“Are the side effects dangerous?”
“Yes and no. Once the drug dissipates, the female rats are left sterile.”
“I’m already sterile,” she whispered.
The doctor smiled for the first time. “So, there’s not much for you to worry about. Your mother told me you get your menses every month.”
“Yes. But it’s very light and doesn’t last more than two days.”
“Just enough to indicate you may be spotting. That’s what I’m going to discuss with your husband.”
A wave of panic shot through Precious as she went completely still. “What are you going to tell him?”
“That you should refrain from sexual intercourse, not lift anything heavy, and get plenty of bed rest. I will make house calls each month to check on you. The midwife I’ve assigned to the mother is first-rate, and she will be monitoring her confinement as closely as I’m going to do with you. Now, you can get dressed and then see me in my office when you’re done.”
Precious slipped off the gown and slowly put on her underwear, stockings, and then her dress, her mind in tumult. It was obvious her mother had paid the doctor well to violate the tenets of his oath. She knew if she asked Lillian Crawford how much she’d paid Dr. Raitt to go along with her scheme, Precious was certain her mother would refuse to reveal it, even to her own daughter.
Lillian had become the model of a wholly independent twentieth-century Negro woman. Not only had she married well; whatever she’d earned as a nurse, she did not have toshare with her dentist-husband, who had inherited the practice from his father. Lillian had also maintained a close relationship with her AKA sorors, who were always available to her whenever she wanted or needed something to cement her status as a much sought-after social doyen.
Precious knew she would never achieve the acceptance or popularity of her mother because of her marriage. It had gotten back to her that although she’d married a man with a sizable fortune, he still lacked the education that would make him their peers. There were those who continued to question how he’d initially made enough money to invest in real estate. A grocery store owner, selling to poor Negroes, mostly on credit, would be hard-pressed to maintain a profit year after year. The ongoing rumors that he had been involved in prostitution and bookmaking for Italian criminals continued to persist, even after Dennis moved from Harlem to Mount Vernon.
Reaching for her handbag, Precious left the exam room and walked several feet to Dr. Raitt’s office. Dennis was already there, and he rose to stand along with the doctor when she entered.
He cupped her elbow. “Please sit down, darling. Dr. Raitt was just telling me that based on his calculation, we should become parents in early summer.”
“Your husband is right,” Dr. Raitt said, as he adjusted his glasses. “However, what I didn’t tell him is that the laboratory reported a small amount of blood in your urine, which indicates you may be spotting.”
Dennis leaned forward. “Is that serious?”
Dr. Raitt laced his fingers together on the top of his desk. “Not as serious as it is risky. What I mean by that is you have to abstain from sexual intercourse over the duration of your wife’s confinement.”
Dennis shook his head, seemingly in disbelief. “Are you telling me I can’t make love to my wife?”
“Yes. That is if you want her to carry her baby to fullterm. Otherwise, there is the possibility that she may miscarry. The choice is yours, Mr. Boone.”
A beat passed before Dennis said, “I’ll do whatever needs to be done, because I’ve waited a long time to become a father.” Reaching for Precious’s free hand, he gently squeezed her fingers. “Both of us have waited a very long time for this moment.”
Dr. Raitt smiled. “And because you have, I need for you to go along with my recommendations. I usually ask impending fathers not to share the same bed as their pregnant wives, and that means sleeping in another bedroom, because it’s difficult to control temptation. As a young, healthy male, you don’t need me to elaborate for you, Mr. Boone.”
Dennis also smiled. “I understand exactly what you’re talking about, Doc.”
“Good. I want your wife to increase her intake of food, because she’ll not only be eating for herself, but also the baby. You don’t want her to deliver an underweight baby, which can lead to a number of problems.”
“No, I don’t,” Dennis agreed.
“I’m going to come out to your home to check on Mrs. Boone, rather than have her come here to the office. It will be once a month, then twice a month once she’s in her seventh and eighth month, then every week during the final month. If she follows my instructions, then you both should welcome a healthy baby boy or girl before the end of June.”
Dennis released Precious’s hand and extended his to the doctor. “Thank you, Dr. Raitt, for everything. I will make certain my wife follows everything you’ve told her.”
Dr. Raitt shook the proffered hand. “You can thank me later, once I deliver your baby.”
“How much do I owe you?” Dennis asked.
“You can speak to my receptionist about the bill.”
Precious lowered her eyes rather than glare at the doctor. Her mother had probably paid Dr. Raitt a tidy sum, but the greedy little bastard was probably going to inflate the bill becausehe knew Dennis would pay it without questioning the amount. She picked up her handbag and followed Dennis out of the doctor’s office.
“I’m going to wait in the car, while you settle the bill.”
