The hospital was cold and smelly.
Ava was simply sitting in that long plastic chair in the waiting room with her hands placed in her lap. She looked at the white wall, and it was not where her head was. Every single sound, like the quiet footsteps of the nurses, the low beep of the machines, the murmur of other patients, seemed like a million sounds.
She had come alone.
Patricia desired to come, yet Ava pleaded, but this one thing: one meeting and no questions and no orders and no harsh words. Patricia assented unwillingly and she was instructed in great and strict things.
Don't talk too much. Don't embarrass me. And don't make mistakes.
Ava clasped her hands together.
"Miss Thompson?" a nurse called.
Ava looked up quickly. "Yes."
"Follow me, please."
She got up on her feet and followed the nurse down the small passage. Each step of hers throbbed at her heart. This was not words or arguments but reality. This was her body, her future.
The nurse smiled gently. "First visit?" she inquired
Ava nodded. "Yes."
"You will be okay," the nurse responded kindly, as though she could read the fear behind Ava.
They had entered a tiny examination room. The walls were light blue, and a chart was close to a bed. Ava sat down slowly.
The nurse weighs her blood pressure and weight, and gives her a thin gown.
The doctor will come up in a minute, she said before she went.
Ava promptly removed her clothes and again sat with her legs hanging over the floor. Her stomach twisted. She even laid a hand over it without thinking.
There is actually a baby in there, she thought.
The door opened softly.
An elderly-looking lady (around 40) came in with kind eyes. "Hello, Ava. I'm Dr Reynolds."
Ava forced a tiny smile. "Hello."
Dr Reynolds was seated on a stool and looked at her chart. "How are you feeling today?"
Ava hesitated. "Okay… I think."
"That is true all right," the doctor said with a smile. It is not unusual to not be overwhelmed.
Ava nodded.
The symptoms they discussed were nausea, tiredness, and headaches. Ava replied in an undertone, bidding to remain quiet.
Then Dr Reynolds reclined a little. Now I would like to ask you some background questions.
Ava's chest tightened.
Is the father of the baby in it? The doctor asked.
Ava swallowed. "Yes."
Good, in token of which Dr Reynolds scribbled something. "I'll need some info about him."
Ava nodded slowly.
Does he have any known medical conditions? The doctor asked.
Ava froze.
"I… I do not know, I really do not know, she said thoughtfully.
That is all right, Dr Reynolds answered. "What about family history? Heart conditions? Blood disorders? Genetic illnesses?"
Ava's throat went dry.
I do not know, I said again, in lower tones.
Dr Reynolds looked at her. "You don't know anything?"
Ava shook her head. "Not really."
The physician pouted a bit, but not in judgment: in anxiety. "It's important info, Ava. It makes us observe potential dangers.
Ava's hands began to tremble.
"I can ask him," she said quickly.
That would be best, Doctor Reynolds answered. Particularly, the type of blood and heredity.
Blood. She could hear the word reverberate in her head.
Dr Reynolds continued her conversation, not knowing the storm in Ava. Certain bloodlines have the potential to influence pregnancy or contribute to the development of a healthy baby. Nothing to get all excited about, but we must be very careful.
Ava felt dizzy.
"Do you know his blood type?" the doctor asked.
Ava opened her mouth.
Nothing came out. She was not aware of the blood type of Mark.
She was not familiar with any intimate facts about his family background, their background, their well-being.
But she knew Marcus's. It struck her so violently that she nearly gasped.
Marcus. His family. His bloodline.
Ava's heart started racing. Dr Reynolds noticed her face. "Ava? Are you okay?"
"Yes," Ava said quickly. Too quickly. "I'm fine."
But she wasn't.
She recalled one time Marcus had mentioned his dad had a rare type of blood, a family medical screening, and how his family had been so careful with medical records.
She recalled things that she was not supposed to.
Things that mattered now.
Dr Reynolds stared at her. "Are you sure?"
Ava agreed, but the terror was like a rope around her heart.
"I will come with the information, I will come with it next time," Ava said.
"Please do," the doctor replied. "It's very important."
The appointment continued, and Ava had little trouble in listening to the rest. Her mind was screaming.
What if this matters?
What if the truth shows?
Ava slowly exited the hospital after the appointment. The sunlight out there was too bright.
She was on a bench, glaring at her phone. She went through her contacts.
Mark.
Marcus.
Her finger hovered.
She quickly drew her hand back, as though she had been scalded by the phone.
"If the bloodline matters…" she whispered.
Her stomach knotted agonizingly.
The lie was weak because at that moment it seemed,
Dangerous.
And firstly, Ava knew something dreadful
The blood of Marcus might be the revelation.
And when the truth was known, there would be no hiding place.