2
“Hey, that’s cold,” Dawn said.
The Asian technician, who’d introduced herself as Ayo, gave an apologetic smile as she smeared the gel across Dawn’s slightly swollen belly. “Sorry. We try to keep it warm but it’s hard with the air-conditioning set like it is.”
“At least your hands are warm.”
Someone had drawn blood and then the obstetrician, Dr. Landsman, had done the pelvic exam—the lubricant gel he’d used had been just as cold as this stuff, but it had been down there so it felt even colder. He’d said everything seemed fine, but the ultrasound would tell the real story.
Dawn lay on her back and hoped everything would be all right. She totally didn’t know what she’d been thinking before when she’d wanted an abortion. This was her baby, her flesh and blood. She could feel it moving inside her. No way she could kill it. She just hoped it was all right—no birth defects or anything like that.
Ayo pointed to a monitor on a wheeled cart.
“After I start the scan, you’ll be able to see the baby right there on the screen. You’ll see its head, and its bones, and even its heart beating. And when we switch to three-D, you’ll see its face.”
“Will you be able to tell if it’s a girl or a boy?”
Ayo shrugged. “Possibly, but no guarantee. All depends on the baby’s position.” She winked. “Some are more modest than others.”
The door opened and Dr. Landsman came in with Mr. Osala. Dawn resisted an impulse to cover her belly. What was he doing here? Not like he was the father or anything—and not like she’d let the real father anywhere near her baby anyway.
“Is she all set?” the doctor said.
“Yes. I was just about to begin.”
“I’ll take it from here.”
Ayo looked as if she’d been slapped. “But—”
“I said I’d take it, Ayo. Wait outside.”
With a totally dumbfounded look, the technician nodded and left the room. Dawn didn’t know what was going on here, but it sure seemed like someone was breaking with routine.
Dr. Landsman smiled down at her. “Now, Dawn, we’re going to take a look at your baby. It won’t hurt a bit. We use sound waves—”
“I know. Ayo explained it all. But I thought she was going to do it.”
“Normally, she would, but you’re a special patient and—”
Worry gnawed at her. “Why did you send her out of the room? Is something wrong?”
“Not at all, not at all. Just relax and this will be over in a few minutes.”
He kept his eyes on the monitor as he began rubbing this gizmo that looked like an electric shaver over her belly. She watched the monitor too but couldn’t make head or tail of the black-and-white image until Dr. Landsman pointed to a tiny black oval that seemed to be winking madly.
“See? There’s the heart, pumping away.”
Dawn stared at it, totally enthralled. Her baby’s heart. How wonderful.
“It’s okay, isn’t it—the heart, I mean?”
“It’s fine,” he said with a smile. “Everything is—oh. Oh, my.”
Dawn lifted her head. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” But he had this strange, avid light in his eyes.
He put down the gizmo and turned the monitor away from her, so that only he and Mr. Osala could see it.
The doctor said, “When Drexler told me what I’d be looking for, I couldn’t—well, I didn’t know what to believe. But he was right.”
Dawn felt a surge of panic. “Believe what? What are you talking about?”
They ignored her as Mr. Osala leaned forward.
“Where? Show me.”
Dr. Landsman pointed to the screen. “See that? That’s one. And this here is the other.”
“Other what?” Dawn cried.
Mr. Osala nodded. “I see. Very interesting.”
“ ‘Interesting’? It’s stunning! It’s—”
“It is not to leave this room. You will not speak of this and you will delete all images now.”
“But—”
“Now. I thank you for your efforts and your expertise. We will pay you periodic visits with the same protocol.”
“What do you see?” Dawn screamed.
Dr. Landsman looked at her as if he’d forgotten she was in the room.
“Oh. It’s . . . it’s a boy.”
A boy . . . her worries seemed to evaporate.
She was going to have a boy.