Rachel's Appointment - 23 Weeks
Who: Tommy, Rachel and Quinn
When: Friday 8th October, 2018
Where: Lima Memorial
What: Rachel’s second appointment - 23 weeks.
Tommy glanced at his watch. He flinched when he realized that it was time for Rachel Berry’s appointment. To say that he was happy that Quinn would be accompanying her today would be an understatement after spending his day off dealing with Lily’s stomach flu since Liz had her own to deal with. Sort of. Morning sickness had kicked his wife’s butt royally, so he was working double time as a parent.
Quinn shifted slightly in her seat as they waited in the patient area for Tommy to call Rachel in for her appointment. Her queasiness from earlier had let up, but she still felt like she’d been run over by a truck. She’d overslept on her lunch break, but luckily, Mike had covered for her. The nap hadn’t really helped and she’d woken up more tired than she’d been before it. The flu hadn’t really ever hit her like this, but there were new strains of it all of the time. She’d be sure to get a mask from Tommy. She really didn’t want to risk getting Rachel sick.
Rachel glanced over at Quinn, her brow furrowed in thought. She placed a hand on Quinn’s forearm to get the blonde’s attention. “You’re still looking a little green. Has Abby been sick as well?”
Turning to the other woman, Quinn shook her head. “Actually, she’s healthier than ever. I’m not really sure what this is.” She frowned slightly, shifting again. She couldn’t wait to get home and go to bed. At least she didn’t have to worry about her weekly date with Mike. She was grateful for that for more than one reason.
Rachel watched her for a few more seconds. She reached up and brushed a few strands behind Quinn’s ear. “Whatever may be ailing you, we’ll figure it out,” she said softly with a small smile. In the back of her mind, she couldn’t stop herself from trying to piece together all the clues.
Tommy opened the door to the waiting room to see Quinn and Rachel sitting and talking quietly, “Ms. Berry? I’m ready for you and Quinn. Please come back to the exam room.”
Rachel turned her head toward Tommy’s voice. She offered him a grin before moving her hands to the arms of her chair and pushing herself up. “Come on, let’s go say ‘hello’ to our babies,” she said holding her hand out to Quinn.
Quinn smiled and stood, but refrained from taking Rachel’s hand. Instead, she let her hand fall to the small of Rachel’s back casually as they walked towards Tommy. “What’s up, Doc?” Quinn joked as they passed by the older man. “I hope you pulled out some masks for me. I won’t want to send you home with anything either. Liz told me Lily was sick this week. You don’t need that happening again.”
Rachel gave herself a mental shake when she realized that Quinn wasn’t allowed to take her hand. She focused instead, on the hand at the small of her back. “We meet again, Dr. Chang,” Rachel greeted with a wink as they entered his office.
“Indeed Professor Berry, indeed.” he smirked, “So are you ready for your full day Ms. Berry? We need to do your glucose test, your non-stress test and then an ultrasound.”
Tommy handed a mask as well as the anti germ soap for Quinn to wipe her hands with, “So you still look a little John Deere there Quinn. I have some candied ginger if you’d like to try it. It works wonders with Liz’s nausea.”
Taking the mask, Quinn nodded. “I’m willing to try anything at this point. Today has not been great.”
Rachel eyed Quinn once again. She was not sure she liked where all the clues were headed. “I know you want to stay, but if you feel like you’re too tired or... you know I won’t be upset if you have to leave, okay?” she asked looking at Quinn in concern.
“At least Finn has Abby so you can get some extra shut eye today and we’ll take her tomorrow so you can sleep in,” he said as he handed her the ginger. “If you don’t feel good by Monday you need to make an appointment, okay?”
“With you? You’re an OB and not even my OB,” Quinn asked, confused. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine come next week. It’s probably just stress over life or something.”
Rachel kept eerily quiet on the subject of an appointment for Quinn with an OB. She decided the best course of action was to do what she did best - change the subject back to her. “So, a glucose test, you said?”
Tommy’s lip curled in confusion, “Uh no. Not with me. I just meant with your GP to make sure it’s just the flu,” he looked back to Rachel, “Yes, a glucose test will be first and then the non-stress test. So would you like cola, lime or orange flavor?”
Rachel scrunched up her nose. “None of those flavors sound all that appealing, but I’ll take the... orange, I suppose,” she replied.
“Okie doke. I’ll let my nurse know and we’ll get that back here right away. While we’re waiting we can get the tech to get you hooked up to the sensors for the other test. Did they explain either of the tests to you so you know what is involved?” he asked.
Rachel nodded her head. “I made sure to research them as well, of course.”
“Excellent.” he chuckled, “Pardon me while I go get everything together. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Tommy excited the exam room quickly to go notify his nurse as well and the tech who would administer the second test. He quickly returned with the two of them in tow and ready for business.
“Okay, here is the orange drink you picked.” he handed it to her, “And if you could sit on the exam table and push your shirt up we can get those sensors on you.”
Rachel eyed the table with disdain. “You need to get a step or lower this table because it discriminates against the vertically challenged and I am offended.”
Tommy gestured to the stepstool next to her chair with a grin on his face, “I figured you’d need one so I picked one up the other day. I’m almost offended you didn’t see it.”
He leaned over to pull the stool over next to the exam table, “Better Ms. Berry?”
“Infinitely,” she replied as she took Quinn’s outstretched hand and stepped up onto the stool before turning her body to slide onto the table. “How do you want me?” she asked with a grin.
