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They rode in the same car over to the private doctor’s office. They were taken into a room where the doctor did an initial Doppler check to establish that the fetal heart rate was normal. All was well, and he felt the tension in his chest ease that he hadn’t been aware was there.
“And an ultrasound,” he said.
“We typically don’t—”
He looked at the doctor. “I am aware. But I would like to have one done. I called ahead.”
“Of course, Dr. Salvatore.”
They were ushered into the sonogram room, and he introduced himself to the technician. “I would like to perform the sonogram,” he said.
Polly looked at him, her eyes wide. “What?”
“I’m a doctor.”
“You aren’t an ultrasound technician,” Polly said.
“No. But I have the necessary qualifications and knowledge.”
“I don’t want you to do it,” she said.
“I told you that I—”
“Yes,” she said. “You are a doctor. But you’re not my doctor. You’re the father of my baby, and that’s it.”
“Is that all?”
He felt...scalded by that.
“Yes, Luca,” she said. “That is all.”
“You’re acting like I don’t have feelings again,” he said.
She shook her head. “I’m really not. I’m asking you to be reasonable. To consider if it’s a typical thing for a father to be in charge of running the ultrasound, or if you should trust the people who make this their expertise to do their jobs.”
He scowled. Mostly because he could see that she was potentially right. He still wanted to be the one to do this. He wanted to be the one to make sure that everything was okay. It was important to him.
“You can stand there,” she said. “And look. And if you see something of concern, why don’t you ask the woman to linger there.”
The ultrasound tech was looking between them and Luca didn’t bother to try and read her expression. He didn’t care. He only knew that he was irritated, in part because she might even be right. And even if she wasn’t, he could see that it was going to benefit him to bend here. He didn’t want to bend. Medicine was the way he cared. It was all he was.
And yet again, Polly didn’t understand that. She didn’t understand that for him this was caring.
How else was he supposed to show it?
He wanted to be in control of everything happening. He understood that. He didn’t see what was wrong with it, though. That was the problem. She was being stubborn right now.
The ultrasound tech readied the equipment, and Polly looked at him. “What?”
“I’m going to have to put the gown on.”
“Yes,” the tech said. “It’s going to be an internal ultrasound.”
“In that case, Polly must be certain that she wants one. I directed this, but didn’t think the implications through.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I would like to see the baby.”
“You’re certain?”