Assignment from Box 17
The doctor’s office was covered in beige from ceiling to floor. Even the countertops were the same color. The color made me nauseous looking at the same constant color the whole time while sitting in an undersized chair in the corner next to the door. This was convenient to torcher any husband waiting for their wife because every time someone opened the door my knees would hit my chin. At least that was what it felt like.
While I tried to not look at the gross beige I focused on the ugly green border that circled the top part of the wall. I tried to stay calm but my left leg kept shaking uncontrollably. I was so nervous. I didn’t have any idea what a babies heartbeat sounded like. So, I sat in my little corner and waited in this nauseous colored room waiting to hear what was going to be a product of me.
Finally, what seemed like hours, the doctor came in with my wife, who was holding her stomach, and propped her up on the medical bed? I stood up almost instantly as they opened the door and I ended up falling back into the seat hitting my tailbone against the back of the chair. I didn’t feel it until I got out of the doctors office later.
The doctor was a female with dark brown hair, similar to my wife’s, and she introduced herself as someone. I can’t remember the name because my heart was beating in my ears. She pulled out an old plastic brown box hooked up to an old 1950’s microphone. I looked at my wife and smiled as assuredly as I could because she looked more scared than I felt. I went over to her and took her hand holding it gently letting her know it was going to be okay.
The doctor rubbed some clear gooey lotion on my wife’s lower belly and turned a knob on the brown box causing a hissing noise. We both held our breath as the doctor put the microphone to the lotion and began moving it around looking for a specific noise. All my wife and I heard was a sound of someone moving skin over a microphone until a rapidly moving pulse came into the background. As the doctor moved the microphone slowly the pulse grew and soon consumed the room. It was so strong and vibrant that the brown box began to slightly vibrate in the doctor’s hand. It was at this moment, all my anxiety and fears vanished at the sound of the rapid heartbeat.
I began jumping up and down like a little school boy who just won the kickball game for his team. I felt pride, not for me, but for the little life growing inside my wife. My cheeks began to hurt from the gleaming smile permanently smeared on my face. I bent down and kissed my wife on the forehead and then her lips telling her I loved her so much. Then I looked into her eyes and that changed everything.
My emotional high went from twelve, on a ten point scale, to a five when I saw her thoughts. Her big brown eyes were expanding exponentially, not out of total happiness, but from freaking out. I didn’t say anything until we left the office. I asked her what was wrong with her after hearing the heartbeat. She turned to me with that same look and said
“I don’t want to be pregnant during the summer. It’s going to be awful. I’m going to be hot and sweaty and hot….”
She went on for a little longer while I pulled her close to comfort her. She rested her head on my chest and sobbed a little. I knew what was going on. The last part of the pregnancy was going to happen in July and August, the hottest parts of the summer and she was going to be the biggest. I held her close and reassured her that I would do everything I could to make sure she was comfortable during that time. She made me promise, not a serious hold you to your life promise, but a promise that would make her feel better. Then we kissed and parted. I went to my car feeling like I just won the lottery. It was the best feeling in the world, until I sat down and felt the searing pain from where my tail bone hit the back of the chair. I drove back to work in pain, but smiling knowing it was worth it.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
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1 comment:
Excellent memories. I have four children, and I clearly remember hearing each heartbeat for the first time.
My third child spent most of his time in the womb facing the wrong way. Up until about a week before the birth, the doctor's thought they may have to do some procedure to get him "headed" in the right direction. Then came the final ultrasound. He had managed to swim around and get in the right position, and we were thrilled. But the best part was when the ultrasound showed his face. He turned toward the camera and blinked. Literally. It was right there on the screen. Everyone in the room gasped. It was so cool. It was like he was saying, "I have this under control, so just chill out and I'll be there in a bit."
Very cool.
Nice essay, Sirc. And congrats!
T
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