“Oh you’re perfect just the way you are, Ms. Berry.” he rolled his eyes, “ I just need you to push your shirt up to under your brassier so we can put the monitor for the babies heartbeats as well as their movements and the second one will monitor your contractions.”
“Contractions?” She asked in confusion as she began to lift up her top to hold it under her breasts.
“Braxton Hicks contractions. They usually start around sixteen weeks and can be quite subtle and some are quite similar to the ‘real’ labor contractions. Their purpose is to soften the uterus and cervix to prepare it for delivery.” he reassured her, “It’s kind of like a runner warming up before a marathon.”
“I’m supposed to endure those for the rest of the pregnancy?” Rachel asked with a hint of surprise. “Oh that’s perfect,” she said in annoyance.
Quinn rubbed Rachel’s back. “You really don’t feel them until closer to the time you deliver, Rach. You’ll be fine. I promise.” The blonde really longed to comfort Rachel further, but knew she was already towing the line dangerously. Maybe it was a good thing that she was sick.
“Liz said the same thing with our twins. They were sometimes annoying but she got used to them by the time Elicia and Liliana were born.” he agreed, “Okay so drink this, then we’ll get you all hooked up.”
Rachel took the small plastic cup from Tommy’s hand and looked at it with undisguised disgust. “Ew,” she mumbled before bringing it to her lips and quickly swallowing the thick, overly sweet , orange flavored substance.
The older man took the cup from Rachel then let the specialist start to attach the different sensors to her belly. He flipped on the corresponding monitor to watch the results for a few moments.
“Okay, we’re picking up their heartbeats which look great.” He pointed to the paper strip, “Here are their movements, and this last line is the intensity of the contractions. This will take about half an hour and I’ll check back every five minutes to see how things are going.”
Rachel looked down at all the chords and the paper and the machine. “How long will this take, exactly?”
“We’ll take the blood sample in about an hour, the non-stress test will take about half an hour and between the two we can get your ultrasound in. Sound like a plan, Ms. Berry?”
Rachel looked over at Quinn who looked exhausted already. “Whatever is efficient and less time consuming.”
“I figure three tests in the span of an hour is as efficient and the least time consuming we can get. We’ll get you both out of here so Quinn can get home to another nap.” he replied, “I need to go see another patient and I’ll be back to check on you.”
“I appreciate that, Tommy,” Quinn said, taking a deep breath that morphed into a yawn. Her right hand flew to her mouth and she sent an apologetic look to Rachel. “Sorry, I’m fine. I promise.”
Tommy winked at Quinn then closed the door carefully behind him.
Rachel waited for the click of the door closing before she rounded on Quinn. She reached out and pulled Quinn close to her, settling her between her legs. “You’d tell me if there was something wrong with you, right?”
Quinn let her hands settle on Rachel’s shoulders, feeling a little ridiculous in her mask. “Of course I would. I’m just, it’s just the flu. It’s probably nothing serious, you know.”
Rachel nodded her head as she let her hands fall to Quinn’s waist. “Ok, good,” she said as her thumbs caressed Quinn’s sides.
“I wish I weren’t sick. I wish I could kiss you right now,” Quinn said quietly, letting her hands slip down Rachel’s arms. She laced their fingers together and sighed. Being sick sucked.
“You do look kind of ridiculous in that mask. I don’t think you need it, but I understand your concern. Just means I have to be a little more creative in sneaking you kisses,” Rachel said before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the side of Quinn’s neck.
Shivering, Quinn let her head fall to the side to give Rachel more access. “Rach...I don’t think this will keep you from getting sick.”
“I have this amazing immune system,” she mumbled against Quinn’s neck. “Quinn cooties are it’s power source,” she said with a giggle. “I’ve missed you.”
Quinn sighed, leaning into her. “I’ve missed you too. It sucks I won’t get to spend tomorrow with you.”
Rachel nodded her head slowly. She wanted to ask about the situation with Mike, but Tommy’s office wasn’t the time nor the place for that. “I wish you weren’t feeling sick. I could have used a Rachel and Quinn day. It’s okay though. I have a few things I need to busy myself with tomorrow,” she replied as she thought about tomorrow being a visitation weekend at Interval Brotherhood. She hated lying to Quinn, but Lily wanted to see Noah and she had every intention of supporting Noah through this.
“Right, you have a weekend life outside of me,” Quinn said with a pout. “Fine...I’ll just spend the weekend on my sofa being pathetic and sick.”
Rachel bit her lip. “It’s a very lonely and boring weekend life outside of you,” she said with a pleading look. “Maybe I can take care of you for a little bit tonight? Or... oh, it’s date night, isn’t it? How about tomorrow night I bring over some soup and cook a few meals for you to keep in the fridge for when you get hungry?”
“Actually, date night is off tonight. I didn’t and still don’t feel up to going out. I’m just so exhausted.” Quinn let her head fall to Rachel’s right shoulder. She breathed in deeply, taking in Rachel’s smell and finding comfort. She ran her hands up and down the brunette’s arms.
Rachel ran her hand through Quinn’s hair. “You should get an early night tonight. You can message me tomorrow if you’re up for a visitor or three,” she said softly, turning her head to kiss Quinn’s ear. “I’m going to miss feeling you naked against me this weekend,” Rachel whispered with a slight smirk.
“I’m going to miss being naked next to you this weekend. I know I should say no. I really don’t want you to get sick with our babies in there. I just miss you so much and Saturdays have kind of become our day.”
