Chapter Eighteen:
Yugi felt his heart flip-flop. A girl. He was having a daughter.
"Is she-Is she doing okay?"
"Seems to be. I'm getting the readings now and I'll be able to get an idea of how big she is. I also want you to stand up while I measure your bump."
Yugi slowly stood up, unsurprised by the feeling of disappointment when Anna removed the ultrasound wand and the image disappeared. He removed the gown entirely, having progressed to a stage where he only felt a twinge of embarrassment standing in his boxers in front her. She measured him, then she and Kuribayashi left him alone for a few minutes while they did their calculations. When they came back, she was holding a printout.
"She's a little on the small side, Yugi, Now before you get worried, that's no cause for alarm, yet. At this stage, she should be about six and a half inches. She's just a shade under six. So, Kentaro is right. Eat some more and we'll check on her again next appointment. Here, I've got another ultrasound picture for you."
She held it out. It wasn't as amazing as the first one, because the baby had her arms down at her sides, so that all that was truly evident was her profile. But this time, in ink across the margin, Anna had written, "Congratulations, it's a Girl!"
Yugi held the ultrasound with trembling fingers. A girl. He was carrying a healthy baby girl. It was so surreal that he could barely comprehend it, and he'd been living with this reality for two months now.
"Yugi, Anna tells me you're going to allow us to do the paper. I want to thank you for that opportunity. So, now, what I want you to do is to weigh yourself twice every day. Just after you get up in the morning and just before going to bed every night. I want you to catalog what you eat and everything you experience."
"I will."
"Now, you're at the midway mark. Both through a full pregnancy and the second trimester. The increase in your weight is, hopefully, going to go up pretty drastically here soon. Your belly is going to get bigger. You're going to probably start experiencing some back pain and heartburn. As we get into your third trimester, I want to increase your visits. Even up to two a week if necessary. We'll discuss that when we see you next, after we get another measurement for your daughter. I want to stretch the appointment out this time. It's the twelfth. I want to see you back around the twenty-second."
"The twenty-second is fine."
"Okay. Ten days out instead of seven this time. I hope when you get on the scales you're at least one hundred and five. Now, I've been thinking about where to do the C-section. Mr. Kaiba's private infirmary would have all the necessary equipment for the procedure itself as well as all the privacy we could want, but it would not have any the equipment needed for post-natal care. So, I've been thinking the best way we can do this is to deliver her at the manor and transport her to the hospital, without you-" He held up his hand on Yugi's instinctual protest. "-so that it appears a woman had her on the way, which is not uncommon, and then we can put in the sutures you'll need and monitor your vitals, and then you can join her in the hospital."
Yugi didn't like that idea at all, but he could tell Kuribayashi thought it was best. And it really did help ensure privacy. But the idea of having his brand-newborn daughter transported to the hospital without him made him anxious.
"We would tell the hospital technician she's mine," Anna said. "I'll be with her while Kentaro stays with you and makes sure everything is okay."
Yugi nodded uncertainly. He understood what Kuribayashi and Anna were driving at, but the idea just didn't sit right. Still, he had to believe that they knew better than he did. If this was the way it had to be, it was the way it had to be.
"What do I need to do to get the infirmary ready?"
"Not much. Gozaburo Kaiba always had a full hospital down there. All that's missing is the pain meds and a couple tools, which I can bring. In fact, if it'll help you feel better to know, Noah Kaiba was born down there and it went fine."
Yugi fidgeted slightly at the mention of Noah. Undoubtedly, Kuribayashi knew what had happened to him, at least on this side of reality, and the reminder of his ultimate fate made Yugi feel bad. Still, the knowledge did sort of help.
"I suppose your brother must be climbing the walls," Kuribayashi said. "Unless you have any other questions, Yugi, I've gone over everything I wanted to."
Yugi shook his head in negation and got up. He dressed after Anna and Kuribayashi had left, then exited the exam room and went to get Yami out of the waiting room. His darkness was reading a magazine and he looked up with a smile when he heard the door. Yugi paid for the visit and then they left.
Out in the car in the parking lot, Yugi couldn't keep it in anymore.
"Mou Hitori no Boku. I'm going to have a girl!"
Yami's eyes widened. "You are?"
"Yes!" Yugi held out the ultrasound.
Yami took it and stared at it for several moments before he lifted his head and smiled. "Aibou, that's wonderful."
Yugi broke into laughter and threw his arms around Yami. Yami hugged him back, Yugi noting that he didn't squeeze as tightly as he himself did, and then handed the ultrasound back. He started for home.
"A daughter. Aibou, this is very big news."
"I know! It's amazing!" Yugi giggled again, then sighed. "At least I can drop about half the names I was thinking of off my list."
Yami smiled. "Would you like to come over tonight and tell Joey?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Yugi spent the rest of the car ride filling Yami in on everything that he had been told.
"I understand your concern about having her taken to the hospital without you, Yugi, but I believe Kuribayashi has the best idea."
"Yeah." Yugi frowned, but he knew they were right.
He just didn't like the idea at all.
Seto growled in annoyance as he hung up the phone. He'd been dialing Mokuba, Yugi, and Yami for the last twenty minutes and no one had answered. Where the hell were they all? It was just after eight pm in Domino. Neither Yugi nor Mokuba was in class and Seto didn't believe Yami even had a job, outside of what he did at the Kame Game Shop.
Finally he dialed the shop itself. He knew it was closed, but maybe Yugi was down there, counting the till or something.
"Hello, Kame Game Shop."
It was Solomon Moto. Seto bit back another annoyed noise and asked for Yugi.
"Oh, Yugi's out somewhere with Yami and Joey," Solomon said. "Yami picked him up about five minutes after we closed. Haven't you been able to reach his cell phone?"
"Evidently not or I wouldn't be calling for him," Seto said testily.
Solomon sniffed. "Well, he's not here, Kaiba. I'll tell him you called."
Seto hung up. He'd probably hear about his rudeness from Yugi later, but he hardly cared. So, Yugi was out and about with the ghost and the dog. The idea should have made Seto feel better, since it meant Yugi was doing some socializing, not sick at home, but not quite. He wanted to hear him. He wanted to see him.
Seto picked up his phone again and called his private pilot.
Paris had a Game Expo for tomorrow starting at nine am. Seto was not going to be attending.
He was going home.
tbc...
