(A/N – Hey everybody! My muses finally came home from spring break! They got some great tans, and they came back ready for work! I'm back on time and I feel confident that I can complete this story by the end of the month if I don't get involved in any side projects! Hope you enjoy!)
Hope, Light and Key Lime Pie – Chapter Eight
"Hey, Steve!"
The young blonde looked up from his notes at the black doctor who walked past. "Uh, yes sir?"
"I'm doing an ultrasound and exam in room three. Want some TV time?"
"Um…I don't know." Steve said, gesturing to his large mountain of paperwork on his left. "I have these charts to catch up on—"
"I hear ya, I hear ya." Dr. McKnight said, holding up a hand. "It is going to be pretty crowded in there, what with the camera, the director, two kids, Julia…"
"Julia?" Steve sighed dreamily, letting his pen drop to the table. "Is Julia going to be there?"
The doctor nodded. "Mm-hmm. Of course, I'll just get Samuel to help me out and—"
"You know," Steve interjected, slapping the folder he was working on shut. "I just finished up with my paperwork, and I really need the procedure for my procedures book." He stammered, catching up to Dr. McKnight.
Dr. McKnight blinked, a small grin forming on his lips. "Okay, if you say so. But make sure those charts are loaded up into the computer before the end of your shift."
"Yes sir."
"Today we're here for my prenatal exam. I'm going to the doctor every week now, and I'm anxious to see how our baby is doing."
"I'm glad that we're here with our kids today. They've been coming to every one of Kari's doctor's visits since she started to show, and they're always so curious as to what the baby is doing today. We've known Dr. McKnight for about seven years now, he's delivered just about all our friends kids, and he's really a part of our extended family."
"Oh, hello there! What a surprise! I didn't expect the camera crew to be here today!" Dr. McKnight said, grinning as he shot a look towards TK and Kari, the camera now focused on him and Steve.
"Um, sorry about this, Doc." TK said, laughing nervously. "They just showed up on Monday at our doorstep, and we just haven't found time to call you."
"Ah, well, no harm no foul I guess…TK, Kari, this is Steve. He's a medical student and he's going to be doing your exam today." Dr. McKnight said, gesturing to his right where Steve was currently adjusting his hair in the reflection of an IV stand.
Kari arched a worried eyebrow. "Uh, come again?"
"Don't worry, he's only going to be doing your ultrasound." Dr. McKnight reassured, pulling the machine close to the bed.
"I finished the initial examination, Dr. McKnight." A voice said from the corner of the room. "Blood pressure and pulse are all normal."
"Oh! Julia!' Dr. McKnight said, a bit startled. "Forgot you were over there. TK, Kari; I want you two to meet Julia. She's one of our new RN's. Well, then…" he began, surveying the small group in the exam room. "Steve, please start with the exam."
Steve's attention was riveted to the young nurse who walked up to him; her dark blonde hair tied neatly into a ponytail.
"STEVE!"
"Oh, oh! Yeah! Right!" Steve stammered, sitting down in the stool along side the table where Kari laid, the camera riveted on him. "So…"
"So…" Kari echoed, strumming her fingers on her stomach.
"So…um…how are you feeling today?"
"Oh, I'm feeling good today, pretty big now…and you?"
"Oh, I can't complain at all…just got a… mound of paperwork to catch up on." Steve said, nervously.
"Ah…must be pretty confusing." TK said, shooting Dr. McKnight a look that said, "What the…"
Dr. McKnight leaned down to Steve's ear. "Usually when you're doing an ultrasound," he began, eyes closed in exasperation. "It kinda helps to have the ultrasound MACHINE on-line and working."
Steve turned a bright shade of red. "I'm sorry Doctor!" he stammered, extending his hand out to the machine, forgetting it was three inches from him, and banging his extended fingers on the buttons causing the device to sound out alarms and bleeps of protest.
"Oops! Sorry!" he stammered slapping buttons until the noises stopped, and the machine hummed to life. "Okay. Here we go." He said, punching more buttons on the console. "Lets see what kind of bun you got in your oven." He said to Kari as he stared at the screen.
After about a minute of this, Kari cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me…Dr. Steve?" she said in a polite and patient voice.
"Don't worry. I probably have to adjust the contrast on the display and you'll be able to…"
Steve turned around to face the group and groaned loudly, the red flush returning to his cheeks.
Kari was pointing at her belly, and pointing at the paddle device on the ultrasound machine. "Umm…aren't you supposed to use that, on this?" she said, giggling.
