When Nigel got to his desk, he plunked himself down in the chair and put his hand on his miniscule belly. He sighed deeply as he leaned back like a couch potato. Bug walked in, and saw Nigel sitting in a strange position a few minutes later. "Um, Nige, what are you doing?" "Trying to not puke, okay? I read online that if you sit with your head between your knees, you won't get sick." "Nigel, that's for fainting, not vomiting! Here, lemme help you up. You shouldn't be that curled over. It could be bad for your back and your baby." "Oh, man! I don't want to hurt the baby!" Bug put his hand under Nigel's arm and gently straightened him up. "Thanks, Bug. I don't think I would have been able to do that without getting dizzy." "No problem, Nige. How're you feeling? Well, other than sick." "Okay. I realized that I keep putting my hand over my belly for some reason, almost like I'm protecting it." "Well, that's not unusual. It's the paternal instincts starting already." "Wow. I guess I am already taking my baby's best interests to mind." "That's good. I can tell that you're going to be a great dad." "Thanks. I hope so. I want to be as good a parent as I can."
Later, he contacted his insurance company, and they gave him the name of some obstetricians within a 10-mile radius. He called the one that was closest to his apartment and the office, and made an appointment with them for a few days later. As he left the office for the night, he couldn't help but subconsciously rest his hand on his belly. When he got into his car, he closed the door and started to quietly cry. He leaned his head on the steering wheel, and put his hand protectively over his waist. After he calmed down and drove home, he got into a warm bath. As he was washing off his body, he left his hand over his belly where the baby was. He lay in the bathtub, his hand resting lightly on his belly. He lightly kissed his fingers, and put it down on his waist where he had felt the firmness earlier. He left his hand there, and closed his eyes. He imagined himself three months pregnant, then seven months, and then nine months. His eyes snapped open, and he found himself smiling. "You and I are going to have a good life together, baby. You've got your Uncle Woody, Uncle Bug, Uncle Garrett, Aunt Jordan, and Aunt Lily. Some of them may be a little odd at times, but you get used to them. You'll love them. And they'll love you. Almost as much as I do." He gently traced around his belly button, and he imagined that he could feel the baby moving. "Oh, that was a big movement. I can't wait until I really feel you move. I can't believe I'm pregnant. It seems too unreal." He continued to gently soap up his chest, and when he got to where his heart was, he left his hand there. He felt his heart beating, and he put his hands flat over his pectoral muscles. "Hmm, I wonder if these are going to swell at all. It'll be so weird to wear a bra. But maybe I can just work around it." He chuckled to himself, and got out. After he heaved a little bit more, he sighed what seemed like a sad sigh and got into bed. After a fitful four hours of sleep, he ended up watching late night TV.