by Lexy Timms
It felt like only a second later when Elijah’s warm breath teased her ear. “Hey sexy, did you want me to make you some breakfast before I go?”
She turned her head to kiss his soft lips and sighed. “What time do you have to be in? Maybe we can drive in together.”
“I want to be there before six-thirty.”
Charity rolled onto her back and leaned up on her elbows. “I have to be in for seven. It won’t hurt if I’m a bit early. It’s going to be a crazy, busy day. I have Dr. Govender’s appointment, your mom’s arriving and my dad is planning on coming over for dinner. Maybe we should just do dinner at his place. Order take-out?”
Elijah slapped his forehead. “I completely forgot!”
Charity swung her legs over the side of the bed. “About your mother arriving?”
Elijah rolled his eyes. “She wouldn’t let me forget that. I cleared my afternoon and rotated all my surgeries to the morning so I won’t be late picking her up. I meant I forgot about Dr. Govender’s appointment.”
“You’re going to pick your mother up?”
“Of course.” Elijah stared at her, his eyebrows pressed together as he tilted his head. “Were you planning on it?”
She shook her head. “I wish. We could go together then. But no, my dad offered to pick her up so I sent him all the flight details.”
Elijah shrugged. “That’s even better.”
“Then you can make dinner for tonight if you’re not working.”
He laughed. “Let’s go with take-out. Maybe Thai, again?” He pointed to her tummy. “The peanut seems to like it.”
“So do my hips.” She shook them and pretended to dance like a genie just out of a bottle.
Elijah watched, clearly enjoying it. “What time is Dr. Govender’s appointment?”
“Ten.”
“I have back to back surgeries all morning. If I finish one early, I can make it.” He chewed his lip. “It’s going to be tight. My first surgery is the big one and then I booked two quick ones that’ll take about an hour each.”
Charity waved her hand. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I missed my eighteen weeks appointment last week so I don’t want to change this one. I’m midway through the second trimester. It’s nothing to get excited over.”
“It’s all exciting!”
She saluted him, still in her lace tank top and black panties. “I promise to give you a full report. I can set my cell to record and hide it to tape the entire appointment – if you want.”
“I’m sure we’ll be looking for a new OB if Dr. Govender finds out. He’s the best in the city. I don’t want to piss him off.” He walked over to his dresser and stepped into a pair of jeans. “If I finish on time and can swing it, I’ll come by.”
Charity didn’t reply, she was too busy enjoying watching him dress.
“Are you still feeling nauseated? If you are, you should mention it to Govender. He can subscribe some diclectin if you need it.”
“It’s pretty much gone. I’ve had it once or twice this month when I forget to eat. Baby’s just reminding me it needs fuel. Other than that it disappeared when I started taking the B-six vitamins with my prenatal. Touch wood it stays away.”
“If it doesn’t, let Govender know.”
“I will.” She turned and headed for the shower. “By the way, I forgot to tell you this last night,” she said and grinned slyly. “Someone distracted me.” She winked at him. “I think I’ve been feeling the baby.”
Elijah looked up, his hand stuck into the armholes of his shirt, he held it there not putting it on. “Really?”
“I’m pretty sure. At first I thought it was just bubbles or something from eating. It’s hard to tell because I’m not really ever sitting still long enough.”
He slipped his shirt on and came over, placing his warm hand on her belly. “What’s it feel like?”
“Little swirls and twirls inside my stomach.” She joked, “He’s dancing and spinning inside me. Like a teeny tiny little gymnast.”
“He?” Elijah’s eyebrows rose.
“Or she. I keep thinking of him as he.”
He stared at her. “You haven’t found out the baby’s sex have you?”
She playfully slapped his hand away. “Of course not! You were at the last appointment. I think it’s my twenty week where we can find out the sex if we want to.”
“You missed last week’s appointment?”
She nodded.
“Have you set up your eighteen-week ultrasound?”
She shook her head. “No. I was going to book it last week. Everything is going well, just been so busy.” She didn’t want him to worry or think she didn’t care. She double-checked everything with Dr. Govender and he was pretty straight forward if she needed to come in. If the doctor wasn’t worried, they didn’t need to be either.
“Book the ultrasound today. We can find out the gender then.”
“Oh! Right. I forgot.” She had her head in too many medical books and journals. She needed a turn on the prenatal floor. It might help. “Do you want to find out?”
Elijah shrugged. “If you want to…”
She laughed and tossed a towel at him. “I’m game. I don’t mind either way. If you want to know, so do I. It might be fun to find out while your mom is here.”
He grinned and came over to kiss her. “Then we’ll do it for my mother.”
“For your mother.” She checked her watch. “Now I gotta jump in the shower or I’ll make you late.” She gently pushed him toward the kitchen. “I’m feeling like some bacon and toast. Think you can do that for me?”
“For you? Anything!” He let her go.
She showered quickly and towel dried her hair before stuffing it into a bun. She could blow dry it later if she had time. She hurried into the bedroom after putting some mascara on. “Thank goodness for stretchy hospital pants,” she murmured to herself. She hadn’t had to buy maternity clothes yet because the elastic and baggy style of uniform. She needed to find some time to go shopping, or maybe order online. She didn’t plan on going out to dinner with her dad, mother-in-law and Elijah wearing hospital clothes. She’d have to go through her closet later and see if there was anything practical.
