o-----o
August 4th-8th, 01
o-----o
This chapter takes place the day after the last one ended. Carol's pregnancy will progress rather quickly through this one.
o-----o
Carol stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom. She had just heard the shower stop running in the bathroom and knew Doug would be coming out soon. She lifted her shirt and turned sideways and gazed at her stomach. She placed her hand on the small roundness of it and smiled slightly, just as Doug came out of the bathroom, only in his boxers. He rubbed the blue towel over his head and looked at her.
"What are you doing?" He asked softly, coming over to her. She glanced at him before turning back to the image she saw in the mirror.
"Look," She murmured. He ticked his head to the side and glanced down at her stomach in the mirror and his lips curved.
"I see a little belly," He said and walked to her. She grinned up at him.
"I'm starting to show," She said.
"Two and a half months," He said and placed his hand on her stomach, spreading his fingers as wide as he could. He chuckled softly and got down to his knees. He moved his hands to her hips and kissed her tummy gently. Carol smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his hair. He laid his cheek on her stomach and turned to the mirror. She turned to the mirror when she saw he did and met his gaze. He smiled.
"I love you," He whispered quietly to her stomach before standing and taking her into his arms. She smiled softly after he kissed her. "And I love you, Carol," He said.
"I love you, too," They simply stayed in each other's arms for a few minutes, embracing silently to make up for the months he had been gone. Finally Carol turned her face up to his and asked the question that had been on her mind since the night before.
"What will you do for work?" She asked quietly. He shrugged.
"I'll call around," He said. She nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. "I don't want you to worry about it, Carol."
"I know," She murmured.
o-----o
Carol walked out of the lounge and made her way to the admit desk. Mark looked up at her and she smiled brightly at him.
"Hey Mark."
"Doug's here, isn't he?" Mark asked. She looked up at him and then nodded.
"Yeah, he came back last night. How did you know?" She asked.
"I could tell just by looking at you," He said. She smiled and laughed a bit.
"Well...We argued when he first got here. But..," She rolled her sparkling eyes a bit, "you know, Doug. He convinced me to take him back," Mark smiled widely.
"Well, I'm happy for you. For the both of you. Tell Doug to give me a call," Mark said. Carol nodded happily and went about her work.
Lydia who had overheard the conversation immediately rushed off to tell Haleh and the others.
o-----o
Five hours later, Carol was standing at the admit desk, unconsciously rubbing her back which ached slightly. She had been on her feet since she had gotten there. Trauma after trauma had come in, which meant everyone was needed.
Now, finally, there was a break in the patients and Carol got to take a short break of her own. So she was sitting at the desk, eating a late lunch.
"Carol?" Carol looked up to see Donald Anspaugh standing in front of her.
"Oh, hello Dr. Anspaugh," Carol said, somewhat surprised. "I think Kerry is in Exam Two."
"Actually, I came to speak to you," Carol was taken aback, but she nodded.
"Alright," She said.
"Can we go into the lounge for some privacy?" He asked. She nodded, somewhat puzzled.
"Sure," She answered. They walked into the lounge where Carter was sitting, drinking a cup of coffee. "Carter, could you..," Carol trailed off and he nodded as he saw Dr. Anspaugh behind her.
"Sure, Carol," He smiled and nodded at Donald before leaving the lounge, mug in hand. Carol turned to Dr. Anspaugh and he nodded.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Carol asked somewhat nervously.
"Actually, there might be. But I have a question," He replied. Carol nodded and swallowed.
"Rumor is that Dr. Ross has come back to Chicago. To stay," Dr. Anspaugh said. Carol was silent for a few moments, shocked.
"Uh, yes, he came back last night," She said when she found her voice.
"Is he here to stay?"
"Yes, he is," Carol replied.
"I'd like to offer him a position at the hospital," Anspaugh said. Carol's eyes widened in amazement.
"You would?" She asked before she could stop herself. Donald chuckled slightly in amusement.
"Yes, I would. Not in the ER, though, I'm afraid. But we need another doctor on the pedes floor and if Dr. Ross is interested, I'd like you to have him give me a call," Anspaugh said. Carol nodded.
"Okay. I'll tell him," She said.
"Good. Thank you, Carol," He said. She nodded and watched as he exited the lounge. Carol made her way to the couch and took a seat, still somewhat surprised by Donald's offer.
o-----o
A few hours later Carol pushed her way into the house, anxious to find Doug, wondering if he was really there, if she had dreamed it all. She let out a silent sigh of relief when she saw him standing over the stove in the kitchen. She grinned as he turned to her.
