Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirty-six of "Not Here." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. This chapter has a bit of Andros/Ashley. Two Lost Galaxy characters make their appearance in this fic. A new pairing has been added to the pairing list. The name of the woman Bulk and Skull bullied when she was a teen mother has been changed to Nina because I already have a bottlenose dolphin named Riley. Stay tuned for chapter thirty-seven.
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Chapter 36: Pick Up/The Hospital/Ultrasound
Ashley was watching a recorded episode of Press Your Luck while sitting on the Hammond residence's living room couch in the early afternoon. A contestant groaned in frustration when she landed on a Whammy. The Boy George Whammy danced across the screen and sang 'Who would ever hurt a Whammy? Who would ever—Ow!' when a hammer hit him on the head and crushed him into a pile of goo. The Whammy card popped up with a boing.
She couldn't stop herself from chuckling. She loved all the wacky things that happened to the Whammies after they humiliated the contestants. She considered the Whammy getting water thrown on him while running across the screen carrying the Olympic torch to be her favorite. She thought it was good no Whammy was used twice in the same episode.
Her thoughts drifted to her appointment. She was excited yet nervous about seeing her and Andros's baby on the ultrasound. She had a feeling she would be monitored more closely since she was eighteen, but she didn't mind that. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry as Ashton and Anna had told her countless times when she was a little girl.
She heard honking and stood up to walk to the window. She saw Andros's car, which was somewhat faded and had a tiny scratch in the driver's door, in the driveway. She went to the coffee table and picked up the remote to turn off the TV and VCR. She put it back in its spot before grabbing her purse off the floor. She headed to the door. She opened it, locking it before going outside. She closed it behind her. She went to the car's passenger side and got in.
"Hey, Ash," he greeted with a happy smile. He watched her lay her purse on the floor.
"Hey yourself, Andros," she answered and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. She settled into her seat and buckled up. "You ready to get this show on the road?" She straightened the shoulder belt.
"Absolutely," Andros said honestly. He pulled out of the driveway and went down the street. "I feel so fortunate to be taking you to this appointment."
"I'm glad you are. By the way, I read the baby's heartbeat can be seen on the ultrasound as early as six weeks," Ashley said, touching her stomach.
He chuckled lightly. "It's amazing how a human baby grows from a single-celled zygote to eight pounds in nine months." He licked his lips.
She shook her head. "That gestation is nothing compared to the elephant. It carries its calf for twenty-two months. If humans carried their babies for that long, we'd have a bunch of giants running around."
"Fee-fi-fo-fum. I smell the blood of an English man!" Andros said in an evil-sounding voice. He looked in his rearview mirror to see a car coming up on his bumper. The driver honked her horn twice. "You've got another thing coming if you think I am going over the twenty-five-mile-per-hour speed limit on this road."
"Talk about being in a hurry," Ashley said as she looked out the back window at the car.
"I don't care if she is. I'm not going any faster," Andros declared and stopped at the intersection. He flipped his blinker up. The right blinker began to flash. He looked both ways. He winced in irritation when the driver honked her horn. He glared at her in the rearview mirror. "I'm only looking both ways, bitch!" He hissed in anger. "Damn. Have a little patience."
"If I could, I'd get out of this car and give her a piece of my mind," Ashley commented, looking ahead.
"I'd go with you to do that," Andros mumbled.
Ashley smiled. "Thanks."
Andros turned right. The blinker ceased its flashing. The driver drove ahead quickly. She shot him a dirty look. He glanced at the rearview mirror, growling softly.
"Good riddance, bitch," Andros shouted in determination. "Let's hope we don't hear anyone whining and complaining about how long it is taking their doctor to see them."
"Yeah," Ashley replied and rubbed her stomach very lightly. "If the world was designed to go fast, it would. Unfortunately, it isn't. We have to take things at a slow yet steady pace."
"You got that right," Andros agreed. He moved his hands to the sides of the steering wheel. He slowed down his speed a little bit. "So, when you do want to get maternity clothes?"
"Soon. I'd like to get several pairs of overalls, blue jeans, and some dresses. I do want to be prepared for when I start showing," Ashley commented truthfully. "Then again, there is a chance I won't show enough to have to wear them. No two women have the same pregnancy."
"I consider it ridiculous that a woman has to have a huge belly in order to be confirmed pregnant. Even worse is some pregnant women use the excuse they are eating for two to pig out on junk food," Andros grumbled with a roll of his eyes.
