Without Me

Evil Twin

They remained silent staring at the screen. The Doctor had given them some space alone, while she went to print the ultra-sound off for them. The blurry black and white image they started at on the screen, was not something either of them had been expecting. Yes, they'd made jokes and spoken about what if's, but they'd never actually thought it through enough to realise it couldn't actually happen.

''Marshall?'' Ashley whispered, prying his hand off hers for a second before his grip became too tight cutting off the circulation to her hand.

''Twins,'' was all he said, his eyes fixated on the screen in front of him, ''two baby humans,'' he added as if Ashley would have been confused by what he was going on about.

''Yep,'' Ashley gulped nodding her head, once Marshall had finally moved his own to look over at her, ''are you ok with it, I mean it's a bit late now, but are you ok?'' she rested her hand reassuringly on her his shoulder, stroking up and down.

''Yeah I'm good with it, it's just you went from not being able to get pregnant to getting pregnant with twins Ash, I'm just overwhelmed that's all,'' Marshall placed his hand on top of the one she'd placed on his shoulder and squeezing it gently.

''Well technically I said my change of pregnancy was low not that I couldn't have any Marsh,'' Ashley corrected, nervously placing her other hand across her stomach as if to check the babies were still there. Just thinking the word babies was something she felt she'd never ever say let alone actually have.

''I guess,'' he murmured, his eyes shifting down to glance at her stomach, ''also explains why you were so ill at the start, you had two little rascals growing in there,'' Marshall used his free hand to point at her stomach.

''Yeah, they've already been giving their mum a hard time already,'' Ashley giggled leaning her head on Marshall's shoulder as they changed position so he was now stroking her hair as she hummed softly near his ear.

This was the position the doctor found them in when she came back in.  Smiling sympathetically towards them she moved over the computer by her desk and started typing. The room was in silence as the clacking of keyboards was the only sound. Ashley assumed the doctor was adding to their file before she handed over the pictures.

''Right so, before I hand over the envelope I wanted to ask you a few questions,'' Ashley and Marshall nodded together giving the doctor the signal that they would be ok with that, ''right so first off do you want to know the sex of the babies or wait. I'll give you a second to think about it if you hadn't already discussed it.''

Now they had a problem, of course, they'd discussed whether they'd wanted to know if the baby was a girl or boy. The answer had been no, but with two coming both of them were in two minds and the Doctor seemed to pick up on that.

''How about I give it to you in an envelope and you could open it if you want to.''

''I guess that would be ok,'' Ashley slowly started to speak, before growing in confidence as Marshall nodded agreeing with her decision.

''Ok good, I'll sort that out for you and the next question is will you be wanting to give birth at the hospital. I only ask because perhaps you may not want to cause a scene around, considering people may work out roughly when it's due and hang near the hospital,'' the Doctor explained, as she shuffled a piece of paper, Ashely assumed had the babies sex on it into a brown envelope.

''Erm, I'd rather have it here than at home or somewhere else, to be honest. In case something goes wrong, have that extra support,'' concern washed over Marshall for a second due to what Ashley had just said. He now couldn't stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong, from the babies being premature to them or either Ashley being lost in the process.

Ashley felt him tense up beside her. For reassurance purposes she reached down to squeeze his thigh, whispering to him about how it'll only be for precaution and nothing bad should happen.

''Right thank you, that's all for today's appointment. You'll be phoned when you can come in next and don't forget your pictures. I've put the notes for the babies sex in a sperate envelope just so have that option,'' Marshall garbed the folder from the Doctor before then helping Ashley get off the exam bed.

They were halfway down the corridor when Marshall's phone began to ring. With a confused expression falling across his face he pulled his phone out and was surprised by the caller ID.

''Who is it?'' Ashley asked trying to see for herslef, but Marshall answered the call before she could. He also never replied to her question.

''Er yeah, we'll go out the back. Thanks man,'' grabbing Ashley by her arm he spun her around towards the lift behind them, pushing her inside as he continued to talk to whoever was on he the phone, ''Yep we're just coming, thanks for the heads up,'' removing his phone from his ear Marshall lent against the side of the lift letting out an exasperated sigh, ''Fuck.''

''What's going on?''

''Someone tipped the press off about your appointment today, they're all outside the fucking hospital entrance waiting for you. Jerry's gonna meet us round the back and drive us home ok,'' Ashley nodded leaning against the opposite side to him.

''How'd they find out that's my question?'' she grumbled as the lift doors slid open, letting them out in a rather dark dingy back entrance. No matter how many times Ashley had had to sneak through the back entrance, she still found it rather creepy.

''We got a mole I think, fucker'll be hard to find though, they always are,'' Marshall responds taking her hand and guiding her through the darkness.

''Well as long as they'd don't start revealing personal shit we'll be good,'' Marshall nodded, that was one thing he was afraid of too.

''Yeah let's hope,'' he muttered as they approached where Jerry was stood waiting for them.