Page 282 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus
“Did I miss something?” I ask, glancing between the guys.
“We’re going to do an ultrasound and see if we can get a firm conception and delivery date pinned down,” Dr. Blake says, typing away on his phone. “Since I know you’re not sticking around the area I’m not going to give her the full routine. Especially since they’ll just redo it all once you pick a primary doctor in Virginia. But I have to ask. Do you know which one of you is the father?”
The four of us awkwardly glance back and forth. Apparently Farrah didn’t share that piece of information.
“No,” Miller says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Got it,” Dr. Blake says, nodding. “Do any of you have any health problems or genetic disorders that could have been passed to the baby?”
We chorus a quick no.
Dr. Blake glances between us and nods. “All right, well you’ve got some time before you see the doctor you’ll stick with for the duration of the pregnancy, so give it some thought. I’m going to try to keep the cost down since I know she doesn’t have insurance.”
“What?” Nik’s jaw falls. “No, you do whatever needs to be done. We’re privately paying.”
Dr. Blake chuckles. “I wouldn’t phrase it exactly like that when searching for a permanent OB, but I’ll do everything necessary today to ensure she’s good until you make it back to Virginia.”
“Thank you,” Miller says.
“All right, give us five minutes to do a couple of quick things and Lexie will call for you,” Dr. Blake says, stepping over and knocking on the door. “It’s right on the cusp, but I think we’ll do the abdominal ultrasound first. If it isn’t clear then we’ll go from there.” He mutters the last bit like it’s more to himself and disappears into the room, closing the door behind him.
“Why isn’t he letting us in there?” Carver asks.
“The first visit usually includes a pelvic and breast exam,” I say mindlessly. “I’m sure he’s trying to give Melody some modesty.”
“Are you going to pull the dick’s medical records?” Nik asks like he’s been following his own train of thought.
I nod because that’s exactly what I’m planning to do. If the doctor will need to know her ex’s family medical history, then I can pull the information easily enough.
“Not from my phone. I’d prefer to do that on my laptop from behind my firewalls.”
“Sounds good,” Nik agrees.
A surprising wave of panic swells in my stomach. My eyes widen as I shove my glasses up. It’s not my anxiousness that I’m feeling.
“She’s nervous about something.” I shake my hands out because it’s bleeding into me so strongly that it’s difficult to focus.
“You can come in,” the nurse says, poking her head out the door.
“You should hold her hand and maybe see if you can get close enough that she can get a few hits of your scent,” I tell Miller as we all file back inside.
Melody is stretched out on the exam table, and the doctor is swiping an ultrasound probe over her stomach. I instantly regret suggesting Miller comfort her.
I want to do it.
I settle for stumbling forward until I can get a good view of the screen.
“Ready dads?” Dr. Blake asks. “You’re about to hear the heartbeat. Don’t be alarmed. At this stage, the baby’s heart rate can be anywhere from 140 to 170 beats per minute and that’s just average. We put you at eleven weeks five days for gestation, and it usually does start to slow a bit as we approach twelve weeks, but let’s see what we’ve got.”
“Are you okay?” Miller asks, cocooning himself around her head. The fingers of their left hands are interlocked while his right forearm wraps around her head. It’s such a tender moment that I yank out my phone and begin to snap pictures.
“Can we record it?” Carver asks, swallowing thickly.
“The heartbeat? Yeah, go for it,” Dr. Blake replies, chuckling.
The rapid whooshing sound that fills the air makes my knees weak.
“Fuck,” Nik says, staggering back a step.