"So true," Ashley agreed. "One thing is clear. You won't see me pig out on that stuff."
"That's my girl," Andros said proudly. He increased his speed somewhat as a teen girl rollerbladed down the sidewalk.
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Andros pulled into the Angel Grove Memorial Hospital's parking lot twenty-five minutes later. He parked in a space near the entrance and switched off the engine. Ashley grabbed her purse and set it in her lap. They looked up at the top of the hospital as they unbuckled their seatbelts.
"I never noticed how big this hospital is," he commented.
"Me neither," she agreed. "The rooftop is the perfect perch for falcons."
"I know. You don't want to be a bird flying around when a falcon dive-bombs you and kills you with its talons," Andros said, imitating a falcon's dive by raising his hand high and moving it downward.
"Everyone knows falcons can fly up to two hundred miles per hour," Ashley exclaimed.
"That's nowhere near as fast as the Megaship's hyperspeed," Andros said with a smirk.
"It may not be, but it's really fast on Earth," Ashley commented, winking at him. "Come on. Let's get this appointment over with." She moved her eyebrows up and down.
"You got it, dude," Andros replied. "Just don't get a really weird craving while we're here." He stifled a snicker.
"You know I can't help that. Of course, the hospital cafeteria does have good food," Ashley pointed out.
"Thank God for that," Andros whispered in relief. "Come on."
Andros and Ashley exited the car. They went over to each other and held hands. They made their way to the entrance. They entered the mostly empty waiting room. They were relieved to see that. They let go of each other as they approached the receptionist, who looked up.
"May I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"My name is Ashley Hammond. I'm here to see Kai Chen for an ultrasound appointment. It's at three-thirty," Ashley answered.
"You look a bit young to be having a baby, young lady," the receptionist snapped and glared at Andros. "That must be your boyfriend. I bet he's not even the father."
"Watch your mouth, lady. I am the father of her child. I brought her here to see Kai. If you want to know my name, it's Andros Parker," Andros growled angrily, pointing his finger at her.
"Okay," the receptionist said and grabbed a piece of paper from next to her as the young man lowered his arm. She looked at Ashley. "What is your age?"
"Eighteen," Ashley responded. She watched the receptionist write her answer down and pressed her lips together.
"What was the date of your last period?" the receptionist commented seriously.
"October 5," Ashley said, swallowing hard. She reached into her purse to pull out her wallet. She opened it and grabbed a rectangular-shaped white plastic card saying 'Parkson Health Insurance.' She handed it to her. "This is the health insurance company my parents' health care plan is under. It says co-pay isn't required."
"All right," the receptionist said, as she looked it over. She wrote down the information before handing it back to the young woman. She watched her put it back in her wallet, which went back into the purse. She opened a drawer under her and got four forms. She grabbed a clipboard from beside her to put them on it. She got a pen and gave both to her. "You need to fill these out."
"Thank you," Ashley whispered with a quiet huff. "I will return these as soon as I can."
Andros and Ashley went over to chairs located next to the door leading into the hallway. They seated themselves. She laid her purse on the floor. She crossed her left leg over her right. She laid the clipboard in her lap and started filling out the first page. He looked toward the receptionist.
"That was a really rude woman," Andros growled in irritation.
"It's more than likely we won't have to deal with her every time I have to see Kai," Ashley said in relief. "I bet she doesn't have a boyfriend." She smirked.
He laughed. "I think you're right."
"I have a feeling Veronica will marry and divorce several times," Ashley said honestly. "That is if any man wants her."
"You know what they say, 'Love is blind,'" Andros said, gazing at his girlfriend.
"Yep, yep, yep," Ashley responded with a giggle. She finished filling out her address and began on the purpose of her visit.
"Sure thing, Ducky," Andros responded, playing with a piece of her hair.
She squeaked in delight as she stopped writing to look at him. "Just don't pull my hair out."
"I won't," Andros whispered lovingly and kissed her forehead. He pulled back to look at her. "I'm glad to be here with you."
"I'm glad you're here with me," Ashley answered, sighing in content. Suddenly, a thought hit her. "Andros, what about our Christmas getaway to my aunt's cabin?"
Andros gasped in shock. "Oh, shit. I never thought about that. I have to talk to Adelle about it. I'm supposed to return to work two days after Christmas." He laughed nervously.
