Pregnancy Brain

Xiang Qin hasn't been acting quite like herself lately...


"Well Xiang Qin, and Zhi Shu, I have the results of your tests, and congratulations – you're going to be parents." Dr. Lee smiled at the couple in front of him.

"Really? Are you sure?" Zhi Shu held Xiang Qin's hand while she laughed and cried at the same time. This was different from the last time. While he'd known Xiang Qin wasn't pregnant, there was still some small part of him that had welcomed the idea of a baby. Now there actually was a baby, and he could feel his heart beating a little faster, and he felt a little warmer than usual. His mind started to wander a bit, back to the conversation that he'd had with A Cai after Xiang Qin fainted at the hospital.

Dad had told him some stories about Xiang Qin's mom when she was pregnant, and while Zhi Shu knew that pregnancy behavior wasn't genetic, he had hope, and the image of a slower, more mellow Xiang Qin made him smile more than a little. The Retinitis Pigmentosa diagnosis was a shock they were all still dealing with, and the family could use a little quiet time before the baby came….


4 months later

Zhi Shu's hope of an easy restful pregnancy and a calm, mellow wife had died a thousand fiery deaths once the morning sickness had passed. Sure, Xiang Qin was a clone of her mother physically and personality-wise, but it ended there. Once she was no longer tethered to the toilet bowl, Xiang Qin seemed a little different. She was still her cheery self, full of optimism, but there was an air of confidence about her that hadn't been there before, and it was a little scary to watch.

The first one to witness the change was Mama, but since she was such a Xiang Qin fangirl, no one really listened to anything she said. The all knew Xiang Qin couldn't slice bread without setting the kitchen on fire, so when Mama said that 'Xiang Qin' had baked that delicious cake, they nodded, ate it, wondered what bakery it came from, and went about their business. Xiang Qin was working late, so she missed the whole thing. And no one saved her any cake either.

The next person who noticed a change in her was Yu Shu. He was reading the morning paper (in English of course) and there was a concept he wasn't completely clear on. While he was talking it out to to himself, Xiang Qin looked up from her toast and explained it to him. When Yu Shu gaped at her, she shrugged and said "I heard it in Guam." Yu Shu decided that if they were Christian, this would probably be a sign of the Apocalypse.

Yu Shu thought back to the previous week when he thought he saw her reading a book. He'd told himself that she'd picked it up while cleaning, but now he wasn't so sure. He began to wonder if mom had been telling the truth about the cake and how the hell Xiang Qin had managed to do it.

Home wasn't the only place that the 'new' Xiang Qin was being noticed. Head Nurse had noticed that Xiang Qin was working quicker and more efficiently and making fewer mistakes. Her coworkers marveled at the change in the young nurse, and they made it a point to compliment her, which she accepted gracefully. She'd shown a marked improvement since the Bladder Incident, but this was more than that. There was a new authority in her manner when dealing with difficult patients, and the patients respected her, unlike before. Her reports still weren't perfect, but at least the patients were less likely to die than before.

Subtle attempts to question Zhi Shu brought no answers. Of course he knew that his wife had been making improvements slowly, but not the degree of her progress. At a time when she should have been slowing down, she was ramping it up, and just what the heck was going on?

Well, dear readers, Xiang Qin was experiencing pregnancy brain. Some women report an inability to concentrate or remember things as well as they used to. In Xiang Qin's case, she was experiencing the opposite. Blame it on the genes that Zhi Shu contributed to the baby.

Xiang Qin was aware of the changes, certainly, but she simply chalked it up to her being determined to be a good wife, mother, and nurse – someone Baby Hua could be proud of. She (and Zhi Shu) knew that with the right motivation, she could accomplish almost anything she set her mind to. Hadn't she made the top 100? Married Zhi Shu? Become a nurse? Waited out the Matsu deployment? She didn't know how much time she would have to work as a nurse, so she wanted to be the best she could and be remembered that way. Being a Tragic Heroine also fit quite nicely into her daydreams. When she felt particularly done wrong by Zhi Shu, she imagined many a scenario with him brought low by his regret. Those scenarios usually involved her being in a coma, Zhi Shu weeping at her side, begging for forgiveness. Of course, this would never happen in real life, but she it made her feel better.

Today Xiang Qin decided to try her hand at making breakfast. She didn't have to work but Hua was hungry and demanding food RIGHT NOW, so she carefully untangled herself from Zhi Shu and made her way to the kitchen. Rubbing her belly, she asked Hua what s/he wanted to eat. Hua didn't care, kicking at every suggestion.

When Mama came downstairs, she was surprised to see that Xiang Qin had breakfast well in hand and that it was all good. Yu Shu came in, followed by A Li, and finally Zhi Shu. Mama got a serious side-eye from her oldest son when she told him that Xiang Qin had made breakfast. "No way," he said, chewing through the meal that was made just right. Xiang Qin shrugged as she and Hua enjoyed the fruits of her labor. Yu Shu thought back to the newspaper incident and thought "Maybe" while A Li smiled happily at his family. A Cai slept through it all, as he usually did after a late night at the Cosy Spot.

As the couple prepared to leave, Mama asked Xiang Qin about her plans for the day. Instead of lunch and shopping with Chun Mei, everyone heard "Some nurses were talking about a book that sounded really interesting. I was going to pick it up and start reading it."

Zhi Shu looked a little bewildered. "What?" Yu Shu shrugged and made his way out the door. It was getting too weird around here lately.

"Like I said to Mama, it sounded really interesting," she said and began to describe the plot. Zhi Shu knew the book, and knew for certain that it wasn't anything Xiang Qin would normally be interested in, especially since she wasn't interested in books at all. He thought about asking where this sudden desire came from, but he needed to be tactful. Sure, Xiang Qin wasn't showing any sudden mood swings, but why take that chance? Deciding to wait for later, he kissed Xiang Qin, rubbed Hua, and left for work.

Of course, as a doctor, and even more as an expectant father, Zhi Shu was aware of pregnancy brain, but he was prepared for an even more scatterbrained Xiang Qin, not a smarter one. This Xiang Qin would have easily fit in Class C or even been a low B student. This would explain the improved work habits, cooking skills, and interest in reading, but how far could it go? How long would it last?


6 months later

Pretty damn far, Zhi Shu discovered. Xiang Qin had actually joined a book club and kept up with it. She'd also decided to improve her English skills and practiced daily with Christine. While she would never best A Cai or Mama in the kitchen, she had become pretty good at making several dishes and cooked a few meals each week until Hua was born. Now she spent her time sleeping when Hua slept, and fighting Mama to do anything for Hua outside of nursing.

It was kind of nice to watch Xiang Qin be replaced by Hua as Ma's favorite person, Zhi Shu thought as he came into the dining room. Xiang Qin put a plate in front of him. "I wanted to make you breakfast today. It's been a while, and I miss this time with you." Zhi Shu forked a bite of eggs into his mouth and couldn't tell which was worse, the crunchy shell, or salty, burned eggs.

"Well, damn," he muttered to himself.

A/N: I want to thank everyone who has read my stories. I hope I am able to give you as much pleasure with my stories as others have given me with theirs.

I do have some other scenarios planned, but if there are any that you would like to read, let me know and I'll see what I can do!