week seventeen
After spending the night with Lynn, Linka still had to deal with her mother's anger. Rita Loud held no punches when it came to her punishments.
Linka was grounded indefinitely, and she wasn't allowed to leave the house unless it was for a doctor's appointment. She was restricted from watching TV or using her cellphone.
Linka could have been spared this punishment, but she still refused to reveal the identity of her baby's father. Her parents were furious at having to explain to the younger kids what was going on, saying that Linka's grounding wouldn't be lifted until she told them who the father was.
Rita pulled Linka out of school, for the rest of the semester. It was the only thing she could think of to save linka the stigma of being pregnant in middle school.
Upon hearing the news that a link would be stuck under her parents' watchful eyes almost 24/7, the girl's heart sank.
Linka sat uncomfortably, on the hospital bed. She was wearing a pepper thin hospital gown, it was approximately two weeks from the last time Linka was at the hospital and this was her very first ultrasound.
Nervous excitement bubbled to the surface. Linka couldn't wait to know the gender of the child she was carrying. She already loved her baby, but this would bring a sense of reality to it.
Being at home was awkward, so Linka got a break from her mom's constant hassling. The older woman was hell-bent on getting the truth out of Linka.
She had yet to get another private moment with Lynn, and Linka was desperate for his touch. They shared longing looks across the table, and fevered touches when they were alone.
There was a knock on the door, followed by a masked nurse entering the room. The older woman smiled at Linka before they got to work.
Linka lay back on the hospital bed as Ms. Figaro moved her gown to the side, revealing her rounded belly. The doctor then pulled out a tube of gel and rubbed a liberal amount on Linka's belly.
The preteen shuddered, while Ms. Figaro apologized, "Sorry, Linka. This should be the only moment of discomfort.".
" It's okay, " Linka sighed.
She watched intently as the nurse turned on a foreign-looking machine next to a large screen, handing Ms. Figaro a wand-type device.
"Did your mom want to be in the room for this?" The nurse asked.
Linka closed her eyes and shook her head, fighting the urge to cry. Her mom was still furious and she refused to come back with Linka, saying that it was part of her punishment.
Ms. Figaro patted Linka's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "It's okay, Linka. Now let's see that baby."
Linka watched intently from her bed as Ms. Figaro placed the wand on her abdomen.
There was a very light sensation as the wand glided across Linka's belly slowly, and the nurse operated the equipment behind her as a wavy picture appeared on the screen.
Tears came to Linka's eyes. The baby was still fairly small; its body was slender, with skin stretched tightly over its tiny little body.
Blood vessels were visible through baby's translucent skin, and a steady beat could be heard echoing throughout the room. The baby's legs were flexed at the knees and the ankles, and its tiny arms and hands moved as if it knew they were being watched.
Ms Figaro nodded, "Here's your daughter, Linka."...