Chapter Five: The Appointment
Thursday, October 18, 1990
Sam drove from the train station to an independent bakery, where she bought a ginger tea, per Angela's suggestion. The tea felt incredibly hot in its paper cup, and she had to wait several minutes for it to steep before requesting a few ice cubes. There were no cupholders in the car, and she would have to hold the tea between her legs while she drove. Before leaving the bakery, she took a few sips, and her turbulent tummy was calmed.
She continued on to Manhattan, finding an inexpensive parking garage five blocks from the doctor's office. A walk in the fresh air couldn't hurt.
Meanwhile, Angela was en route by taxi. Traffic wasn't bad. She paid the driver in cash with a generous tip, and popped out onto the sidewalk, glancing at her gold bangle watch. Ten minutes to ten o'clock. She spotted Sam's short, dark hair passing through the revolving door and hurried to the building.
"Samantha!" Angela called through the lobby. Sam turned from her position at the elevator bank. Together they boarded the car and were propelled to the 51st floor. Suite 5109 was on the left.
Angela stepped up to the receptionist window and said "Samantha Micelli is here for a ten o'clock appointment with Dr. Greene. I called ahead with her insurance information. Were you able to verify coverage?"
"Yes, thank you. Insurance is settled, but we do need her medical history on these forms. Are you her mother?" Angela accepted the clipboard and cringed. She wished their relationship could be described in a more concise manner.
"I'm a family friend. Is it ok for me to come in with her?"
"Yes, she is allowed to have one person of her choosing in the exam room."
Angela thanked the receptionist, took a pen from the jar, and brought the forms to Sam. "I can help you with these." She filled in the address and phone number of the house, checking the box to disallow messages with health information. She then quickly ran through the list of health conditions and checked "None of the above" in the father column.
"Did your mother have any of these health conditions?" she asked, moving the form into Sam's line of sight.
Sam looked up in surprise. Tears started to form in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. "Cancer. My mom died of ovarian cancer."
Angela felt a lump grow in her throat. She marked the appropriate box and added a note to the form. How was it possible she had never known what killed Marie? Tony and Sam didn't talk about her death. They barely talked about her life. And it never felt right to ask.
"Emergency contact? Do you want me to put your dad's name?"
"You, Angela." She filled in her own name and number, adding "friend" on the relationship line.
"Sign here. And here." When Sam was done, Angela scanned the forms once more and brought them back to the receptionist. On the way back, she stopped at the water dispenser and filled a paper cup.
"Thirsty?"
"No thank you. I did get a tea earlier, and it helped. I kind of have to pee now."
"Good, they'll want you to provide a urine sample. You'll have to do a blood test, too."
"Samantha?!" the medical assistant called. Both women headed through the door, Angela being seated in the companion chair of an exam room while Sam's vitals and blood and urine sample were collected.
The medical assistant brought Sam into the exam room and handed her a hospital gown. "Opening goes in back. The doctor will be right in." She disappeared into the hallway.
"I can step out."
"You don't have to. It's not like this is the first time I've been naked in front of you." She laughed. "Besides, it's going to be a lot worse when you're in the delivery room with me." She stripped off her t-shirt and pulled on the flimsy gown. Next, she stepped out of her shoes, pushed down her jeans, and hopped up on the table.
Angela was taken aback by Sam's casual attitude. "Me? You want me with you?"
"Of course. You're the closest thing I have to a mom, and you've been through it."
"Does this mean you've decided to go through with the pregnancy, assuming it's confirmed?"
"No, I'm 99% sure I won't, but I do want to ask the doctor some questions about the termination procedure. That doesn't mean I won't give birth one day. Do you think you could be there with me?"
"Of course, honey."
Dr. Greene entered and introduced herself to Sam. Over the next half hour, she performed a physical, confirmed that the urine test was positive, and laid out all of the options.