“One day,” Rachel began, her right hand sliding down to Quinn’s hip, her fingers teasing under the hem of her shirt. “I hope we have more than just Saturdays. But until then, they should be deemed clothing optional. Saves us from doing laundry,” she finished with a grin as her fingers began to gently slide up under Quinn’s top.
Quinn didn’t want to admit to Rachel that she’d done her fair share of praying, yes praying, that they’d have more than Saturdays someday in the near future. “I know. I think I actually ruined that pair of panties the last time.”
“Panties are overrated,” Rachel whispered as her fingers found the underside of Quinn’s breast. She knew she shouldn’t, but she just couldn’t stop touching Quinn. It felt as if her body continually craved the blonde and not even close proximity could quell her desires. “I’d buy you a replacement pair in apology, but one, I’m not sorry they’re ruined and two, you wouldn’t be wearing them for long anyway.”
Quinn’s breath hitched. She didn’t know how she made it through most of the week without combusting. Every touch of Rachel’s fingers felt burned into her flesh and though her brain was screaming that they shouldn’t do it here, her body wasn’t listening. “I knew you were going to say that.”
Rachel pouted. “I’m becoming predictable?” She asked as her right hand moved to cover Quinn’s breast over the cotton of her bra. “I’m going to have to work on that.” She kissed a path down the side of Quinn’s neck to her shoulder where she scraped her teeth against the fair skin there. She heard some chatter in the hallway and brushed her thumb against Quinn’s nipple before pulling her hand out from Quinn’s shirt. “I think Tommy’s coming back.”
Coiling her body back, Quinn frowned at the pain coming from the breast Rachel had just palmed. She crossed her arms carefully and bit her bottom lip to keep from exclaiming her pain. “Yeah, we should stop.”
Rachel watched Quinn carefully. Oh boy, she thought. “Later,” she said, rubbing Quinn’s hip as the handle on the door turned and Tommy entered, head bent over Rachel’s file.
Tommy looked up as he read the file, “Okay! Let me take a look at your non-stress test and then we can get a look at those babies again. I apologize for not returning sooner but it appears that I’ll have another delivery tonight. I swear, more people go into labor at their last official visit than make it to their due date lately.”
“Abby was early. Is it really that common?” Quinn asked, letting herself be distracted by thoughts of labor to calm her libido. Damn that Rachel Berry. She was grateful that there was absolutely nothing sexy about giving birth.
“It seems to be more common lately, which concerns me. It seems like people are scaring themselves into labor with all the flashes.” he shook his head, “That is why I’m going to strongly suggest you find a good massage therapist that specializes in pregnancy and start your maternity leave at about thirty weeks as a preemptive strike against early labor.”
Tommy grabbed the gel as he began to push Rachel’s shirt away from the liquid, “Okay ladies, ready to see these babies?”
“But, that’s only in seven weeks,” Rachel replied in surprise. She turned her body on the table and began to lie back.
“True. My primary focus is your safety and the health of the twins, Ms. Berry. You’re a petite woman who is expecting a multiple birth and from the look of them they already weigh a pound which is the average size for a singleton at this point.” he said as he pointed to the sonogram screen, “These babies are very healthy and I want to keep it that way so you can deliver them vaginally.”
“I love it when you talk about my vagina,” Rachel quipped with a grin. At Quinn’s shocked look she held up a hand in apology “Sorry, sorry. I blurt out inappropriate comments on occasion. Are you saying they weigh a pound each? Or together?”
“Only on occasion?” Quinn mumbled. Though she had to admit she was kind of getting used to it.
After a subdued snort from Quinn’s comment Tommy looked to Rachel, “They’re a pound each, Ms. Berry which is absolutely fantastic for multiples. I wouldn’t be surprised if they both ended up being six pounders when they were born. Okay, now lets get some measurements.”
Rachel turned to look up at Quinn, fear on her face. “Six pounders?” she asked in a small voice. “Oh my god, Quinn! I’m tiny!”
Laughing at Rachel’s panicked expression, Quinn took her hand. “Don’t worry. Women’s bodies are made for this. I’m sure they’ll come out with minimum tearing. Abby was almost eight pounds. You’ll be just fine. I promise.”
“Fine? Quinn,” Rachel began very seriously. “I might be pushing twelve pounds of baby out of my vagina in a few months. Just think of what it’s going to feel like down there!”
“Ms. Berry there are multiple options to help you deal with the pain as I’m sure you’ve researched,” he interjected, “From a topical anesthetic to a spinal block, there are plenty of options.”
Tommy stopped a moment while he stared at the monitor.He zoomed in on one of the twin’s hearts to watch it pump for a few seconds.
Rachel shifted her gaze from Tommy to the monitor and back again. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her thoughts quickly shifting from her possibly loose vagina to her baby.
“I’m just watching Twin A’s heart for a moment. Murmurs are quite common inutero since the baby depends on the mother for everything but I’ll keep an eye on it.” he continued to watch the monitor, “If the murmur doesn’t go away by the time you’re closer to your due date we might have to do a scheduled c-section. The pressure of going through the birth canal would be too stressful on the heart muscle.”
“My baby has, has a murmur?” Rachel asked in a small voice. She squeezed tightly onto Quinn’s hand as she stared up at the monitor. “Is it... was it something I did?”
“It’s called a patent foramen ovale or a PFO. Everyone has one during the gestation portion their life. It is a hole between the two atria, the top chambers of the heart. Most people's grow closed during development in the womb but some people are born and it stays open. Many people live with it for their entire life and never know its there or have a problem.” Tommy assured her, “Long story short, no. It’s nothing you did but it is something we’ll keep an eye on. For example, Lily had one and it closed before she was born.”
