sheet covering Joanna's lower half in place, and gazed down at Joanna's exposed midriff. Joanna lifted her head to look herself. There were three Band-Aids. One was directly below her navel, and the other two were in the lower quadrants forming an equilateral triangle.
"No sign of any bleeding,' Myron said, "and the gas has been absorbed."
Paul nodded. He pulled the johnny back to cover Joanna's abdomen and turned to leave.
"Dr. Saunders," Joanna called out impulsively.
Paul stopped and turned back.
"How many eggs did you get?"
"I can't remember exactly,' Paul said. "Five or six."
"Is that good?"
"It's perfectly adequate," Paul said. A faint smile graced his heretofore grim expression. Then he left.
"He's not much of a conversationalist," Joanna commented.
"He's a busy man," Myron said. He pulled the sheet back to expose her legs. "Why don't you stand up and see how that feels. I think you're about ready to have that IV taken out."
"Does Dr. Saunders do all the egg retrievals?" Joanna asked as she sat up and dropped her feet over the side of the bed. Then she slid off to stand while holding the johnny closed behind her back with her left hand.
"He and Dr. Donaldson do them together."
"Do you think his coming in here means my roommate's procedure is done?"
"'That would be my guess," Myron said. "How do you feel? Any dizziness at all?"
Joanna shook her head.
"Then let's get that IV out and get you on your way."
Fifteen minutes later Joanna was at the locker extracting her clothing, shoes, and bag. There were four other patients in hospital garb sitting on the couches and chairs and flipping through magazines. None of them paid her any attention. Deborah's locker was still locked up tight.
As Joanna entered the same changing room she'd used earlier, Cynthia arrived with Deborah in tow. Deborah's face lit up with a broad smile when she caught sight of Joanna, and she immediately rushed over to squeeze into the changing room. She closed the door behind her.
"How did it go for you?" Deborah demanded in a whisper.
"It wasn't bad at all," Joanna answered, unsure why they were whispering. "The anesthesiologist said I might feel a little burning in my arm when he gave me the 'milk of amnesia, but I didn't feel a thing. I don't even remember going to sleep."
"Milk of amnesia?" Deborah questioned. "What the hell is that?"
"It's what the anesthesiologist called the medicine he gave me," Joanna said. "It was so rapid. It was like somebody just turned out the lights. I didn't feel a thing through the whole procedure. And on top of that, I'm happy to report I didn't have any nausea when I woke up."
"Not even a little queasiness?"
"Nothing. And I woke up the same way I went to sleep: really suddenly." Joanna snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. "The whole experience was benign. How was yours?"
"Truly a piece of cake," Deborah said. "No worse than a routine pap smear."
"No pain?"
"A little, I suppose, when the local anesthetic went in, but that was it. The worst part was the humiliation of being looked into."
"How many eggs did they get?"
"I haven't the slightest idea," Deborah admitted. "I assume only one. That's how many we women put out each month without hormonal hyperstimulation."
"They got five or six from me."
"Well, aren't we impressed," Deborah said in a playfully sarcastic tone. "How do you know?"
"I asked," Joanna said. "The doctor came by when I was in the recovery room. His name's Dr. Saunders. You must have met him, because he's the one who does the egg retrievals along with Dr. Donaldson."
"Was this Dr. Saunders a rather short guy with unusual eyes?"
"He's the one. I think he's also kinda strange as well as quiet. What was weird was that he seemed to act mad when he found out I was already awake."
"Get out of here!" Deborah blurted.
"I'm serious."
"The reason I'm surprised is that he acted mad with me, too."
"No kidding!" Joanna said. "Then he's definitely got a problem, which is
"No sign of any bleeding,' Myron said, "and the gas has been absorbed."
Paul nodded. He pulled the johnny back to cover Joanna's abdomen and turned to leave.
"Dr. Saunders," Joanna called out impulsively.
Paul stopped and turned back.
"How many eggs did you get?"
"I can't remember exactly,' Paul said. "Five or six."
"Is that good?"
"It's perfectly adequate," Paul said. A faint smile graced his heretofore grim expression. Then he left.
"He's not much of a conversationalist," Joanna commented.
"He's a busy man," Myron said. He pulled the sheet back to expose her legs. "Why don't you stand up and see how that feels. I think you're about ready to have that IV taken out."
"Does Dr. Saunders do all the egg retrievals?" Joanna asked as she sat up and dropped her feet over the side of the bed. Then she slid off to stand while holding the johnny closed behind her back with her left hand.
"He and Dr. Donaldson do them together."
"Do you think his coming in here means my roommate's procedure is done?"
"'That would be my guess," Myron said. "How do you feel? Any dizziness at all?"
Joanna shook her head.
"Then let's get that IV out and get you on your way."
Fifteen minutes later Joanna was at the locker extracting her clothing, shoes, and bag. There were four other patients in hospital garb sitting on the couches and chairs and flipping through magazines. None of them paid her any attention. Deborah's locker was still locked up tight.
As Joanna entered the same changing room she'd used earlier, Cynthia arrived with Deborah in tow. Deborah's face lit up with a broad smile when she caught sight of Joanna, and she immediately rushed over to squeeze into the changing room. She closed the door behind her.
"How did it go for you?" Deborah demanded in a whisper.
"It wasn't bad at all," Joanna answered, unsure why they were whispering. "The anesthesiologist said I might feel a little burning in my arm when he gave me the 'milk of amnesia, but I didn't feel a thing. I don't even remember going to sleep."
"Milk of amnesia?" Deborah questioned. "What the hell is that?"
"It's what the anesthesiologist called the medicine he gave me," Joanna said. "It was so rapid. It was like somebody just turned out the lights. I didn't feel a thing through the whole procedure. And on top of that, I'm happy to report I didn't have any nausea when I woke up."
"Not even a little queasiness?"
"Nothing. And I woke up the same way I went to sleep: really suddenly." Joanna snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. "The whole experience was benign. How was yours?"
"Truly a piece of cake," Deborah said. "No worse than a routine pap smear."
"No pain?"
"A little, I suppose, when the local anesthetic went in, but that was it. The worst part was the humiliation of being looked into."
"How many eggs did they get?"
"I haven't the slightest idea," Deborah admitted. "I assume only one. That's how many we women put out each month without hormonal hyperstimulation."
"They got five or six from me."
"Well, aren't we impressed," Deborah said in a playfully sarcastic tone. "How do you know?"
"I asked," Joanna said. "The doctor came by when I was in the recovery room. His name's Dr. Saunders. You must have met him, because he's the one who does the egg retrievals along with Dr. Donaldson."
"Was this Dr. Saunders a rather short guy with unusual eyes?"
"He's the one. I think he's also kinda strange as well as quiet. What was weird was that he seemed to act mad when he found out I was already awake."
"Get out of here!" Deborah blurted.
"I'm serious."
"The reason I'm surprised is that he acted mad with me, too."
"No kidding!" Joanna said. "Then he's definitely got a problem, which is
Similar Books
Bear v. Shark
Chris Bachelder
Angels Dance
Nalini Singh
Melbourne Heat
Elizabeth Lapthorne
Who's That Lady?
Andrea Jackson
Highland Soldiers: The Betrayal
J.L. Jarvis
The Word Master
Jason Luke
Blood Prophecy
Alyxandra Harvey
Chains of Revenge
Keziah Hill
The Widow and the Orphan
J. Thomas-Like
Rise From Darkness
Ciara Knight