Dinner and a Movie

 

By: Jamie Sommers

 

Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

 

Rated: PG –13

 

Synopsis: The continuing AU saga of Dinner and a Movie.  Landon and Jamie are having a baby!  Lets see how they handle the ups and downs of pregnancy.

 

For Moi with love.

 

 

Chapter two:  Dinner and Morning Sickness

 

 

“Blech,” she stuck her tongue out of her mouth as though she had a bad taste in it.  Leaning over the side of the porcelain rim she finally did what she had been dying to do since 5:30 that morning.

 

“Oh baby,” Landon held her hair back as she continued to let the morning sickness reek havoc with her system.  “I don’t understand why they call it morning sickness,” he took a cold compress and pressed it against the base of her neck as their dinner made it’s second appearance “…if it happens at night why don’t they call it evening sickness, or all day sickness.”  He rubbed her back in gentle circles saying a silent prayer that this side effect of the pregnancy didn’t last too long.

 

Weeks earlier they had been lying in their hammock when Jamie told Landon about the baby.  At first he was in shock but after a moment or two they began giggling and getting used to the idea that soon they wouldn’t just be a couple, they’d be a family.  They began planning the baby’s room, the one closest to theirs.  Dreaming of yellows and greens in soft pastel colors.  Discussing whether or not they’d want to know the sex before hand.  They didn’t.  Wondering what it would be like to see Jamie with a belly.  And silently Landon worried about his wife’s health.  Could she survive this pregnancy?  What if being pregnant brought back the cancer?  He knew that was a silly thought, but when you almost lose the love of your life to such a reckless disease, crazy thoughts go through your mind. 

 

“You’re worried aren’t you?” Jamie asked while sitting upright.  She felt woozy, but she knew it would pass.  Since she began having the ‘morning’ sickness, wooziness just seemed to go hand in hand with it.  She collapsed against Landon’s chest, tucking her head under his chin.

 

He rubbed her back and said, “I know that this is all part of pregnancy, it’s just… I can’t help but worry about you.  When I see you like that it just reminds me of…”

 

He didn’t have to say it.  She knew it reminded him of the chemotherapy and radiation treatments she received after her transplant.  It was those very same treatments that caused them to believe that they’d never be able to conceive a child. 

 

“Landon, please don’t worry.  Its just part of the plan.”

 

“What plan?  Preparing us for when he’s a teenager?”

 

Jamie chuckled into Landon’s chest and asked silently, “How do you know it’s a boy?”

 

“Don’t say that.  Please don’t say that.”

 

“Why?” she pulled back with a look of concern upon her brow, “Don’t you want a girl Landon?”

 

“Oh it’s not that.  I’d be happy either way.  I’m just thinking about being the father of a teenage girl.  I don’t know if I could handle any Landon Carters coming to the door to pick her up for a date,” he cringed while she giggled.  “The more I think about it, the more I realize what a leap of faith it took on your father’s part to say yes to me when I told him I wanted to take you out.  If I were in his shoes I don’t think I would’ve said yes to me.”  He looked down at her smiling face and said, “Ready to get cleaned up?”

 

“Mmmm hmmmm,” she nodded, but the moment she moved she had to lean over and get sick again.  She sat upon her knees as they began their nightly ritual.  Her losing her dinner and Landon rubbing her back, telling her it will be all right.  That things would be better soon and when they were all done with this they’d have a beautiful baby to show for it.

 

It was that thought that kept her strong.  The thought of having yet another one of life’s miracles, she never thought she’d experience, bestowed upon her.  Ironically, having a baby never made it on her list of things to do because she didn’t believe it possible.  Her list was made up of realistic goals and living long enough to survive a pregnancy wasn’t realistic.  Even if she could’ve had a child before, she wouldn’t have done it.  She could never have had a baby knowing that she would have to leave it motherless.  That was a pain she knew all too well and she didn’t wish it on anyone.

 

After another thirty minutes in the bathroom Landon cleaned Jamie up and tucked her into bed.  He went down to the kitchen and began making a sandwich and poured a glass of milk.  He sliced some fruit and made a tray to bring up to her. 

 

The first time she experience morning sickness Landon thought she’d never look at food again, but within minutes she seemed to get over it and asked him to make her something to eat.  He had made her some tea and dry toast thinking that she’d appreciate the gesture.  He figured it would settle her stomach, but after she devoured the toast and tea she turned to him and said, “Food Landon.  I need FOOD.”

 

He giggled to himself as he walked up the stairs with the tray of “FOOD” in hand.

 

~ ~ ~

 

She lied on the examination table, squeezing Landon’s hand as the doctor tried endlessly to pick up a fetal heartbeat.  “Is something wrong,” she said with a faint whisper.

 

“No, Jamie.” Dr. Basso explained to her that sometimes it’s difficult to hear a heartbeat so early on in the pregnancy, “but that’s completely normal Jamie.”  She saw the look of concern on Jamie’s face and knew about her troubled past.  Wanting to put her mind at ease she said, “Tell ya what.  Why don’t we do an ultrasound, just to be on the safe side?” 

 

Jamie and Landon looked at each other and then nodded.  Landon spoke for both of them.  “Thank you Dr. Basso.  I think we’ll both feel a lot better if we could see him…her…”

 

The three of them chuckled as Landon said, “it?”

 

With the tension in the room at an acceptable level, the doctor prepared Jamie for her next exam.  The ultra sound machine was brought in from another room.

 

Landon thought the giant contraption resembled an elaborate computer set up on wheels.  There was a large monitor to view the picture on and below that was the keyboard.  Along sides were the speakers.  It had a cup holder and everything.

 

The doctor laid a sheet over the lower part of Jamie’s body, leaving her abdomen and hips exposed.  Raising the examination gown up to her breast, the doctor took a tube that resembled a plastic bottle of mustard out of the ‘cup holder’ and squeezed out a blob of warm goo onto Jamie’s stomach. 

 

Picking up what Landon presumed was the computer’s mouse; she began to run it somewhat forcefully over Jamie’s slightly bulging stomach. 

 

“I’m sorry for pressing down so hard but we’ve got a lot of layers of flesh and muscle to go through.”

 

Jamie cringed slightly.  The pressure was causing a desperate need to use the restroom, but it was necessary for her bladder to remain full so the doctor could get the best picture of the baby.

 

Dr. Basso turned on the speakers and a loud woooosh noise filled the room.  She swirled and pushed the examining tool around Jamie’s belly until she found and heard what she was looking for.  “Here we go.”  She lifted her other hand to the computer monitor and pointed at a white blob with a small thing pulsing in the middle of it. 

 

“What is that?” Landon asked, squinting at the computer screen, trying to make out the kidney bean shaped object.

 

“Is that…” Jamie trailed off.

 

“That, Mr. and Mrs. Carter, is your baby.”  The doctor smiled brightly as she watched the darkened room light up from Jamie and Landon’s response at the first glimpse of their unborn child.

 

Landon and Jamie reached out to grab onto the other’s hand immediately. 

 

“What’s that little thing right there,” Landon pointed at the screen to the little blob that was pulsating.

 

“That is your baby’s heart.”

 

Their smiles grew even brighter and Jamie breathed a huge sigh of relief.

 

“And listen…”

 

They both listened to the noises that were coming from the machine.

 

“That steady whoosh, whoosh, whooshing noise is the sound of your baby’s heart beating.”

 

“So fast,” Jamie said quietly.  “It’s so fast.”

 

“Yes it is.” 

 

The doctor went into the explanation of why infant’s heart rates are so much faster than adults, but Landon and Jamie were oblivious to her words.  The sound of their child’s heartbeat was the only sound in the world.