"Hey Doug."
"Hey Carol," He replied in equal tones, smiling at her. She walked around the wall and into the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him.
"Whatcha doin'?" She asked.
"Making dinner," He replied. She looked behind him and saw the pot simmering on the stove.
"Spagetti?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. He nodded.
"I hope that's okay, I forgot to ask you before you left," He said. She licked her lips.
"Sounds yummy," She said. His gaze dropped to her wet mouth and lingered there.
"Does it?" Carol grinned and leaned forward, tantalizing him. "Mmm," He murmured and pressed his lips to hers, cradling her close to him. Finally she pulled away.
"I have some news for you," She said. He raised his eyebrows and leaned back a bit.
"Oh?" She nodded.
"Donald Anspaugh and I spoke today," She said. Doug ticked his head to the side.
"About?" He asked.
"You," Carol smiled.
"Well, are you going to tell me about what today?" Doug asked.
"He wanted to know if the rumor he had heard about you coming back to Chicago to stay was true and I said yes. So he told me he would like to offer you a position at the hospital," Carol said and watched Doug's face closely for a reaction. She didn't get much except for a flicker in Doug's eyes.
"What position?" He asked.
"Well, not in the ER," Carol said and watched another flicker of emotion in Doug's eyes but she couldn't quite identify it. "But he said they need another pedes doctor on the pedes floor and if you're interested you are to give him a call," Carol finished.
"Well," Doug considered, looking up at the ceiling, "I'd get to work at County and you'd be there. We could go to lunch."
"But you wouldn't get to treat emergency patients," Carol finished.
"But, I'd still get to treat kids and sometimes if they needed me I would float to the ER," Doug said.
"Doug, I don't want you to make any rash decisions. You could get a job in another ER," Carol said.
"Could, but I don't want to go to a different hospital. Not now that you're pregnant."
"But Doug, I don't want you to take a job because of me," Carol said.
"Carol, listen to me. I probably wouldn't get a job in another ER, at least not around here. I might get a job in a private practice or at a clinic or something and I'd be doing the same thing there that I'd be doing at County as a pedes doctor. But I'd also get to work at the same hospital as you. It wouldn't be the same as the ER, but it would be okay, Carol."
"You should give it more thought," Carol worried. Doug smiled and kissed her gently.
"I'll call Donald tonight," Doug said. Carol sighed.
"I hope you're not making the wrong decision."
"I'm not," Doug reassured her and kissed her once more.
o-----o
"So?" Carol asked as Doug hung up the phone. She had decided to give him some privacy when he called Dr. Anspaugh, but she had to ask. He turned to her as she washed dishes in the kitchen.
"I got a job as a pedes doctor on the pedes floor at Cook County General," He said. She smiled.
"That's great," She said. He came around the wall and into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his hands on her stomach. He turned his nose into the hollow between her shoulder and her neck and breathed in her soapy scent.
"I love you," He murmured, silently thanking her for understanding. She smiled and leaned back against him for a moment. Then he released her and picked up a dish towel to help her dry dishes. She smiled again and began to wash a plate.
o-----o
"You're probably far enough along to be able to tell what the baby's gender is. Would you like to know?" Dr. MacLucas asked.
"Yes," Doug said.
"No," Carol said at the same time as Doug.
"I thought you wanted to know," Doug said.
"I thought you didn't want to know," Carol replied.
"It doesn't matter. If you want to know, that's fine," Doug said. Carol smiled and squeezed his hands as MacLucas watched them. Carol turned back to the doctor.
"We don't want to know," Carol said and looked at Doug. He raised his eyebrows at her and she grinned. "It might be nice to be surprised." He chuckled and kissed her knuckles.
"We should just be lucky that for a doctor I don't know how to tell," Doug said.
"I don't know how either," Carol replied.
"Then we're alright," Doug replied. She smiled and looked at the monitor as MacLucas flipped it on. MacLucas moved the paddle around on Carol's slightly swollen abdomen.
"Ah, there we go," She pointed at the heartbeat. "A nice steady heartbeat. Everything's looks good." Doug watched in awe at the picture on the screen.
"Wow," He murmured, his throat tightening with emotion. He reached out and trace his hand over the baby's outline on the screen. "Wow," He repeated as he looked back at Carol. Her eyes were glistening with tears and she smiled.
"Wow," She repeated him and nodded. He bent over her and kissed her quickly.
"I love you," He said. She squeezed his hand.
