Chapter 3 13 страница

"Okay," Monique said. "We don't need to discuss it any more. What about the multiple marker blood test? It's not as accurate as amnio, but it's completely safe."

"I think I'll have it," Blair said. "There's a part of me that wants to know if something's wrong — to prepare."

"That sounds like a wise decision," Monique said. "So, let's do that and do an ultrasound.”

“Transvaginal or transabdominal?” Kylie asked.

“Vaginal,” Monique said her, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

“Is that good?” Blair asked.

Monique gave her a noncommittal shrug. “Some women prefer the transvaginal, some like the transabdominal. I like the transvaginal because the image is a little crisper since the probe is in your vagina.”

“Mmm … probe … vagina. Sounds like fun,” Blair decided, making a face.

“I’ll give you a quick exam first, then draw some blood and send you over to the hospital, okay?”

“Hospital?” Kylie asked. “Why don’t you do it?”

“Because I read the studies that the National Institute of Health puts out, Shakes. Using the same set of patients, thirteen percent of women had abnormalities show up in the doctor’s office. But thirty-five percent of those same women showed abnormalities when given the test by a registered sonographer.”

“Thirty-five percent!” Blair blanched. “Thirty-five percent?”

Shooting Kylie a lethal glare, Monique said, “That doesn’t mean that thirty-five percent of women have problems, Blair. The number is far, far smaller than that. Most abnormalities are easily explained away.”

“Sorry,” Kylie said quietly, looking completely chagrined. “I’ll keep my big mouth shut.”

“I’ll believe that when I hear it,” Monique said.

"If I could ask just one more tiny question …" Kylie said, holding her hand up like a schoolgirl.

"Yes?" Monique asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Don't you normally do ultrasounds at every appointment?"

"We used to," Monique said, "but Blair's insurance only pays for one, so I didn't want to do one too early. Twenty weeks is a great time. We can see a lot now. Anything else, Dr. Mackenzie?"

Kylie shook her head and walked over to the window to stand by Blair's head. Monique got Blair into position and started to perform the exam, asking, “How are things going in general, Blair? Anything bothering you?”

“Not really." Her brow furrowed, and she bit her bottom lip. "I got a very sharp pain in my side today when I bent over to pick up one of the dogs. Is that normal?”

“Probably. Did the pain go away quickly?”

“Yeah. As soon as I stood up.”

“The ligaments around your abdomen are starting to stretch, and they don’t really want to. Having a pain or two like you describe is nothing to worry about. Just let me know if it lasts or gets worse.”

Giving her friend a stern look, Kylie said, “Call me when things like that happen. I’m a doctor, too, ya know.”

“Kylie, you were in surgery. I’m not going to page you and worry you like that. Monique’s my doctor — you’re my roommate.”

“I’m Doctor Roommate,” she insisted, “and I want to know when you have unexpected pain.”

“Yes ma’am, Doctor Roommate. I’ll keep you informed henceforth.”

“Anything else, Blair? Are you sleeping well?”

“Much better. I’m only getting up once a night to pee now that Kylie’s started to restrict my fluid intake in the evenings. That really helps.”

“Things do tend to calm down here in the second trimester. You seem like you’re feeling pretty spry.”

“I am. Actually, I’m feeling quite good. No more morning sickness, my breasts aren’t tender anymore, and I’m sleeping better. As soon as I can feel the baby start to kick I’m gonna feel fantastic.”

Monique looked at her curiously and asked, “Is that worrying you?”

“Yeah, a little.” She cleared her throat. “Okay, a lot. My books say I should start to feel him at sixteen weeks, and here I am at twenty — and nothing!”

“You’ll feel movement soon. I’m certain of it. Now let’s draw some blood, then you can go have that ultrasound. You’ll see some movement during the test — even if you can’t feel it. That should make you feel better. I’ll have the technician come and get you as soon as she’s ready to draw your blood.” Giving Kylie a smile, she said, “I’ll see you Saturday, Shakes. Can’t wait to see your new house and your new dogs.”

“Blair will be there, too,” Kylie reminded her. “Maybe we can make her sit in for a few hands.”

“No way. I’m not a card player. I’ll play hostess, though.”

“Sounds great. See you both then.”

As soon as Monique left, Kylie started opening cabinet doors, peeking into each one curiously. “What are you doing?" Blair demanded. "Get out of there!”

“Ah … here they are.” She took out a sterile glove and blew it up, tying off the top like she would a balloon. "Have I ever showed you the proper way to milk a cow?" the doctor asked, making Blair giggle.

"No, I don't think you have," she said, reaching out to pull on the faux udders.

