The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 33 - Learning From the Past

Friday was only two days away. It was also the day of Susan's sixteen week doctor appointment. Once again, Greg and Susan headed to Malibu, only this time in separate cars. Greg met Susan in the parking lot and they walked in together, same as always. The wait was longer this time, but eventually Susan was led to an exam room where her vital signs were taken and the growth of her abdomen was measured. They listened to the baby's rapid heartbeat once again, and were both asked the usual questions.

"Has anything unusual been happening?" Dr. Daniels inquired.

"No, nothing," Susan said. "My energy level has been good, no bleeding or cramping or leaking I've been aware of."

"That's good news," Dr. Daniels said. "Mr. Abernathy, have you noticed any of the observable symptoms in your wife we discussed before?"

"None," Greg reported, "and I have had ample opportunity to make those observations."

"That is also good news," Dr. Daniels told them. "Susan, why don't you take a moment to pull yourself back together again and meet me in my office? I'd like to go over your ultrasound results with you."

It didn't actually take her very long to refasten her clothes again. But that's when Greg noticed the string of safety pins she'd been using to keep her pants up, because she could no longer pull the zipper up.

"Why aren't you wearing the maternity clothes you bought?" he asked.

"It seemed like bad luck to do that before this visit," Susan said. "I want to hear what the doctor says."

"Let's go find out," Greg said with his arm around her waist and together they followed Dr. Daniels to his office for their usual chat.

"Please sit down, both of you," Dr. Daniels said as he activated his monitor and turned his screen towards them. "I received these images yesterday. Everything looks good. The baby looks like a baby now instead of a blob and she's developing well. The placenta looks healthy and is functioning completely normally. The amniotic sac is still a bit of a concern, but it doesn't seem to be causing any significant problems at this stage, so that is good news."

"It is," Susan agreed. "Is there anything new I should be watching for or pay attention to?"

"Not really. The same words of caution apply, any hint of cramping, heaviness or bleeding and you need to call me immediately," he confirmed. "Also do that for any sign of a leak. Don't overly stress yourself too much, and try to enjoy the pregnancy as much as possible. This will probably be your last."

"I thought my pregnancy years ago was my last, so this one is truly an unexpected blessing," Susan told him.

"Have you any questions for me?"

"You said 'she'. Is the baby a girl?" Greg asked.

Dr. Daniels smiled. "I wondered if you'd pick up on that. We can't be one hundred percent certain from these imagines, but there are a couple of views which suggest that. Let me show you."

He manipulated the image to show two particular views of the baby's buttocks. "You see these folds of skin here and here, between the legs? She's holding her legs relatively tightly together, so it's difficult to be sure but these look like developing labia to me. Of course I've been fooled before. We can't see the urethra from this view, so this may also simply be the immature scrotal sac with undescended testes. We can see the developing gonads here in the baby's lower abdomen in this alternate view. They're about where ovaries should be, but only a little high for testes. These could descend into those folds or at least become closer to the exterior of the body and the anatomy would look more like that of a boy. But in the absence of that, I think we may have a girl," he explained.