"I love you too," She replied.
o-----o
Doug glanced at the alarm clock. 6:58 am, it read. He had to be in to work at 8:00. He settled his head back against Carol's breast, his hands on her six-month stomach. Carol ran her fingers through his hair, trying to flatten out the parts that were sticking up from his sleep. A small smile touched her lips as she smoothed her hand over his hair and it popped right back up. Doug glanced up at her.
"Did the baby wake you?" He asked. She looked at him, her hands coming to a stop now.
"Yeah, he gets confused at what's nighttime and what's not," Carol replied softly. Doug smiled and kissed her stomach.
"Baby, you're keeping your mama awake," Doug said. Carol smiled as she watched him, thanking God once again that he had come back to her, despite her wishes. Doug felt a subtle movement against his hand.
"What's it like being able to feel the baby move?" Doug asked quietly. Carol looked at him in surprise.
"Well...It's sort of like...Well, what it is. Like something is alive inside of you. It can be a bit...odd, sometimes," Carol said. Doug grinned. "But it's amazing to realize that my baby, our baby, is inside of me. Growing, living. It's a wonderful feeling." Doug placed his ear against her stomach and stroked it gently. "Hear anything?" Carol asked. Doug chuckled.
"Not yet," He replied.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Carol asked.
"Today it's a girl," Doug replied. Carol smiled.
"What's her name today?" Carol asked. It was a game they had started playing months before. Every day the baby's gender was different and it had a different name.
"Hmm," Doug pondered, "how about Kerry?"
"God, no!" Carol replied quickly. Doug laughed.
"Joanna, then." Doug said. Carol smiled.
"Joanna," She repeated. "I like today's name," She decided. He nodded against her.
"Me too," He replied and slid up her body to press a kiss to her mouth. She smiled and wrapped her arms firmly around his neck. Doug forgot about work.
o-----o
"I like this idea," Carol said as she rolled up the sleeves of her shirt. Doug nodded.
"Yeah, me too," He replied looking at the bare walls of the spare room they had picked out for the baby.
"I wish we had a room downstairs," Carol said. Doug nodded.
"We can keep the baby in our room for the first weeks." Carol looked at him quickly.
"Really?" She asked. He chuckled.
"Well," He moved to her, "according to that book of yours, we shouldn't have sex for weeks after the baby is born anyway," He wrapped his arms around her. "So, we might as well move the crib into our room and make the best of it with the baby," Carol giggled as he nuzzled her neck.
"Doug! We need to wallpaper!" Carol exclaimed.
"Mm-hmm and I need to make up for later," Doug said. Carol laughed as he pulled her gently to the floor.
o-----o
"Are you ready to wallpaper yet?" Carol asked Doug. He laughed.
"Maybe," He replied and kissed her once more before helping her up off the floor and back into their clothes.
"Noah's ark," Carol wrinkled her nose. "Now it seems a bit boy-ish to me. What if we have a girl?" She asked. He chuckled and turned towards her.
"Carol, we agreed that this would work for a girl's room or a boy's room. And I'm not letting you drag me back to that wallpaper store," He smiled, "so we're going to do this. Here and now," Doug said. Carol smiled.
"Alright," She agreed and rolled her sleeves up once more.
o-----o
Carol curled against Doug and smiled as his hands immediately moved to her bare stomach.
"Doug, I think we're going to have to give this up soon." Carol said. He smiled.
"Yeah, well, I'm inventive," Doug said. Carol laughed and lay her head on his shoulder.
"Well, this eight month stomach may prove to block your creativity." Carol said. He chuckled warmly and rubbed her stomach gently.
"Alright, baby, you win," He said. Carol laughed again. Doug looked at her. "Carol?"
"Yes?"
"One more time?" He asked.
"Doug!" She exclaimed and laughed once again.
"If it's the last time, I want once more. You probably didn't get any bigger in this past minute."
"I wouldn't be so sure," She grinned but turned her face and her lips to his. He chuckled and kissed her again.
o-----o
Doug slid his key into the door and made his way into the couch. He saw Carol on the couch and he smiled at her.
"Hey babe," She grimaced. "Carol? Are you alright?" She looked up at him, her eyes wide.
"It's time," She said to him. His eyes widened.
"Now?" She nodded and rubbed a hand over her stomach. A grin spread over his face.
"Alright. How long have you been having contractions?"
"An hour. They're about 22 minutes apart," Carol said.
"Okay, good. You're doing great, Carol," He bent down and kissed her. She smiled. "I love you. Now...I'm going to go get your stuff," Doug said and headed back to the bedroom.
"Doug?" Carol called. He turned back to her. "I love you too," He smiled widely and turned around once more.
o-----o