Rachel nodded slowly in understanding, but it didn’t mean she didn’t feel guilty anyway. “If it doesn’t close, you’ll do a c-section, and then what happens? How close to my due date can you wait to see if closes? If it doesn’t close, what health problems is my baby going to face?” Rachel asked as she tried to remain calm. She took a deep breath and waited.
“First of all a large percentage do close but if it doesn’t we will do the c-section to cause as little stress on the baby as possible. He or she will be taken to the NICU and monitored closely to see if there are any other issues they might have. It could also close right after birth which I have also seen.” he paused, “As soon as you hit twenty eight weeks we’ll have to monitor you weekly for any changes as well as the potential lung capacity of the twins just in case they need to be delivered early. At thirty weeks if the hole still hasn’t closed I’ll put you on bed rest with a contraction monitor until you deliver. We won’t know what health issues they might face until they’re actually born. Worst case scenario is that due to the pressure in their chest, their lung capacity might be greatly diminished and necessitate heart surgery soon afterward. Best case scenario, which is most likely, is that the hole will close long before they’re born.”
“So, don’t panic until I’m at twenty-eight weeks and my baby still has a hole in their heart?” Rachel asked with slight annoyance. It wasn’t that she was annoyed with Tommy, his answers had been textbook and provided the information she’d requested, but now she had to just wait and see? She’d never been much of a patient person.
“What I’m saying Ms. Berry is to not panic until I say to panic, mostly because it won’t do you or your babies any good. I’ve been in your shoes Ms. Berry so I know how uncomfortable they can be and how incredibly annoying doctors can sound with their answers.” He locked on her eyes to emphasize the point, “Honestly, I know it’s a thousand times easier to say than to do but you need to not worry. Do we have an understanding?”
Rachel stared at Tommy for a few seconds holding her breath. She finally let it out and nodded her head in understanding. “How’s my other baby?” she asked hoping to move them forward or else she’d continue to fixate on this issue.
“Both babies are growing very fast and are right on track for twenty three weeks. Both have excellent looking blood flow, skeletal growth and lung capacity. I’m quite impressed with their health and size Ms. Berry. Most multiples skew a little smaller than their singleton counterparts at the same gestation but your twins are surpassing every goal we have for them.” he smiled, “Really. They both look fantastic.”
Rachel nodded her head. “Ok. Good. As long as they’re both healthy,” she said. “Oh! Can I please have a photo? I have a few family and friends awaiting updates.”
Tommy handed her the pile of pictures he had already printed, “I thought you might want these. I do have to warn you that in one or two of them the gender of one of the babies is pretty obvious. Okay, obvious to me. I know you want to be surprised so I won’t tell you which gender or which picture. Before you make your next appointment Ms. Berry I would like you to get a business card from my front desk so you can make an appointment with a massage therapist.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at Tommy as she took the photos. “Well, I certainly won’t be telling anyone that when I give them their photos. I’ll have people emailing and calling with their predictions.”
“Thank goodness there are only two choices, right Ms. Berry?” he laughed. “Quinn, I just need to take a blood sample and you both can get out of here. It’ll just take a moment and the both of you can get some sleep.”
Tommy paged for the phlebotomist and she quickly took her sample. He knew both Quinn and Rachel were wiped out and needed to get to their respective homes before they fell asleep on their feet. He removed the sensors from Rachel’s belly carefully and started to read the paper strip.
“Okay, that’s the end of it. Your non-stress test looks good, plenty of fetal movement, good heartbeat, and your Braxton-Hicks aren’t too strong but doing their job. We’ll get our results from the glucose test in a few days and I’ll give you a call with the answers. Take care of her, Quinn. And get yourself to bed, okay?” he patted her shoulder.
Quinn nodded and ran her thumb gently over the palm of Rachel’s hand. She didn’t even think about the fact that they were still holding hands. “I definitely will. The world would not survive without Rachel Berry,” Quinn joked, though she really meant it.
“Ha. Ha,” Rachel replied sarcastically. “Thanks, Tommy,” she said looking up at Tommy as he held out his hand to help her down from the table.
“My pleasure, Ms. Berry. I’ll see you in two weeks and call you with the results in a few days.” he smiled as he walked out of the exam room.
“I’ll see you then,” she replied before turning back to Quinn. “You ready to get home?”
“Not that I haven’t enjoyed being here, but God yes. I feel so beat. If I wear a mask, will you nap with me?” Quinn knew she sounded needy, but she missed Rachel.
Rachel grinned. “I was going to ask if I could stay for a while,” she said holding out her hand for Quinn to take.
“I really don’t want to get you sick. I should make you go home, but I kind of...need you. I know I’ll sleep better with you next to me,” Quinn said honestly, taking Rachel’s hand again.
Rachel leaned forward, pulled down the mask and pressed her lips to Quinn’s briefly before putting the mask back in place. “Come on, let’s get you home and into bed,” she said with a smile and a tug on Quinn’s hand.
Something in Quinn’s chest relaxed at Rachel’s kiss. And she decided to take the risk and pull Rachel in for a quick hug before pulling back. “You shouldn’t have kissed me. You might get sick, Rach.”
Rachel held Quinn close. “I’ll be fine. And so will the babies,” she said. “I need you right now, as well. Let’s stop taking up space in Tommy’s office.”
The blonde nodded, her eyes meeting Rachel’s and saying all of the things she wanted to at that moment, but couldn’t. She squeezed Rachel’s hand gently, before turning to the door and leading the way out.
