Gift of Sound

At Dr. Morgan’s office, the couple sat patiently in the waiting room until they were called back by Sierra. They ignored the questioning looks they got, mostly because the other patients couldn’t tell if Ash was a guy or a girl since he had such effeminate features. He couldn’t help that he looked like a woman and had what was traditionally a girl’s name, no matter what he did, and he couldn’t care less about the looks he got, either.

Once they were called back, they went through the same routine as always: Andy took a seat in the spare chair of the exam room while his vitals were taken. First things first, he was told to step on the scale, and was surprised to find out that he’d only gained another five pounds since his last visit. That would total thirteen pounds gained since he got pregnant, and he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, but considering that his total weight was now up to one-forty-three, he didn’t think it was too bad. He’d ask Dr. Morgan when he came in if the good doctor didn’t bring it up first.

After getting his weight and rechecking his height, which was five-eleven, Sierra had him climb up onto the exam table. His lover rose from his seat and stood on one side of him while the nurse stood on the other, both making sure he didn’t fall and get hurt, until he was settled. With Ash settled on the exam table, she took the blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around his arm as she always did, and all of them fell silent as she checked it. They were all glad to see it was one-twenty-six over eighty, which still wasn’t bad.

“I need to get your temperature this time, Ashley,” the nurse told him, grabbing a digital thermometer.

Being obedient, he opened his mouth and let her place the probe under his tongue, then closed his lips around it to hold it until the thermometer beeped. She said that his temperature was currently ninety-nine-point-two, which wasn’t bad, considering that he was bound to have some fluctuations with it during pregnancy. And she said it was really good, considering that she’d seen patients at a gestation period of seventeen weeks whose temperature was one-oh-one-point-three because of the fluctuations, especially near the tail end of summer and early fall.

“I’m gonna go let Dr. Morgan know you’re here early and see if he can come on back,” Sierra said.

“Thanks, Sierra,” Andy answered since his sweetheart was sneezing.

“Uh huh.” With that, she opened the door to the exam room and left.

“You done over there, mio deviante?” he chuckled, trying not to piss his love off.

“I think so,” Ash answered, then sneezed again. “Ugh. What the hell is in this place that I’m apparently allergic to?”

“Maybe it’s all the alcohol in the air from the hand sanitizer.” He paused and felt his own eyes roll back in his head as he let out a sneeze. “It’s drying my sinuses out; maybe it’s doing the same to you.”

“Maybe. Mine feel kinda dried out, too, now that I think about it,” his sweetheart agreed.

KNOCK KNOCK! “Everybody decent in there?”

“C’mon in, Dr. Morgan.” Again, Andy had to respond because his sweetheart was in the middle of a sneezing fit.

“Hey there, Ashley,” Dr. Morgan said. “I wanna introduce you to someone as soon as you stop sneezing.”

“Ugh…” he groaned, finally able to stop.

“This is Dr. Scott Hicks. He’s a perinatologist who specializes in high-risk pregnancies,” he told him, stepping aside to reveal another doctor. “Scott, this is our patient, Ashley Purdy.”

“Nice to meet you, Ashley,” Dr. Hicks said, extending his hand.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Ash responded, sounding a bit congested, and accepting his handshake.

“Okay, I guess that’s what you meant by there’s something…different…about this patient, Brett,” the second doctor mused.

“Yeah. I didn’t mention that Ashley here is a male outside this room because, other than you, the only ones at this practice who know about his…biological gift, so to speak, are Sierra and I,” his primary care physician explained. “Anyway, Ashley, I thought it would be best to have Dr. Hicks sit in on some of your visits, at least until around thirty weeks, which is when he’ll likely take over.”

Ash just gave him a curious look.

“With you being male and, according to biology, not supposed to have the ability to carry children, your pregnancy is high-risk in comparison to a woman at your stage, even though you and the fetus are perfectly healthy, so far,” he explained. “I’d prefer that he sit in on your visits, and even take over them while I sit in the background later on, just to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“I can agree with that,” he answered sensibly. “I’d rather take every precaution possible than overlook one thing that costs us our lives.”

“Now, who’s this other young man sitting silently in the corner?” Dr. Hicks asked curiously.

“My boyfriend, Andy. He’s the…other father, if you will,” Ash answered.

“Nice to meet you, young man,” the perinatologist said, extending his hand to him now.

“Likewise, Dr. Hicks,” Andy answered, leaning forward to accept the handshake. He chuckled when the doctor looked taken aback by how deep his voice was. “Yeah, I know my voice is extremely deep; I get the same look you’re giving me a lot when people hear it for the first time.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to let my reaction show,” he said a bit sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it; I’m used to it,” he told him. “People giving me strange looks due to the depth of my voice is like people giving Ash strange looks once they realize he’s a guy.”

“It’s true,” Ash agreed, nodding his head.

