Beatrix was gone.
It had been a week since she'd left on her assignment to kill Lisa Wong and she'd never come back. It had only been a week, but to Bill it felt like a month.
After the first day of her absence, he'd chalked it up to a missed flight or any of the number of things that could cause one to show up a day late from an assignment. It had happened before and he simply shrugged it off with the pang of annoyance of not being able to see her that night. He wasn't the type to overly worry about things, especially when it came to Beatrix. She could handle herself just fine and didn't need 'her man' to keep tabs on her.
But, after the second day, his annoyance began to grow and he began calling her cell phone...which was somewhat futile, seeing as Beatrix hardly ever used her damn cell phone anyways. There was no reply and eventually he left a few messages on her voice mail.
Still, nothing...
Now, by the end of the week...Bill was starting to loose it.
Earlier that day, Budd had very carefully and politely suggested that perhaps Beatrix had been killed on assignment. Bill went off the handle, snarling at his brother to "stop being such a fucking moron," and turned his back on him.
As the week went on, gradually nobody wanted to be around Bill. Even Nikishi in all her sturdiness, shrunk away into the shadows...quietly going about her packing duties. The rest of the Vipers soon became aware of what had happened and smartly stayed away from Bill. Budd was the only one who made a true attempt to speak to his brother. But, after the verbal lashing earlier, even his loyalty was being tested.
And this was only the first week. Bill, well….his entire being was in a state of complete confusion and shock. He simply couldn't fathom the thought of Beatrix being killed on assignment, it was...unthinkable. But, the rational part of him, reminded himself that it was indeed not so unthinkable. Beatrix was a killer, and he, of anybody, should know that there were risks involved with being a killer. He knew that at any moment, he or any of those who worked for him could be killed, he was constantly reminding them of that...but he couldn't believe that it could perhaps have happened to Beatrix.
But, he hadn't yet completely grasped that eventuality. Most of him still believed she was alive, mainly because the thought of her being dead made him want to go insane. So...he pushed that out of his mind, he couldn't deal with it...he simply couldn't. He had to keep a hold on the belief that she was alive. Something had happened...she'd been delayed...the assignment was bigger than they'd first thought; she'd decided to take a random vacation. Beatrix was not without moments of spontaneity, that's was for certain. Her actions with the CPA certainly confirmed that. But, this made him angry with her. Why hadn't she called him and told him what was going on? She was always so good about those sorts of things. It wasn't like her to not inform him of a change in plans. Things had been going so well between them...how could she do that? So, now he was angry with her...and he didn't want to be...he missed her too much.
And yes, more than anything analytical, there was the personal effect of her disappearance that got to him the most. Bill missed her...everything about her. But, like the thought of her death, he couldn't linger on this topic for long without a sort of madness setting in. So, he simply blocked anything too close to the heart from his thoughts and continued on. He tried to keep working, packing...making arrangements...but as the week began to draw to a close, he found himself doing these things less and spending more time sitting around in a dark gloom of worry, anger, and slipping denial.
He was on the verge of the type of depression that often led to self destruction...but he wasn't quite there yet. Bill was still a proud person, despite this sudden shock...even if it was the shock of his life. He wasn't about to drown in pity quite yet. It had only been a week...there was still time...and he clung desperately onto the fantasy that Beatrix was, in fact not dead.
Dr. Robert Herman opened the door to the examination room and quickly slipped inside with the geniality and discretion of a good doctor. He clutched a clipboard in his hand and carefully pulled his reading glasses up to his nose as he sat down on a tall stool across from the examination table.
He looked up at the tall blonde woman sitting quietly on the examination table and offered her a wide and gentle smile. "Well, Miss Machiavelli, the test came back positive," Dr. Herman spoke in a pleasant drawling Texan accent, "...you are indeed pregnant," the smile widened a little, "Congratulations." He remained professional but kind about the whole thing. He'd been telling women this sort of news for nearly thirty years and he'd seen reactions on both ends of the spectrum. He always remained on a neutral basis.
He glanced back down at the clipboard, "You are roughly twelve weeks pregnant…..give or take a few days. Everything appears fine. Your baby seems perfectly healthy from what can be deciphered at this early stage, and despite your morning sickness, you are in perfect health for a twenty-five year old woman." He looked up again, removing his glasses and placing them in his lab coat pocket.
His features softened a little, "If you have any questions or concerns Miss Machiavelli, I would be more than happy to discuss them with you."
Beatrix stared at Doctor Herman with a mouth agape in a mixture of bewilderment and complete jubilation. It had taken Beatrix a good week to set herself up in El Paso. There was a shitload to do. She had to forge a fake ID, which wasn't all that hard considering she had done it countless times before. This time she went under the alias of Arlene Machiavelli. Why the fuck she choose that name was merely influenced by a spontaneous convulsion of morning sickness and listening to a string of the Carpenter's 'Top of the World'. Next, was establishing herself in an apartment complex and buying a car and that was easy. Last but not least was to find the nearest doctor's office and that's were she currently was situated.
"I have one question, doctor," she began in a cool temperament. "But I find it hard to fathom…that I'm…nearly three months pregnant? Three months is a long time…and…" She trailed off. What had she been doing in those past three months that she had been so fucking stupid to not realize she was with child? Well, it wasn't impossible. Beatrix was known for brushing things aside. There were countless times she had endured an extensive injury and strolled around without noticing it for days. The same went for being pregnant. She quaintly finished her sentence so she didn't appear too flabbergasted. "I mean…shit…doctor…I wasn't exactly…being safe…for three months."
