muses_w_remotes | 13.3. Quantum of Solace quote

[pullmysteth]

13.3. “Take a deep breath, you only got one shot, make it count.”
| Quantum of Solace

Co-written with imnodoctor
[Before THIS]

Riley tapped his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel as they waited at some lights at a busy intersection. Driving in New York used to be second nature, but now after living so long in Edinburgh and then Princeton, it just did his head in a little. It wasn't really the traffic that was stressing him out, though. He was nervous and excited about the ultrasound. The IVF clinic told them to arrange for an ultrasound once Riley called them and told them about Evie's positive pregnancy test. Evie was going to have a check up after the scan so they could get all the business out of the way in New York while they were there. As it was, they were already killing two birds with one stone. It was the twins' birthday and a get-together with the bunch was arranged at Luke's bar for that night. Pat, Aiden and Cameron were already in New York, and Luke and Tab were keen to spend some time in the city now that everything was on schedule for the Princeton bar to open on time. So, it was a party at The Bondi, twin birthday style. But first, they had to get through the ultrasound without anyone wetting their pants.


Evie had to drink a lot of water in preparation for the scan, so Riley offered to do it with her as support. He really wished he had thought in advance how uncomfortable that would be. A male urinary tract was different to a females. He should have thought about that. To top it off, he had been having queasy mornings with Evie. Not to the point of throwing up, but he was definitely experiencing something with her. He had always been the sympathetic sort, though. He cleared his throat, trying to fight the urge for a smoke to take his mind off his stomach and his bladder. The only thing was, he wasn't allowed to smoke around Evie anymore.

Evie reached over to rest her hand on Riley's thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. Female urinary tract or not, she was about ready to wet her pants. Evie realised she'd maybe had too much water, and then factor in how she spent most of the morning on the cold tiled bathroom floor, and she was doomed to pee her pants and ruin the whole ultrasound. She sucked in a breath as she tried to think of things other than how much she needed to pee. And how scary this was. They were about to have their first ultrasound to confirm she was really pregnant. "So once this is over... we'll really know, won't we?"

"Know what?" Riley asked, glancing at her as his forehead creased a little. "We know, babe. See, the thing with pregnancy tests, they can be wrong in the negative, but very rarely wrong in the positive. Plus, you've had enough symptoms to know it's really happening. How are you with that, anyway? The symptoms?" It wasn't the first time he had asked her, not by any means. In fact, he was probably nearing the realms of overkill, but he worried about her. He had to try and shake the worry she was going to miscarry at every turn, too, or he would panic her and that could be stressful.

Evie screwed up her face as she stuck her tongue out. "I hate morning sickness, my breasts are tender, we haven't had sex in how long? And I'm horny as all fuck... that's how my symptoms are. And if I don't pee soon, I'll explode." She held her hand up. "Sorry, I'm just tired. That's the other thing, I can't really sleep at the moment, but I don't think you can either. Maybe I'm just picking up your restlessness."

"You'll still love me if I pee myself, won't you?" Riley asked with a slight, nervous laugh. He turned onto the street with the IVF clinic and then into the large multi-story carpark that charged a fortune to park in. He leaned out the window and took the ticket from the machine. "I know, and I'm sorry. I haven't slept very well since Scotland. I'll try to lie still. Or I'll get up. It's probably better if I get up and then you can sleep properly."

"What happened in Scotland?" Evie asked as she watched him. "And I don't like you being awake and restless while I'm sleeping away in ignorance. It's not fair. If you're there for me while I'm throwing up, I'll be there for you while you can't sleep. I just catch naps during the day. It's fine. And I will still love you, if you still love me because the second this thing is over, I'll be letting loose."

Riley laughed. "Me too. I'll be pissing like a friggen racehorse. This is worse than being on an IV." He found a free spot and pulled the car into it, fleetingly wondering if they should think about a new, more family-friendly car at some point. Tara's parents bought her and Lachlan a four wheel drive in anticipation of their new addition. He remembered Tara mentioning how easy it was to maneuver RJ's baby gear and buggy around with the extra space. "Nothing happened in Scotland. We just got the news of the pregnancy when we got back and I haven't really relaxed since. I'm thinking I should see my doctor and ask about some anti-anxiety meds otherwise this whole thing is going to kill me. My hands are constantly shaking." He held one up as proof. "What's one more pill a day going to hurt? I'm already downing them like M&Ms."

