"Good morning, sir, ma'am. Please, have a seat."
Natasha gestured for the couple to sit in front of her.
"This is your sixth checkup, right? You're already in your seventh month. How have you been feeling today? Has the baby's kicking gotten stronger?" Natasha asked.
"Yes, Doctor. He's already kicked me twice just since we sat down here," the pregnant woman replied with a small smile.
"That's good. An active baby is usually a healthy sign. Let's do the ultrasound first."
Natasha rose from her chair and walked toward the examination bed, where she would examine the heavily pregnant woman.
Once the patient was lying comfortably on the bed, Natasha took a seat beside her. She applied a layer of gel to the woman's rounded, glistening belly before skillfully moving the abdominal ultrasound probe across it.
"If you'd like to see the baby, sir, you can stand beside your wife," Natasha said.
"Of course, Doctor."
The man immediately moved closer to the examination bed.
"The baby looks healthy, sir, ma'am. The movements are very active. The pregnancy is currently at 27 weeks, and the baby's estimated weight is within the normal range for this gestational age. The estimated weight is around 920 grams, with a length of approximately 36 centimeters. All the indicators look good," Natasha explained.
"Thank you, Doctor," the woman said gratefully.
Natasha handed her a tissue so she could wipe the remaining gel from her belly.
"All right, you can sit up now."
Natasha returned to her chair as the woman carefully sat up with her husband's help. After straightening her clothes, she walked back to the chair beside her husband.
"Have you experienced any other complaints this month?" Natasha asked.
"Last night, I noticed a little spotting, Doctor," the woman answered quietly.
"How many times did it happen? How much bleeding was there? Was it accompanied by abdominal cramps?" Natasha asked.
"It wasn't much, Doctor. There was some mucus mixed in, but I don't think I had any cramps."
"Did the spotting occur after you were intimate with your husband?"
The woman lowered her gaze shyly, stealing a glance at her husband from the corner of her eye.
"It did, Doctor," her husband admitted. "Maybe we were a little too careless."
"In that case, it would be best to take a break from intimacy for the time being. If there's no further spotting, you can discuss resuming it with your doctor, but please be careful and make sure to avoid anything that causes discomfort."
Natasha then turned her attention back to the patient.
"I'll prescribe your vitamins as usual, including folic acid, along with two additional supplements. And make sure you continue eating a healthy, nutritious diet."
"All right, Doctor. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'll see you again next month."
The couple thanked her before walking out of the room, their fingers intertwined.
"Nurse, how many patients do I have left?" Natasha asked her nurse.
"Mrs. Mira, the patient who just left, was your last patient, Doctor. You just need to get ready for surgery now. We have two surgeries scheduled today," the nurse replied.
"All right. Please contact the anesthesiology team and confirm our schedule. Also, take care of the surgical administration and make sure the consent forms for both patients are ready."
"Where are you going, Doctor?"
"I'm going to the doctors' lounge for a while. I want to rest and have some lunch. I'm starving."
Ashford Memorial Medical Center had a spacious doctors' lounge specifically designed as a place for the medical staff to rest between their demanding shifts.
The lounge was furnished with several beds and comfortable sofas. There was also a bar counter stocked with various instant meals and drinks that the doctors could grab whenever they needed something quick.
"All right, Doctor. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything."
Natasha left her consultation room and walked past the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery department.
However, when she reached the department, it wasn't Adam she saw.
It was Dr. Fatma.
Natasha frowned slightly. As far as she knew, Adam was supposed to be the one scheduled to see patients that morning.
"Looking for Dr. Adam, Doctor Nath?" Dr. Fatma asked when she saw Natasha's head appear through the doorway.
"Why are you the one seeing patients today, Doctor Fatma? Wasn't Dr. Adam supposed to be on duty this morning?" Natasha asked.
"Dr. Adam didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
Dr. Fatma looked at her for a moment before answering.
"Dr. Adam called me this morning and asked me to cover his schedule. He said he had to go out of town. Apparently, he's accompanying a friend to a relative's house for a wedding reception. They're supposed to return tomorrow morning."
"A friend? A distant cousin? Who?" Natasha asked.
"I'm not really sure, Doctor."
"All right, Doctor Fatma. Thank you."
Natasha forced a small nod before walking away.
The smile disappeared from her beautiful face, leaving behind an expression that had suddenly gone stiff.
Anger.
Jealousy.
And disappointment at being left out.
All those emotions tangled together inside her chest, making her heart pound with unease.
Natasha continued toward the doctors' lounge at the back of the department. Once she was alone, she pulled her phone from the pocket of her white coat and dialed her fiancé's number.
She tried several times, but the call wouldn't connect.
Perhaps his phone was switched off.
Or maybe the battery had died.
With no other option, Natasha decided to call the only person who might know where Adam was—Noah, Adam's twin brother.
"Hey, Nath. What's wrong? You don't usually call me at this hour."
Noah answered on the second ring, his voice warm and friendly as always.
"Sorry for bothering you, Big brother Noah. I wanted to ask if you know where Adam went. I've been trying to call him since this morning, but I can't get through. He's not seeing patients today either. Dr. Fatma is covering his schedule."
Natasha hesitated before continuing.
"Did something happen at home? Honestly, I'm a little worried. Maybe it's because our wedding is only five days away, but I've had this strange feeling all morning."
"What? He didn't tell you?" Noah sounded surprised. "He went to Greenhill with Marissa. Apparently, Marissa's distant cousin is getting married."
"Mom actually tried to stop him, especially since your wedding is only a few days away. But Adam said he'd only be gone for a short while, so Mom eventually couldn't stop him."
Natasha fell silent for a moment.
"He didn't tell me he was going out of town. Maybe he was worried I'd try to stop him."
She forced a small laugh.
"It's fine. Did he say what time he'd be back?"
"Not exactly. But he said he'd be home before tonight. Besides, he has to see patients tomorrow morning."
"All right. Thank you, big brother Noah. I'll try calling him again. Maybe I'll be able to get through this time."
"His phone probably ran out of battery, Nath. Maybe that's why he hasn't contacted you yet. Once he charges it, he might call you himself."
"All right, big brother Noah. I'll wait, then."
Natasha ended the call and slowly lowered her phone.
For a moment, she simply stood there, staring at the screen.
She tried to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about.
But somehow, the uneasy feeling in her chest refused to disappear.
***