| A Picture of Things to Come | |||
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Plekhanov Residence June 18th, 0830 hours The persistent bleep of the alarm intruded on the serenity of her dream. Nikolai had surprised her with a holiday, whisked her off to the tropics and booked them into a beautiful beachfront villa: all "rustic", built with local timbers, walls decorated with locally inspired artwork; but still with all the conveniences of a modern apartment. The air conditioning was a welcome relief from the stifling still heat that hung in the atmosphere, while the outdoor spa was a blissful luxury, providing the perfect view of the moonlit ocean and the blanket of twinkling stars once the sun had set. If she looked hard enough, Yelena was sure she could still make out the traces of their footprints in the golden sand. She felt perfectly content, relaxed and safe; a warm, reassuring cocoon in which she was protected. Beep beep�beep beep! The warmth ebbed away from her body, and instinctively she turned over, shuffling toward the centre of the bed to get closer to her man and his ample heat. She reached out her arm in order to cuddle him�.and found nothing but air and a cold duvet. Immediately her idyll was shattered, and her eyes sprung open. Gets me every time, she thought to herself. Even though she spent more time alone in their bed than she spent with Nikolai, every night without him felt alien. And every time she dreamed of him, she was tricked into thinking he'd be there when she woke up. But every time, she'd been alone. Vulnerable. Until recently. Unconsciously, her hands slid down to her ever-growing stomach, stroking the bump affectionately, feeling reassured that she wasn't alone. While their child was inside her, Yelena had a part of Nikolai with her. She missed him so much it made her feel sick sometimes�or was that the pregnancy? The now - familiar nausea swept over her, and she hauled herself out of bed into the bathroom. Plekhanov Residence 0945 Hours The cereal had started to turn into mush while Yelena had been sitting there, trying to work up the courage to eat it. But with every passing minute, it lost its scant appeal even more. Idly she pushed a rapidly disintegrating flake around the side of the bowl, watching the crumbly trail of destruction it left behind with considerable satisfaction. She continued, engrossed, until the contents of the bowl became too unappetising to look at, before quickly emptying them into the trash, putting the empty bowl in the sink. Morning sickness didn't aid one's appetite for breakfast. Maybe I'll just have milk instead, she thought. She pulled one of the full cartons from the refrigerator, poured some into a glass and drank half immediately. She needed at least a pint per day, in order that the baby get enough calcium, but try as she might, she still couldn't drink it like Nikolai. Rather milk than vodka though. Before she had the chance to finish the rest of the milk, the phone rang. "Good Morning, may I speak to Ms Popovna?" "Yes, that's me, can I ask whose calling?" "Oh, hello Miss Popovna, its Maria from the Medical Centre. You are scheduled to have an ultrasound here tomorrow, yes?" "Yes that's right, I'm booked in for a check-up and an amniocentesis. Why... is there a problem?" "Well, I was wondering whether you were able to come in for the scan today? I'm sorry it's such short notice; it's just that the results of the tests will take a week, and the registrar in charge will no longer be available when they do arrive. Obviously you'll want to know the results as soon as possible, and we wouldn't recommend that you leave the scan any longer. So do you think you could possibly come in later?" Yelena's heart sank. Nikolai had wanted to be with her for the scan, making sure he wouldn't be away on the date. Moreover, she wanted him to be there. To see their baby, hear its tiny heart beating. But she knew the RGZS weren't exactly conventional in their methods, and the medical centre was no different. "Well, if it's the only option, then yes, I'll be there today." "Wonderful, Ms Popovna. We'll see you at the same time then, 1530. I'm sorry once again for the rescheduling, and the short notice, but you understand." Yes, I do, was her dejected thought. Medical Centre, RGZS HQ 15:45 hours Yelena lay still on the trolley, her mother's hand clasped in her own. Together, they watched the black and white images on the ultrasound scanner. The relevant tests had already been conducted, and now the baby was just being checked over. Yelena couldn't believe how much he�she? had grown. Nearly seven inches long now, fully developed limbs and organs. A tiny human being inside her stomach. Her child. Nikolai's child. Their baby. "Do you want to know the sex?" The scanner's eyes flicked from the screen to the patient. Instantly Yelena shook her head. "No, we want it to be a surprise." Anastasiya squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Whether I have a little granddaughter to make cakes with, or a little grandson to make mud pies with, I don't mind!" Yelena saw her mother's warm smile, and found some comfort in it. "This little bundle is gonna be spoiled, that's for sure! Especially with a grandma like you. I'll never be stuck for a babysitter." Yelena managed a smile back. She was finding it tough without Nikolai here. She knew how disappointed he was going to be, knowing he'd missed the appointment. Her father had escorted them down to the medical centre, and even his reassuring words had fallen on somewhat deaf ears. The registrar finished her examinations and began recording the data. "The baby is fine, no problems. We'll let you know on the tests results as soon as we get them in. Got any questions for me?" "Yes. Can I get some photographs please?" Return |
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