"Roger's taking you?" Mark asked, choking on his coffee. Allie nodded happily.
"Yeah! Isn't he the sweetest?" Mark coughed and sputtered a little before replying.
"But…I said I would take you…" He was leaning on their downtrodden counter, wiping up the coffee he had spilled when he sloppily poured himself a mug. Allie, being the skillful waitress she was, was able to pour her mug, as well as Roger's, with ease. She had one mug in her hand, and the other sat, steaming on the counter.
"I know, but you have to work, and we need that money. I can't ask you to leave work for this. Speaking of…" She marched to Roger's door and banging loudly with her fist. "Get up Rog!" A groan sounded from the behind the door. "There's coffee…" She sang, and moments later the door was opened by a groggy Roger, his hair as unkempt as ever.
"Morning…" He grumbled, pushing past her to the coffee maker. Mark glared at him as he passed, and continued to until Roger had enough coffee in his system to realize it. "What?" Mark looked at Allie and shook his head.
"Forget it. I gotta go." His tone was flittered with anger and hurt.
"Bye!" Allie called cheerfully. Mark waved at her and slammed the door on his way out.
"What's his problem?" Roger asked, watching him leave. Allie shrugged and skipped back into the kitchen.
"He's mad cause you're taking me to the doctor's." Roger's left eyebrow arched.
"You're kidding." She shook her head and grabbed a blueberry muffin, just part of the many leftovers she often took home from Life. Allie took a large bite.
"Nope. He's insanely jealous of you." She replied with a shrug, and she grabbed her hairbrush off the counter and ran it through her hair. This time, it was Roger who choked on his coffee.
"Jealous? Of me?" She nodded.
"Yeah. Why is that so surprising?" Roger shrugged.
"Well, since I've known you, I've always been jealous of him." He said in a small voice, praying she hadn't heard him. But of course, she had, and it caused her to laugh.
"Oh…ok, why?" He shrugged again as his face flushed red.
"Well…because-"
"Oh my gosh, get dressed! We have to go! I'm going to be late!" Allie cut him off. Roger sighed and headed back to his room to find a pair of clean jeans.
"You know," he called back to her, "You seem to be late for everything." Allie grabbed their jackets and stood by the door, tapping her foot impatiently.
"What can I say, I was born late!"
0o0o0o0o0o0
Roger and Allie made it to the clinic as the clock blink 9:45. The secretary didn't seem to mind they were late, and just shoved a clipboard at her with instructions to fill it out. Allie nodded and found an available seat.
"What do they need to know all this stuff for?" She cried blatantly, as Roger sat uncomfortably next to her. She looked over at him and laughed. "What are you doing?" She asked as he continued to shift around.
"Nothing, it's just…all these kids and pregnant women." Allie's eyes widened.
"You're telling me that, at a women's pregnancy center, there are kids and pregnant women? What a concept." She mocked.
"Shut up!" She laughed again and returned to her clipboard. When she finished, she handed it to the secretary and was immediately called into the office.
"Allie Sutherland?" A nurse in pink called. Allie stood up, and Roger sat up, a bit puzzled on whether he should go in or not. "Oh, it's ok, Daddy can come in too." The nurse remarked, waving them in. Allie looked from the nurse to Roger, who had risen.
"Oh no, he's not-"
"I'm not the-" The nurse ignored them.
"Come on now! You're having a baby, nothing to be embarrassed about." Allie gave Roger a small shrug as they followed the nurse into the room. "Ok, so it's quite simple really…ah, here we are." She stopped in the doorway of the room containing ultrasound equipment. "Mom, why don't you just lay down here, and the doctor will be in shortly." The nurse left, and Allie laid down. Roger sat in the stool next to her.
"Ok, I'm nervous." She stated, sticking out her hand to show it was shaking.
"Why? Shouldn't you be excited?" Roger asked her. She shook her head.
"I don't know. I just don't. I guess I should be…but instead I am freaked out as hell." She took a deep breath as Roger placed his hand on hers.
"Don't worry about it…it's going to be good news!" Allie intertwined her fingers in his.
"Thanks." She smiled a little as the doctor walked into the room.
"Alright! I'm Dr. Harrison. How are we doing today?" She sat on another stool on the opposite side of Allie, and set her own clipboard on the table.
"I'm fine…haven't gotten too big yet, so that's a plus." Allie said with a nervous laugh. Her doctor laughed as well.
"Yes, that's always a plus. So, should we get started?" Allie nodded. "Ok. So here's how it works. I'll be putting this mineral jelly on your stomach, it's going to be quite cool, forewarning. I'm going to pass this probe over your stomach, and it will project the image of the baby onto the screen." Allie nodded again. "Oh before I forget, you're about..4 and a half months along?"
"Yep, that sounds correct." Allie replied, giving Roger's hand a subtle squeeze. Dr. Harrison nodded, and began the ultrasound process.
"Ok…well, I'm seeing a head, right here," she pointed to a spot on the screen, which, when Allie squinted, she could actually see some sort of head.
"Oh my god, I see it!" She cried, beaming. Roger concentrated on it for awhile.
"Oh, me too, me too!" He called proudly. Allie laughed and held his hand tighter.
"Well…it's looking like…" Dr. Harrison paused, looking more closely. "A boy! Congratulations! You two are having a boy." Allie was too thrilled to correct her.
"Really?" She asked rhetorically. Dr. Harrison nodded.
"Yes, a baby boy! I'll let you clean up, and you're free to go." Allie and Roger thanked her as she left.
"Wow, can you believe it?" Allie asked Roger, as she wiped the jelly off her stomach and returned her shirt to it's usual state. Roger nodded.
"I knew it would be a boy. Are you gonna name him after me?" Allie pretended to be deep in thought.
"You know…probably not."
"Aw…" Roger pouted. "Oh well. So, I'm buzzed. You wanna do something?" He asked hopefully.
"Well, we could…drop off the check to my former landlord, or we could stop by the café to pick up my paycheck, or stop by the club to pick up my other paycheck…"
"All that stuff is so boring!"
"Ooh, we could go shopping!"
"So how far away is your old building?"
0o0o0o0o0
A/N: Sorry, this chapter is a bit short…I was sort of just trying to get it done. And I realize that, poor Marky hasn't been involved for a while…I think I need to include him…well, hugs and kisses and brownies for all of you who review!