"I am so sorry!" Steve stammered, picking up the tube of gel and shaking it up. "Probably the cameras or something has me throwed off a bit. I'm normally much more composed than this."
"It's okay. We all make mistakes every once in a while." TK said, reassuringly. "You're still learning, my man. You'll get it down."
"I know I will," the intern said, as Julia moved in closer to assist. He then opened up the bottle and started squirting the clear gel on Kari's stomach. "I mean, this place is really different from what I'm used to down in the ER. I mean, there's so much more to do here, and some days it can get really overwhelming. But I know that if I just keep the faith, I'll be all right. You know, my mom always taught me that if—"
"Steve," Dr. McKnight said calmly, massaging the bridge of his nose. "You're doing an ultrasound on a woman…not an elephant."
The young intern looked down at the now large mound of clear gel building up on Kari's stomach looking much like the top of a clear ice cream cone.
Julia giggled and whispered to the young couple as she grabbed a blue towel. "Don't worry. He's only this nervous when I'm around." She grinned.
"I kinda picked up on that." Kari whispered while Steve was punching more buttons on the ultrasound machine. "You know, I think he really has a thing for you."
"Okay!' Steve cried, a little more enthusiastic than he really meant. "Let's do this the right way!"
Dr. McKnight sighed and covered his eyes with his hand as Steve picked up the paddle. "Lord have mercy, please don't let him kill the girl on national TV."
"Oh, man. I screwed up big time." Steve groaned, allowing his forehead to fall into the mound of paperwork he was working on.
"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad." Julia cooed, taking a chug out of her water bottle. "It could have been worse."
"How?" Steve said in disbelief, allowing his forehead to raise up slightly. "How could it be worse? Please enlighten me on how that exam could have been worse?"
"Well…umm…" Julia said, squinting up her eyes as she thought. "You see…umm…well…you could have…"
"I took a picture of the patient's liver and proclaimed for all of the world to hear 'This is a big one!'" Steve lamented, returning his head to the table. "It can't get much worse than that."
"It would have been worse if you would have said that you didn't see a heartbeat." Julia said, her violet eyes regarding him gently.
"Hardy, har, har." The blond laughed dryly. "You're hilarious, you know that? My career may be going down the tubes, and you're laughing about it."
"Awww…" Julia cooed, taking one of Steve's hands and caressing it gently. "I'm sorry. It's going to be okay."
Steve cooed playfully, scooting his chair closer to hers. "So, what are you going to do tonight when you get off work?"
Julia giggled as Steve wrapped an arm around her. "Well, I was planning on washing my hair."
"Aw, come on! You always say that!" Steve groaned playfully.
"That's because it's always true!" Julia cooed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
It was as if something fell through the ceiling and dropped into her stomach. A heavy weight sinking deep inside her from above.
Kari sat up with a jolt, and flipped on the bedside table lamp.
TK gave a big sigh as he turned over in bed to face her with blue eyes regarding her sleepily in the dark. "Mmm…babe? You okay?"
"I…I…I don't know…" Kari panted, her brow shining with a thin coating of sweat.
TK flipped on his lamp and sat up in bed, now completely awake. "What happened, Kari?"
"I was standing in this bright white room. I couldn't see anything." Kari said. "The light got brighter and brighter. And then I heard someone say, "The prophecy is fulfilled" and the next thing I know…this bright beam of light shot out and hit me," she said, taking TK's hand and setting it on the rounded top of her stomach. "Right here."
"Well, are you feeling the baby move?" TK asked, leaning his head down to her stomach, ear first. "Kicking and stuff like that?"
"Yeah. When I woke up, I guess I must have woke him or her up." Kari said, wiping her forehead with her pajama sleeve. "Our new baby isn't exactly a sound sleeper, unlike his or her daddy."
"Ha ha." TK said dryly, kissing her belly before sitting up and kissing her. "I'm going back to bed. G'night angel."
"I'm going to the bathroom." Kari groaned, swinging her feet over the side of the bed. "I swear, if this kid doesn't get bigger every single day!"
"I think that's the general idea of pregnancy." TK called out, snuggling down into the bed. "Of course, I could be wrong."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Kari said, laughing as she ducked a pillow thrown from the bed.
To Be Continued…
(A/N – You know what? This story is coming along pretty good, if I do say so myself! You guys know the rules, if I get six or more reviews, I post the next chapter! So hit the button and get to it!)