“Sounds good.”
The doctor asked all of the usual questions like history of cancers, if we smoked or drank. He wanted to know if I had any sort of birth plan, which was something I hadn’t even given thought to. For heaven’s sake, I just decided not too long ago to keep the baby. The thought of pushing it out didn’t even register with me at the moment. The longer we sat here going over everything, I slowly began to relax. Dodger on the other hand looked like he had a two by four shoved up his ass, he was so rigid.
“So, do either of you have any questions for me?”
“Uh, I do.” Dodger raised his hand like he was in middle school.
I busted out laughing. “What are you, twelve? Put your hand down.”
He glared at me.
“It’s okay,” Dr. Carrie said. “Ask away.”
“Is the baby okay?”
The doctor looked at him kindly. “I’m not sure yet, but I should know more after I run some lab work.”
Dodger looked at the both of us expectantly. What else was going through that male brain of his? God, you’d think he’s never been around pregnant people before, or how babies are born.
“Dodger, it’s not like the good doc here has a magical crystal ball that can tell him everything he needs to know. It’ll be a couple of days before he even gets the results back.”
Dr. Carrie nodded in agreement. “That’s correct, but Macie is far enough along we should be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat on this handy dandy little Doppler.” He reached over and opened a drawer, pulling out a small handheld tool.
My freaked out baby daddy swallowed hard. “You can hear their heart on that thing?”
“Mhmm. We can take a listen when I do all of the other stuff. Right now I was just knocking out all of the mundane paperwork.”
Dodger nodded. Guess that was good enough for him.
Doctor Carrie looked at both of us. “Okay, if there’s nothing else, Erin, my nurse is going to come back in and draw some blood. I’m stepping out to check on one of my patients that delivered this morning, but I’ll be back in to do the exam.”
When he got up and left, Dodger blew out a breath.
“Jesus, that was intense.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Intense?”
“Do you think maybe I should I have told him about that one time I tried pot in middle school? I mean I know it wasn’t the wisest decision I’ve made, but I swear it was one puff. That wouldn’t affect anything would it?”
Would he be offended if I laughed in his face? Probably. “No, I’m sure our child will still come out with ten fingers and ten toes.”
He jerked back. “Is it possible for a baby to be born with a different number?”
I lifted my hand and rubbed my eye. It was getting a twitch. “Actually, yes. My grandfather had an extra pinky toe on both feet.”
His eyes got huge. “Seriously?”
I couldn’t hold in my laugh. “No. God, would you relax? Everything they are doing is routine, okay? I promise its fine.”
Goosebumps broke out over my skin and I shivered. One thing I hated about doctors’ offices was just how damn cold they kept it. I looked down and saw my nipples hardened through the paper. Oh fuck. I crossed my arms.
“Too late, I already saw.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Of course you did.”
“For the record, you being pregnant isn’t a deterrent. If nothing else, it makes you even more desirable to me.”
“Not happening, Dodger.”
“We’ll see, Macie.”
Fucker. He was going to test my resolve. How long did I have before he started poking at my barriers? The nurse came in and drew my blood, and set up the room for Dr. Carrie to do an internal exam. When she left I readjusted my very breezy top, and tucked the paper blanket under my thighs. I had no reason to be modest now. Dodger and the doctor were about to get an eye full.
“What in the hell is this?” Dodger cringed and reached for the speculum.
He picked it up and gripped the handle. Fidgeting with the metal object, he seemed completely baffled.
“That,” I paused to be more dramatic. “Will be going inside of my vagina.”
His eyes got huge. He nearly dropped it back on the table.
“Just sit down before you break something. He’s already going to have to sanitize that.” I grumbled.
Dodger plopped down in the chair and starred at me.
“What?”
“It’s a lot to take in, is all.”
“Mhmm, it is.”
“Can I ask you something?”
He sounded so tentative. “Shoot.”
“Are you nervous?”
I watched him as he looked at his hands, before looking back up at me, expecting an answer. When those baby blues made contact with me I answer honestly.
“Petrified.”
Dodger nodded. I almost felt that in this very moment, we understood each other. We may be scared for very different reason, but there was definitely a mutual fear between us.
When Dr. Carrie finally came back in the room, I was more than ready to get this appointment over with. Let’s face it, having a metal instrument shoved up your who-ha wasn’t pleasant. Toss in the fact that your lady parts are on display for inspection, it was all an invasion of privacy. Who needed dignity at your friendly vagina doctor?
Laying back, I put my feet in stirrups. Doctor Carrie was on the other side of the paper sheet, putting on gloves.
“Okay you’re going to feel my hands. I apologize, they may be a little cold.”
I tried not to jump when I felt the coolness. Meantime I was doing my best to ignore Dodger, who was paying rapt attention to what was taking place. Nothing that was going on was out of the norm of a usual yearly exam for a woman, but it’s not like he knew that or had ever attended one. I should probably cut him some slack. As I laid there I wondered how all of this was going to work. I said I was going to look at houses, and I meant it. But did that mean Dodger would live with me so he could see his child? Would he stay the night here and there? I knew he wasn’t going to be happy if he was away from the baby or me. Every facet of his dominant personality was coming out knowing he was going to be a father. I honestly should have expected it.
Doctor Carrie did his exam and made small talk. After doing what he needed to down there, he grabbed the Doppler and placed it on my stomach. There was a loud whoosh whoosh sound in the room.