Maceo’s ears perk up. “Regular breast massages? Is that something I can help her with?”
Punk turns around with a glower. “Seriously? I’m in the room.”
“Face the wall, Punk!”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Punk spins around on his heels.
The doctor chuckles. “If she’s willing to let you help, then, by all means, lend a hand.”
“Excellent,” Maceo says with a wicked grin.
“Let's finish the exam.” The doctor moves to the end of the table and motions to put my feet in the stirrups. The medical student moves behind the doctor to watch the show. “Scoot to the end of the table, please, so we can have a good look.”
Maceo’s curses under his breath, shaking his head. I pat his hand, and he calms immediately.
“A little pinch from the speculum, Jo.” The doctor makes quick work of the visual exam. He removes the speculum and does a quick exam with his gloved hand. “Good. Everything looks healthy and in place. We can start the ultrasound.”
Punk turns around. “About time.”
I’m about to remove my feet from the stirrups, but Doctor Stoll shakes his head. “It’s easier to do it in this position.”
Well, this sucks. I’m anxious to cover my nether regions from view. Maceo must sense my uneasiness because he pulls the sheet further over my lap.
Doctor Stoll messes with the sonographer ‘till he comes to the screen he wants.
But then things get…weird. Doctor Stoll pulls a condom from the drawer and rolls it over a phallic-looking piece of equipment attached by a wire to the machine.
He’s not going to…is that thing going to be put inside…Nah. As Punk said, ultrasounds are done on the abdomen—not internally. I’ve watched all the same chick flicks with him, and never was a fat wand used in the films.
The doctor grabs the lubricant and squirts a healthy dose of gel on the probe. I grab Maceo’s hand with alarm.
“Hold up,” Maceo says with equal unease. “Are you shoving a dildo up my woman’s vadge?”
“Awkward,” Punk says in a high voice.
“First, it’s not a dildo. It’s an ultrasound probe. And second, yes. The probe is placed inside the vagina because this is a transvaginal ultrasound. At this stage of pregnancy with a possibility of twins, this is the preferred method for conducting a uterine ultrasound.”
Maceo whirls on Punk. “Stomach ultrasound my ass. Your chick flicks lied.”
“I seriously didn’t know, Atlas,” Punk says with chagrin. “Had I known, I sure as shit would not have asked to tag along to witness my sister in stirrups.”
Doctor Stoll ignores the banter, placing the probe between my legs, and gently pushes it inside. “Try to relax.”
I’m gripping Maceo’s hand, staring at the tiny monitor. Nothing makes sense as swirls and pockets of blackness filter in and out of focus. The doctor rotates the probe inside of me until he finds the angle giving him the image he wants.
“I got fifty on one bun,” Punk whispers.
“I’ll raise you a hundred and call two buns,” Maceo says, his eyes never leaving the monitor.
“Ooohhh, upping the stakes.” Punk looks at the intern, deadpan. “You want in?”
The intern looks baffled before smiling. “I can’t place bets when I have an unfair advantage. I can read the images.”
“Really?” Punk leans toward him and whispers. “Wink once if I got this in the bag and twice if I’m screwed.”
“Stop betting on my uterus capacity,” I snap.
Doctor Stoll continues his work without uttering a peep. The silence is deafening, causing me to worry. Eventually, I tear my eyes away from the screen because every time I think I see something, the image changes. It’s starting to screw with my head.