“Have at it,” I say to the doctor and wave my hand over my bump.
“How far along are you?” Dr. Hathaway asks as he prepares his ultrasound machine.
“Four months,” I reply, and his eyes widen.
“Are you sure?” he asks somewhat rudely, eyeing up my pronounced bump.
“Completely,” I snap at him and he brings his eyes back up to mine.
“O-of course,” he stammers. “I apologize.”
“Just get on with it,” I bark at him, still annoyed with him.
CK squeezes my hand and gives me a look that lets me know I am being rude to the good doctor. Too bad. He was being rude first. Jerk.
“This will feel cold,” he says and squirts some gel onto my belly. “Err,” he adds with a frown.
He is trying to figure out if I, as a Vampire, feel the cold, and he gets his answer when I stifle my gasp.
“Interesting,” he murmurs and then peers at his little screen as he runs the scanner thing over my bump.
CK and I both look as well, trying to figure out what’s what.
“Excellent,” Dr. Hathaway says absently. “Do you wish to know the sex?”
“It’s a girl,” I answer immediately.
Dr. Hathaway glances at me and nods his head in confirmation. “Yes, definitely a girl,” he concurs.
CK lets out the breath he was holding, and he relaxes his hand in mine.
“You didn’t believe me?” I ask him, mildly affronted.
“Of course I did, my sweet,” he says hastily and then looks back at the screen.
“Humph,” I say rudely.
“What else do you see?” CK asks quickly.
“A baby girl that appears to be human and well over twenty-eight weeks by normal standards,” the doctor says, slightly perplexed. “It’s fascinating.”
“Anything else?” I ask. “Does she look…” I want to say ‘normal,’ but what in the Hell does that even mean?
“She is perfect,” Dr. Hathaway says with a small smile. “A good, strong heartbeat. Ten fingers, ten toes. She is thriving.”
“Fangs?” CK asks quietly. So quietly, I don’t think the doctor heard him at first.
“Err, not extended...” Dr. Hathaway mutters, peering, quite seriously, at the screen, even though it is the longest of shots. “But other than that, she is...”
“Good,” CK interrupts, patting my hand to hide his disappointment. “You are taking good care of her, Aefre.”
Excuse me? Of course I bloody am! I am about to blast him from all sides at the insulting remark but then I slam my lips closed. I don’t have a leg to stand on, really. I was re-turned while pregnant, which I know caused CK grave concern even though I knew she would be fine. He must have been really worried. I feel bad now for all the stupid things that I do that affects others.
“If you say you are only four months along, it is quite clear that this pregnancy is progressing at a rapid rate. You must take care and rest now, Mrs. Aquila. We are in a shaky boat here. We don’t know what will happen,” Dr. Hathaway states with a purse of his lips.
I nod absently as I wipe the gel off my stomach with the paper towel that CK handed to me.
“What is it?” CK asks instantly, catching on to my concern.