She looked awful. Eugene was certain it had to be food poisoning from the seafood. He bundled her into the car and drove straight to a trusted colleague at the hospital.
The whole thing seemed odd, since everyone had eaten the same meal and only Katie was sick. Eugene paced the hallway for nearly an hour waiting for answers. Finally the door opened, and his colleague came out with Katie.
She was pale and trembling, with tears on her cheeks. Eugene’s nerves were shot. “Pete, don’t drag this out,” he said. “How bad is it?”
“I knew it was food poisoning. They told me that restaurant was reliable. I swear, if this is from the sushi—”
His colleague held up a hand. “Take it easy. The restaurant has nothing to do with it. And you’re in the wrong department, by the way. You should be upstairs in OB.”
“Your wife has morning sickness. She’s pregnant. The seafood just set her off.”
“I’ve given her something safe to help settle her stomach. She’ll be all right.” Eugene stood there staring.
Then he looked at Katie. “Pregnant? That’s… that’s wonderful. Honey, why are you crying? Do you need some water?”
Katie kept wiping at her eyes. “I just can’t believe it. The doctors back home told me I was infertile. They were sure of it. How can this be?”
She turned to the physician. “Are you certain? Could the labs be wrong?” He gave her a reassuring smile.
“You can follow up with an ultrasound if you want extra confirmation. But the bloodwork is clear. You’re expecting. Congratulations. Looks like somebody gave you bad information years ago.”
Katie still couldn’t quite believe it until she saw the ultrasound screen for herself. The moment the technician pointed out the tiny flicker of life, it finally sank in. She really was going to have a baby.
Joy, disbelief, and fear all hit at once. Tammy, when she heard the news, was beside herself with happiness. “Gene, you miracle worker,” she said. “That girl had given up hope, and now look at this.”
“Tomorrow morning I’m going straight to church to light a candle of thanks. A new life is a blessing, plain and simple.” Eugene decided not to hide the news from Sophie, though he did wonder how she’d take it.
He sat her down on the couch and said, “Sophie, we’ve got some big news. You’re going to have a baby brother or sister. How do you feel about that?”..
