Something to Fight For

Chapter 13

   "Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?" the doctor asked. 

   Melinda looked up at Phil with fear, her hand coming to her midsection. Phil reached out and took her other hand.

   "Bad." They said in unison.

   "It pertains to the gender that you two are predicting." Sandra warns, and they nod that they want to know anyway. "You guys have bad gender prediction skills." Sandra smiles. "This little one is female. You're actually having a girl."

   May's eyes go wide and so do Phil's, Lian happily smirking, "I called it." Her grin is a satisfied one. "Qiaolian follows family tradition even in unnatural situations whether she  likes it or not."

    "I do like it!" May says. "I'm happy to have a daughter!"

    "Now, would you like to see her while I explain my piece?" Sandy asked them. The two agent nodded. 

     Doctor Murphy turned around the computer, showing them the screen. "Mothers past fifty have their odds for complications quintupled since younger years, but there are some things i'm going to Have to talk with you about:

   "Sometimes for women your age, amniotic fluid will enter your bloodstream. Thats a complication that can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction. So I'm going to need you monitoring this pregnancy to an extreme. Any negative sensation, any strange discharge or urine - I want you to write it down, time and date it, so that we can look for any possible problems. 

    "I'm especially worried about the shock and trauma to your body. Nothing can prepare it to suddenly carry a seven month gestated child." Sandra explained, pointing the outlines of the baby. "But you seem healthy before this happened, and your active lifestyle is definitely something that will help. I don't know how the uterus was able to expand to contain this little one in only a day, but your uterine lining hasn't ripped or torn yet, which is a good sign."

   Melinda exhaled. "What about the baby?"

   "From what I can see right now, the baby doesn't have any obvious problems, altho , as said earlier, your age proves to be a factor. But I want to take a recording of the heartbeat."

   "I've heard it before." Melinda whispers.

   "How? When?" Phil looked at her, confused. 

   "Daisy used her power to absorb than recreate the sound when we were in Turkey." Melinda said. 

   "Daisy?" Sandra scrunched her nose.

   "You know her as 'Quake'." Phil offered. "Oh, which reminds me, Fitzsimmons say 'hi' and before you ask- yes, they are together."

    Sandy Murphy smiles "Good! They always were such a slow-burn." 

    "Not as much as you two." Lian mutters pointedly at Phil.

    "What?" Coulson chokes.

    "Every call from the Academy . . . Phil this-, and Phil that-." Lian rolled her eyes. "Was sorely disappointed when she brought him home for the winter."

   "It's 'Christmas', Māmā." May sighed. "And you know I brought him home because his mother. . ." had recently died, and I didn't want him alone during the holidays, Melinda finished in her head. Lian knew.

"As much as I'd love to hear of the adventures of younger days, I think maybe I should finish up." Sandy nodded, sending the pictures to be printed. She was quickly done, handing Melinda paper towels to clean up the gel.

   As soon as the ex-SHIELD agent was gone, Melinda sat up, struggling to tug her shirt back over her bump. Then she reached out to Phil. He indulged her, Wrapping his arms around Melinda. "A daughter." Melinda repeatedly whispered.

   "I know, Mel." He softly responded. "A little princess." 

   "I'm . . . so happy." Melinda spoke into his shirt.

   "Me too, my love." He dared the nick-name, fearful to look up at May's mother's response.

   "Phil. We need to find a place to live. If this pregnancy is really that risky. . . and I need to be monitored . . . "

    "We can see what we can find." Phil kissed her head. 

   "FINE." Lian suddenly said. "As long as he makes you happy, Qiaolian." 

    "Wô aí Tā." Melinda repeats whatever she had said the day before.

    "We need to go shopping," Lian observes as a knock sounds on the door and Sandy returns. She smiles as she hands the ultrasound images to Melinda, and the paperwork to Phil.

    "We'll be sure to keep an eye on Melinda and the baby." Coulson nods. 

    "Thank you, Agent Murphy." Melinda adds.

    "Tell Leo and Jemma Hi for me." she smiles as she leaves.

    "Well, I guess we have a whole afternoon left." Phil reminds them. 

    "We are going shopping so that Qiaolian will not be without proper clothing." Lian insists. Phil internally groans. This is going to be like Hell on earth.