The ultrasound tech suddenly went still. When I nervously asked if something was wrong with the baby, she put a hand to her forehead and quietly asked if my husband was the father. I confirmed that Mike was my first and only love, but what she told me next completely shattered my world. Looking back, I realize that was the day my real life began.
On the morning of October 20th, Megan Bell woke up with a flutter of excitement. Today was her 20-week anatomy scan—the appointment every expectant mother dreams of. Her husband, Mike, had left on a business trip the day before, so she had to go to the clinic alone.
The Women’s Health Center had that familiar, sterile smell of antiseptic and anxiety. Megan settled into a chair in the waiting room, flipping through a parenting magazine and thinking about how much her life had changed. Her job as a high school English teacher now felt like a temporary stop on the way to her true calling.
The ultrasound room was dim and filled with the low hum of machinery. Dr. Eleanor Peterson, a physician with 20 years of experience, was known for her calm professionalism. Her gray hair was tied in a neat bun, and her attentive eyes behind her glasses inspired confidence. Megan lay down on the exam table, exposing her belly. The cold gel made her flinch, but she waited patiently as the doctor began to move the transducer.
Dr. Peterson worked in silence, her movements practiced and precise. The probe glided over Megan’s skin, and a blurry, black-and-white image appeared on the monitor. Megan held her breath, trying to make out the shape of her child in the shifting shadows. The doctor moved the transducer, taking measurements on the screen. Suddenly, she froze. Her hand stopped moving, her gaze fixed on the monitor.
Megan felt her body tense up. There was something unsettling in that stillness. The doctor leaned closer to the screen, as if she couldn’t believe her own eyes. She checked the machine’s settings, adjusted a few knobs, and looked at the image again. Then, her free hand slowly rose to her head.
“Is something wrong with the baby?” Megan’s voice was a pitch higher than usual. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it could be heard across the room. All the fears she’d pushed away for months came rushing back.
“The baby is fine,” Dr. Peterson answered quickly, but her tone was strange. She set down the transducer and turned to Megan, her expression unreadable. “Tell me, is your husband the father?”
“Of course!” Megan sat up, startled. “What a strange question. Mike is the only man I’ve ever been with. We’ve been together since college.”
Dr. Peterson took off her glasses and wiped them with a trembling hand. Megan could see the conflict in her eyes: professional ethics versus human decency. She put her glasses back on and looked directly at Megan.
“What is your husband’s full name?”
The doctor picked up a pen, ready to write. Her voice was formal now, but her hands were still shaking slightly.
“Michael Bell. What is going on?”
Comments are closed.