Belly Literary Universe (part 2)

Myre's Enthusiasm Part 35: Approval

Myre pulled into the parking lot for building 4154 of Aspera Medical Center. She stopped by the lab and after a quick blood draw, she entered the office of Doctor Logus.

Old magazines littered the waiting room table. Some of them she remembered seeing the last time she was here. The wait to be called back wasn't extensive.

***

In a back hall Myre stepped onto the scale. She let out a nervous laugh as nurse Fein with her tight blonde bun, and aged face Fein clacked weights into place.

"Five foot nine inches still, and one hundred sixty six pounds." She squinted and flipped some paper on her chart. "That's eighteen pounds in a month and a half," She said factfully and disdainfully.

Myre blushed. She was a little embarrassed. Everything she learned through her life told her to be ashamed. But oddly, she felt more pride than anything. Something stronger in her enjoyed the nurse's displeasure. That was why she came to see doctor Logus again, after all. "Oh. eighteen?" She feigned ignorance. "I know I've been eating a lot, but I didn't know it was 'twenty pounds' a lot. You know?"

"Well, you really should take better care of yourself. I don't know what is happening but I've seen a lot of women come through my office gaining tons of weight. Tell the doctor to refer you to a nutritionist. You've got to get this under control." She said then poked Myre in the stomach.

Myre gasped and tried to hide her smile. "Oh - I - yes I'll do that. That's uhh, part of what I wanted to see him for."

They didn't talk much more as nurse Fein took more details for her visit.

***

Myre sat on the exam bench watching the door, thinking of that poke to her stomach. She tapped the wax paper covered cushion and swung her dangling feet back and forth. The black shirt she had on, stretched tight by her belly, still had a crease where the fabric folded because of the nurse's poke. She felt like laughing. Smiling. Of course the nurse wasn't pleased, but It didn't matter. Myre loved that she noticed it. Poked it. Commented on it. She felt like a meek trickster. One who had no intention of following her advice.

Finally, Doctor Logus pushed the door open and greeted her. "Morning. Morning. How are you today miss Kamerina?"

"Good! Really good. How are you?" She smiled warmly, welcoming him in.

"Pretty well. Nothing to complain about. You own an ice cream shop, right? How's business going? I'm sure with the warm weather coming you'll be getting a lot of customers. Winter can't be great for sales."

"No it's not," she nodded. "I'm the only one there most of the time. I package stuff to sell to stores during the winter and still get customers coming in throughout the day. I get by fine. It's picking up though. I expect to be up to my neck in customers soon enough," she laughed.

"That's great news." He nodded with a smile as he rolled over his stool. "Now, what seems to be the problem? What brings you in this morning?"

Myre gulped. As much as she'd been looking forward to the appointment, a nervousness about actually talking about her growth rose up. "Ummm," she groaned to give herself time to think, "Well I uhhh - I'm sorry, I'm not usually so nervous. I wanted to talk about - well - my weight!" She finally said with a little bit too much enthusiasm.

The doctor nodded. "The nurse mentioned as much. She said you've put on eighteen pounds since we last spoke."

"Yeah..." Myre said and grasped her belly lightly with both hands.