"You promise?" she asked the doctor, ignoring Chad's comment.
"I promise – but only if the ultrasound says everything is good," he reminded her. She refused to think anything could be wrong.
She hadn't felt the baby move, didn't show any signs of pregnancy yet, but still, she had a connection to her unborn baby. Being pregnant gave her hope that her endless blank of a mind would have to someday clear.
She had a huge, obviously loving family, who visited her every day. And she couldn't define Chad. He was by her side night and day, and he was just so … She couldn't even put into words what he was.
Masculine.
Charming.
Manly.
Handsome.
There were thousands of descriptions, she was sure could describe him better.
"I'm ready," she said, excited to see the first images of her baby. Maybe seeing the pictures would stimulate her brain somehow and she'd regain her memory. She secretly crossed her fingers.
Another person came in the room, pushing a table with a machine and large monitor on it. She felt her nerves flutter at the sight. She was moments away.
Chad sat silently by Bree's bedside as he watched the hospital staff move around her room. He'd been on combat missions where he hadn't shed a single drop of sweat, but waiting to see the first images of his unborn child was like sitting in a hole anticipating the first grenade to drop. He was terrified something could be wrong with the baby, but overjoyed to see his son or daughter.
Without thought he reached out and gripped Bree's hand. She grew stronger each day and he hoped his child did too. She tensed at the coldness of the gel placed on her stomach, but soon there was a fuzzy image on the screen.
They both watched intensely as the technician moved the small wand around her belly, stopping every few seconds and clicking buttons on his monitor. Chad wanted to strangle the guy and demand he tell them everything was going to be all right.
Chad looked on, but couldn't see anything even sort of resembling a person inside her. Was something wrong? He had to fight not to shout.
"I'm just getting a few pictures of the womb right now. Your baby is very small at this point. Not even the size of a shelled peanut, and there's a lot of fluid and other internal things in the way, so it's hard to catch a good shot, but give me a moment longer," the guy finally spoke. It was a good thing, because Chad didn't think he could take much more silence.
The doctor bent down and looked at a place on the monitor where the technician had paused. They both spoke quietly for a moment and Chad felt a bead of sweat run down his brow. He was startled by how intense his emotions were. He'd never thought it possible to love something so much that he hadn't even known he wanted.
"You both will be pleased to know the baby is developing exactly as it should at this point in the pregnancy. This first machine gave us valuable information we needed. Now, Henry is hooking up our three dimensional ultrasound. Your baby is in a great position, so you're going to get a fairly clear image of him. At ten weeks along, your child is about an inch long and weighs less than an ounce," Dr. Bailey explained.
They both let out relieved breaths at the doctor's words. Bree turned toward Chad and sent him a stunning smile that would've dropped him to his knees had he not already been sitting. She had her color back and looked even more radiant than before. Pregnancy was beautiful on her – as was everything else.
"So, I can go home, right?" she asked.
"Yes. You're doing great. All signs point toward a full recovery and a healthy pregnancy," Dr. Bailey answered. He left out the amnesia. They didn't dwell on that as it would hopefully cure itself in time.
"Here's your baby," he said and they turned back to the screen. Before them was the image of their infant. It was obvious the baby was awake and moving around. Chad was dazed to see what looked like tiny arms moving in front of a large head. The image made it appear bigger than a peanut.
"Remember, this image is blown up, but your baby is almost fully developed. They grow rapidly at this stage of pregnancy. In a few weeks he, or she, will be fully formed, just have a lot of growing left to do. The first three months of pregnancy move the fastest in terms of development," Dr. Bailey informed them. Neither could take their eyes from the screen and they only absently nodded at his words. It was amazing to watch the tiny babe moving inside her body.
"Would you like to hear the heartbeat now?"
"Yes." They both answered in unison and then smiled at each other.
Chad was already filled with unbelievable love for his son or daughter, but when the sound of its already beating heart filled the room, he thought his own would burst. Such a strong sound for something so tiny.