“All right. Well, let’s start the same way we normally would, other than your blood pressure and whatnot since Sierra’s already gotten those,” Dr. Morgan said.

Nodding, the pregnant young men shed his shirt without having to be told to while his doctor looked over his records, the perinatologist sitting to the side to take notes of his own. Andy took the wife beater when he handed it to him and draped it over the back of the chair, knowing he’d likely have to stand up at some point to help him get his shoes and shorts off.

Dr. Morgan immediately took his stethoscope and warmed it up, then pressed it to his chest. After about a minute, he told them that his heart once again sounded fine and moved around to place it against his back. He looked thoughtful as he listened to his lungs, which scared the younger man of the couple a bit, but he assured them everything was fine. He said he heard some very miniscule wheezing, but that could be due to the sneezing fit he’d been having when he walked in. He also said that, according to his records from childhood, Ash had a bit of an allergy to pollen, which was flying as fall set in, and that’s likely what caused it.

He still told his lover to keep a sharp eye on him to make sure he didn’t come down with a cold or anything as the seasons changed since his immune system compromised itself to avoid harming the fetus as he began pressing on his chest again. Andy noticed his sweetheart wince even more this time than he had at the last visit due to the tenderness he felt, for which the doctor apologized adamantly. He shook his head as a way of saying that it was okay since he’d known it was coming.

The doctor soon moved lower and found the same point at his pubic bone that he’d found last time, taking out his tape measure as he did so. He placed the one end at the point on his pubic bone, then started feeling his way back up his abdomen to find the second point he was looking for before stretching the tape measure upward. He frowned a bit as he read the measurement, telling them that he was measuring only sixteen and a-half centimeters, which wasn’t bad for his gestation period, but it might be something to worry about later on. Ash had a stricken look on his face as he worried about their baby’s health, but Dr. Morgan assured them that, for the time being, it was nothing to worry about. The baby appeared to be doing fine and growing at a decent rate.

“I’m gonna go have Sierra bring in the ultrasound scanner real quick,” he said, rolling the tape measure up and putting it back in his pocket. “The baby may not be growing quite as fast so it isn’t too big at the time of delivery, or the amniotic fluid could be just a tad low. We’ll see during the ultrasound.”

“All right, Dr. Morgan,” Ash answered, still a bit shaken up because of the measurement.

“It’s okay, mio deviante,” his lover said, gently rubbing his arm. “Your hips are far more narrow than a woman’s; the baby may need to be a bit smaller for delivery, and that’s just both your bodies’ way of coping.”

“He’s exactly right, Ashley,” Dr. Hicks spoke up for the first time since the physical exam began. “Brett’s good at what he does, and he’s never steered a patient wrong.”

“I know he’s never steered me wrong before, but I can’t help but worry,” he told him.

“And that’s perfectly fine,” the perinatologist assured him. “You wouldn’t be a normal…mother…if you didn’t worry. Course, you’re not the average mother, anyway. But that aside, I’m sure you and your baby will be fine. I’ve been in this business for twenty years, and so far, I haven’t seen anything concerning, which is why Brett wanted me to start sitting in on your visits.”

“So Andy was right about the baby not growing quite as quick so it can fit through my hips during delivery?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, he was. As he said, your hips are far more narrow than a woman’s, although they appear to be trying to widen themselves for delivery,” Dr. Hicks answered. “Your pelvic opening isn’t going to be as wide, no matter how much your body tries to adapt, so the baby could just be growing slower than normal to cope with that.”

“Well, I’ve never met you before today, and I find it hard to trust your word because of that, but if Dr. Morgan trusts you, that helps a bit,” Ash told him.

“I don’t blame you for not trusting me just yet,” the perinatologist chuckled. “And it’s perfectly natural.”

Moments later, Dr. Morgan returned to the room with the ultrasound scanner, Sierra following close behind him. She greeted Dr. Hicks just as warmly as she did any other patient or colleague, then got right down to business, which was helping him off the exam table and out of his shorts. Even she agreed that it was probably time to start shopping for maternity clothes, especially once she saw the marks the waistband had left in his skin. He heard Andy wince when he saw them for himself, and all the attention caused him to blush furiously while his doctor set up the scanner.

As he was getting set up, he turned to him and asked if he’d felt anything unusual since the last visit six weeks ago, which brought a smile to his face. Ash told him that he thought he’d felt the baby kicking for the past couple weeks, but wasn’t sure until it felt like it was trying to make an escape this morning shortly after he woke up. He even grabbed his doctor’s hand and pressed it to his abdomen as they waited for the machine to warm up, and he smiled when he felt the baby move.