"You'd better watch it," Kylie teased. "You don't want the nurse to think you're as odd as I am."

“I’ve lost all sense of decorum,” Blair said. “I guess that's what happens when there are so many people poking around between your legs that the hookers are jealous.”

“Braggart,” Kylie said, earning a well-placed pinch.

„G

While they walked the short distance to the hospital, Blair looked up at her friend and asked, “How in the heck did you have time to be with me? Don’t you have surgical patients you check on in the afternoon?”

“Yep. I got the two men checked out before I came over, and sent them both home. The woman is going to stay overnight, so I can pop in on her any time. I thought I’d go by after we were finished. Going to the hospital will make it easy for me to check on her, so this is great for me."

“I’ve never been to your hospital,” Blair said. “Will you show me around?”

“Sure. I might even be able to let you peek into an operating room if any are vacant.”

“I don’t know about that. Being with you, unsupervised, in an operating room might be more temptation than you can handle.”

“I’ll check my scalpels at the door,” she assured her.

„G

When they reached the radiology department, Kylie gave her friend a wink and said, “Give me your insurance card, and don’t disagree with anything I say, okay?”

“I can’t guarantee that, Kylie. God only knows what you’ll say. What’s going on, anyway?”

“Trust me, I’m a doctor,” she insisted, then took her hospital ID out of her purse and clipped it to her dress. As she had expected, the room was bursting with patients. Walking up to the window, she smiled and said, “Hi, I’m Doctor Mackenzie here with my partner, Blair Spencer. Monique Jackson sent us over for an transvaginal ultrasound.” She reached down and picked up her beeper, shaking her head. Turning to Blair, she said, “Honey, I’m not going to be able to stay for long. I have a surgical emergency.” Giving the woman at the desk a winning smile, she whispered, “She’s very nervous about the procedure. Is there any chance you could squeeze us in before I have to leave?”

“Well,” the woman looked down at the list in front of her and said, “transvaginal, right?”

“Right,” Kylie agreed.

Keeping her voice low, the woman said, “If you can be on the table in about two minutes, we can do you right now.”

Kylie beamed a smile at the woman. “You’re a goddess. Through that door?” she asked, twitching her head.

“Yes. Someone will show you to the proper room.”

“Here’s her insurance card,” Kylie said to the receptionist. “We’ll pick it up on the way out.”

“Come on, sweetheart,” she said to Blair, placing her hand on her back. “We have to hurry.”

Walking down the hall, Blair gave her an elbow in the ribs and whispered, “That’s cheating! All of those other people were waiting patiently, and you cut in line!”

“I didn’t spend eleven years in training to sit in a waiting room. I don’t get many perks, but getting cuts is one of ‘em. Now quit complaining and get undressed!”

“No wonder you don’t get any dates if that’s your best line,” Blair grumbled, but did as she was told.

By the time Blair was up on the table, the technician came in, ready to get to work. “Hi,” she said. “Had one of these before?”

“No,” Blair said. “I’m a little nervous.”

“It's really not a big deal,” the woman assured her. She picked up the probe, and showed it to Blair. “See? This is actually a little smaller than a tampon. I put a sterile condom on it, lube it up a little and place it in your vagina. The only discomfort you should feel is because I need to hold it against your cervix.” She made her preparations, then approached Blair, placing a hand on her thigh for a moment. “Ready?”

She nodded, and gripped Kylie’s hand firmly, noting that her friend was watching the technician like a hawk. “Uhm … not to be a big baby, but could you hold onto my forearm?” the doctor asked. “I really need those fingers to work.”

“Sorry,” Blair winced. “It’s uncomfortable, and I’m nervous.”

But her discomfort vanished when Kylie turned towards the monitor and said, “Look! There he is!”

There, on the screen, was a picture of the baby, his little body floating around peacefully in his cushioned bed of amniotic fluid. “Oh, my God, Kylie! Look at him!”

“Do you two see something I’m missing?” the technician asked. “I can’t tell it’s a he.”

“She has a feeling,” Kylie informed her, giving her a pointed look. “Besides, his hand is between his legs.”

“I don’t care what he is!” Blair cried. “He’s moving! Look at him, Kylie! Look how perfect he is!”

Kylie wiped a tear from her eyes, then leaned forward and kissed Blair’s forehead. “He’s absolutely perfect,” she murmured. “See how well his little heart’s pumping?”

“That’s not too fast, is it?” Blair asked worriedly.

“No, no, it has to pump fast. That’s perfectly normal.”

“Yes. His heart looks just great," the technician said. "Want me to see if I can get him to move a little? I might be able to get him to move his hand.”

