The nurses, dressed in a different arrangement of pressed scrubs, grinned from ear to ear as they waited for them to approach, “Hello and welcome! Do you have an appointment?” the woman questioned.
Cherish clutched her wallet close to her stomach as she nodded, “Yes. I think so. Cherish Montgomery.” She answered.
The woman took a moment and looked her up on the computer before she nodded, “Alright, right here for 12:30. You’re a new patient so I have a little bit of paperwork to fill out and Dr. Cohen will be with you shortly.” She said. The nurse handed all Cherish needed on a clipboard and pointed to the right, “Dr. Cohen’s waiting room is through that archway. Thank you!” she said returning to work.
Simon nodded and gave a single, appreciative wave, “Thank you.” He said.
Cherish gave Simon an expression telling him she was not expecting this over-the-top office. Stepping into the waiting room, she inhaled a deep breath and laughed to herself. There they were, surrounded by a different group of people dressed up from head to toe in their designer clothes. All she could think of was how each of these women were going to have their cookies invaded like the next. Sitting down, she pulled against her tan t-shirt before she filled out what she knew and handed it to Simon to look over.
He helped her fill in the blanks that had to do with him. They’d received a couple of looks from the other women who waited. Maybe it was how they looked together side by side, or perhaps it was the way Cherish was dressed. Simon didn’t notice, but it was hard to miss in the silent and tense atmosphere. Which was a complete change from the pediatrician’s office.
Cherish nervously played with her fingers while she stared up at the news playing on the screen. She zoned out and before she knew it, her name had been called. She looked back at Simon as though asking if he was going with her. Turning away, the nurse smiled at her, "Hi! Miss Montgomery? Welcome. Please step right in!" She stated.
Cherish followed the woman down a long corridor. Floral murals stretched along the right wall, as nurses and practitioners passed. The woman stopped at the last room on the left and waited for them to enter before shutting the door, "If you don't mind I'd like to get your weight and height. So, if you'd step up on the scale we can do all of that for you with your vitals." She encouraged. Cherish handed Simon her wallet and did as she was asked. "One eighty...and you're five feet, ten inches. Model height, lucky you! Sit down on the exam table please." The nurse took her heartbeat, blood pressure, and temperature and wrote the results down.
Cherish flicked her gaze across the warmed room to Simon and back to the nurse. Each time she looked to him, he gave her a comforting smile and a nod of encouragement. Personally, he didn’t like being inspected at the doctors. The atmosphere always placed him on edge, especially needles, so he empathized with her.
Turning to face Cherish, the nurse leaned against the counter and rubbed her chin, "So can you tell me everything that's concerning you other than bleeding?"
Cherish shifted in on the table and clasped her fingers together, "Well I thought by now I'd be done. It's really light, but I have this tender, engorged spot right beneath the...uh...entrance and it’s starting to hurt." She answered.
The nurse nodded as she flipped through her paperwork and took notes, "And you just had a baby. Congratulations to you both. Uh Mr. Gabot...have you seen the spot she's talking about or touched it?" She asked turning to him.
Cherish's eyes widened and her stomach clenched as the unsuspecting nurse asked him an intimate question and assumed what would naturally be obvious to outsiders. Simon quickly caught onto the misunderstanding because it was one they’d received often. Now he just ignored it. Cherish shook her head several times, but alas when would she learn? Simon cleared his throat, “Uh…no, no I haven’t. I’ve been good in not touching her there.” He replied. Having his fun fooling the nurse, he met Cherish’s wide stare and winked at her with a grin. He had to find amusement in everything now to feel normal.
The nurse chuckled, "Well that's good! Most fathers can't wait to get back into the bedroom with their significant other. Now, we know about how hard of a birth you had so if you would take your bottoms off Miss Montgomery." She stated.
Simon leaned back in the chair, “Why, is her area bad?” he questioned.
The nurse looked at him for a moment before she picked up the clipboard again, “The doctor will tell you about it during Miss Montgomery’s assessment. I’m sure everything is fine though.” She answered. The nurse grabbed a thin, paper sheet from the cupboard beneath the sink and handed it to Cherish, "The doctor will be in shortly!" She stated leaving the room with her chart in the clear bin by the door.
Cherish held the paper in her lap before she looked to Simon, "Well that's three people that have been mistaken." She said. Standing, she unbuttoned the top of her jeans and paused, "...Uh, Simon."
He looked at her and answered without thinking, “What?” he asked before he clued in, “Oh! Right, right I’m sorry.” He said. Standing, he turned around and faced the door before he proceeded to read the chart in front of him, “Sometimes I think that’s easier than having to explain. Especially after that last guy freaked out.” He referred back
