Day 4. Change of Scenery.

Jennie pushed open the door and stood back to let Carrie pass through first, but it was still Jennie who reached the front desk first.

“Good morning,” the receptionist greeted them.

“Morning, we are here to get a pregnancy test,” Jennie said with a smile. Carrie just stood silent at her side.

“Of course, the bathroom is just down there, we will require a mid-stream sample,” the receptionist told them placing two sample containers on the counter.

“Not me, I’m fine,” Jennie said pushing the one closest to her back before picking the second and handing it to Carrie before pushing her off down toward the bathroom.

“This is silly, I can’t be pregnant,” Carrie said for about the millionth time.

“Well then doing this will just be good practice then,” Jennie told her as she pushed her through another set of doors then standing as if guarding the way out.

“Go pee,” she said folding her arms.

Sighing Carrie turned and went into one of the stalls.

Five minutes later she placed the half full container on the counter then filled in the form that was handed to her. They were invited to take a seat while they waited for a doctor to call them.

Jennie picked up one of the magazines and checked the date. “Only out of date by a few months, that has to be some kind of record,” she said to her friend as she started to flick through it. Carrie was too nervous to even pretend to read. It felt like the longest ten minutes of her life. When her name was finally called she stood and looked at Jennie.

“I’ll just wait here,” she told her.

Reluctantly Carrie walked over to the Doctor who then turned and led the way into her office. Once the doctor was behind the desk she sat and waited for Carrie to do the same.

“How are we today?” she asked with a smile that looked well practiced.

“Nervous,” Carrie replied honestly as she looked at the container of her sample sitting on the desk.

“Understandable. Well let’s put your nerves at rest.” The doctor opened a desk draw and pulled out a sealed test and opened it. Then she took the lid off the container and used a disposable dropper to put a few drops of the yellow liquid into a hole in the plastic test. She then placed it on a paper towel that sat between them so they could both watch.

Carrie watched as a blue line appeared in the result window, then almost immediately a second line started to developed forming a cross.

“Well that is pretty definitive,” the doctor said.

“But I was told I couldn’t get pregnant without help,” Carrie whined as one hand slipped down to rest on her stomach.

“It looks like you had help.”

“No I mean…”

The doctor held up a hand to stop her. “I know, that was my attempt at a silly joke. Nature is an amazing thing, and given half a chance it will confound us. When that doctor told you that you couldn’t, do you remember how they worded it?”

“Um, 98%? I think?”

“Exactly, you and the father managed to find that 2% window.” She looked down at the form in front of her, then pulled a prescription pad towards her.

“I’m going to write you a prescription for some vitamins, and give you some booklets to read. You have options, but a lot will depend on how far along you are. Can you tell when your last period was?”

Carrie closed her eyes and tried to remember. “Oh hell, it was before that night. More than two months ago.” She rattled off the date of the night she would have got pregnant, and after a bit of toing and froing, the doctor came up with a gestation age of ten weeks.

“Your baby is due on or around Valentine’s Day, Isn’t that romantic?”

“Oh yeah, that’s just amazing,” Carrie said somewhat sarcastically.

“I’ll schedule you an ultrasound, will the father be here for that do you think?”

“I doubt it, he’s overseas fighting the war on terrorism.”

“Well hopefully he will be back in time for the birth.”

Carrie decided not to comment on that one. Handing over a plastic bag that proclaimed it contained everything a new mother would need, and was bulging with booklets and other bits and pieces just to prove it, as well as the prescription, the doctor wished her well and sent her on her way.

In the waiting room Jennie stood taking in the bag as well as Carries face, and gave her an “I Told you so,” smile. Together they walked out the building and onto the street.

“This is where my old life ends and a new one begins. I don’t think I’m ready for it,” Carrie said as much to herself as to her friend.

~#~