“No,” Blair decided immediately. “He can do whatever he wants as long as he’s moving.” The baby’s other hand reached out, and the trio watched, transfixed, as he grabbed the umbilical cord and gave it a robust tug.

“He’s putting on a show,” the technician said. “He’s a very active little guy today. You picked a good day to come in. We’re almost done, now,” she advised. After the technician took the probe from Blair’s vagina, she handed them the little pictures and left the room, promising that they’d hear from their doctor with the results.

Blair stretched a little while Kylie handed her a few pre-moistened wipes. “You might want to get rid of that lubricant,” she said. “You certainly don’t want to ruin those sexy panties first day out.”

Trying to scowl, but having it turn into a half-grin, Blair commented, “That was a very strange experience. It felt like a fifteen minute long Pap smear, but I never wanted it to end. Can you bring one of these machines home?”

“Sure. The baby will be driven mad from being pinged with sound waves, but that’s a small price to pay to see him every day.”

Blair sat up, and tugged her gown back in place. That's when it hit her that her friend had seen her naked and then some, given that Kylie had watched the technician insert the transducer. “It doesn’t make you uncomfortable to have me so blatantly exposed before your very eyes, does it?”

Kylie chuckled and said, “Uhm … please don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t really notice.”

“How could I possibly take that the wrong way?” she asked, quirking a grin.

“It’s a doctor thing,” Kylie insisted. “I mean, if we were at home, and you took off your pants and spread your legs apart, I’d see your vulva.” She shook her head and corrected, “I mean, I’d see your vulva. But in a clinical setting like this, it doesn’t connect for me like that. It’s not my friend Blair I’m looking at. It’s only an exam. It doesn’t have any emotional resonance for me. I was watching to make sure that she knew what she was doing. I wanted to make sure she’d done one of these procedures before. If she looked nervous, I was gonna take over,” she said, sounding completely serious.

“I’d prefer you let the poor thing do her job,” Blair said. “But I appreciate that you care. I find it odd that you could probably have taken over for her and not felt like you were looking at me or touching me.”

“You have to be like that,” Kylie insisted. “I mean, I have my hands in more than my share of vaginas, but when I’m in a clinical setting, the vagina is just about as erotic as a uterus or a vas deferens. But when I’m with a woman that I care for, I get a real thrill from touching her inside. It’s a completely different experience for me, odd as that sounds. I mean, thank God it’s that way! How horrible would it be to put my fingers inside a woman and think, ‘No gross abnormalities, the walls are smooth, no noticeable lesions …’ Yuck!”

Blair giggled at the look on her friend’s face. “I always wondered about that. I thought that a gynecologist might be unable to get a thrill from being with a woman after seeing so many of them.”

“I can’t speak for them, but that’s never been a problem for me,” Kylie assured her. “I honestly feel like I haven’t touched a woman in almost two years, even though I most definitely had the better part of my hand in a woman’s vagina this morning.”

“Speaking of which, you’d better go check on that woman before she calls in a missing person’s report on you.”

“I’ll go collect your insurance card while you get dressed. If anybody’s mad that we got cuts, I’ll let them take a swing at me rather than you. See you outside.”

„G

They were chatting quietly as they walked down the corridor and as they got close to her patient’s room, Kylie commented, “You’d better wait by the nurses station. I think I’m going to have a problem here.” The room was one down from the nurses station, and Blair stopped obediently to give her friend some privacy, but the man approaching Kylie didn’t seem tomind who heard him.

“Where’ve you been?” he demanded, in what was about one decibel short of a yell.

“What’s the problem, Mr. Hart?”

“My wife needs attention, and she’s not getting it from these nurses! We paid good money for this surgery, and I expect the surgeon to be here to check on her.”

“I’m here now,” Kylie said patiently, trying to guide him into his wife’s room. “What do you need?”

He roughly shook her hand off. “I want to see you here before five o’clock at night! Her surgery was at 8:00 a.m.!”

“I didn’t see you when I came out of surgery, Mr. Hart, and you weren’t here at noon when I stopped by again,” Kylie said, still patient and calm. “I’ve been nearby all day. If there’d been an emergency, I could have been here in ten minutes.”

“You should have called me! Isn’t it important to talk to me? I’m her husband!”

“I did call you. I spoke with your secretary as soon as I was finished with the surgery."

"I assumed you'd call me back," he snapped.

"I'm sorry if there was a misunderstanding," Kylie said, "but we're both here now. Let me go take a look, then I’ll come back and talk to you.”