Doctor Herman offered 'Miss Arlene Machiavelli' a knowing smile, "Actually, you were safe those three months Miss Machiavelli, because you were already pregnant. Just takes one time during those two days during your cycle. You're twenty-five and in exceptionally good health, you're at the prime for getting pregnant." He leaned back, his demeanor turning a little friendlier, "It happens more often than you'd think actually. You're certainly not the first woman I've treated who didn't realize she was pregnant until well into her first trimester. Some women have stronger reactions than others. You seem to have shown very little sings of pregnancy, until this week. You should count yourself lucky."
He glanced down at his clipboard again, more out of habit than anything. "But, you will be showing more signs very soon...you'll start to see a physical change in your appearance any week now. The sex of the baby is still unclear, but...we should have a verdict in a month. That is, if you choose to know."
When Beatrix told the doctor she hadn't been safe she didn't mean safe sex wise. Hell, she fucked Bill countless times after she first conceived and that certainly didn't worry her now. What worried her was what she had been doing outside of the sexual activity that wasn't safe. Such as; killing. But it was stupid to worry about it when the doctor said she was perfectly healthy and the baby was safe. That was all that mattered.
She straightened up her demeanor and put on a thin smile. "Oh, I'd like to know the baby's sex as soon as possible." That made her excited and it was obvious in the glow of those blue eyes.
"Of course," Dr. Herman smiled a genuine warm smile. He was always touched when women showed so much excitement about their pregnancy...he'd seen far too much of the opposite. "Why don't you come in…..say a week from tomorrow? You can make an appointment at the front desk as you leave. We'll take a look, see what's showing...," he chuckled, "….or not showing, and let you know right away."
He shifted on his stool, "Now...if you don't mind me asking...what of the baby's father?" This was a sensitive topic, not every woman who came in here wanted to talk much of the father of their unborn child...but it was important he ask. "I ask mainly because, if he is available...it would be nice to have him here, for support during these visits, as well as everyday support for you." Dr. Herman was just as much a 'feminist' as the next man in this day and age, but again, this deserved some thought on Miss Machiavelli's part. "You're going to become...increasingly vulnerable as your state increases. By the time you get into the last part of your third trimester, I assure you...you are probably going to want some physical as well as physiological support. Also," he leaned back, "...while, the baby appears perfectly healthy now...it is good to know some background on the child's genetics and having the father, or at least information on the father available for examination is always a good idea." He paused, "Is there anything about the father that should be known...health issues? Mental health issues?"
Beatrix laughed. She didn't laugh at the doctor but more at the question she was presented with. and the laugh only assured how uneasy it made her. She pursed her lips and leaned her head back against the crinkly papered pillow case. Her head shook from side to side almost in distress. Oh yes, the father was healthy, perhaps even healthier than herself. And as for mental health, oh, she could tell Doctor Herman that Bill was a murdering bastard, a sociopath, but sometimes he could be 'sweet' just for her. The deadliest man in the world was the father of her child that sounded perfectly 'normal'.
Okay, now came the tough part. She didn't want to give out any information about her past or at least as little as possible, but for the baby's health she had to give out some details. Beatrix had to keep on reminding herself it was all for the baby. She steadily raised her gaze to meet the doctor's and said, "The father…he's fifty-eight." She stated this bit of information without any signs of embarrassment. She continued quietly but she was stumbling over her words. This 'was' stating truths about Bill, "He's in very good health…works out every morning… Tai Chi….Chen-style to be exact…he has a good diet…low cholesterol I would think…and he has a strong immune system…" It wasn't hard to miss the touch of longing in her tone when she gave off the little, not so important aspects of Bill's health. Her gaze drifted away from the doctor. "He…has a…temper." That was the understatement of the century. Her lips pursed. "Other then that he's fine upstairs."
A moment's silence lingered before the tall blonde fixed Doctor Herman with a serious and almost threatening look that one would find surprising on such an 'innocent' pregnant woman. "The father…he doesn't know….and he isn't going to know."
Dr. Herman took all of this information in stride, like the professional he was. There was nothing worth raising a brow too much over there. The age difference was a little shocking, but again, nothing he hadn't heard before...in fact, he'd heard far more extreme cases during his years practicing medicine.
The doctor chuckled a little, easing the tension brought on by the tall blonde's rather intense look, "Well...I must say, this man sounds healthier than most men his age...myself included," he smiled. "We all have temper's Miss Machiavelli...as long as everything is fine upstairs; I'm not all too concerned." Apparently everything was fine downstairs as well...but the doctor didn't have to note that, the evidence was right in front of him sitting on the examination table. Of course, he had no idea how much the father's supposed 'temper' had just been understated.
Dr. Herman once again became serious, coming back to the blonde's last set of words. "And of course, your wish for discretion will be respected." It was not his place to delve further into such matters. It was his professional duty to retain a strict patient/doctor relationship and he would follow that to a "T". Whatever business was between this woman and the man who was now the father of her child was their business, not his. His business was to make sure this lovely young lady had a successful pregnancy and gave birth to the healthiest child she could.
There was more to this woman than he had first perceived, he'd caught that in her suddenly furious expression. He was a man who knew people rather well. But, again...it was not his place to play psychiatrist. He stood, placing his clipboard under his arm, "Well, if you don't have any further questions for me Miss Machiavelli, I will send you on your way. I appreciate the information you gave me and I assure you everything is looking perfectly fine. I look forward to seeing you and your baby next week," he smiled gently, shaking the blonde's thin hand. With that, he turned and left the room as quietly as he'd come in.