Chapter 39

CARRIE

“How do you feel?” Blake asks. He looks at me, noting my shaking hands and sweaty brow.

“I’m fine,” I lie. I am fidgeting nervously, while trying me best to not look nervous. It isn’t working.

“It’s going to be okay. He is just going to run a few tests and talk you through what to expect. There’s really no need to be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” I snap. “Sorry,” I apologize. “Maybe I am just a little nervous.”

Blake and I are on the way to my first appointment. Like a dog being taken to the vet, Blake all but had to lure me into the car. And now that we are almost there, I feel my level of panic slowly increasing.

It’s not that I’m scared of doctors. I just don’t like strange people prodding and poking at me. Plus, I read that they are going to need to take some of my blood, and I hate needles.

“You really have nothing to worry about. We’ve both read the same books, and we both know what to expect. And as for the needle, it’s barely going to feel like a pin prick.”

“I hate pin pricks,” I mutter under my breath, but just loud enough so that Blake can hear. He smiles, reaches across the car and rubs my shoulder.

***

Doctor Johnson is just like every other doctor I have ever been to. He is overly friendly, to the point of it seeming fake. As I walk into his exam room, he smiles and makes a joke.

“One of the first questions I get asked is, ‘when will my baby move?’ And I always say, ‘with any luck, right after it finishes college.’”

I am too nervous to laugh. I can barely pay attention to what he’s saying. He doesn’t seem bothered by my reaction.

He tells me that there is nothing to worry about, and that before I know it, I will be out of here and already looking forward to my next appointment.

I don’t believe him.

“So how long were you two trying for?” He asks.

I’m sitting on the table, and he has just finished taking my blood pressure.

“One week,” I say.

“Really?” He asks, sounding shocked. “That’s pretty impressive. Some people work at it for months, years even. Very impressive.”

“What does that mean?” Blake asks. He stands by my side and holds my hand. I’m squeezing it a little harder than is necessary, but Blake doesn’t say anything. “Is our baby going to be healthier than others? Is it going to be like a super baby?”

I look at Blake to see if he is joking or not. Doctor Johnson throws back his head and laughs.

“No, nothing like that,” he says. “It doesn’t really mean anything. Maybe just that the two of you are compatible. But if I see the little guy or girl wearing a cape in there, I’ll let you know.”

I like the way that sounds. Not the super baby thing, but the possibility that Blake and I are compatible. It’s as if even destiny is telling us that we are meant to be together.

“Okay, so this is the final bit.” I don’t know when it happened, but Doctor Johnson suddenly has a giant needle in his hand. Maybe giant is an overstatement. It really isn’t that big, but to me, it may as well be a foot long.

“Ow!” Blake says as I squeeze his hand even harder.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say with scorn. “Did that hurt? How bad for you.”

Doctor Johnson chuckles. “There is really nothing to worry about. You will barely feel it. I promise.” He walks toward me, needle in hand and I seize up.

I turn my head over my shoulder, looking away as I feel the needle pierce my skin. It doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it was going to, but it still isn’t pleasant. Despite myself, I look down at my arm. As I do, I almost faint. The sight of blood being funneled from my arm makes my head spin.

I clutch onto Blake for support.

“Wow, are you all right?” He asks as he grabs me.

“I’m fine,” I say with relief as I feel the needle leaving my arm. “Just got a little light-headed. I don’t know why they need to take so much in the first place. Or any, for that matter.”

“It’s so we can determine if everything is going to be fine with you and the baby,” Doctor Johnson confirms as he puts down my blood sample. “We don’t want any surprises.”

“So that’s it?” I ask quickly, jumping down from the table. “We can go?”

“Not so fast.” Doctor Johnson chuckles again. “I need to make sure that the two of you are fully up to speed. Have you done any reading on what to expect? Morning sickness, cramps, weird cravings for odd food combinations? That kind of thing?”

“We are fully up to speed,” I say as my eyes fall on the door. I really want to get out. For some reason, I feel as if the doctor is stalling. As if he is enjoying my discomfort.

“Good. Then there is just the matter of the due date, and you are free to go.”

“Due date?” I ask. My ears perk up, and I turn to face the doctor, looking at him properly for the first time.

“That’s right. February fourteenth. St. Valentine’s Day. An auspicious date. With the speed at which you conceived and the due date, I might just have to admit that I’ve never seen such a compatible couple. Congratulations!”

I look across to Blake who is already looking down at me. We share a smile. For once, I couldn’t agree more with the doctor.