The Office of Dr K.

We waited a couple of hours for Dr K, but that’s the nature of doctors. The reception area was crowded with large-bellied women. I felt that my pregnancy was much more demure.
I told Dr K what had happened some months before, and what was happening now. It seemed to me that the same thing was going to happen. I thought Dr K would tell me to drink a bottle of vodka and take a hot bath to speed things along.
He suggested an ultrasound, and we found ourselves in a tiny room, doors at both ends. Colin was on the chair, and I was up on the high bed with the sheet to keep warm.
There was the swirling image on the screen, and a flashing light, and Dr K said, “I have some news.”
The door on the left swung open then, and an excited young woman leaned in. She wanted to share some information with Dr K. She was full of information, bubbling it out, pointing to a folder in her arms.
Dr K listened politely, at the same time as he pushed a large white appliance around inside me, and looked at the screen.
“We’ve just got some news,” said Dr K, looking at the screen. “She’s very worried. She’s had a miscarriage before.”
The woman glanced at me, and then back to Dr K and continued her excited information.
At last she left and Dr K said, “Well, good news, there’s the heartbeat.”
It turned out that the flashing light was actually a heartbeat. He pointed out other things on the screen but we couldn’t see them.
Next thing we were in his grander office and he was telling us some rules about eating greens, and how walking is good, and giving us a date: March 23 next year.
“I wouldn’t tell anybody yet,” he said. “I’d wait until 12 weeks.” It was very surreal.