When: Friday 8th October, 2018
Where: Lima Memorial
What: Rachel’s second appointment - 23 weeks.
Tommy glanced at his watch. He flinched when he realized that it was time for Rachel Berry’s appointment. To say that he was happy that Quinn would be accompanying her today would be an understatement after spending his day off dealing with Lily’s stomach flu since Liz had her own to deal with. Sort of. Morning sickness had kicked his wife’s butt royally, so he was working double time as a parent.
Quinn shifted slightly in her seat as they waited in the patient area for Tommy to call Rachel in for her appointment. Her queasiness from earlier had let up, but she still felt like she’d been run over by a truck. She’d overslept on her lunch break, but luckily, Mike had covered for her. The nap hadn’t really helped and she’d woken up more tired than she’d been before it. The flu hadn’t really ever hit her like this, but there were new strains of it all of the time. She’d be sure to get a mask from Tommy. She really didn’t want to risk getting Rachel sick.
Rachel glanced over at Quinn, her brow furrowed in thought. She placed a hand on Quinn’s forearm to get the blonde’s attention. “You’re still looking a little green. Has Abby been sick as well?”
Turning to the other woman, Quinn shook her head. “Actually, she’s healthier than ever. I’m not really sure what this is.” She frowned slightly, shifting again. She couldn’t wait to get home and go to bed. At least she didn’t have to worry about her weekly date with Mike. She was grateful for that for more than one reason.
Rachel watched her for a few more seconds. She reached up and brushed a few strands behind Quinn’s ear. “Whatever may be ailing you, we’ll figure it out,” she said softly with a small smile. In the back of her mind, she couldn’t stop herself from trying to piece together all the clues.
Tommy opened the door to the waiting room to see Quinn and Rachel sitting and talking quietly, “Ms. Berry? I’m ready for you and Quinn. Please come back to the exam room.”
Rachel turned her head toward Tommy’s voice. She offered him a grin before moving her hands to the arms of her chair and pushing herself up. “Come on, let’s go say ‘hello’ to our babies,” she said holding her hand out to Quinn.
Quinn smiled and stood, but refrained from taking Rachel’s hand. Instead, she let her hand fall to the small of Rachel’s back casually as they walked towards Tommy. “What’s up, Doc?” Quinn joked as they passed by the older man. “I hope you pulled out some masks for me. I won’t want to send you home with anything either. Liz told me Lily was sick this week. You don’t need that happening again.”
Rachel gave herself a mental shake when she realized that Quinn wasn’t allowed to take her hand. She focused instead, on the hand at the small of her back. “We meet again, Dr. Chang,” Rachel greeted with a wink as they entered his office.
“Indeed Professor Berry, indeed.” he smirked, “So are you ready for your full day Ms. Berry? We need to do your glucose test, your non-stress test and then an ultrasound.”
Tommy handed a mask as well as the anti germ soap for Quinn to wipe her hands with, “So you still look a little John Deere there Quinn. I have some candied ginger if you’d like to try it. It works wonders with Liz’s nausea.”
Taking the mask, Quinn nodded. “I’m willing to try anything at this point. Today has not been great.”
Rachel eyed Quinn once again. She was not sure she liked where all the clues were headed. “I know you want to stay, but if you feel like you’re too tired or... you know I won’t be upset if you have to leave, okay?” she asked looking at Quinn in concern.
“At least Finn has Abby so you can get some extra shut eye today and we’ll take her tomorrow so you can sleep in,” he said as he handed her the ginger. “If you don’t feel good by Monday you need to make an appointment, okay?”
“With you? You’re an OB and not even my OB,” Quinn asked, confused. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine come next week. It’s probably just stress over life or something.”
Rachel kept eerily quiet on the subject of an appointment for Quinn with an OB. She decided the best course of action was to do what she did best - change the subject back to her. “So, a glucose test, you said?”
Tommy’s lip curled in confusion, “Uh no. Not with me. I just meant with your GP to make sure it’s just the flu,” he looked back to Rachel, “Yes, a glucose test will be first and then the non-stress test. So would you like cola, lime or orange flavor?”
Rachel scrunched up her nose. “None of those flavors sound all that appealing, but I’ll take the... orange, I suppose,” she replied.
“Okie doke. I’ll let my nurse know and we’ll get that back here right away. While we’re waiting we can get the tech to get you hooked up to the sensors for the other test. Did they explain either of the tests to you so you know what is involved?” he asked.
Rachel nodded her head. “I made sure to research them as well, of course.”
“Excellent.” he chuckled, “Pardon me while I go get everything together. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Tommy excited the exam room quickly to go notify his nurse as well and the tech who would administer the second test. He quickly returned with the two of them in tow and ready for business.
“Okay, here is the orange drink you picked.” he handed it to her, “And if you could sit on the exam table and push your shirt up we can get those sensors on you.”
Rachel eyed the table with disdain. “You need to get a step or lower this table because it discriminates against the vertically challenged and I am offended.”
Tommy gestured to the stepstool next to her chair with a grin on his face, “I figured you’d need one so I picked one up the other day. I’m almost offended you didn’t see it.”
He leaned over to pull the stool over next to the exam table, “Better Ms. Berry?”
“Infinitely,” she replied as she took Quinn’s outstretched hand and stepped up onto the stool before turning her body to slide onto the table. “How do you want me?” she asked with a grin.