Evie took his hand and leaned forward to kiss it softly. Riley had definitely been stressed since the news, and she wasn't sure how she was going to convince him that she was fine, and the baby would be fine. She wasn't sure he'd calm down until the baby was born and in his arms, and even then he'd find something to stress about. She held his hand against her stomach, and smiled. "Hey, if popping pills helps you, it's all good. Only time I will ever say anything is if you start taking muscle pills or some crap, and wind up with the dick the size of a pea, and no sex drive."

"I can't promise the no sex drive thing because I know how precarious it can be, but everything else, I'm too fucking over medical intervention to even think about it. I don't mind how I look. I know it could be much worse," Riley said with a shrug. He picked up his wallet and cell phone and got out of the car. He yawned and indulged in a stretch. He wasn't so much nervous about the ultrasound and seeing the spot that would be the baby, but more them telling him something might be wrong. He was pretty sure he had completely forgotten how to relax in the recent months. "I think it's just stemming from more than the pregnancy. I don't want you to think it's only that making me a complete dick."

Evie laughed softly as she rounded the car to wrap her arms around her husband. She was still indulging in every possible chance to refer to herself as Mrs Browne, and use the words, 'Well, my husband and I...' She looked up at him and rubbed her hand against his back. "I've never thought of you as a complete dick. Just sometimes you can be very stressed out, which really only makes you a partial dick, and you. I mean, you wouldn't be you if you didn't freak out at stuff. Really, it's fine. For now just let me be the calm blue ocean, and you can be the crazy crab on the beach. We'll work it out, and the baby will be fine. It's going to come out into a world with two parents that are going to love it more than oxygen. And you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Riley laughed and tucked his arm around her shoulder. "Crazy crab? I'm totally picturing this crab on fast forward racing around the beach with it's eyes bulging out of it's head now." He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I do. The thing is, I can't always formulate clearly in my head what's freaking me out. It's usually a jumble of little things. But this is a big thing. A huge thing, but the little things are still there. It's just compounding. Now that I'm not seeing a therapist, I guess it just all lingers in there." He led her over to the entrance of the clinic, noting they were pretty much on time, which was good. Waiting in a waiting room for shit like that, especially an ultrasound, always sucked.

"Do you want to go back to seeing a therapist?" Evie asked as she followed him. They entered the clinic, and Evie couldn't help but suck in a breath. Their first ultrasound. She was still amazed she was even pregnant in the first place. She had a little Riley inside her... "It doesn't hurt if you just want someone to ramble at who isn't us. There's no shame in it."

"I don't know. I really don't think so. I don't feel as screwed in the head anymore like I was after the diagnosis. I'm not having unhealthy thoughts anymore. I just get really stressed out when things aren't on an even keel, and maybe a mild pill for that will help. I do talk about things to people, but then I'm stressed before I even realise I'm stressing." Riley approached the receptionist, who smiled and told them to head right into the clinic room just up the hall. She explained to Evie to change into the gown waiting in the connecting change room for her and Riley raised his eyebrows, impressed at the service. He waited until they were out of ear shot of the woman and then sniggered. "What's next? Mints on the exam pillow?"

"Don't joke about mints, I'm starving... all this holding onto my pee is hard work," Evie muttered as she crossed her legs a little just to try and stop herself from wetting herself. She wasn't concerned about Riley being in the room while she changed. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it all before. The service was definitely impressive though, and Evie was relieved to find the gowns weren't some horrible pink colour just because she was an expectant mom. "Yeah, but you don't have to be screwed in the head to just want to talk to someone. Maybe talking will help find balance without a pill?" Evie turned to face him as she struck a pose. "How about I wear this to the twin party? I think it's very flattering."

"No!" Riley protested and then carefully held the gown closed in the back. "No one is looking at your arse but me, ever. Or your legs. I'll thump them." The tip of his tongue came to rest between his lips at the force of the bout of possessiveness and he had mind to look sheepish after it. "Just saying," he added and cleared his throat. He helped her over to the exam table so she could lie down and had to fight the urge to fiddle with the sonogram machine to make sure it was all set right. He didn't want the clinician belting him. "I mentioned it to Lachlan and he, believe it or not, suggested meditation."

