartbeat, were something he would never forget.