“Oh you’re perfect just the way you are, Ms. Berry.” he rolled his eyes, “ I just need you to push your shirt up to under your brassier so we can put the monitor for the babies heartbeats as well as their movements and the second one will monitor your contractions.”
“Contractions?” She asked in confusion as she began to lift up her top to hold it under her breasts.
“Braxton Hicks contractions. They usually start around sixteen weeks and can be quite subtle and some are quite similar to the ‘real’ labor contractions. Their purpose is to soften the uterus and cervix to prepare it for delivery.” he reassured her, “It’s kind of like a runner warming up before a marathon.”
“I’m supposed to endure those for the rest of the pregnancy?” Rachel asked with a hint of surprise. “Oh that’s perfect,” she said in annoyance.
Quinn rubbed Rachel’s back. “You really don’t feel them until closer to the time you deliver, Rach. You’ll be fine. I promise.” The blonde really longed to comfort Rachel further, but knew she was already towing the line dangerously. Maybe it was a good thing that she was sick.
“Liz said the same thing with our twins. They were sometimes annoying but she got used to them by the time Elicia and Liliana were born.” he agreed, “Okay so drink this, then we’ll get you all hooked up.”
Rachel took the small plastic cup from Tommy’s hand and looked at it with undisguised disgust. “Ew,” she mumbled before bringing it to her lips and quickly swallowing the thick, overly sweet , orange flavored substance.
The older man took the cup from Rachel then let the specialist start to attach the different sensors to her belly. He flipped on the corresponding monitor to watch the results for a few moments.
“Okay, we’re picking up their heartbeats which look great.” He pointed to the paper strip, “Here are their movements, and this last line is the intensity of the contractions. This will take about half an hour and I’ll check back every five minutes to see how things are going.”
Rachel looked down at all the chords and the paper and the machine. “How long will this take, exactly?”
“We’ll take the blood sample in about an hour, the non-stress test will take about half an hour and between the two we can get your ultrasound in. Sound like a plan, Ms. Berry?”
Rachel looked over at Quinn who looked exhausted already. “Whatever is efficient and less time consuming.”
“I figure three tests in the span of an hour is as efficient and the least time consuming we can get. We’ll get you both out of here so Quinn can get home to another nap.” he replied, “I need to go see another patient and I’ll be back to check on you.”
“I appreciate that, Tommy,” Quinn said, taking a deep breath that morphed into a yawn. Her right hand flew to her mouth and she sent an apologetic look to Rachel. “Sorry, I’m fine. I promise.”
Tommy winked at Quinn then closed the door carefully behind him.
Rachel waited for the click of the door closing before she rounded on Quinn. She reached out and pulled Quinn close to her, settling her between her legs. “You’d tell me if there was something wrong with you, right?”
Quinn let her hands settle on Rachel’s shoulders, feeling a little ridiculous in her mask. “Of course I would. I’m just, it’s just the flu. It’s probably nothing serious, you know.”
Rachel nodded her head as she let her hands fall to Quinn’s waist. “Ok, good,” she said as her thumbs caressed Quinn’s sides.
“I wish I weren’t sick. I wish I could kiss you right now,” Quinn said quietly, letting her hands slip down Rachel’s arms. She laced their fingers together and sighed. Being sick sucked.
“You do look kind of ridiculous in that mask. I don’t think you need it, but I understand your concern. Just means I have to be a little more creative in sneaking you kisses,” Rachel said before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the side of Quinn’s neck.
Shivering, Quinn let her head fall to the side to give Rachel more access. “Rach...I don’t think this will keep you from getting sick.”
“I have this amazing immune system,” she mumbled against Quinn’s neck. “Quinn cooties are it’s power source,” she said with a giggle. “I’ve missed you.”
Quinn sighed, leaning into her. “I’ve missed you too. It sucks I won’t get to spend tomorrow with you.”
Rachel nodded her head slowly. She wanted to ask about the situation with Mike, but Tommy’s office wasn’t the time nor the place for that. “I wish you weren’t feeling sick. I could have used a Rachel and Quinn day. It’s okay though. I have a few things I need to busy myself with tomorrow,” she replied as she thought about tomorrow being a visitation weekend at Interval Brotherhood. She hated lying to Quinn, but Lily wanted to see Noah and she had every intention of supporting Noah through this.
“Right, you have a weekend life outside of me,” Quinn said with a pout. “Fine...I’ll just spend the weekend on my sofa being pathetic and sick.”
Rachel bit her lip. “It’s a very lonely and boring weekend life outside of you,” she said with a pleading look. “Maybe I can take care of you for a little bit tonight? Or... oh, it’s date night, isn’t it? How about tomorrow night I bring over some soup and cook a few meals for you to keep in the fridge for when you get hungry?”
“Actually, date night is off tonight. I didn’t and still don’t feel up to going out. I’m just so exhausted.” Quinn let her head fall to Rachel’s right shoulder. She breathed in deeply, taking in Rachel’s smell and finding comfort. She ran her hands up and down the brunette’s arms.
Rachel ran her hand through Quinn’s hair. “You should get an early night tonight. You can message me tomorrow if you’re up for a visitor or three,” she said softly, turning her head to kiss Quinn’s ear. “I’m going to miss feeling you naked against me this weekend,” Rachel whispered with a slight smirk.
“I’m going to miss being naked next to you this weekend. I know I should say no. I really don’t want you to get sick with our babies in there. I just miss you so much and Saturdays have kind of become our day.”
“One day,” Rachel began, her right hand sliding down to Quinn’s hip, her fingers teasing under the hem of her shirt. “I hope we have more than just Saturdays. But until then, they should be deemed clothing optional. Saves us from doing laundry,” she finished with a grin as her fingers began to gently slide up under Quinn’s top.