Seeing that his lover looked a bit jealous from that move, he grabbed his hand and pressed it down firmly but gently once Dr. Morgan turned back to the ultrasound scanner. Andy grinned so wide his face must’ve hurt from it when he felt their baby’s movements, something he didn’t think he’d get to experience for several more weeks. He couldn’t help wanting to kiss his sweetheart afterward, but he decided it was best to save any form of romance for when they were at home, since they’d likely want to make love again if he so much as pecked his lips. Ash gave him a confused look at first, but smiled and nodded understandingly when he mouthed his reason to him, glad to know he wanted to keep their private lives just that: private.

Once the machine was warmed up and capable of functioning properly, Dr. Morgan turned to him with the same warning as always. He nodded his head, but still couldn’t help the gasp he gave when the cold gel touched his belly. The doctor apologized as he took the probe and began sliding it across his belly, smearing the gel around as he went, before stopping in one place.

“It looks like your baby’s doing just fine, although it does appear to be just a tad smaller than a seventeen-weeker should be,” he said, smiling reassuringly. “As I said before, that’s probably just your bodies’ way of coping with your narrower pelvic opening, but we’ll keep an eye on it, just in case.”

“That’s great news, Dr. Morgan,” Ash sighed, his eyes closing for a moment.

“If I can get a clear view, do you guys wanna know the gender today?” he asked, still smiling at them.

“Yeah. We don’t wanna buy everything in gender-neutral colors, or the wrong color altogether,” he answered after looking over at his lover, who nodded.

“I can’t say as I blame you there,” Dr. Morgan chuckled, moving the probe. Even Sierra and Dr. Hicks agreed. “Okay, from what I’m seeing it looks like…a little girl. Agreed, Scott?”

“I’ve seen quite a few little girls in ultrasounds before, and I’d say that’s a little girl,” the perinatologist confirmed, stepping closer. “Move the probe just over…here.” He guided Dr. Morgan’s hand to just the right spot. “Yep, that’s definitely a little girl. Congratulations, guys.”

“Thanks, Dr. Hicks,” Andy said, speaking on both their behalves since his sweetheart was choked up with happy tears.

“You’re very welcome, guys,” he answered, closing the folder he held. “I’m gonna head back to my office now, Brett. Call me if you have anymore cases crop up that you need a second opinion on.”

“Will do, Scott. Thanks again for agreeing to sit in on Ashley’s visits,” Dr. Morgan responded, handing his patient a towel as he wiped off the probe.

“It’s no problem.” With that, the perinatologist departed.

“So our daughter is doing just fine?” Ash asked, standing up for his lover to help him back into his shorts.

“As of right now, she’s doing just fine,” his doctor confirmed. “Her amniotic fluid level is completely normal, and I suspect her slightly stunted growth is just to make sure she’s not too big for you to deliver.”

“I really don’t wanna have a C-section unless it’s the only way for a safe and healthy delivery,” he said.

“From what my patients have told me, and even Scott, a Cesearean delivery is much more painful and takes a much longer time to recover from,” he agreed. “But unless your hips are wide enough, the baby’s small enough, and your opening is stretched out enough by the time you go into labor, that might be the only way to safely deliver her.”

Andy gave him a strange look, which his lover missed since he was adjusting his waistband.

“To be honest, Andy, an asshole was never meant to stretch wide enough to deliver a child,” Dr. Morgan said.

“Well, even I’m smart enough to figure out on my own,” he answered, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“I never said you weren’t.” He paused for a moment. “But even though he’s obviously stretched out a bit from your sexual activities, his opening still might not be able to stretch enough for delivery without tearing and causing serious damage. We’ll see what happens as that time draws closer, though.”

“Sounds like a plan to me, doc,” Andy agreed. He helped his sweetheart balance as he pulled his wife beater back over his head.

“All righty, then. Let’s get his next appointment set up.” He moved over to the computer across the room. “How does October sixth at ten AM sound to you guys? With the baby’s growth slightly stunted, I wanna see him again in five weeks instead of six.”

“Sounds good to us,” Ash agreed, sighing as he sat down on his lover’s lap.

“I’ll see you guys then. Head on out to the front desk to check out when you’re ready to go,” he said, smiling and waving as he left the exam room.

“I’m ready to go whenever you are, mio deviante,” Andy said softly, gently kissing him.

“I’m ready to go get some looser clothes, mio profeta,” he chuckled. “Sadly, the most comfortable since I got out of the shower was when he had me laying there in my boxers.”

“Well, let’s get you checked out so we can leave, and we’ll make that our first order of business since it’s too late for me to even bother going to school today,” he agreed.

He took his hand to help steady him while he slid his shoes back on, then had him sit down so he could squat and get the backs pulled over his heels properly. That done, he took his hand again to help him up, then led Ash to the front desk, where they checked out rather quickly. Andy was just glad to know their baby was perfectly healthy, as of right now, and couldn’t care less that they were having a girl. Yeah, he’d wanted a boy, but as he’d told the guys when they announced his pregnancy a couple weeks ago, he couldn’t care less what the gender was, so long as both the baby and his sweetheart were healthy. That was all that mattered to him.

Notes