Evie couldn't help but feel a rush of arousal at Riley's possessiveness, but she managed to stop herself from trying to grope him here and now. She took his hand again, and nipped at the tip of one of his fingers. "So I'm just supposed to spend the rest of my days in long skirts down to the floor? You're so hot when you're all grr like that. Just saying." Evie raised her eyebrows a little. "He did? He is the group's new counsellor, so I guess if he says meds, then it's meds."

"No, I just... you know," Riley added sheepishly and smoothed the sheet down on the bed. "MediTATion. Not medication," he laughed. "You know, waterfalls and whale sounds in deserted forests. Inner peace. I know, I laughed too."

Evie blinked before she started to laugh. "Shit, holding onto this pee is even affecting my hearing. Will you love me even if I'm stone deaf, and talking crap?" she asked him as she rolled her eyes at herself. "Well, just don't meditate near Tab. Pretty sure she has no idea what quiet time is until she's working on a song."

"Yes, because I'll probably be right there beside you," Riley pointed out, laughing. "Tell me about it. That's the reason I nearly pissed myself laughing when he suggested it. But I got the serious Yodalan look, so he meant it. He said it can help. Maybe I should try it. The only thing is, I get easily distracted. I'll wonder what's going on without me when I'm in my happy place."

Evie giggled. "Well, that's what wives are for, isn't it? I'll give you the rundown when you come back from your happy place. Pretty sure not a lot will be happening. Not planning on staying in the happy place for years, right?"

Riley smirked. "Depends what I find there," he joked. "Me, pulling the piss out of Lachlan for meditating, maybe. I just can't see it. I wasn't even sure I believed in it, but I don't know. I'd probably lose interest before I even learnt how to do it."

Evie smiled at him. "No way to know for sure until you try. Maybe you'll like it more than you think. Might even appreciate learning it once the baby comes."

Riley didn't have a chance to reply before there was a knock at the door and the radiographer appeared. She smiled at them. "Are you ready to get the show on the road?" she asked as she tugged some latex gloves on. "Or do you need a bit longer?"

"We're ready, I think?" Riley said, looking to Evie for clarification. "I don't think waiting is on the menu."

Evie gave a slight nod, her hand tightening around Riley's. "Definitely ready, otherwise there's going to be no pee to do this thing. I can't really hold much longer," she said with a nervous laugh.

The radiographer smiled in understanding. "I've been there, Mrs Browne. I know exactly how uncomfortable it is. But we'll be as quick as we can. Just need to check all is where it's supposed to be, though your file tells me things have been pretty smooth for you with the process, which is a huge positive."

Riley was nodding, though he wasn't sure at what. "The gel will be cold and the pressure will be uncomfortable," he added reflexively, but then shot the radiographer a sheepish look. "Sorry. Habit. I'll shut up now and I promise not to read the screen before you do," he said and bit down on his lip.

The radiographer gave a slight laugh as she exchanged a glance with Evie. Evie just squeezed Riley's hand. "Backseat radiographer, much? We should have just got a machine and you could have done this yourself."

"It's fine, Mrs Browne. It's a habit a lot of doctors seem to possess." She smiled at Riley again, and nodded. "He's right, though. You might just want to take a deep breath and think very non-water filled thoughts as we do this."

Riley was good. He really could have agreed to her joke and snatched the device out of the radiographers hand. And he wanted to. This was his wife and his baby. He wanted to do it all, so at least then he knew it was done right. But at the same time, he knew that was reckless because he was extremely emotionally set in the thing and could make mistakes. "Please don't ask me to sing again. I really do suck when I'm not drunk," he said, clearing his throat. He was watching the woman's every move though, just in case, and he was bouncing his leg anxiously from a mix of nerves and desperately needing a pee.

The radiographer tucked Evie's gown up and squirted the gel onto her still-flat stomach. She turned back to the screen for a moment and typed in a few details before all of Evie's particulars came up on the screen. "Ready to go?" she asked again, just to clarify.

Evie nodded as she pushed out a breath slowly, and looked anxiously at the monitor. Truth was she'd never been so scared in her life, but if they didn't do this she'd scream. "Yes. Ready. Christ, I'm going to be peeing for days after this."

