One Day at a Time - (Season One)

Chapter Two: Two of Everything

Great. Just great.

The elementary school closed, and the principal had sent an automated message to all of the parents letting them know that the thought-to-be full-day was now being turned into a half-day on account of the freaking virus going around.

Now Marty had to clock out early -to Ms. William's displeasure- run to pick up Lukas, and then run to make it to her appointment at planned parenthood on time. She internally cursed herself for not taking the SUV this morning, but it was already too late to make a difference. She'd broken out into a light sweat by the time she reached the school, and her legs were slightly trembling from the adrenaline... but a relieved sigh escaped from her lips when she caught sight of Lukas; Marty quickly signed him out before threading their fingers together and informing him that they had to go to a doctor's appointment for the baby. Lukas hadn't protested much, riding high on the fact that school was let out early, and chattered about his strange day on their way to the office.

Thankfully, it didn't take them too long to get to planned parenthood—they even got there early, and the lady at the front desk was kind enough to bump up her appointment so that Marty could be seen sooner. Lukas was cutely sitting in the spare chair, small legs swinging to an unheard rhythm, while they waited for the doctor to join them. After the nurse came in and did the preliminary check-up, which unfortunately included getting some bloodwork done, she sat on the edge of the inclined exam table.

Lukas hadn't been very thrilled when Marty's blood was being drawn, the sight of needles tended to squick him out... and he hadn't liked seeing her blood being sucked into a little tube. If she was being totally honest, Marty wasn't the biggest fan of needles either, which was why she always looked away when a nurse or doctor brandished one out. It made vaccination season with Lukas' pediatrician one of her own personal hurdles as she inwardly battled out her irrational fear with being a supportive presence for her teary eyed brother.

She began shooting silly faces at Lukas, making the six-year-old giggle joyfully and make his own faces back as they staved off boredom. For such a cutie, Lukas was something of an expert at making the weirdest and ugliest faces. It was a real talent.

A knock on the door made their eyes jump to the other side of the room in anticipation. The dark-skinned doctor barely paused before walking in.

The woman beamed at her as she strolled in and sat in her swivel chair after disinfecting her hands, "Hello again, Ms. Ruiz. You are ten weeks now, yes? How are you feelin'?"

Marty shot the doctor a tired smile, "Good. Tired, but good."

"Good, good! Any mornin' sickness, aches?" Dr. Signore asked.

"No." she offered, "Not really. Some back pain, but I think that's from work. My breasts have been a little tender— like little worse than when I'm on my period, but, thankfully, no morning sickness."

She'd read countless horror stories about morning sickness through the 'Mommy' blogs she'd been scouring through... and that was without mentioning how ill Marty's mother had been during her pregnancy with Lukas.

Dr. Signore laughed, "The tenderness is normal," she explained, gently palpitating Marty's growing tummy over the paper gown the nurse had told her to change into, "but you should really consider ceasin' all heavy liftin'. It's not good for the Mama or the baby. You've been takin' all of your prenatal vitamins?"

Marty nodded, "Yes. Every day."

"Wonderful, happy to hear that." the doctor rolled back a bit, "Any vaginal discharge or constipation?"

"What's that?" Lukas asked innocently, his eyes bouncing between Marty and Dr. Signore.

"When your tummy's upset." Marty replied immediately with a dismissive hand, "A little bit of constipation, but I've been taking stool softeners." the other woman nodded encouragingly, "What do you mean about discharge? Like blood?" her heart jumped into her throat at the very thought, "Because I haven't seen anything like that."