Picture Perfect

Chapter 16- Part 2

Dr. Meyer paces through the exam room apprehensively as he restlessly awaits the Daltons' arrival. His previous conversation with Maria Ortiz lingers in the forefront of his mind, increasing the size of the already massive lump in his throat. 'She's out of her mind,' he thinks to himself. But even so, he feels compelled to do as she instructed him, no matter how asinine the plan. Wiping his sweating palms on the front of his pressed slacks, the doctor tries to assure himself that everything will be okay. Unfortunately, he cannot stop the thoughts from teeming; he knows that Andrew will not take kindly to such treachery--and by an old friend, no less. Meyer's foot throbs in pain after giving a frustrated kick to his stool, a string of quiet curses leaving his lips.

He wonders if Maria will make good on her threats should he choose not to proceed with her scheme of deception. Perhaps she's not actually a threat; maybe her intimidating and deliberately frightening persona was all for show. Could it be a hostile façade solely purposed to elicit a reaction from him? It may simply be an illusionary tactic used to incite fear and ensure compliance instead of the pledged ruin he had understood it as. However, in spite of this thought, Ed cannot assume that responsibility nor take the risk.

"Dr. Meyer, the Daltons are here," a nurse says, peeking her head into the room after knocking lightly upon the door. The young woman seems utterly undisturbed by the man's evident agitation, an oblivious expression on her delicate features as she awaits his response. Her ignorance of the situation is practically refreshing.

'Well, at least she isn't questioning my unusual behavior,' he thinks.

Ed quickly straightens his lab coat and gives a swift nod in her direction, silently notifying the nurse that he is ready to see them. Meyer rubs his sleeve over his warm and dampened forehead as the nurse leaves to collect the visitors, hoping his distress is not easily perceived. Faking a smile, he greets the Daltons as they enter the room.

Immediately, Ed notices the strange dynamic between the pair as he quietly observes them. While Cora's delight is blatantly pronounced and seems genuine, Andrew's is something else entirely. He appears to be as happy as his wife; however, there is an underlying hint of something dark lurking beneath the surface. It's an easy conclusion to make after knowing the man for so many years. It's almost like Andrew is wearing a mask, an ill-fitting, malformed, preposterously deluding mask. It certainly doesn't suit him in the least. Though he can't quite pinpoint the precise discrepancies, he knows that something is undoubtedly different about Andrew Dalton today.

The doctor goes through the routine actions of Cora's pregnancy evaluation wholly by memory, his muscles performing the tasks without his direct input. Luckily, he has successfully completed the motions enough times to have perfected them; he could probably do them in his sleep if it were required of him. "Welcome to your second trimester," Meyer says, feigning a smile once more. "It looks to be a healthy pregnancy," he continues, his eyes staring at the ultrasound screen as he avoids making contact with his patient's husband; Andrew has an astounding yet disturbing way of reading him. "It'll be just a few more weeks until we're able to identify the gender," he announces, hoping the pleasant news will distract the pair from his strangeness.

"Oh, there's no need for that," Cora says, a twinkle in her eye, and her lips curled upward. "We'll wait until she's born to find out."

Andrew can't suppress his chuckle at her statement, still unsure how his wife can be so certain they'll have a girl. However, he must admit the idea has set his heart aflutter. "Cora is confident we'll be having a daughter," he explains to the doctor.

With a chortle of his own, Dr. Meyer replies, "Well, it's been said that a mother typically knows these things, Andrew; they call it something of an intuition. Besides, I certainly wouldn't accuse a pregnant woman of being wrong, especially at this stage of pregnancy. And the odds are in her favor; there's a fifty percent chance that her prediction is correct." Meeting Cora's eyes, he asks, "Do you have any questions for me, Mrs. Dalton?"

"No," she responds warmly, her elation for her future child filling her heart and lighting her face. She is also immensely pleased that the doctor hadn't attempted to dispute her beliefs. "Thank you, Dr. Meyer."

With a short nod, the doctor bids the Daltons goodbye, excusing himself from the room to give the couple some privacy. As soon as he has escaped the uncomfortable and entirely awkward situation, Ed tosses away the undeniable guilt dwelling within him. Burying it into the back of his mind, he retreats to his office, where he will not be disrupted while berating himself. As much as he does not want to double-cross nor harm the Daltons, he's not sure he'll be able to lead Maria to stray from sinister plotting without suspicion.

Would it be so horrible to inform Andrew of what Maria has in store? Could he do so without alerting Maria and suffering her wrath? He isn't particularly eagerly anticipating finding out. Groaning quietly, Meyer covers his face with his hands in shame, hating himself for even thinking about doing such dreadful and immoral things to such a kind woman. While it is questionable whether Andrew does, Cora Dalton absolutely does not deserve the things that are about to happen to her. In addition, neither does their unborn child.

Ed can't help but feel that there's likely a special spot in Hell reserved especially for him, one with his name in gigantic, bold letters that would be impossible to misinterpret or overlook. A stinging sensation in his heart only confirms that there is precisely where he belongs if he partakes in Maria's wickedness. As much as it pains him, it may very well be something he'll have to live with.