The waiting room was painted the color of egg shell with a border of vibrant blue and yellow stars. Not entirely comfortable chairs were scattered along the walls where various people were seated. Off to the right was a desk incased with sliding glass windows where nurses chattered away frantically. Seated in one of the nearby chairs was Beatrix. She was wearing a pair of khaki colored loose jeans, an equally loose but still flattering long sleeved shirt of a pale indigo, and a pair of black flip flops. An arm was casually draped over her bulging stomach and the other hung on the arm of the chair. Those stunning blue eyes scanned the area and watched the various occupants.
Her reason for being at the doctor's office? A routine check up. Tommy had insisted on closing the store early and going with her, but she insisted right back at him that she was fine and the store needed to stay open. Thus was her reason for being alone in the waiting room. But she didn't stay alone for long. A woman perhaps five or so years older than Beatrix walked through the oaken door with the sticker letters that read 'waiting room'. The woman came with a stroller and obvious tummy. She sat one seat down from the tall blonde and parked the stroller in front of the vacant seat between the two women. Upon doing this Beatrix was inclined to peer into the stroller. Inside was an adorable baby. Smooth rosy pink skin, pudgy cheeks, a bonnet that was a powder blue color, and a blanket draped over the small form with a rubber duck on the front. He was fast asleep.
"Oh, is he bothering you?" The woman spoke up after settling down a large over stuffed bag on the floor.
The tall blonde looked up and shook her head. "No, of course not. He's adorable."
"Thanks, well, you're seeing him at his best. Sleeping," the woman laughed light heartily and settled back in her chair. "I'm Sally and that towhead is Dennis."
"I'm Arlene." She twiddled her fingers at the sleeping baby Dennis, but all the baby did was goo in his sleep. It was too cute. She smiled at Sally.
"Your first?" Sally made a motion to Beatrix's stomach. The blonde gave a firm nod.
"I'm on my second. No fucking clue why I got myself pregnant so soon again after Dennis was born. They are a handful, but too cute to only have one I guess."
Beatrix watched Sally in a concealed fascination, a smirk curved across her features. "I'll stick with one for now."
Sally smiled knowingly, giving the blonde a little nod of her head, "Smart move, yes stick to just one for now." She groaned, hands resting on her own swollen belly, "Can't say I'm looking forward to another round of sleepless nights. But," a sweet smile creased her face, "...in the end it's all worth it. You never really know what it's like to be a mother until it happens...no matter how much you think you do. But believe me," her smile widened, "...it's better than you can even imagine...the best feeling in the world." Her eyes creased warmly at the blonde.
Just then, a faint cooing emitted from the comfy confines of the stroller.
Sally laughed lightly, "See what I mean?"
"Arlene Machiavelli?" A nurse called down the hallway, head peering around a door. She spotted Arlene quickly, who had become somewhat of a regular at Dr. Herman's office. She grinned, "The doctor will see you now."
Sally gave Beatrix a quick wave and a smile as the tall blonde stood up to follow the nurse down the hallway and into the indicated exam room. Always prompt, Dr. Herman entered the room a few minutes later, after the nurse had done the routine simple exam of course.
"Ah, Arlene," Dr. Herman greeted her as he entered the room, eyes shining behind his glasses. "Good to see you again, you look well...and everything looks great on your initial exam." Dr. Herman, despite having some ethical issues with Arlene, had grown quite fond of her. His view of her had improved rather drastically when she had informed him that she had in fact told Tommy, her fiancée, that the baby was not his. The doctor had been positive that Arlene would keep her secret, just that…a secret for as long as possible. But she had surprised him with her honesty over the matter. He could only hope she would remain thus so throughout everything.
He sat down the stool across from her, "A little treat today Arlene," he smiled gently, "We're going to take some ultrasound pictures. I think your going to love this, your daughter is going to be very well formed at this point...I bet," he grinned at her, pushing his glasses down his nose, "...we're going to get some great pictures for you."
He stood, "So, let's go down the hall and see...what we can see."
Beatrix eagerly hoped off the table and followed the doctor out of the room and ventured the short distance down the hallway. She was still clad in a classic hospital gown but she had moved up from the paper and onto the flimsy cotton material; but it didn't make her feel any warmer in the hallway. The room Doctor Herman brought her into was tiny but it wasn't cramped. The lights were dimmed down, giving the area a pleasant atmosphere. There was an examination table in the far corner of the room and next to it was the massive ultrasound machine. Beside that was a stool and to the right was a set of cabinets.
"You can have a seat, Arlene and I'll be back in one moment. The nurse will be in shortly to prep you," Doctor Herman instructed warmly before exiting the room.
Beatrix slipped onto the table, the thin tissue paper crunching beneath her form as she lay back and became moderately comfortable. Now more than ever was she glad Tommy wasn't with her. She always enjoyed his emotional and enthusiastic presence during her past doctor visits, but she knew that if he came today Doctor Herman would not have offered her the chance to get an ultrasound. Yes, Tommy knew he wasn't the father but she also knew it'd be emotionally hard for him to see pictures of a child that genetically wasn't his. As well as he was taking it and as supportive as he was being, she didn't find that fair. Perhaps this was somewhat selfishly derived but she didn't think much of that factor.
