The Incubus

Chapter 10, Scene 2

'And how are you feeling today?' the gynaecologist asked as Justin and Rebecca stepped into her office.

'We're fine,' Justin answered for them.

'I'm glad to hear that,' Doctor Taylor said. The three of them sat down. 'You're still using your vitamins, right?' Rebecca confirmed with a nod. 'Well then,' the doctor said. 'Let's see how this little one inside you is doing.'

Justin's stomach twisted into knots. Was there going to be a heartbeat? Was everything going to be okay?

Rebecca lay on her back as the doctor applied the internal scan.

'Where are you?' the doctor asked and Justin felt his heart sink. On the monitor, Justin could only see a black spot. 'There you are,' the doctor said as something the size of a bean appeared on the screen. 'And just look at that heart!'

Justin looked at the monitor, but couldn't see any lines or blips that could represent a heartbeat. 'Is there a heartbeat?' Justin asked.

The doctor nodded and pointed to a spot inside the bean. Justin leaned a bit forward and focused on the area that she pointed to. He almost cheered out loud when he saw the tiny black spot inside the bean shaped object fluttering at a rapid pace.

'That's the heartbeat,' Doctor Taylor said and smiled. 'And such a strong one at that.' She clicked somewhere inside the bean and rapid gwaap-gwaap-gwaap sound played through a speaker.

'So...everything is...okay?'

'Everything's fine,' she said and pushed a button on the machine. A black and white picture of the sonar popped out of the machine.

The machine is giving birth to a picture of my baby, Justin thought and chuckled at his own joke.

The doctor zoomed in and pressed the button again. Another photo came out. She then selected two points on either side of the bean image and pressed a button. The machine indicated that the baby was seven weeks old. Another press of the button produced the final photo.

Once the three of them were seated in the office again, Doctor Taylor handed them two of the photos and added one to her own personal file. Justin noticed sonar pictures of the first baby and hoped that Rebecca didn't see it. She was too busy studying the new pictures, and a sense of relief settled over him. There was a strong heartbeat. It appeared that the baby was going to make it after all.

'I'm prescribing Progesterone for you that I'd like you to take with your vitamins. Use the two together, okay?'

Rebecca nodded.

'Well then, I'd like to see you again in two weeks. Call me if you have any problems.'

Relieved and beaming, the couple left her office and booked their next appointment with the receptionist.