¥showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks¥
In which Jackie Routledge and her group of friends from the south side of Outer Banks try to have the summer of their lives, but end up it being filled with mystery, tragedy, risks, adventure...
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{Heartbeat}
We had a few hours to spare before we needed to head out and execute the plan to rescue my brother, so we decided to stop by the town doctor for a check-up on the baby. As we walked into the waiting room, Dr. Kim greeted us with a smile. "I was wondering when I was going to see you two," she said, looking at JJ and me. "Word's been going around that you're expecting, Routledge."
I took a deep breath and nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "Yep, it's true," I said quietly.
"Well, come on in and we'll take a look at your little one," she said, leading us down the hallway to one of the exam rooms. JJ sat in a chair beside the bed while Dr. Kim took my weight, checked my blood pressure, and did a quick health check. "Everything looks good so far," she said with a reassuring smile. "Now, lay down, please."
I climbed onto the bed and lay back, feeling JJ's comforting hand slip into mine. He squeezed it gently, offering silent support as Dr. Kim brought over the ultrasound machine.
"Lift up your shirt," she instructed, and I did, pulling it up just under my breasts. "I'm going to apply the gel now—it's cold, so don't worry. You should be able to see the baby on the screen in just a moment."
I shivered slightly as the cold gel made contact with my skin, and JJ's eyes stayed glued to the monitor. After a few seconds, the image of our baby appeared on the screen.
"Is that... is that our baby?" JJ asked, his voice full of awe, his smile stretching across his face.
"Yeah," Dr. Kim confirmed with a grin. "Your baby is about the size of a poppy seed right now."
I felt a lump form in my throat as happy tears began to fall. "Oh my god..." I whispered, my hand going to my mouth as I tried to hold it together.
JJ cupped my face, his smile growing even wider. "That's our baby, Jackie. That's our baby."
"I know," I said, tears streaming down my face as he kissed my forehead, then my cheeks. "I can't believe it."
"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?" Dr. Kim asked, looking between JJ and me. We both nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes!" we both said in unison, and Dr. Kim giggled as she adjusted the ultrasound machine.
A moment later, the soft, rhythmic sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room. My eyes widened, and my breath caught in my throat.
"Oh my god," I whispered again, overcome with emotion.
JJ laughed softly, still looking at the monitor. "That's our baby, Jackie. That's our baby."
I couldn't stop the tears from falling, and JJ wiped them away with his thumb, kissing me once more. Dr. Kim gave us a moment to take it all in before asking, "Would you like some pictures?"
"Yes, please," I said softly, my voice shaky from all the emotions. JJ wiped my face gently as Dr. Kim pulled the ultrasound stick away and I lowered my shirt.
"I'll be right back with the pictures," she said, exiting the room. As soon as the door closed, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"I can't believe we just saw our baby for the first time," I said, still in shock, a wide smile spreading across my face. JJ rested his head against mine, looking just as amazed.
"I know. It's crazy," he murmured, his hand lightly tracing circles on my arm.
"You're going to be an amazing dad, JJ," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
"Thanks, baby. And I know you'll be the perfect mom," he said, winking at me before pulling me in for a kiss.
Just as our lips met, the door to the room opened and Dr. Kim cleared her throat. "Oh, uh, sorry," she said, flustered. JJ and I pulled apart and chuckled.
"Here are your pictures," she said, handing me the small stack. I smiled as I looked down at the tiny, blurry image of our baby.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice soft when she saw the tears in my eyes.
I laughed nervously, wiping away another tear. "I'm just... trying to wrap my head around the fact that we're having a baby. And we just saw it for the first time."
Dr. Kim smiled warmly. "All couples are shocked with their first one. But everything looks great so far with you and the baby. I'll see you next month."
"Thank you so much, Dr. Kim," I said, my voice full of gratitude as I wiped away more tears.
She waved at us as she left the room, and JJ turned to me with a grin. "You ready to go save Johnny?"
I nodded, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. "Yeah. And we're going to show him these cute pictures of his niece or nephew."
JJ smiled and we interlocked our hands before heading out of the room.
After a fifteen-minute walk, JJ and I finally arrived at his cousin's house. "Yo!" JJ called out, waving to Ricky as he worked on his bike. I waved too, feeling the tension in my shoulders start to ease.
"Listen, man, all you gotta do is leave the ambulance running. It's a small favor to ask, Ricky, just a small one," JJ begged as he leaned against the fence.
Ricky paused, glancing up at us before shaking his head. "It's not as much about the favor as it is about the general stupidity of the plan," he said, giving JJ a look of disbelief.
"Come on. Just leave the ambulance running, Ricky. You gotta do this one for me, bro," JJ pressed, his voice rising with frustration.
Ricky sighed and shook his head. "You're gonna wind up in jail, cuz."
"Well, that's gonna happen eventually anyway," JJ said with a nervous chuckle. "Might as well be for a good cause."
Ricky muttered under his breath as he went back to fixing his bike. I let out a sigh, trying not to get frustrated.
"I wouldn't be asking you to do this if it wasn't important. And let me remind you, you owe me," JJ said, pointing at him. "Who ran that load up to Cape Gear when your hemp came in hot?"
Ricky groaned, knowing exactly what JJ was referring to. "Yeah, alright, I get it," he muttered.
JJ grinned. "I'm sorry about your bud, man, but I'm not helping you commit suicide. Sorry. Now leave me alone, I gotta focus," Ricky said, refusing to budge.
"Look, I'm working an overnight later, so if you're cool..." Ricky trailed off, glancing at us.
"No, yeah. I'm cool," JJ said quickly, pulling Ricky into a hug.
"By the way, congratulations," Ricky said with a smirk, glancing over at me. "Thanks, man," JJ replied, smiling back.
"Even though you're stupid, you'll make a great dad," Ricky teased.
JJ laughed, wrapping his arm around me. "Say hi to Stephanie for us."
We turned to leave, but as we walked away, I couldn't help but feel a little uncertain.
"I thought..." I began, but JJ silenced me by placing his finger on my lips.
He walked over to the table and grabbed the keys to the ambulance. My heart skipped a beat. I covered my mouth to stop myself from bursting out laughing. "You genius!" I exclaimed, running over to him and pulling him in for a kiss.
We ran over to the ambulance, hopped in, and JJ started it up. With the engine purring beneath us, we drove down the road, ready to save my brother.
