For Duty's Sake

Not sure he had been joking, Angele laughed anyway. They might have been raised as close as family, but their lives were entirely unrelated in so many ways.

A few moments later the door opened to reveal her obstetrician, not her parents.

Angele gasped as the older woman with salt-and-pepper hair cut in a short stylish look came into the living room. “You make house calls?”

Dr. Shirley gave Zahir a measured look before turning back to Angele. “In your case, I do, apparently.”

“What did you do?” Angele demanded of Zahir.

“I did not conscript her, I assure you.”

Dr. Shirley gave him another strange look. “No, he merely had someone in the White House give me a call and make the request.”

“The White House?” Angele asked in a vo

ice that nearly failed her.

“Yep, it even came up on my caller ID that way. Pretty crazy.” Dr. Shirley sounded somewhere between annoyed and awed. “I’ve never been contacted by my local congressman, much less a White House lackey.”

“What did he say?” Angele asked with unconcealed fascination. She’d never spoken to anyone from the White House, either, though she knew Zahir had attended State dinners there.

“That in the interest of Foreign Relations, I should consider making a personal call on you this evening.”

“That’s wild.”

The other woman laughed. “I thought so, too. Apparently the father of your baby is quite worried about your ongoing nausea.”

Worried enough to make a Federal case out of it, literally.

Angele stored away the warmth that made her feel and said, “I thought we would look into the nausea medication tomorrow.”

“Why wait?” Dr. Shirley said, tongue so obviously firmly in cheek. “I’ve got a prepared hypodermic in my bag.”

“You’re getting a kick out of this,” Angele accused.

“Yes, I think I am.”

Angele shook her head and then asked, “It won’t hurt the baby? You’re sure?”

“Absolutely not. I wouldn’t give you anything that might harm your baby, but I’d like to try the acupressure band to begin with. If that doesn’t work, there is an acustimulation device that is a step up, but it can cause minor skin irritation. And of course, I’d like to give you a shot of Vitamin B6 right now.”

“Will that make me tired?” Angele asked, remembering her conversation with Zahir.

“No, though I recommend taking these sleeping pills in conjunction with Vitamin B6 at night before going to bed.” Dr. Shirley handed Angele a familiar box. “They’re approved for use during pregnancy and enhance the antinausea effects of the B6.”

“When my mom takes those, she’s usually pretty tired for a good part of the next day.”

Dr. Shirley shrugged. “It happens. Depending on the dosage and your response to it, daytime sleepiness can result.”

“I’ve got a lot of planning to do. I can’t afford to be sleepy all day.”

“Your health is of utmost importance.” Zahir’s tone brooked no argument.

Angele smiled at him. “Thank you for your concern.” She turned back to the doctor. “I’d really prefer to try the other options first.”

Right then, her stomach roiled and she had to turn away and swallow convulsively. Sometime soon would be good.

“I doubt it’s much of a stretch to assume it’s been a pretty hectic day for you,” Dr. Shirley said. “I’d actually recommend you take the sleep aid tonight, and be grateful for the extra rest if it helps you nap tomorrow, too. From what you told me in my office at your last appointment, you haven’t been getting much rest lately.”