"I hope she'll be okay with you missing three more days. I mean, you're asking for time off quite soon," Ashley said in seriousness.
"Yeah. It'd likely make some of my fellow employees who just started unhappy. Then again, I don't give a damn," Andros declared.
"Me neither. I think we deserve to get away from the bullies," Ashley said with a sharp exhale.
"Me too," Andros agreed and leaned toward her ear. "I'm looking forward to you seducing me with your nightie again. You're such a sexy little thing in that."
Ashley squeaked. "Thank you."
Andros pulled back and kissed Ashley on the lips. He rubbed noses with her before planting a kiss on the tip of hers. He pulled back, and she focused her attention on the form. She resumed filling it out.
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Ashley finished filling out the last form twenty minutes later. She placed the other three over it before standing up. She made her way over to the receptionist and gave her the clipboard back. The receptionist placed it on her desk and looked over the forms. She shifted her attention to Ashley, exhaling sharply.
"I will let Dr. Chen know you're here. It could be some time before he sees you," the receptionist said rudely.
"Thank you," Ashley said through clenched teeth. "You don't have to be rude, you know."
"Then you shouldn't have gotten yourself knocked up," the receptionist sneered. "You might as well relish the time you have with your boyfriend. He'll leave you once he tires of you and your little brat. In fact, why don't you just drop out of school? You'll be a hamburger flipper at McDonald's for the rest of your life." She acted as if she were spitting at the floor.
"I'll never leave school unless my pregnancy becomes high-risk. Even then, my parents will hire a private tutor to homeschool me," Ashley retorted defiantly. "By the way, why don't you pop that pimple on your forehead? It looks rather big."
Ashley walked away as the receptionist hissed angrily and rubbed the pimple on her forehead. She passed a thirty-five-year-old man going toward the receptionist. As an African-American, he was slightly taller than Andros was and was rather lean. He had no hair on his head whatsoever. His skin was dark, and his eyes were brown. He walked up to the window, and the receptionist greeted him warmly. They broke into quiet chatter. Ashley returned to her seat. She sat down with a light grunt. She looked at Andros, who was reading the eighth page of a magazine called Parent and Baby.
"Look at this, Ash," Andros said, showing Ashley a picture of a ten-month-old baby following its toddler sibling around in the middle of the page. "It says that babies may start walking earlier than normal if it has one or more siblings."
"I've heard of that," Ashley whispered. "I didn't start walking until I was sixteen months old." She chuckled. "My parents were worried at my delayed development, though Dr. Kirkson assured them I was fine. After I started walking, I couldn't stay still."
He smiled lightly. "Karone and I started walking when we were ten months old. We couldn't stay still either."
She raised her eyebrows. "Neat."
"Yeah. You could say that both of us had our sippy cups spiked with coffee," Andros joked.
"I've heard coffee can help stop asthma attacks," Ashley said.
"Whoa. That's unreal," Andros exclaimed.
"It's true. It can be very useful if a child doesn't have its inhaler nearby," she explained.
"If our child ends up being diagnosed with asthma, we should get lots of coffee. After all, we probably won't be getting a whole lot of sleep after it's born," he suggested.
"Yeah. Then again, we could get lucky," Ashley pointed out.
Andros nodded in agreement. "Mm-hmm."
Footsteps caught their attention. Andros and Ashley looked up to see the man approaching the chair next to the end table, which had a pile of magazines. The man sat down with a grunt and turned to the couple. Andros and Ashley showed a little nervousness.
"Hey, what are you two in here for?" the man asked curiously.
"We're here to see Kai Chen for an ultrasound. We're expecting a baby," Andros explained.
"Kai is your obstetrician?" the man exclaimed.
Ashley felt her eyes go wide with surprise. "You know Kai?"
The man laughed. "Yeah. His parents are friends with mine. We grew up together. He always dreamed of being an obstetrician. I had my heart set on becoming a mechanic."
"What is your name?" Andros asked and closed his magazine. He put it on the end table.
"My name is Damon Henderson. You two are—" the man started.
"I'm Andros Parker," Andros answered.
"I'm Ashley Hammond," Ashley added.
"It's nice to meet you two," Damon said and saluted the couple.
Andros became very curious. "So, what are you in here for?"
"I'm here for my annual physical," Damon answered, clearing his throat. "I got a clean bill of health last year." He beamed with pride. "I hope I get the same this time."