Elijah came in carrying a deliciously smelling BLT. “What’s up?”
“My ever-expanding waist and widening hips. I need to buy some clothes while your mom’s here.”
“That’s fine, but your body hasn’t changed.”
She shot him a look.
“Okay, barely changed. Nobody at the hospital knows you are pregnant. I can’t see anything except for this tiny bump forming in the front. No one can tell from the back, or directly from the front. Maybe they might think something if you’re wearing a tight fitting dress and you turn sideways. You look fabulous. Pregnancy looks good on you. Exquisite.” He handed her the plate. “Now eat so we can go.” He winked at her again. “Duty calls.”
She bit into the sandwich, grabbed her backpack and followed him into the living room. “This is the best sandwich I’ve ever had!”
The early morning flew at the hospital as Charity did rounds with Dr. Fulton and then prepped for surgery. She rushed to make her ten o’clock appointment, knowing she was already five minutes late. Elijah had sent a text to say he was still in surgery so he wouldn’t be able to make it.
Slightly out of breath from taking the stairs, she stepped into Dr. Govender’s office and smiled at the receptionist. “Sorry, I’m late.”
“No problem. Have a seat.” The receptionist pulled Charity’s chart from the file. “Actually you can go on into room three. It’s open.” She handed Charity her file. “Just put it on the outside door sleeve before you go in.”
Charity nodded and headed down the small hall to the last room on the right. She glanced back to see the receptionist with her back to Charity as she picked up the phone and worked on her computer. Charity opened her file and read over the notes Dr. Govender had made. Her weight was slightly under the norm, but
everything appeared entirely normal. She closed it and quickly hung it into the plastic holder on the door before stepping inside.
She settled on the patient table and swung her legs as she waited. The surgery this morning had gone well. She went over everything they had done and tried to embed it into her memory.
The door opened and the tall, heavyset South African-born doctor stepped in. “Good morning, Charity! How are my two patients doing today?”
“Good!”
He glanced at her chart. “So you are about nineteen weeks now? Still on the honeymoon.”
“Pardon?” Charity and Elijah had arrived back from New Zealand months and months ago. Did he know that?
“The span of week thirteen to twenty-seven is known as the ‘honeymoon period’. Typically the nausea subsides, your emotions begin to smooth out, even your sex drive returns.” He chuckled. “Some women say even more so. Don’t be surprised if that happens. During the fourth or fifth month, your body starts manufacturing estrogen in overdrive. The ovaries produce as much in a single day as a non-pregnant woman’s ovaries do in three years! Now that the nausea and fatigue tapers off, you’ll notice it more.” He carried on like it was no big deal. “Have you started to feel the baby’s first movements?”
“I think so.”
“You probably have but haven’t really noticed it. We refer to it as quickening. You were here just at twelve weeks and missed your sixteen-week appointment, and then rescheduled for last week, which you missed again.” He smiled at her. “It’s a good thing I know your husband and your father.”
Charity swallowed. “You haven’t said anything to my father have you?”
Dr. Govender blinked in surprise. “Is the baby a secret?”
“No, we are just waiting for Elijah’s mother to arrive from New Zealand, today actually, and then we are planning on telling them together.”
He patted her knee. “Let’s get your blood pressure, then weigh you and then we can measure your stomach.”
Charity held out her left arm for the cuff. Then jumped off the table and stepped onto the scale.
Dr. Govender recorded her blood pressure and weight. “Let’s get you back against the raised part of the table here and get your measurements and baby’s heart rate. I have not said anything to your father. Your secret is safe for now.” He poured some gel on her belly when she lifted her shirt. “However, that belly of yours isn’t going to be able to keep a secret much longer. It’s going to start popping out.”
A wush-wish sound that filled the room was magic to Charity’s ear. She grinned and felt the smile widen.
Dr. Govender showed her the little screen to show her the baby’s heartbeat. “Healthy and stable. The little babe is doing fantastic.” He handed her some paper towel to wipe her belly. “We’re finished here. Everything is great. When you see Sarah, you need to book a twenty-week ultrasound since we missed last week. We’ll rule out any issues and go over everything we need to.” He went over a list of things that the ultrasound technician would measure and check. Charity understood most of it and didn’t need to ask any questions. She and Elijah had decided to not run any extra tests to confirm anything else. If something showed up on the ultrasound, they would deal with it then.
“You may start to feel repeated ‘blips’ in your abdomen. Don’t worry, it’s just your baby having hiccups. It’s completely harmless and usually begins at the end of this trimester, around twenty-four weeks or later. Just want to prepare you in case I don’t see you for another six weeks.” He chuckled. “Book your appointment and I’ll have Sarah call you three days before it, and then again the next day. We’re a little off regular schedule now so let’s book for twenty-four weeks and if anything shows up on the ultrasound, I’ll contact you ahead of schedule.” He wrote some things down in her chart. “Will Dr. Bennet be with you during your ultrasound?”
