Chapter Nine
They were at the hospital again. Though this time they were there for a prenatal visit to Xiaoyu's doctor rather than a checkup, something about sitting in the waiting room again made Jin nervous. It was a different office in a different part of the hospital but it still meant the same thing; uncertainty.
Xiaoyu was sitting next to Jin, quietly reading magazines and he had his arm around her. He looked over her shoulder, reading some of the articles and looking at the pictures.
When Xiaoyu's name was called Jin looked at her questioningly. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.
She nodded and held his hand. They followed the nurse back to the small examination room and Jin sat down on a chair while Xiaoyu sat down on the table. The nurse reached underneath the table and opened a drawer. She pulled out a hospital gown and asked Xiaoyu to put it on.
"The doctor will be with you shortly," she said. Before she closed the door to the room to leave them, she leaned her head back inside and said, "You two sure are a wonderful young couple. You'll have a beautiful baby."
Xiaoyu blushed and thanked her. Jin just smiled at his wife and took her hand in his once the nurse had left. She began to remove her clothes and pulled on the hospital gown.
Her shoulders were shaking and she had goose bumps all over her body. Jin pulled her off of the table slowly and sat her down on his lap. He put his arms around her, trying to warm her up again.
It wasn't long before the doctor came in to find the young couple cuddled up in the corner. She smiled at them warmly and introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Dr. Nagoya and I'll be taking care of you and your baby until delivery," she said shaking Xiaoyu's hand.
Xiaoyu climbed back onto the table in the center of the room and reached her hand out to Jin. He held it in his; he could feel her shaking. He stood up and walked closer to her, stroking her hair and holding her hand.
"It's alright, sweetie," he whispered. "I'm here."
"Alright," the doctor said. She didn't waste any time in asking his wife nearly a billion questions about her personal health history and that of her family.
Jin squeezed Xiaoyu's shaking hand reassuringly. It wasn't clear, anymore, whether she was shaking from being cold or from fear. He wanted to protect her and make her feel safe again, he wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be just fine, but most of all he wanted to leave the examination room and take her home.
"What's wrong, honey?" the doctor asked. "You're shaking like crazy! Are you cold or just a little nervous about this whole visit?"
"A little of both," Xiaoyu confessed.
"What's there to be nervous about?" the doctor asked.
Xiaoyu gave her a weak smile. Jin looked at the doctor nervously. 'She doesn't know,' he thought. 'She has no idea what kind of luck we've had in the past.'
Xiaoyu didn't say anything; there was a lump rising in her throat. 'How am I supposed to tell the doctor?' she thought before she responded, "We've lost a baby before and I don't want to lose this baby too."
"A miscarriage?" the doctor asked.
Jin squeezed Xiaoyu's hand as she answered, "Yes."
"Well, you have my deepest sympathy," the doctor replied. "But I have some very good news for you. Your risk of miscarriage is higher because you've had one in the past, but there is still only a fifteen percent chance that you will lose this baby. So, instead of worrying about that fifteen percent think about the eighty five percent chance that you'll have a successful pregnancy and have a happy, healthy baby."
Xiaoyu looked up at her doctor and smiled. She stopped shaking and turned towards Jin. He was looking at her lovingly.
'It will only get better from here,' she thought.