Soon enough the door did open and in walked a nurse. She was short, not overly skinny; her skin was a light mocha color, and she had a wet black hair that was tied into a tight bun. The wrinkled creases on her face showed the woman wasn't in her prime any longer. She was dressed in classic white and wore a welcoming smile. "Hello Miss Machiavelli, let's get you ready, shall we?"
The nurse moved over to the cabinet and withdrew a blanket which she soon after draped over the blonde's lower half. "You know," she began in tender conversation. "We can print a picture from the ultrasound." Beatrix arched a curious grow at the nurse.
"I remember when I had my third child I put the picture up on the refrigerator." This time Beatrix laughed well naturedly. The nurse beamed warmly at the young woman. "Well, I'll go tell Doctor Herman you're all set." And she turned and exited the room.
Dr. Herman reentered and sat behind the ultrasound machine, the screen reflecting off of his glasses. A secondary monitor was facing towards Arlene, so she could see what Dr. Herman was seeing. He'd been right; through the slight murkiness of the picture, it was easy to make out a well formed baby. Head, toes, fingers, limbs and torso were all there and where they should be. The baby was even moving, although they were very slow movements.
Dr. Herman couldn't help but smile as he went about doing this. He chatted with Arlene about what would and would not be fully formed and functional at this stage in the baby's growth. He also pointed out those little facts that doctor's loved to drop.
"Oh, I forgot," he announced and flipped over a switch. A steady whooshing sound emitted from a small speaker on the machine. "The sound of the womb Arlene...the first thing our newly formed ear canals ever take in..."
He remained silent from then on, letting Arlene take in the whole experience while he set up everything and took some pictures.
Once everything was finished, Dr. Herman detached Arlene from the machine and led her back to the initial exam room. Informing her he would be back in a few minutes and that she could change back into her clothing. About ten minutes later he returned with a folder under his arm.
Smiling, he spread its contents over the counter...the contents being a handful of ultrasound pictures printed out on a plastic kind of transparent film; the type x-rays are on. He held each one up to the florescent ceiling lighting so they could both get a good look.
"It's a hard choice Arlene," Dr, Herman muttered as they looked at the last photo, "But, I think my favorite one...is this one...," he snatched the second photo from the pile. It was probably the clearest of all the photos. The baby's head was slightly turned towards the camera, showing the presence of both eyes; which looked like little black beads at the moment. The baby was obviously trying to work her left hand, and the fingers were spread out in a grasping gesture. "What do you think?" Dr. Herman said, glancing at her, "Whichever you choose is you're to take home and keep. I have an ultrasound picture for each of my daughters...granted, they aren't as clear as the pictures nowadays, but they are beautiful things to hold on to."
Bright blue eyes looked over each sonogram with careful procession and deep concentration. Seeing her daughter, fully, in a sense gave her a feeling that was hard to place into words. Perhaps it was what she had been told by numerous women. Nothing compared to the feeling of knowing she created that life instead of destroying it; which was something special.
It was a shame she could only keep one but, she probably wouldn't have room in her pocket to carry around all of them. But then again she couldn't fold up the stiffened x-ray like picture and put it in her pocket either. She made a quick mental note to stop by the post office to make a photocopy. That she could carry it around.
She gingerly picked up the ultrasound picture the doctor had pointed out as his favorite. A single digit extended and traced the outline of her daughter's black and white shaded, transparent features. She was beautiful. Beatrix could tell the obvious even in black and white. The idea of that pretty little girl being born soon made the blonde giddy with excitement and absolute bliss. She couldn't wait to be a mother and raise her daughter 'appropriately'. Being a mother was perhaps something she had wanted all her life…besides, she already knew that her unborn baby was what made her really fucking happy and that made everything else fit.
"I think I'll listen to the good doctor and take his advice," she stated fiercely with a warm smile. She took up the spare manila folder and slipped her take home picture inside for safe keeping. The tall blonde then slowly and calmly locked eyes. "I appreciate this…allot."
Dr. Herman was watching Arlene closely, smiling. There was no missing the twinkle in the tall blonde's eyes as she took in the ultrasound pictures. He remembered that feeling, going in with his wife and seeing his first child like that. He thought that had been something, but when he actually had seen his daughter being born...well...that surpassed all. Then again, he was a doctor; a lot of men weren't big on that moment.
He blinked, coming back to the present and patting Arlene on the shoulder. "My pleasure Arlene, I'm looking forward to seeing your daughter out in this world. Now," he got back to business, "...I want to see you again in two weeks. Things are going to start getting much more uncomfortable for you soon, so please...be careful and call me if anything is bothering you, alright?"
Dr. Herman shuffled together the other ultrasound pictures to be filed away in Arlene's records. He opened the door for her, "Take care Arlene," he smiled, giving her shoulder one last squeeze before she walked up towards the waiting room; the slightest waddle in her pregnant steps.