Charity tossed the paper towel in the waste bin. “I don’t think he’d miss it.”
“Then we definitely can wait until twenty-four weeks for your next appointment.” He opened the door and continued chatting as they walked down the hall to the reception area. “How is your residence going?”
“Busy.”
“I believe it. There are not many who can handle it, let alone doing it while pregnant. I hear you are doing an excellent job. Like you never left.”
“Just a six-year hiatus, followed by a quick, intense month recap and a few strings being pulled by my father and husband.” She laughed. “I guess you can see where the craziness comes from.”
“Definitely not your mother.”
Charity smiled but didn’t respond. She felt her eyes fill and she blinked the wetness away. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I-I didn’t know you knew my mother.”
“She volunteered when you were in university. She used to help take teenage mothers or whoever needed aid. She’d bring them here for their appointments and make sure they had their vitamins and prenatal classes. She was a good woman.”
“She was. I didn’t know she did that.”
Dr. Govender smiled kindly. “She didn’t do it so people knew.”
“Let’s hope I have some of her in me.”
“You do, sweetie.” He chuckled. “And a heck of a lot of your father. All the best parts of both of them.” He handed Sarah the file. “Book her an ultrasound for next week and then to see us four weeks after. She’ll need call back reminders for both of them.” He winked at Charity. “When this baby is born and you’re interested in spending some time on my floor, I’d enjoy teaching and working with you. However, let’s wait until after the baby’s born.”
“I would love to!” Charity couldn’t believe he was offering to let her spend some time under him, teaching her. She appreciated his suggestion to wait till after the peanut was out. She didn’t think she could handle seeing emergency C-sections, fetus dangers or anything that would worry her. “I’ll hold you to that after this peanut pops.” She patted the lower part of her stomach. “I’m going to tell my father and husband you said I could.” She winked, enjoying the chance to tease him.
Charity’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out. “It’s probably Dr. Bennet checking up on me.”
Dr. Govender laughed. “I would do the same. Have a good day.” He left the waiting room, heading through the door that led to his examination rooms.
Charity glanced down at her phone. It was a message, but not from Elijah.
Dr. Fulton wanted to see her in his office. Right away.
Chapter 7
In the stairwell, Charity paused to send Elijah a text letting him know the baby was doing well and she had booked her ultrasound for next Monday. She gave him the time so he could block off surgery or do whatever he had to do. He wouldn’t want to miss the ultrasound.
She slid her medical card that hung around her neck through the key entrance to the fourth floor and stuffed her phone into her pocket. She headed to Dr. Fulton’s office and let his secretary know who she was.
His office was empty of patients so she paced the floor slowly, trying to catch her breath from running up the stairs. She tried not to worry why Dr. Fulton would send a personal text. That never happened unless someone was in trouble. She attempted to think of something she had done.
“Dr. Fulton will see you now.” The secretary looked to be the same age as the doctor. Maybe she was his wife. Somewhere in the back of her mind Charity thought Mandy or Elijah, or someone had mentioned that.
Inside his office Charity glanced around, surprised at the simplicity of the room. It almost looked like a ward floor but had a desk instead of a patient’s bed. He didn’t even have pictures on the wall.
He sat behind a massive looking metal desk that reminded Charity of an examination table. He harrumphed when she stood in front of him. He wore his reading glasses at the end of his nose, writing and signing forms and files. “Dr. Thompson-Bennet you are on my service, am I right?”
“You are, sir.” She s
crunched her nose when she called him sir but knew he would expect it.
“You are older than the others, am I right?”
Why would that matter? “Probably.”
“Being older, you are expected to set an example for the others.”
She frowned. She thought she had been in surgery. Hadn’t Elijah said Dr. Fulton wanted her to continue on with him when her residence was finished?
“I don’t appreciate you taking off after surgery without consulting me. You are expected to stick around.”
“I was late for an appointment.”
He scowled at her. “You don’t make personal plans during hospital time.”
“I missed it last week and couldn’t cancel it today.”
He waved his hand. “I don’t care about your excuses. You don’t leave without clearing it with me first.”
Irritating little –! “Dr. Fulton, I don’t need to clear my doctor appointments with you.”
“You do if you want to stay on my rotation.”
She exhaled a hot breath. “Fine!” She wanted to tell him she didn’t need his bloody rotation. “I have my twenty-week ultrasound next Monday. If that’s alright with you. Dr. Bennet’s coming, shall I let Dr. Govender know you are coming as well? Maybe I should contact my father too, get him in the room and you can all discuss the baby and my incompetence?” Take that jack-ass!
Dr. Fulton’s mouth dropped open.
Charity regretted the words. She wished she could take back her overreaction to his reprimanding. He was a teacher, she the student; she shouldn’t have spoken to him like that.
“You’re twenty weeks?”
“Nineteen actually,” she said meekly.
“Does anyone know?”
“Elijah, of course. And Dr. Govender.”
“Your father?”
“We’re telling him, and my mother-in-law, who is arriving from New Zealand in the next hour, tonight.”
“You’ve been pregnant while doing your residence?”
She nodded. She couldn’t read his face or the tone of his voice. Was she in trouble now for being pregnant as well?