Catalyst

Chapter 8

Finn lumbered back to them, and handed her three pamphlets. One said, "Genetic Risks: Are you one?" A second said, "What to expect when you're expecting: A guide for the young mother." The last said, "Baby and me: basic expenses from pregnancy to toddlerhood."

These were good choices and before she could ask, he explained, "The lady at the counter gave it to me."

She didn't say anything, but filled out the rest of the information before she gave it to Rachel, who stood and gave it to the woman at the counter. The kid coughed again, one that rattled in her chest, and the father put her on his lap and rocked her gently. Finn rubbed his eyes looking at them and said, softly, "That could be us one day."

Quinn cleared her throat, "Yeah." But it was closer to being Quinn and Rachel than Finn and Quinn.

He looked down at his hands, "You think we should decide on names?"

She shook her head, "No. It's really early on and we don't even know the sex yet. This one is just to make sure that the baby's healthy and growing at the right rate."

"Oh."

Rachel returned with the three pamphlets and started to read them.

A second person came out the door and said, "Jerry and Micah Tart?"

The father stood up, picking his daughter up and placing her head on his shoulder, her tan legs dangled almost to his waist; it was obvious she had to be really sick. "Yes?" His voice was a little creaky, and sounded tired.

"Dr. Renault will see you now." The man followed the intern or nurse through the door. Finn's legs started to jiggle and Rachel bit at her thumbnail as she read. Quinn stared ahead, forcing herself to calm down. There wouldn't be anything wrong with the baby. He or she was perfectly healthy and starting to form organs and fingers and a brain. She was eating right, and hadn't skipped a meal in almost two weeks. Her mother was starting to make all those vegetables that those pregnancy websites recommended. Rachel switched to her right index finger. Finn held his head between his hands. Quinn closed her eyes and prayed. Please let my baby be healthy, please let him or her be fully formed, I don't need anything else, I don't.

All three of them jumped up when someone called, "Quinn Fabray?" Seeing their faces, the young man from earlier smiled as if to ease their nervousness, "Dr. Kim will see you now."

There were quite a few little rooms that they passed on the way, and almost all of them were occupied. Rachel was still biting her nails and Finn was drumming his fingers in the air as Quinn was instructed to sit on the edge of a cushioned chair lined with paper. She sat and picked at the edge of her sweater until Dr. Kim came in. She was small, smaller then Rachel even, and said briskly, "Is this your first ultrasound?"

She nodded, and then stuttered over her tongue, "Yes, it's my first ultrasound."

The doctor nodded, "And how far along are you?"

"Seven weeks."

"From your last menstruation?"

"No, from the conception."

She hummed and made a note on her chart, "Okay, just so you know, we count from your last menstruation, when it comes to your expecting date. So, you're nine weeks.

Finn asked, "How often do we need to have these ultrasounds, Dr. Kim?"

"Including this one, three because as teenagers, you're high risk. This is to confirm the pregnancy, the second will be between sixteen and twenty weeks to see if there are any issues and the gender, and for you, the last would be after that, but at least two weeks before delivery, just to make sure everything's fine."