As usual, I failed to anticipate inspiration and plan this, so I'm forced to go back in time from previous chapters. Sorry if it gets confusing.

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"That's it?!?!"

Rodney peered intently at the monitor and tried once again to see what everyone else was apparently seeing. He waved a little frantically at the monitor as he said, "All I see is a bunch of lines."

"Aye, that's it, Rodney," said Carson as though he'd known Rodney wouldn't be able to see it. Rodney had come into the Infirmary more jittery and bitter than when he'd been suffering withdrawal from the Wraith enzyme. "Just open your eyes and you'll see the wee one with no trouble at all."

Rodney turned a look of scorn on Carson and growled, "My eyes are open, Carson." He turned back to the screen and added, "There's nothing there." He folded his arms across his chest and said, "Tell me again why you're using an ultrasound and not a scanner, which by the way would be much more effective and give me a much clearer image."

Unwilling to go into the lengthy details again, Carson sighed and shook his head in amusement. "You know why, Rodney."

Rodney humphed and looked back at the screen. "I don't see it," he said a moment later, only his voice no longer had the frustrated bitterness in it. His voice had been small, as though despite his best efforts and deep desire to see the first image of his and Jennifer's child, he just couldn't.

"Did you see that little bit of movement that time, Rodney?" asked Carson in his best soothing doctor voice. He pointed to the monitor and said, "There! See it that time?"

Rodney concentrated hard on the screen, but all he could see were wavy lines that didn't amount to any recognizable shapes. "I…I just can't see it." He shook his head and mumbled softly, "I'll just…I'll just get out of the way and let you…"

He stopped when Jennifer put her hand on his, and at her prodding he let her fingers slip in between his and interlock with them.

He turned his attention to her, which he realized with an inward grimace that that's where it should have been anyway, and found her giving him a sympathetic smile.

"It's okay if you can't see it, Rodney," she said softly, understanding and compassion for his plight in her voice. "It's not easy to see shapes and movements unless you're used to looking at the images," she shot Carson an admonishing look and added, "like we are."

Jennifer looked down to the foot of her bed where Nancy was standing. "Nancy, could you move the monitor up here to where I can reach it please?"

"Certainly, Doctor," replied the nurse as she moved to fulfill her boss' request.

When she could reach the monitor, Jennifer smiled appreciatively at her nurse and released Rodney's hand. After turning the monitor so that Rodney could see it, she took his hand again and raised it towards the screen, letting his fingers gently graze along the luminescent surface.

Rodney watched his fingers trace along the lines on the screen over and over again, and suddenly his eyes opened wide and his heart began beating wildly in his chest.

"A leg!" he exclaimed excitedly, and he looked down to Jennifer's face and was rewarded with a beautiful smile and confirming nod.

His eyes shot back to the monitor and he became enthralled with a new set of lines that Jennifer had his fingers tracing. After a few times going around the lines he said, "An arm?"

"Yes," replied Jennifer proudly.

She kept his fingers moving about the screen.

""That's a head!" Rodney nearly shouted as Jennifer moved his fingers around another set of lines. "That's definitely a head! I can see a nose and… and a chin!"

"I think he's got it," quipped Carson, who was largely ignored by Rodney and Jennifer.

Jennifer kept her hand on his, but she was no longer guiding him as his fingers traced another line.

"Stomach?" asked Rodney as he looked at Jennifer.

She nodded again and gave his hand a loving squeeze.

"It's…that's amazing!" Rodney said with subdued excitement.

Carson smiled at his friends and pressed a button on the ultrasound, and a moment later a nearby tablet beeped indicating that it had received a download.

"Right, Rodney," said Carson after he gave the parents-to-be a few moments, "it's time for you to get out and let Jennifer get dressed." He put the ultrasound paddle down and retrieved a handful of tissues and wiped the excess jelly from Jennifer's very round tummy, then said, "The tablet on the desk by the door has some pictures for you two to show off."

Rodney spared Carson the barest of glances before looking at Jennifer again. "I'll wait for you outside?"

"I thought you had to get back to the lab," she teased.

Rodney shrugged. "It can wait."

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, then straightened up and headed for the door, grabbing the tablet off the desk as he did so.

When he made his way to the main entrance, he found his teammates- his friends- waiting.

Without saying anything he showed them the tablet and brought up the picture of the ultrasound image that Jennifer had used to help him see his child.

Ronon was the first to speak, and naturally it was a continuation of the good-natured ribbing that Ronon had started when he first found out that Rodney and Jennifer were going to have a baby. "I guess you really did it, McKay."

Teyla smiled at the running joke and said, "The baby looks very healthy, Rodney."

Rodney nodded and turned to Sheppard and said, "What?" when he saw a frown on the Colonel's face.

Sheppard shrugged and said, "I don't see it."

Rodney sighed and said, "Open your eyes, Sheppard. Open your eyes."