Page 107 of Omega's Refuge

“Nah.” The doctor smiled distractedly. “I’ll really just focus on your abdomen. I want to check for any swelling, and we’ll give you a transabdominal ultrasound. It’s non-invasive and the only discomfort is the gel is sometimes cold.”

“Okay.”

Dr. Holston palpitated my abdomen for a few moments, a line between his brow. “Everything seems okay,” he murmured. “But just to be sure, we’ll still do the ultrasound.”

He moved to a machine in the corner of the room on a cart. I hadn’t noticed it when we entered the room. He pushed it over and Rex stepped away from me to make room for the doctor and the ultrasound machine.

Dr. Holston squirted some clear gel on my stomach and when I winced because it was cold, he laughed. “Told you so. The gel is the worst part.”

I grimaced. “It’s worth it to know the baby is okay.”

“Absolutely.” He guided the handheld transducer across my stomach, and the monitor attached to the machine displayed shifting grayscale images of what lay beneath the surface.

“This will show us the size and shape of the fetus, we should be able to see the heartbeat as well,” Dr. Holston murmured, studying the images on the monitor.

“We can see the baby already?” I asked excitedly. It hadn’t occurred to me that the fetus would be visible yet.

“Definitely.” Dr Holston frowned. “I think the nurse said you thought you were two months along?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

Squinting at the images on the monitor, Dr. Holston said, “I think you’re more like three months pregnant, to be honest.” He smiled at meencouragingly. “You’re further along than you thought.”

“Really?” I raised my brow.

“Yep, see there?” He pointed to something on the screen. “That shape that looks about the size of a lime? That’s your baby.”

“The head is bigger than the body,” Rex said, giving a gruff laugh.

“That’s right.” Dr. Holston smiled at Rex. “The head is still proportionally larger than the body, but less so than in earlier weeks. The body is catching up.”

“Am… am I crazy or do I see arms and legs?” I asked, my voice wobbling. It was amazing to actuallyseethe baby. Up until now, the baby had been more of a concept than anything. But now, it felt so real because I could actually see it.

“Yes, the arms and legs are fully formed at three months. That’s one reason I’m sure your further along than originally thought. The hands and feet are well-defined and the fingers and toes are visible. I can even make out the facial features.”

“I see that too,” Rex said sounding in awe. “I see the nose and mouth for sure.”

“Yep.” Dr. Holston chuckled. “It’s pretty amazing right?”

“And everything looks okay?” I asked softly.

“So far, everything looks great, Tanner.” Dr. Holston met my uneasy gaze. “I think you gotlucky. The baby is still small enough that it was cushioned and protected when you fell. Any bigger or smaller, and there might have been a different outcome, but I think you and your baby are just fine.”

I felt like crying when he said that. Rex put his hand on my leg because he was too far away to touch much else. He wiped roughly at his eyes with his other hand, and I knew he was feeling emotional just like me. I liked that about Rex. I liked that he wasn’t afraid to show that he was moved by the sight of the baby.

Dr. Holston straightened. “Wanna hear the heartbeat?”

“Really?” I squeaked.

The doctor laughed. “Sure. Why not?” He flicked his fingers over the touch screen monitor and the rapid thrum of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room. It was faster than I'd expected, almost hypnotic.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered.

The doctor’s smile widened as he adjusted the device against my stomach, and the echoing pulse seemed to grow louder, and more insistent, as if to say, "I'm here, alive, and growing." It was both miraculous and humbling, a tiny drumbeat of life deep within me.

Rex’s fingers gripped my legs harder and he smiled at me. My eyes blurred with tears as we listened to the swift heartbeat of the baby we’d beparents to. I hadn’t even met the baby yet, and it was still only the size of a small piece of fruit, and yet a wave of protective instincts surged in me. It was lucky Steve wasn’t in the vicinity. I might have tried to strangle him as the raw paternal emotions raged through me.

“I see no signs of internal damage,” said Dr. Holston. “We’ll keep you here for a few hours to make sure the cramping is truly over. And once we send you on your way, you need to return immediately if you experience severe cramping, heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, dizziness, or fever.”

---