"We do too," Ashley said and ran her hand over her hair. "We hope our baby is doing okay." She bit her lip. "We're excited yet nervous about seeing it on the ultrasound for the first time."
"Though you two look rather young to be having a baby, I won't judge you," Damon assured. "Besides, people who judge young parents are buttheads in my books." He looked disgusted.
"If there's one thing we can tell you, it's we don't regret our baby," Andros said, taking Ashley's hand into his. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "It was conceived in an act of love."
Ashley sniffled. "There is no way in hell we are giving it up. We're going to prove to everyone we can raise it, despite we are young."
Damon smiled at his new friends. He admired their determination to raise their child. He saw his fair share of teen parents when he attended Angel Grove High School during the late seventies and early eighties. He felt sympathy for them when teachers and students badmouthed them. He still did.
"So, how far along do you think you are?" Damon wondered.
"I believe I'm between six and seven weeks along," Ashley answered truthfully. She touched her stomach with her other hand. "I haven't had many bouts of morning sickness due to snacking on crackers. Unfortunately, I did get sick after eating breakfast this morning."
"She told me about that when I called to check on her during my break from work just after ten o'clock. I've been working part-time at the Surf Spot since Wednesday. Ashley and I got the day off from school due to her appointment. I worked this morning, so I could bring her here," Andros added.
"Wow. It's getting close to Christmas, but you managed to find a job. Good for you," Damon said proudly.
"Mr. Freeman told me that Adelle was looking for people to work with her when Ashley and I signed up for the teen parent program. She gave me the job when I told her about our situation," Andros commented.
"We haven't decided what we will do about college yet. Our priority is to know how our baby is doing," Ashley added.
"I see," Damon said. "I have to say that you are really glowing, Ashley. My mom was just like when she was pregnant with me. She ate crackers to ease her morning sickness. Of course, she couldn't stop it completely."
"I've read stories of severe morning sickness landing moms-to-be in the hospital because of dehydration. Some have even died from it along with their unborn babies. It's called hyperemesis gravidarum. It affects one percent of pregnant women," Ashley muttered in fear.
"I've heard of that," Damon commented. "The exact cause of that condition isn't known, but it's believed to be a combination of factors, which may vary between women and genetics." He pressed his lips together. "Family history seems to play a part. My family has a history of type two diabetes."
"Really?" Ashley asked, her eyes showing much curiosity.
"Yeah," Damon replied truthfully. "I keep a closer eye on myself than most people do because of that. Even if I am in tiptop shape, I can still develop the disease." He placed his hand over his heart.
"Health issues such as diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, high cholesterol, and others don't care how thin or young you are. They can affect anyone of any age and any size. Those who think otherwise are delusional," Andros said firmly.
Damon nodded in agreement and looked away. Footsteps caught Andros and Ashley's attention. They looked up to see a thirty-five-year-old man coming their way with a folder tucked under his arm. Being Asian, he was Andros's height and was lean with some muscle. His black hair was short with spikes on top. His eyes were dark brown, and his skin was tanned. He stopped in the middle of the room.
"Ashley Hammond," the man called.
"That's me," Ashley stood up along with Andros. They approached him. "You are—"
"I'm Kai Chen, your obstetrician," the man answered and held out his hand.
"Oh, hi. It's nice to meet you," Ashley replied and shook it quickly. She looked at Andros, as did Kai. "This is Andros Parker, my boyfriend and the father of my baby."
"It's nice to meet you," Kai said, offering his hand.
"You too," Andros answered, shaking it fast. "I wanted to come, so I could see my baby."
"You're not the only one, Andros," Kai commented, smiling lightly. "I've seen many teen dads accompany teen moms to their appointments during my eight years of working here." He chuckled warmly. "They love the images of their babies on the ultrasound."
Andros jerked his thumb in Damon's direction. "By the way, we chatted with your friend over there."
Kai looked toward Damon and waved to him. "Hey, Damon. How's it going, buddy?"
"Great," Damon answered, waving back. "I'm just here for my annual physical. I had a nice chat with those two before you got here."
"I see," Kai commented, turning back to the couple. "Well, let's get this show on the road like everyone says." He shot a glance at Damon, as did Andros and Ashley. "Nice seeing you, buddy."
"You too. Good luck with the ultrasound," Damon called.
"Thanks. The same goes for you with your physical," Ashley responded sweetly.
"Thanks," Damon said, winking at the lovebirds. He watched them and Kai head for the door leading into the hallway. He hoped the ultrasound would go well.
