[Fiction] Prenatal

[z-Carver]

Gah, Carver thought as she slumped into the chair. This had been so much work to set up: finding a doctor they could trust, then finding a way that they meet with the doctor without being seen. Dr. Wolcoff hadn't bee too eager to see her outside of her normal routine; apparently, she wasn't too keen on having her patients just appear in her exam rooms. But the talk of an extra fee won her over to the idea that Mythic and Carver wanted their privacy.

It could be worse, Jael added.

How's that? Carver asked gamely, sure she doesn't want to know.

You could be having another man's kid, and then we'd be knocked up and alone, Jael chuckled. See, there's always a bright side.

Har, har, Carver thought, even as the door opened to admit an older woman. Carver recognized her as Dr. Wolcoff from her pictures on her OpNet site. The two women quickly exchanged greetings.

"I'm sorry that my opening was inconvenient for your partner," Dr. Wolcoff said, "but this is a preliminary exam and his presence is not required. Hopefully, he can be at the next exam, which will be in a month."

"We can swing that," Carver said. "And you'll want biweekly after the third trimester starts, right?"

"Right," Dr. Wolcoff smiled. "Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty..."

The exam was remarkably painless, save the embarrassing pelvic exam. At least Dr. Wolcoff was a woman, and not a man. Finally, Dr. Wolcoff said, "Everything is on track, and looks good. Any last questions?"

"Yeah," Carver said, shifting uncomfortably. Dr. Wolcoff waited patiently while the nova gathered her courage. When Carver finally spoke, it was almost in a whisper. "When will I want it?" She felt Harry's reaction down the link; a mixture of guilt and sadness. *I want to want it, honey,* she explained. *I just want to know when that will be, or what I can do to help it along.*

Dr. Wolcoff nodded, sympathy in her eyes. "I understand," she said. "This is a frightening time, made all the more uncertain by your status. I think that when the baby quickens within a month or so, you'll start to bond with it." She tilted her head, her expression and tone mildly curious as she asked, "How does your partner feel?"

"Harry's scared, but he's ready," Carver said with a slight smile. "More ready than I am."

"Good," Dr. Wolcoff said. "A supportive partner is important."

"He's really the best," Carver said, her smile lighting up her face.

"It sounds like it," Dr. Wolcoff answered softly. "Any other questions?"

"No," Carver said after a moment of thought. "I'll get out of your hair."

"How are you going to get out of this room?"

Carver just smiled and reached out for a dreaming mind. Her body disappeared from the room, leaving behind a startled doctor. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," Dr. Wolcoff muttered as she left the room shaking her head. Carver's file was not secured with the other files, but in Dr. Wolcoff's office. It seemed prudent, given the fees she was receiving for this patient.