Mixed Feelings of Elation

Alex and Neon sat on the examination table together, hands clasped, leaning on one another. They were anxious for the results. After Neon had done her urine sample, they found out she gained another pound. She almost cried, which led Doctor Cart to lecture Neon on eating properly.

"I wish the results would come faster," Neon mumbled.

"Me too," Alex said.

"What happens if they're positive?"

"You'll need to eat so you don't lose the baby."

"I meant what happens with us?"

"I already told you, we're going to get married, probably after the baby's born. We'll raise the child in the house your parents raised you and your sister in. And we'll live happily ever after."

"No one lives happily ever after."

"We will," Alex asserted.

The door to the examination room opened. The couple perked up immediately seeing Doctor Cart in the doorway. The look on her face was impossible to read. It was neither good nor bad.

"Come with me," she commanded.

"Where are we going?" Neon asked, sliding off of the table.

Alex did the same as Neon, sliding off the table and grabbing her hand again. He was as confused as she was, probably more so. How Doctor Cart worked, he didn't know.

"To do an ultrasound," Carter stated.

"I thought you said we were only going to do that if the tests were positive," Neon said.

She had convinced herself that they were negative and that something was severely wrong with her during their wait time.

Doctor Cart smiled, "Congratulations."

"Are you serious? Doctor Cart, if you are playing with me, I'm going to be pissed," Neon said.

"I'm serious. You're pregnant. Now we just need to check your womb."

Neon's breathing hitched in her throat. Her lifelong dream was coming true. She was going to have a baby. Tears sprang from her eyes and dribbled down her face. Alex pulled Neon into a hug, squeezing her body in excitement. He was going to be a daddy.

Alex let go of Neon's body, clutching her hands and kissing her forehead.

"Thank you," Neon said to Carter

"Don't thank me," Doctor Cart said, "Thank Alex. He's the one who managed to get you pregnant. I'm not even sure how that happened."

"Thanks, Alex," Neon whispered.

"It was my pleasure, trust me," Alex smirked.

Neon flushed. Of course he would say that.

"I do not want to know about your bedroom activities," Doctor Cart said, "Come on so we can get this ultrasound done."

She walked out of the door, Neon and Alex close behind her. They walked through the hallways again. They stopped at a door in the far corner of the backmost hallway. Doctor Cart opened the door and held it for the couple to walk. Alex and Neon did so quickly. The room was dim. The only light coming from the crack in the window shutters. Doctor Cart shut the door to the room, encasing them in almost complete darkness.

"Neon, get on the table and lay down," Doctor Cart instructed.

Neon did as told. Alex sat in the chair against the wall.

"Okay, what I'm going to be checking for is any rips or abnormalities in your womb. You won't be seeing a fetus on the screen because it's still early. Your weight gain was caused by the amount of nutrients your womb was saving up for the baby. Because you're anorexic, your body naturally went into survival mode, which is where it saves up as much nutrients as possible without dispersing it throughout your body. Any questions?" Carter asked.

"What happens if there are any abnormalities in her womb?" Alex asked.

"We'll have to abort the pregnancy. The fetus needs a healthy womb to thrive. If there are abnormalities, both mother and child are at risk."

Fear fell on Neon's mind. What if her latest anorexia stint caused her to mess up her womb? She wouldn't be able to live with herself. She couldn't let her only chance at having a child get aborted.

"Any other questions?" Doctor Cart asked.

"No," Alex answered.

"Alright, Neon, I'm going to put this gel on your stomach. It may get a little hot. Lift your shirt to the base of your bra."

Neon lifted her shirt as Carter asked her to. Carter spread the gel on Neon's stomach and pressed the probe against it. On the screen, a picture of Neon's womb appeared. Carter moved the probe around on Neon's stomach, pausing every once and awhile to press buttons on her keyboard. Neon attempted to make out what was on the screen with no luck. She couldn't make heads or tails of the image.

Neon was a singer not a doctor.

She looked to Doctor Cart's face. Again, she couldn't tell what the woman was thinking. Doctor Cart had the best stoic face of anyone Neon had met. She was probably amazing a poker.

Doctor Cart pulled the probe from Neon's stomach, cleaning the tip off and setting it back in its holder. She handed Neon a towel to remove the gel from her stomach. Neon took it, swiping it on her skin to get rid of the gel and handing it back to Doctor Cart. Carter took the towel and tossed it in the bin next to the machine.

"How was it?" Neon asked, unable to wait any longer.

"Perfectly fine. I'm surprised honestly. I was expecting something to be wrong because of your lack of food intake. But your womb is fine. This pregnancy can go through," Carter replied.

"Really?"

"Yes. But you need to eat or this baby isn't going to survive. If you feel like relapsing, I want you to stop and think about what its going to do to your child. It's not fair to your unborn baby if you starve yourself."

"I understand."

"I want you back here in six weeks. We'll do another ultrasound to check on the fetus's development. And then you'll come back at twenty weeks pregnant to determine the sex of your baby."

"When am I due?" Neon asked, sitting up.

"Around February eighteenth."

"That's so far away," Neon whined.

"That's nine months."

"The equivalent of far away."

"Right. Well, unless you have any other questions, you're free to go."

"I think that's all," Neon looked at Alex.

He only had one question on his mind.

"Is it okay to have sex with her while she's pregnant?" Alex asked.

Neon's jaw dropped. She should have seen it coming. It was Alex after all. He had needs.

"It's perfectly fine. I'll tell you later on if the two of you need to stop," Doctor Cart answered.

"That's all I needed to know," Alex stood from the chair.

He strode to the where Neon sat and helped her up.

"I'll see you both in six weeks then," Doctor Cart said.

"Thank you again, Doctor Cart," Neon said.

"Like I said, thank Alex."

"She'll be doing that tonight," Alex said.

"Alex," Neon yelled.

"You'll be screaming that too."

Doctor Cart couldn't contain her laughter as Alex led the now fuming Neon from the ultrasound room. They made one odd couple.