This is a short chapter, but I felt this needed its own 'standalone' chapter.
A few days later and Henry and Elizabeth were waiting in a medical room, Elizabeth laying on the bed and glancing around at all the posters and models presenting the female reproductive system and pregnancy. It all seemed so familiar from years ago, but at the same time so, so surreal. She never expected to be back in one of these rooms, having an ultrasound, and on top of that never in a million years did she expect to be Secretary of State whilst pregnant. Glancing at Henry, who was also looking around the room, she could read his face and knew he was thinking along the same lines as her. Of course both of them had sort of adjusted to the news, but big moments in the pregnancy like this made them both stop a minute and realise how surreal it really was.
Sensing her eyes on him, Henry turned to look at her as a small but reassuring smile formed across his lips and he took his wife's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze another sign of him reassuring her. It was at that moment Elizabeth's doctor walked in and greeted the couple with her own warm smile. Pulling her hair into a bun, she then used the sink in the room to keep her hands clean; she walked over to her chair next to the bed and sat down.
Playing around with the machine to Elizabeth's side, the middle aged woman began to speak. "So how are you feeling Mrs McCord?" Dr Roseaan asked, her sweet bubbly voice filling the room.
"Sick." Elizabeth simply mumbled. "Like every morning, and every other hour of every day." Once again, Henry silently squeezed her hand softly, in a way to comfort his wife.
Dr Roseaan stopped with the machine and turned her full attention to Elizabeth. "Did you get my email? On possible medications that may help?" She asked, with Elizabeth's busy schedule and the fact her and her doctor had known each other for years, Elizabeth and Dr Roseaan had decided it would be a good idea to have an email communication.
Elizabeth nodded. "I also looked them up; I don't like the sound of the side effects."
"It can cause side effects, but at the end of the day they are safe during pregnancy, and I think the side effects don't outweigh the benefits." The doctor stated, she knew what Elizabeth was like with medication. She would only take it as a last case scenario. Elizabeth would rather tough it out than start a medication that she didn't know how she would go with.
"I don't have time to find out. Plus I know that they may not even work so I just have to keep swapping to find the right one… it's just too much."
The doctor sighed. "Elizabeth, how many times a day would you say you're being sick?" Of course she already knew this, it was one of the ways she diagnosed Elizabeth with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, but she needed to get the point through to Elizabeth that it really would be the best course to take.
"Um… ten at least-." She shrugged. "It varies a little each day but I would say at least ten times on a good day." Elizabeth then sighed, before speaking once more, directing the attention back to the fact she was not taking any drugs. "Look, it might be best for me. But is it really best for the baby? I am not having anything that could cause harm to it. And they say being sick is a good sign, because it means your hormones are working how they should for the baby."
"Okay, but I want regular blood tests to make sure you and baby are getting the correct amount of nutrients and other vitals from food and drink consumption. And other tests like regular weight, check-ups, and the moment I notice something of concern, you are going on those meds, okay? Because then they definitely safer than not taking them."
Knowing the doctor was right, Elizabeth simply nodded. Dr Roseaan then got the wand for the ultrasound, causing Henry to lean forward to watch the foetus on the screen. He had stayed to the side for the moment, just listening to Elizabeth and the doctor, taking in all information and considering ways he could help and make sure she was in fact fine. The doctor requested for Elizabeth to pull her top up and the cold gel, which Elizabeth didn't actually find too cold, was placed on her stomach. The wand was placed on her abdomen and with a few buttons pressed on the monitor the picture of the latest McCord was presented to them.
A huge smile broke out on both Elizabeth and Henry's faces, tears of joy and love filling in their eyes. Henry, who could see Elizabeth's reaction in the corner of his eye moved a hand up and caressed her cheek underneath one of her eyes that the tears threaten to fall from. She wanted to turn and look at him, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the screen, she wanted to take every moment of watching the baby. And then the heartbeat sounded through the room, and that was when tears fell from her eyes, hearing the fast beating of her unborn child, it was suddenly so real. No words would describe how much love she had for that baby.
A few minutes later, when the doctor had gotten everything she needed, she took the wand away. She then turned her attention fully to Elizabeth and Henry with a warm smile. "Everything looks good, I'd say you're around seven weeks along and the baby has a strong heartbeat and looks really good. So I will leave you two so you can sort your clothes out, and I will see you outside when you are ready." She nodded at the pair, before dismissing herself from the room.
When the door was closed, Elizabeth turned her head to Henry. "That was… Wow… I was not ready for that feeling of seeing the baby on the scan."
"I know babe." He agreed with honesty, knowing the feeling she was talking about, it was beautiful and overwhelming. Reality hit then, it made it seem so much more real when seeing the grainy picture of the baby.
They took a moment of silence together, cherishing the fact they had just met their baby for the first time, before Elizabeth finally sat up and wiped the gel off her stomach and pulling her top back down. Henry then helped her off the bed, handed her, her purse and the pair walked out the room.
Elizabeth's doctor was waiting for them when they left the room, a few small pieces of paper in hand. "We don't normally give pictures so early, but I thought I would let you two have a few." She handed them the four copies of baby pictures, Henry extended his hand to take them and instantly the pair's eyes were locked to the pictures like they had been to the screen minutes ago. Briefly the broke away to smile back at the doctor as she left. Most of the walk back to her motorcade, they were looking down at the pictures, barely paying attention to the world around them. This moment was about their baby, nothing else mattered at that time, just their love for the newest member of their family.
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