Page 32 of Fever: Love In Scrubs

I sat in the doctor’s office, nervously shaking my leg.

The reason I made an appointment was because my period was late. Every month since I first got my cycle, it came on like clockwork. I could guess it down to the date and it was always right on time.

Not this month.

As a matter of fact, it didn’t come last month either.

I was in such a blissfully happy state that I didn’t even realize it.

It wasn’t until I went looking under the bathroom sink for something and saw the unopened box of tampons did I realize I was late.

Very fucking late. The realization had me running to my period app to see when the last time I’d logged a period. It was almost three months ago.

After getting over the initial shock, I made an appointment with the doctor Asia recommended as her primary care physician a while back when I was looking. Now here I was, sitting in this waiting room, a nervous wreck.

“Calm down, baby girl,” Jaxson Senior said, resting a hand on my knee.

I’d asked him to come with me. While I loved Ms. Tabitha, I knew she would be excited and possibly spill the beans. Mr. Pierre was quiet and laid back. He never said too much and didn’t get in your business unless you put him there. He and I had built a bond the last couple of months.

At times, I felt a little awkward because I’d never had the traditional father. Sometimes I didn’t know what to say to this man, but he always made me feel warm and welcomed.

“I’m so nervous,” I admitted.

He chuckled. “Don’t be nervous now. You weren’t nervous when you and my son were doing what you were doing to get to this point, now were you?”

I gasped. “Mr. Pierre!”

“I’m just saying. You have nothing to worry about. If this test comes back positive, then we all get a baby out of it. If it’s negative…” He laughed. “Well, if it’s negative, I know it won’t be long before we are right back here because I see the way my son looks at you.”

I knew my face was red. I knew he didn’t think I was innocent, but I didn’t want to think about him knowing his son turned me every way but loose in the bedroom. He didn’t need to know the way that man would fuck me until I had tears streaming down my face and my voice was hoarse.

“Wynter Driscoll!” the nurse called.

I took a deep breath as Mr. Pierre stood and offered me his arm. We walked to the back and the nurse closed the door.

“Good morning, Ms. Driscoll. I’m Candis and I’ll be your nurse today. I see you’re here because of a late period and you’re worried you might be pregnant?”

“Yes?”

“How are you feeling right now?”

“Like my stomach is in my ass right now.”

Both she and Mr. Pierre laughed.

“I meant, are you having any symptoms, dear.”

“Oh… no. None that stick out off the top of my head. I just… my period comes like clockwork. It’s late, like really late and I just want to cover the bases.”

“Have you taken an over the counter test?”

“I’ve been too afraid.”

“Well, no worries. That’s what we’re here for. We’ll start with a few quick checks. Is this our possible dad?”

Mr. Pierre laughed. “God no. All my kids are grown. I’m the possible grandfather.”

“My mistake. You never know these days. My husband is older than me and we get that look all the time.”

Nurse Candis motioned me toward a scale. I stepped on, my eyes fixed on the blinking digital numbers. Once she collected my weight, she led me to a chair and checked my blood pressure.

“One-twenty over seventy-eight,” she noted cheerfully, writing it down. “Perfect. I’m gonna need a urine and blood sample just to be double sure, okay?”

“Okay.”

I sat still as she prepared to draw my blood. Mr. Pierre extended his hand and though I wasn’t afraid of having blood drawn, him being here gave me comfort. I took his hand and squeezed it. Once the blood sample was collected, Nurse Candis gave me a cup to collect the urine sample.

As I tried to give them enough, I said a silent prayer.

If I was pregnant, all I wanted was a healthy child with all ten fingers and toes.

I placed the sample in the collecting tray, wiped, and flushed the toilet then washed my hands and left the bathroom.

Nurse Candis led us down the hall to the exam room and instructed me to undress from the waist down.

Mr. Pierre told me he would wait until the doctor came before he joined me.

In the small exam room, the walls were decorated with posters about prenatal vitamins and fetal development. I sat on the exam table, the paper crinkling beneath me so loud in the quiet space as I shook my leg. I’d never been so nervous in my damn life.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door and in walked Dr. Jean. She was a beautiful older woman with salt and pepper hair and a warm smile. Mr. Pierre walked in behind her and took the seat next to the door.

“Good morning, beautiful!” Dr. Jean greeted me.

“Good morning.”

“I see we might be having a baby. How are we feeling?”

“Nervous as hell. I’ve never been pregnant before.”

“That’s completely normal, especially for first time moms,” Dr. Jean said, nodding. She flipped through the chart the nurse had updated. “Your vitals look excellent. No concerning medical history on file. While we wait on the results, let me ask you a few quick questions.”

I straightened my back, clutching my hands together.

“When was your last period?” Dr. Jean asked, pen poised.

“According to my app, about three months ago.”

“Any nausea, fatigue, or changes you’ve noticed?”

“Nothing that I paid attention to. It’s been… some changes in my life recently and that’s where all my focus has been.”

Dr. Jean nodded. “Life happens. I see we did a urine test and a blood test to check hormone levels. We should have those results?—”

She was cut off by a knock on the door. Nurse Candis popped her head in and handed her a piece of paper before ducking back out. As Dr. Jean read the results, she smiled.

“Congratulations are in order! You are, indeed, pregnant.”

“I— I am?”

She handed me the paper and right there in black and white, the results confirmed that I was with child.

Part of me was excited and the other part was terrified.

Jaxson and I had only been in each other’s lives for about six months.

While it felt like a lifetime together to us, it was still a short period of time. Were we ready for a baby?

“I can confirm how far along you are via ultrasound,” Dr. Jean said.

I nodded.

She excused herself from the room. Mr. Pierre came over to me with a huge smile on his face.

“I’m gonna be a grandpa again.” He kissed my temple. “Congratulations, baby girl.”

“Thank you. You don’t think it’s too soon?”

He chuckled. “I met, married, and impregnated my wife within eight months. Of course, that was a different time back then, but still. My point is, what’s right and ready is different for everybody. If you and Jaxson feel ready, that’s all that matters.”

I nodded. “Will you hold my hand?” I asked, misty eyed.

He smiled. “Of course, I will. I’ll be right by you every step of the way, my love.”

I wanted to cry. He was becoming the father figure I needed, and I appreciated him as much as his wife.

Dr. Jean returned with the ultrasound machine and explained the process to me before we began. I placed my feet in the stirrups and relaxed. Mr. Pierre grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze as Dr. Jean got into position.

“You might feel a little pressure,” she warned.

I nodded as she inserted the condom covered probe inside me. Almost immediately, a visual popped on the screen. I gasped as tears swelled in my eyes.

“There’s your little bean! Or should I say your little plum. You’re about twelve weeks. If I adjust the sound…”

She fidgeted with the knob on the machine and soon, the sound of my baby’s heartbeat filled the room. The tears stinging my eyes fell full force.

Dr. Jean smiled. “A nice, healthy heartbeat.”

“That’s my baby,” I whispered.

“Congratulations, mama.”

Mr. Pierre hugged me and kissed my temple. “Congratulations, baby girl.”

I stared at the screen and my heart felt so full. I’d found the man of my dreams and now the love we shared had been birthed in physical form. I was going to be somebody’s mama.