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SEVENTY-SEVEN TINY LITTLE TALLY MARKS, on the ten-page notes section at the end of her planner, neatly lined in groups of five, along with every other section accompanied with shorthand writing noting the advancement of Lori's pregnancy. Every seven sticks indicate every week of her pregnancy. However, with Lori's unreliable memory, Josephine had to estimate the development of the fetus and do a few calculations to figure out Lori is about thirteen weeks pregnant, and entering her second trimester. Her stomach has extended normally, with a small bump in her lower abdomen, but with the lack of nutrients and vitamins entering her body, Josephine is worried about slow fetal development and the effects it may cause.
This morning, after Lori has waken up from her short slumber, and the morning sickness calms down significantly enough Lori is able to keep food down. Josephine does her daily routine:
"How did you sleep?" Josephine whispers to Lori as the rest of the group still sleeps except them two and Rick, who circles the perimeter of the small corner store after giving her his approval of absence to rush to Lori's aid.
"As well as one could on this pineapple-smelling floor," Lori murmurs as she lays flat against the one sheet covered so-called pineapple floor, making Josephine hover over her as she conducts a normal examination on her uterus and stomach.
"No back pains, or cramps?" Josephine questions as she finds Lori's defined pubic bone (the running and scarce food has slowed Lori's weight gain) and uses the width of her fingers to measure the size of her uterus. She has not grown more than a centimeter, which is fine, given the circumstances. Promptly, she writes this in her planner: 13 1/7 ~6in.
"No, not really." Lori shakes her head as she stares up and focuses on the obscure orange stain on the ceiling oddly in the shape of a chicken. Great, she thought, now I'm craving chicken.
"Just my stomach straining with hunger," Lori admits after Josephine helps her into a sitting position and fixes her shirt back down, and wraps a blanket back around her shoulders. Josephine exhales a soft oh and reaches into her pack and pulls out a sealed peanut butter jar. Jo recently found it in the last house after everyone had fallen asleep. She almost lost an arm for it, Josephine jokes: but it only makes Lori guilty for accepting it. "I shouldn't. You keep it."
"Lori, you're pregnant." Josephine insists and pushes Lori's wrist that held the jar back towards her chest. "You need it more. It has fiber and vitamins that'll help grow your baby. Right now, I'm not too concerned with the size of your belly; however, what nutrients go in, that's most crucial. This is the most critical time in the pregnancy: usually, you wouldn't be as much at risk for miscarriage, but if you don't eat—" Josephine places the spoon in Lori's other hand. "—Your baby will not grow at its normal, healthy pace." Lori's gaze casts downward to her stomach and places her hand over the small bulge.
