AYAD

Chapter 22

"You don't think this is a bit much?" Gracie asked, looking down at the hospital gown. "I thought I was just going to pee on a stick or something."

"No I don't think it's a bit much! I wanna see what's going on inside of you while we wait for the HCG lab results."

"Oh, yeah! About that, you didn't tell me I was getting my blood drawn! Seriously uncool, I hate needles and you know it!

"Girl if you don't lay back and shut it up, I'm gonna do more labs." Leni demeaned. Her setup was orderly and sterile. Leni switched the lights off and brought out the ultrasound gel. "Move your gown up."

Gracie moved her hospital gown, exposing her flat stomach. She shook her head as the cold, ultrasound gel spread over her lower abdomen. "If anyone tells me that they are getting medical care from a best friend, I'll be sure to discourage them. Never again."

"Shh!"

"Are you usually this cold to your patients? I'm going to file a complaint!" Gracie huffed, she waited for Leni to respond but Leni's eyes were laser-focused on the screen. Her face was emotionless as she viewed the ultrasound screen intently.

"Huh. Strange." Leni said under her breath, moving the ultrasound wand and applying a slight more amount of pressure.

"What's strange?"

"Shh."

"Leni, what's strange?"

Leni put the wand she was using down and picked up a different attachment. It was long, and less thick than the previous one. Leni opened a drawer and pulled out a condom, she swiftly rolled it down the long attachment.

"You're joking." Gracie flatly stated. "You aren't putting that in my body."

"Yes ma'am, I am."

Gracie scoffed, "You won't ever see me in this building again."

"Girl, will you stop complaining? Even my 16-year old patients don't give me this hard a time!" Leni huffed. "Look, the images from your ultrasound were...inconclusive. I want to go in transvaginally, as it will give me a clearer view of what I'm trying to see."

"Okay....Well, can't we wait for the blood results? I don't want to get prodded around if I don't need to be. Is there something weird going on? I mean, there is either a baby there or there isn't, right?"

"This actually isn't a matter of pregnancy. It's the shape of your uterus, I think I know what's going on but I want to be sure. I'm your doctor, but I'm your friend first, let me work."

Gracie laid her head back on the exam table. "Never again" she thought to herself, as the ultrasound wand entered her body.

It was a few minutes of Leni silent working before the exam room door opened. There was thankfully a curtain at the entrance, so the tech was unable to see the exposed Gracie.

"Doctor, we just got the labs back. HCG came in at 3,432 mIU/mL."

"Thank you, please have the results added to the AVS."

As soon as the sound of the door closing was audible, Gracie sat up again. 'Is that good."

"That's great. You're definitely pregnant." Leni responded with a bittersweet facial expression, she laid the ultrasound wand down and removed her gloves. "Congratulations, girl. You're going to be a momma."

Gracie felt a slurry of emotions, but overall a sense of joy. "Were you able to see the baby?"

"It's a little bit too early, likely by next week we could see it. Your HCG levels certainly confirm a pregnancy There are few things we will need to go over."