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Andros, Ashley, and Kai stopped at the sixth room on the left three minutes later. Kai opened the door and flipped the switch, flooding the ultrasound room with light. The medium-sized room had a long bed. The ultrasound was next to it. Two chairs were near the door. A counter with drawers and cabinets were next to the second chair.
The obstetrician and the couple walked inside. Kai closed the door behind him. Andros and Ashley stopped in front of the chairs. She laid her purse in the second chair. They turned toward Kai as he went to the bed. Kai motioned for Ashley to come sit on it. Ashley went over to the stool and climbed up. She turned around and sat on the edge. Kai opened the folder and looked over her personal information.
"It says here you're eighteen years old and that Nancy Jenkins confirmed your pregnancy at the Angel Grove Free Clinic," Kai said calmly.
"Yes, she did," Ashley replied while nodding slowly. "She told me you were sympathetic toward teen parents. I'm anxious to find out how far along I am." Her body turned somewhat tense as Andros came to her side. "I've been keeping my morning sickness at bay by eating crackers."
Kai showed sympathy. "Everyone knows morning sickness isn't pleasant. Studies show morning sickness can reduce the risk of miscarriage." He closed the folder.
Ashley scratched her neck. "I've read about that. If I didn't have morning sickness, I wouldn't too be concerned. After all, some mothers didn't have any whatsoever and delivered healthy babies."
"So true," Kai agreed and walked over to the counter to lay the folder on it. He returned to Ashley. "Well, I want to tell you something that I tell all the teen parents I see. It's the main reason for my sympathy for them."
"What?" Andros wondered.
"I was a teen father myself," Kai answered, crossing his arms.
Andros and Ashley gasped in shock. They wondered if they heard wrong. They took a closer look at Kai and realized he was telling the truth. They wanted to hear his story.
"It happened after my freshman year in college. My wife, Brittany, was my high school sweetheart. We were just nineteen years old when our baby was born. We started dating during our sophomore year at Angel Grove High. Our relationship was frowned upon because she was white. Our parents and Damon were among our supporters. Damon and I have been friends since we were in kindergarten. We graduated from high school in May 1982. Brittany and I started attending Angel Grove University that August. Damon went on to work at Hanson's Garage as a mechanic," Kai said, uncrossing his arms.
"What did Brittany want to do?" Ashley wondered.
"She wanted to become a kindergarten teacher, so she went for a teaching degree. I was focusing on getting a medical one. Two months after starting college, we took our relationship to the next level. In January 1983, Brittany started getting sick a lot. We went to the free clinic and got confirmation that she was pregnant. We feared our parents would be angry with us because they've always been strict. Instead, they were supportive. Our mothers were stay-at-home moms. Our fathers were lawyers at Richland Law Firm. Our daughter was born July 9. We decided to name her An-Mei after my grandmother who died when I was only six. We took a year off from college, so we could take care of her. We endured a great deal of ridicule from fellow citizens once it became public knowledge," Kai mumbled, wincing as he remembered when people started ripping into him and Brittany over their situation.
Andros became sympathetic. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you," Kai whispered, giving him a small smile. "When we returned to college in August 1984, our moms took turns caring for An-Mei. Unlike most college students, Brittany and I attended through the summers, so we could graduate faster. We graduated in May 1987. We decided to get married. We married on June 29. She started teaching kindergarten at Angel Grove Elementary that August. I went through four years of medical school before starting a residency here in June 1991. Nancy supervised me during my residency. Four years later, I got my medical license. I've been practicing medicine ever since. An-Mei is now sixteen and a sophomore at Angel Grove High."
Ashley showed much awe. "Talk about going through a lot."
"Oh, I agree. Had Brittany and I been attending Angel Grove High during her pregnancy, we would've been sent to an alternative school," Kai commented and rubbed his hands together. "Anyway, let's get this ultrasound done. First, I need to take your blood pressure. It's standard procedure for all pregnant women."
Kai removed his stethoscope from his neck and put it in his ears. He went over to a drawer and opened it. He dug through it, taking out a sphygmomanometer. He closed it. He approached Ashley's right arm to put its sleeve around it just above the elbow. He put the stethoscope just below the sleeve and began to pump it up until it was tight.
