Baby on Board

Ostrich

"Let's do the blood pressure first," Lottie's midwife suggests as soon as we enter the hospital room. "Your BP is always high when I take it after the scan. Roll up your sleeve, Charlotte."

Today was our routine check up with the midwife and seeing as I had the day off work, I decided to accompany Lottie to her appointment. I hated missing out on them because I wanted to be as involved as I could be with this pregnancy, seeing as I didn't get this far the last time around. It drives Lottie mad that I come with her; sometimes I can't switch off from doctor mode and I take over from Benjamin or the midwife which annoys Lottie in the extreme. I'm amazed that she hasn't thrown me out of any of her appointments yet. 

"Everything looks good," the midwife smiles at us. Pointing at the bed, she doesn't need to give Lottie any more instructions as we're more than used to the whole routine by now. "I'm not sure if anyone told you, but Dr Copeland is off today and another doctor will be seeing you."

At that announcement, my heart went into overdrive. Ben never told me that he was off today. If he had, I'd have rearranged the day and time to make sure that he was the doctor that we'd be seeing. He's Nugget's cardiologist, he should be here. I swear if they've given us some junior doctor that's never dealt with Nugget's condition before, I will be going directly to my boss and giving him a piece of my mind. I'm sure Bob would understand. 

"I don't want another doctor," Lottie says as she starts to sit up on the bed and pulling down her t-shirt to cover her exposed stomach. There was panic in her voice. "I like Ben. I trust Ben. I don't want anyone but Ben!"

The midwife tried to plead with Lottie to stay, even going so far as to throw me the same look, hoping that I could talk sense into the hysterical pregnant woman. I shook my head and stood up from the bedside chair, ready to follow Lottie out of here. We were almost ready to leave when the door opened and in walked the replacement doctor. 

He was short, balding and wore glasses that were similar to Hary Potter. "Ah, Charlotte, wonderful to meet you at last, dear," the doctor greeted Lottie like they were old friends. "I've heard so much about you from Isaac here."

"Excuse me?" Lottie's shocked voice filled the lingering silence that followed. She turned to me, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper despite the fact that the others could hear her too. "Do you know him?"

"Lottie, this is my boss, Dr Robert Wilmott," I make the first introduction. Turning to the lead doctor in my department, I nod at him. "Bob, Lottie. Uh, I guess I may have mentioned you a few times, babe."

Lottie rolled her eyes, probably not believing that I only ever mentioned her a 'few' times. I know that I talk about her more than that. Since Lottie and I became official, I've been more open at work about my personal life, talking about the woman that I love, the baby that we're having and the daughter that I've kept hidden from them ever since I started working here. To say that Bob was surprised was an injustice to his actual reaction. A mentor to me since my first shift at GOSH, Bob must have thought he knew everything about me; he certainly knew about my reputation amongst the female doctors and nurses which may go some way in explaining the brief fainting spell he had when I called Lottie my girlfriend for the first time.