Quinn didn’t want to admit to Rachel that she’d done her fair share of praying, yes praying, that they’d have more than Saturdays someday in the near future. “I know. I think I actually ruined that pair of panties the last time.”
“Panties are overrated,” Rachel whispered as her fingers found the underside of Quinn’s breast. She knew she shouldn’t, but she just couldn’t stop touching Quinn. It felt as if her body continually craved the blonde and not even close proximity could quell her desires. “I’d buy you a replacement pair in apology, but one, I’m not sorry they’re ruined and two, you wouldn’t be wearing them for long anyway.”
Quinn’s breath hitched. She didn’t know how she made it through most of the week without combusting. Every touch of Rachel’s fingers felt burned into her flesh and though her brain was screaming that they shouldn’t do it here, her body wasn’t listening. “I knew you were going to say that.”
Rachel pouted. “I’m becoming predictable?” She asked as her right hand moved to cover Quinn’s breast over the cotton of her bra. “I’m going to have to work on that.” She kissed a path down the side of Quinn’s neck to her shoulder where she scraped her teeth against the fair skin there. She heard some chatter in the hallway and brushed her thumb against Quinn’s nipple before pulling her hand out from Quinn’s shirt. “I think Tommy’s coming back.”
Coiling her body back, Quinn frowned at the pain coming from the breast Rachel had just palmed. She crossed her arms carefully and bit her bottom lip to keep from exclaiming her pain. “Yeah, we should stop.”
Rachel watched Quinn carefully. Oh boy, she thought. “Later,” she said, rubbing Quinn’s hip as the handle on the door turned and Tommy entered, head bent over Rachel’s file.
Tommy looked up as he read the file, “Okay! Let me take a look at your non-stress test and then we can get a look at those babies again. I apologize for not returning sooner but it appears that I’ll have another delivery tonight. I swear, more people go into labor at their last official visit than make it to their due date lately.”
“Abby was early. Is it really that common?” Quinn asked, letting herself be distracted by thoughts of labor to calm her libido. Damn that Rachel Berry. She was grateful that there was absolutely nothing sexy about giving birth.
“It seems to be more common lately, which concerns me. It seems like people are scaring themselves into labor with all the flashes.” he shook his head, “That is why I’m going to strongly suggest you find a good massage therapist that specializes in pregnancy and start your maternity leave at about thirty weeks as a preemptive strike against early labor.”
Tommy grabbed the gel as he began to push Rachel’s shirt away from the liquid, “Okay ladies, ready to see these babies?”
“But, that’s only in seven weeks,” Rachel replied in surprise. She turned her body on the table and began to lie back.
“True. My primary focus is your safety and the health of the twins, Ms. Berry. You’re a petite woman who is expecting a multiple birth and from the look of them they already weigh a pound which is the average size for a singleton at this point.” he said as he pointed to the sonogram screen, “These babies are very healthy and I want to keep it that way so you can deliver them vaginally.”
“I love it when you talk about my vagina,” Rachel quipped with a grin. At Quinn’s shocked look she held up a hand in apology “Sorry, sorry. I blurt out inappropriate comments on occasion. Are you saying they weigh a pound each? Or together?”
“Only on occasion?” Quinn mumbled. Though she had to admit she was kind of getting used to it.
After a subdued snort from Quinn’s comment Tommy looked to Rachel, “They’re a pound each, Ms. Berry which is absolutely fantastic for multiples. I wouldn’t be surprised if they both ended up being six pounders when they were born. Okay, now lets get some measurements.”
Rachel turned to look up at Quinn, fear on her face. “Six pounders?” she asked in a small voice. “Oh my god, Quinn! I’m tiny!”
Laughing at Rachel’s panicked expression, Quinn took her hand. “Don’t worry. Women’s bodies are made for this. I’m sure they’ll come out with minimum tearing. Abby was almost eight pounds. You’ll be just fine. I promise.”
“Fine? Quinn,” Rachel began very seriously. “I might be pushing twelve pounds of baby out of my vagina in a few months. Just think of what it’s going to feel like down there!”
“Ms. Berry there are multiple options to help you deal with the pain as I’m sure you’ve researched,” he interjected, “From a topical anesthetic to a spinal block, there are plenty of options.”
Tommy stopped a moment while he stared at the monitor.He zoomed in on one of the twin’s hearts to watch it pump for a few seconds.
Rachel shifted her gaze from Tommy to the monitor and back again. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her thoughts quickly shifting from her possibly loose vagina to her baby.
“I’m just watching Twin A’s heart for a moment. Murmurs are quite common inutero since the baby depends on the mother for everything but I’ll keep an eye on it.” he continued to watch the monitor, “If the murmur doesn’t go away by the time you’re closer to your due date we might have to do a scheduled c-section. The pressure of going through the birth canal would be too stressful on the heart muscle.”
“My baby has, has a murmur?” Rachel asked in a small voice. She squeezed tightly onto Quinn’s hand as she stared up at the monitor. “Is it... was it something I did?”
“It’s called a patent foramen ovale or a PFO. Everyone has one during the gestation portion their life. It is a hole between the two atria, the top chambers of the heart. Most people's grow closed during development in the womb but some people are born and it stays open. Many people live with it for their entire life and never know its there or have a problem.” Tommy assured her, “Long story short, no. It’s nothing you did but it is something we’ll keep an eye on. For example, Lily had one and it closed before she was born.”