The sphygmomanometer's tightness on Ashley's arm lessened little by little. The needle went down until it settled on one hundred thirteen over seventy-three. Kai released the air in the sphygmomanometer. He took the stethoscope out of his ears. He put it around his neck and returned the sphygmomanometer to its drawer after taking it off her. He grabbed his pen from his pocket. He opened the folder and jotted down the result.
"Your blood pressure is good," Kai announced and opened the cabinet above him to get a bottle fill with gel. "I have to warn you. The probe will feel a little cold."
"I'm okay with that," Ashley said gently.
Kai turned off the lights after closing the folder. Ashley moved back a bit to lay down. She lifted her red blouse. He returned to her side and squirted the gel on her lower abdomen. He took it back to the cabinet to put it up. He came back and switched on the ultrasound. He pressed the probe against her abdomen, which made her wince somewhat. Andros and Ashley looked over at the ultrasound to see an image of the baby. They appeared to be awed by it.
"The baby looks so tiny," Ashley whispered.
"It sure does," Andros agreed and took her hand into his.
"You can see its head right there," Kai said, making a gesture toward the top of the baby. He motioned to the underside. "You can see the rest of its body here." He moved his finger toward its chest, which showed the flicker of a heartbeat. "It has a very strong heartbeat."
"That's great," Andros said happily.
"Yep," Kai agreed. "The baby appears to be growing normally." He looked at it closely and turned to Ashley. "You're exactly seven weeks along. You'll be due on July 22."
Ashley gasped. "Really?"
Kai nodded at her. "Mm-hmm."
Andros and Ashley looked at each other, their faces beaming with happiness. They couldn't believe their baby was conceived on the night they made love for the first time. They considered this pregnancy extra special. Kai shifted his attention back to the screen. He moved the probe down somewhat. He showed surprise at what he was seeing.
"This is interesting," Kai whispered, a small chuckle coming out of his mouth.
"What?" Ashley asked in confusion as she and Andros looked at the screen. "What's going on?"
"There is a second baby here," Kai said, tapping his finger on the screen. He looked at them with a big smile on his face. "You two are having twins. Congratulations."
Andros and Ashley let out shocked gasps. Not once did they think they would be caring for two babies. They hoped their families and friends would have good reactions to this. They believed the harassment they were enduring at school would get worse once this news was known, but they didn't care. They were just as determined to be good parents to twins as they had been when they believed they would be caring for one baby. Kai looked toward the screen once more.
"There is the second baby's head," Kai said, gesturing toward the top of that baby.
Andros showed much awe, as did Ashley. "Wow."
"Here's the rest of its body," Kai commented, motioning toward the underside. He gestured toward the chest, which showed the flicker of a heartbeat. "It has just as strong a heartbeat as the other baby does. It's also growing normally."
"This is unbelievable," Ashley whispered, choking back a sob as she and her boyfriend looked at each other.
"No kidding. We went from being the parents of one baby to twins in just ten seconds," Andros said and kissed his girlfriend's forehead. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Ashley responded lovingly.
"Don't get all mushy around me, or I'll start crying," Kai quipped, stifling a snicker.
"Oh, get lost, Dr. Chen," Andros retorted playfully. He and Ashley turned back to the obstetrician.
"Please, call me Kai. All my patients do," Kai insisted gently.
"Okay," Ashley said while nodding.
Kai became very serious. "Since you're a teenager carrying twins, I will be monitoring you more closely. You will be at some risk for giving birth prematurely as the pregnancy progresses into the later months."
"I figured," Ashley whispered, sighing heavily. "How often will I have to have ultrasounds?" She looked a little nervous.
"You will have them monthly," Kai replied truthfully. "You don't need to worry paying for this. None of these examinations will cost a cent. I have no doubt your parents' health care plan will be approved."
"Oh, thank God," Andros muttered in relief.
"Despite the risk of premature birth, I am confident you will have a normal pregnancy as long as you take good care of yourself, Ashley. You're already doing that. Of course, we should always prepare for the unexpected," Kai pointed out.
Ashley nodded in agreement. "Mm-hmm. Thank you for everything, Kai." She emitted a loud sniffle. "You don't know how much Andros and I appreciate this."
"You're welcome," Kai said, smiling warmly. "Don't worry about prenatal vitamins. You can get them over-the-counter at the drug store. I don't want your parents to spend money on the prescription type, as they are no better. Now, let's get back to looking at this ultrasound."
Kai gazed at the screen, as did Andros and Ashley. He moved the probe up, bringing up the first baby. He spoke inaudible words as he gestured toward its underside.