He glared at her, and after a tense few moments, she walked into the room. The man started to pace up and down the hall, his grating voice disturbing everyone near. “Incompetent woman,” he growled. “I’ve been waiting for hours.” He glowered at the nurse on duty and said, “I told you to page her. Why didn’t you?”

“There was no emergency, sir,” she said, barely controlling her temper. “Doctor Mackenzie saw your wife at noon, and she said she’d be back this afternoon. I told you that earlier.”

“Everybody’s supposed to sit around and wait for the great Doctor Mackenzie. Well, I’m a busy man, too, and I don’t have time to wait for her to decide to take her sweet time.” He turned and started to walk down the hall, not even waiting for the nurse to answer.

Eyes narrowing, face flushed with anger, Blair started to follow him. He was obviously heading for the visitor’s lounge, and she was about to launch into a thorough tongue lashing when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. “Hold on there, sparky,” Kylie’s voice sounded in her ear. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m not going to let him talk about you that way!” she whispered loudly. “Stupid asshole!”

Kylie physically turned her in the opposite direction and said, “Go to the nurses’ station and tell them you’re with me. They’ll let you sit down in their lounge. Go on now.”

“But —!”

“Go on, Blair. I can take care of myself.”

Letting out a deep breath, Blair followed orders, sparing one last look over her shoulder. Kylie was standing right where she’d left her, pointing in the direction of the nurses’ station.

About fifteen minutes later, Kylie returned with the nurse who’d walked into the patient’s room with her. “Would you write a scrip for a sedative … for me?” the woman asked. “That man is about to make me lose my mind.”

“I think I calmed him down,” Kylie said. “He’s going home now.”

“God, at last!” the nurse said.

“Are you all right?” Blair asked, her concern evident.

“Sure. I’m fine. Things like that happen all the time.”

“They do?”

“Sure. This kind of surgery is usually elective, Blair. A lot of these people have to pay for this, and all of their other fertility treatments, out of their own pockets. To afford this kind of thing, you have to be a pretty successful person, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that many powerful people are major pains in the ass.”

“What was he so mad about?”

“You heard him,” Kylie shrugged. “He wanted me to be here all day. He’s used to having people jump when he tells them to, and it pissed him off that he had to wait for me to return. Funny thing is, his wife said he didn’t get here until 4:00. He put in almost a full day at the office.”

“Doesn’t it bother you to be yelled at like that?” Blair asked.

“Mmm … not too much anymore. It’s either frustration or fear or the person’s really a jerk. Not much I can do about any of those things. The ones who reach me are the men who cry their eyes out when I tell them that I couldn’t fix the problem I went in to fix. That gets me right here," she said, tapping over her heart.

The nurse gave her a smile and said, "Doctor Mackenzie is everyone's favorite surgeon. She really cares about her patients not just her reputation."

Blair got up and gave her friend a robust hug. “That’s because she's got such a kind heart. You’re a very special woman, Doctor Mackenzie, and if those jerks don’t know that, it’s their loss.”

„G

“Hey, as long as we’re here, let’s stop down in the obstetrics area and get you signed up for your Lamaze classes.”

“Aren’t those kind of a crock?” Blair asked, whispering “crock.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know many women who want totally natural childbirth anymore,” Blair said. “Anyone I’ve ever known says that the breathing techniques only work if they’re accompanied by a nice epidural.”

“Well, let’s go see,” Kylie said. “Maybe they have a short course for drug addicts.”

To Blair’s surprise, they did have a nice, short class that met on three Saturday mornings. During the class, the breathing techniques would be discussed, but the overall focus was more of an introductory parenting and childbirth class. Blair filled out all of the forms, her pen poised over the spouse/partner/coach box for a moment while she gave Kylie a pointed look.

“Like you could talk me out of coming,” the doctor scoffed. “Heck, I might sign up for the six week course, too, so I don’t miss anything!”

„G

Blair stopped for Chinese food on the way home, but even with her stop, she still beat Kylie. She had fed the dogs and set dinner out on plates before the doctor arrived, and she called out, “What took you so long?”

“I had to make a quick stop. Let me change, and I’ll be right in.” Over dinner, Kylie said, “I’ve been thinking about what Monique asked you today, and it dawned on me that you’ve been in extraordinary spirits for quite a few days now. Are you really feeling that good?”

“I am,” she said. “It feels so wonderful to be able to eat and hold food down. And it’s no small deal to sleep through the night. I’m not nearly as tired as I was, and my hormones even seem to be taking a rest.”

“Well, the progesterone has slowed to a trickle,” Kylie said. “That’s what causes most of the nasty symptoms in the first few months.”