Rachel nodded slowly in understanding, but it didn’t mean she didn’t feel guilty anyway. “If it doesn’t close, you’ll do a c-section, and then what happens? How close to my due date can you wait to see if closes? If it doesn’t close, what health problems is my baby going to face?” Rachel asked as she tried to remain calm. She took a deep breath and waited.
“First of all a large percentage do close but if it doesn’t we will do the c-section to cause as little stress on the baby as possible. He or she will be taken to the NICU and monitored closely to see if there are any other issues they might have. It could also close right after birth which I have also seen.” he paused, “As soon as you hit twenty eight weeks we’ll have to monitor you weekly for any changes as well as the potential lung capacity of the twins just in case they need to be delivered early. At thirty weeks if the hole still hasn’t closed I’ll put you on bed rest with a contraction monitor until you deliver. We won’t know what health issues they might face until they’re actually born. Worst case scenario is that due to the pressure in their chest, their lung capacity might be greatly diminished and necessitate heart surgery soon afterward. Best case scenario, which is most likely, is that the hole will close long before they’re born.”
“So, don’t panic until I’m at twenty-eight weeks and my baby still has a hole in their heart?” Rachel asked with slight annoyance. It wasn’t that she was annoyed with Tommy, his answers had been textbook and provided the information she’d requested, but now she had to just wait and see? She’d never been much of a patient person.
“What I’m saying Ms. Berry is to not panic until I say to panic, mostly because it won’t do you or your babies any good. I’ve been in your shoes Ms. Berry so I know how uncomfortable they can be and how incredibly annoying doctors can sound with their answers.” He locked on her eyes to emphasize the point, “Honestly, I know it’s a thousand times easier to say than to do but you need to not worry. Do we have an understanding?”
Rachel stared at Tommy for a few seconds holding her breath. She finally let it out and nodded her head in understanding. “How’s my other baby?” she asked hoping to move them forward or else she’d continue to fixate on this issue.
“Both babies are growing very fast and are right on track for twenty three weeks. Both have excellent looking blood flow, skeletal growth and lung capacity. I’m quite impressed with their health and size Ms. Berry. Most multiples skew a little smaller than their singleton counterparts at the same gestation but your twins are surpassing every goal we have for them.” he smiled, “Really. They both look fantastic.”
Rachel nodded her head. “Ok. Good. As long as they’re both healthy,” she said. “Oh! Can I please have a photo? I have a few family and friends awaiting updates.”
Tommy handed her the pile of pictures he had already printed, “I thought you might want these. I do have to warn you that in one or two of them the gender of one of the babies is pretty obvious. Okay, obvious to me. I know you want to be surprised so I won’t tell you which gender or which picture. Before you make your next appointment Ms. Berry I would like you to get a business card from my front desk so you can make an appointment with a massage therapist.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at Tommy as she took the photos. “Well, I certainly won’t be telling anyone that when I give them their photos. I’ll have people emailing and calling with their predictions.”
“Thank goodness there are only two choices, right Ms. Berry?” he laughed. “Quinn, I just need to take a blood sample and you both can get out of here. It’ll just take a moment and the both of you can get some sleep.”
Tommy paged for the phlebotomist and she quickly took her sample. He knew both Quinn and Rachel were wiped out and needed to get to their respective homes before they fell asleep on their feet. He removed the sensors from Rachel’s belly carefully and started to read the paper strip.
“Okay, that’s the end of it. Your non-stress test looks good, plenty of fetal movement, good heartbeat, and your Braxton-Hicks aren’t too strong but doing their job. We’ll get our results from the glucose test in a few days and I’ll give you a call with the answers. Take care of her, Quinn. And get yourself to bed, okay?” he patted her shoulder.
Quinn nodded and ran her thumb gently over the palm of Rachel’s hand. She didn’t even think about the fact that they were still holding hands. “I definitely will. The world would not survive without Rachel Berry,” Quinn joked, though she really meant it.
“Ha. Ha,” Rachel replied sarcastically. “Thanks, Tommy,” she said looking up at Tommy as he held out his hand to help her down from the table.
“My pleasure, Ms. Berry. I’ll see you in two weeks and call you with the results in a few days.” he smiled as he walked out of the exam room.
“I’ll see you then,” she replied before turning back to Quinn. “You ready to get home?”
“Not that I haven’t enjoyed being here, but God yes. I feel so beat. If I wear a mask, will you nap with me?” Quinn knew she sounded needy, but she missed Rachel.
Rachel grinned. “I was going to ask if I could stay for a while,” she said holding out her hand for Quinn to take.
“I really don’t want to get you sick. I should make you go home, but I kind of...need you. I know I’ll sleep better with you next to me,” Quinn said honestly, taking Rachel’s hand again.
Rachel leaned forward, pulled down the mask and pressed her lips to Quinn’s briefly before putting the mask back in place. “Come on, let’s get you home and into bed,” she said with a smile and a tug on Quinn’s hand.
Something in Quinn’s chest relaxed at Rachel’s kiss. And she decided to take the risk and pull Rachel in for a quick hug before pulling back. “You shouldn’t have kissed me. You might get sick, Rach.”
Rachel held Quinn close. “I’ll be fine. And so will the babies,” she said. “I need you right now, as well. Let’s stop taking up space in Tommy’s office.”
The blonde nodded, her eyes meeting Rachel’s and saying all of the things she wanted to at that moment, but couldn’t. She squeezed Rachel’s hand gently, before turning to the door and leading the way out.