The Dance

Chapter 75 Surprise

Lila was near the end of her first trimester by the time she and Bam made it to Juneau to see the obstetrician. She was a little nervous knowing she would be chided by the doctor for not checking in sooner to start prenatal care. Getting back and forth to Hoonah much less Juneau could be somewhat difficult as the hauling schedule for the business was erratic at best.

The nurse called Lila and Bam back to an exam room and took a brief history. She handed Lila a gown and asked her to change out of her clothes. Her next stop was an ultrasound to check the progress of the baby growing inside her. Bam helped Lila fasten the ties on her gown and picked her up and placed her on the exam table.

A friendly woman with a long gray ponytail popped into the exam room and introduced herself. She explained the process of the exam and had Lila lie back on the table. She placed a cold gel on Lila's tummy that made her jump. "So, is this your first baby?"

Bam nodded yes and held Lila's hand firmly. Both of them were nervous not really knowing what to expect. They only knew that whatever came out of the technician's exam needed to be positive news.

As the technician moved the ultrasound device back and forth across Lila, she finally hit upon the heart beat. "Hear that sound?" The tech asked cheerfully. "That's the sound of your babies' heartbeats. They both sound strong."

The word "both" was not lost on Bam as he asked the tech to repeat what she said. The tech replied again, "Your babies are strong."

"Two heartbeats?" Bam asked.

"Yes sir, you and your wife are having twins."

Bam looked at Lila in stunned silence as a huge smile crossed his face. "Damn woman, I always knew you were amazing, but twins!"

Lila was equally as pleased as she whispered their names to Bam, "Jace and Lily."

Lila re-dressed and she and Bam went to meet with the doctor. He was much younger than Lila and Bam expected but they liked him immediately. He made them feel welcome and gave them both a warm, fuzzy feeling. Bam and Lila explained that they lived off the grid and wanted the best advice on how best to care for their pending arrivals since getting back and forth to Juneau would be a challenge. The doctor recommended several things to help with the stress of a double pregnancy. First, Lila would need plenty of rest, quality foods, and prenatal vitamins. Lastly, he recommended meeting with the midwife in Hoonah just in case Lila had any issues. The doctor sent Lila to meet with his nurse again to give her some reading material and a copy of the book "What to expect when you're expecting," a must read for all new moms. He really just wanted a few minutes alone with Bam. "Mr. Brown, twins in the bush can be high risk. If she were my wife, I would invest in a sat phone until the babies arrive. You never know when the babies might  come. It's better to have one just in case. We can get a chopper to her faster than you can get a boat to Hoonah."

Bam knew the doctor was right. Getting to Hoonah on the Integrity was a long boat ride on a good day. He couldn't imagine trying to ferry her to Hoonah in the skiff if there was an emergency. Bam thanked the doctor for his advice and met back up with Lila as she booked a follow-up appointment.

"Mr. Brown, have you always been an over achiever?" Lila giggled as she tickled Bam's waist in the elevator.

"Mrs. Brown, how's that old saying go...double your pleasure, double your fun." The pair roared with laughter as they exited the elevator and headed to share their goods news with Jack and Becky.