“I’ve started to have those really vivid dreams,” Blair said, smiling shyly. “I’m dreaming about sex more than a pubescent boy.”

“That’s really common,” Kylie assured her. “Enjoy it while you can, ‘cause by the third trimester, you’ll start having problems sleeping again.”

“Well, I feel great now, and I’m going to revel in it.”

"So, how did you think the visit with your parents went? Did you have enough alone time with them?"

"It went well," Blair said. "I got to talk to my mom about David when we were out shopping. She was surprised by how well I'm taking the whole divorce thing. But then, she didn't see me when I was at my worst."

"Well, you have bounced back awfully quickly," Kylie said. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you'd been expecting that you'd get divorced."

"I had been," Blair said. "When I saw the look on his face when he said he didn’t want the baby named after him — I knew.”

Kylie looked down at her plate. “I didn’t know that was something you fought about.” Her head shook slowly, and she looked like she was holding back tears. “How could a man be that callous? How could you not be thrilled beyond belief to have your wife want to honor you like that?”

“I guess he’s like the people who yell at you sometimes. He’s either scared or confused, and hedoesn’t know what to do with his fear. I feel sorry for him, Kylie. I really do.”

“Do you still love him, Blair?”

“No, not like I did. If he changes his mind and wants to help raise the baby, I’d love to have him, but he’ll never be my spouse again.” She looked at Kylie for a moment. “I’ve lost the respect I had for him. That’s not something you can get back.”

“He’s lost more than he realizes,” Kylie murmured. “Women like you are hard to find.”

“Maybe,” she said, “but maybe he doesn’t need a woman like me. Maybe he needs someone who can pump up his ego more than I did. Not all men really want an equal partner, Kylie, and I would never settle for less. Maybe it was time that we moved on.”

“I don’t know about that,” Kylie said, “but I do know that I’m impressed with how well you’re moving on with your life.”

“It’s what’s best for the baby,” Blair said. “It’s not good for him to have me moping around and crying. I’ve been doing that for weeks and weeks now. Now it’s time to get on with my life.” She gazed at her friend for a moment and said, “I wouldn’t be in shape nearly this good if it weren’t for you. If I were living alone in a little apartment, I’d probably drown in my tears. Having you and the dogs has been such a blessing, and I hope you know how much this all means to me.”

“I think I do,” she admitted, “but it means a lot to me too, Blair. I love having you here. Uhm … after dinner, I'm gonna go see Julie. Is that okay with you?"

Blair gave her friend an aggrieved look. "I'm not the house mother of The Mackenzie Home for Unwed Mothers, pal. You can go wherever you want."

"I know, I know, but I'm usually home with you."

"And I love having you here, but you're supposed to be hooked up by the end of the year, and I'm not doing a very good job. So you've got to work twice as hard!"

„G

After dinner, Kylie put up a very feeble argument about doing the dishes. As soon as Blair started running water in the sink, the doctor went to her room to emerge a few minutes later with a fresh shirt and a crisp pair of shorts. "I'm gonna get going now," she said.

"Have fun," Blair said. "I'm sure I'll be in bed when … and if you get home."

"Why wouldn't I … oh, right." Kylie gave her a sheepish look and said, "I think I'll be home. I don't wanna rush things."

"Well, have a good time, even if you don't have sex."

"Oh, we'll have sex," Kylie scoffed. "It's just too soon to have sex all night long. Gotta pace yourself." She placed a soft kiss on Blair's cheek and added a pat on the belly. "See you two later. Bye puppies!"

As she walked out the door, Blair stared after her. I can never tell if she's kidding about things like that!

„G

Kylie rang the bell at Julie's condo, her heart rate a little accelerated. The door opened, and Julie gave her a smile that made her knees weak. "Damn, you look fantastic," Kylie said, then reminded herself that she had a functioning brain that was equipped to filter her thoughts before they became words.

"You're not so bad yourself, Kylie. Come on in." The doctor walked into the nicely decorated space and let Julie take her on a tour. She was watching her former employee's ass more than the decorating scheme, but she was unable to control herself. "I just got home from work," Julie said. "Wanna go for a walk? I've been cooped up all day. I haven't even smelled the air."

"Sure," Kylie said, feeling anxious and knowing that she'd feel better working off some energy. Julie grabbed her keys, and they walked outside, pausing when they reached the sidewalk.

"Side streets, Santa Monica or Wilshire?" Julie asked.

"Let's cross Wilshire and go north. It's quieter."

"Good choice." They started off and spent the first few minutes talking about the past few days. Once they were both up to date, Julie took Kylie's hand, making the doctor smile. "Is this okay?” the redhead asked.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-04