Riley once again nodded in agreement. He was getting good at that. He took Evie's hand and gripped it tightly. The room fell silent as the Radiographer pressed the wand against Evie's stomach, smoothing the gel out over her lower abdomen. His green eyes were planted on the screen, wide and watching closely. Beside them the Radiographer smiled, shifting the image just a little. "There we go," she told them, pointing to a small black dot on the screen and holding the wand still for the moment. "Baby Browne."

Evie blinked as she looked at the black dot. She couldn't hide her smile, never having been so excited to see a black dot in her entire life. "I really want to say it's cute, but I can't tell yet. I'm just ecstatic it's there and real, and not just a dream. See, sexy? The baby's fine."

Riley was nodding and let out a rush of breah in relief. "Yeah, it's all good. It looks fine. No lesions around it." He looked at where the wand was. "In the right place, too." The Radiographer smiled with a nod of agreement and captured a few of the images before moving on. She shifted the wand and Riley's eyes went back to the screen for the other views. It was all of, maybe, twenty seconds before he literally shrieked, hand flying out of Evie's so he could slap both over his mouth, eyes probably as wide as they could go.

The radiographer and Evie both stared at Riley. Evie continued to look at her husband as the radiographer turned her head to try and see what Riley had seen to make him panic. Evie reached out to grip at Riley's arm, and tug his hands away from his mouth. "What? What is it? Are there lesions? Is the baby not okay?"

The Radiographer looked back at the screen and her eyesbrows shot up. "Oh my," she commented with a small laugh. "You're quicker than me, Dr Browne. Well, isn't this a wonderful surprise," she told them and captured the screen again. "Twins," she confirmed, marking the two little dots with Baby One and Baby Two. "Are there twins in your family?"

Riley nodded furiously, hand still over his mouth as he gaped in shock. "Oh... god..." he got out, even if it was muffled. His eyes flicked back an forth rapidly between the two dots and it suddenly felt like someone had shoved cotton wool in his head through his ears.

"Twins?" Evie gasped as she stared at the marked dots. "Twins, are you sure? It's not just a fleck of... dirt? Shit, twins... Two babies. We're having... twins." Evie's brain seemed to have slowed down, and she just gazed at the monitor as she tried to force it into her head that she wasn't carrying one little Riley, but two. "I really need to pee," she murmured.

The Radiographer shook her head a little. "I need a few more images. I'm sorry. Just a couple more minutes," she told them. "It's a shock, I know. I'll be out of your hair really soon."

Riley could feel his heart thumping in his chest in threatened panic. No, they couldn't be having two. They only paid for one. They had only planned one room for a nursery. They both had full time jobs. There wasn't any time for two. Not even twins. No matter what way the image was shown in the screen now, two marks were prominent. It wasn't a speck. It was really, really happening and his head was spinning at the prospect.

"Riley?" Evie said quietly, trying to pull her husband back from the shock. She wasn't about to cope with the twin specks on her own. "Breathe, sexy... come back to me."

"I'm here," Riley squeaked and then laughed breathlessly. "Just a bit stunned right now. It's really hot in here, too." He huffed out a heavy breath, tugging on his collar.

The Radiographer smiled knowingly. It wasn't the first time she had discovered twins, not by a long shot. It was always a shock. "So, which of you have twins in your genes? Grandfathers? Aunts?"

"Me," Riley cut in before she got carried away in her questioning. "Me. I'm a fraternal twin. I have a twin sister. We're real close. This shouldn't be freaking me out, but it is, maybe more than a wee bit."

Evie had Riley's hand against her chest, and held onto it with both her hands as she looked between the monitor and Riley. "It'll be okay... right? We can deal with twins. Just like a Christmas bonus, or something. Shit.. I can't believe it."

The Radiographer smiled again and nodded as she peeled some tissues from the box and handed them to Evie. "Fraternal twins. The hereditary variety." She was amused it hadn't been a consideration for the other doctor, but the IVF process was stressful. It probably was the last thing to cross his mind. "I'll leave you both to it. You can pick up prints of the scan on your way out. Take your time. There is no rush. Oh, and the bathroom is right through there." She pointed to the door. "Congratulations," she told them again before she left them alone.

Riley bit down on his lip. "Would it really be bad form if I wet my pants?" he asked hoarsely.

Evie shook her head. "No, because I'm about to pee mine."

All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe

Word Count | 3,723