Page 174 of Sinister

Bright golden light spills over the plush interiors of the local OB-GYN office’s waiting area.

I fill out some forms, and we sit chatting in a comfy chaise lounge among other clients.

A few minutes later, a woman in a stately navy-blue suit ushers us into the physician’s office and requests for me to wait for the doctor.

I sit on the examination table, anxiety buzzing beneath my skin. Sin sits beside me, his fingers interlaced with mine, and the mere touch of his fingers is enough to ground me.

Today’s the day we get to see our baby. I’ve been looking forward to this ultrasound, but then the bespectacled, kind-looking technician comes in with a warm greeting, “You folks look awfully young, but we’re here to help you, so don’t be worried.”

I suddenly feel a knot of nerves fraying somewhere inside me and look to Sin in blind panic.

“It’s okay,” he tells me in a bracing tone, while his hands massage my shoulders gently. “You’ve got this.”

I nod and lie down on the table, while the doctor puts gel on the head of the ultrasound wand and then on my distended belly. I shiver at the cold texture of the gel and squirm around a little as the technician probes my stomach with the wand, pressing and prodding some areas in gentle motions.

“All right, Petra,” he says after a while. “You’re almost five months along, so let’s see how your little one is doing.”

I glance at Sin, who is watching the screen with a look of awe. “It’s insane to think we’re about to see him,” he murmurs in a hoarse voice.

“I know,” I reply, and my own voice rises barely above a whisper. “I’m nervous but excited.”

As the technician guides the transducer over my skin, we finally get a clearer picture—an outline of the baby.

“There he is!” Sin exclaims with joy.

I lean in closer to the screen, trying to make out the features of the tiny figure.

It’s hard to discern much in the mass of white and black spots on the screen, but my hawk-eyed stare finally starts to see the lines of the baby’s body: the round head, small hands, and feet curled up close to the stomach.

The technician captures the image, and I can’t help but smile.

“It’s a boy,” the technician says.

“I can’t believe it.”

“Looks like a little champ already,” Sin adds, voice swelling with pride.

“Everything seems normal from what I can see. He’s in a good position,” the technician says. I feel myself relaxing and sinking deeper into the bed under me.

But something in Sin’s expression catches my eye. He’s staring at the technician’s face, so I turn to the man as well.

“What is it?” I demand in a voice quivering in fear.

The man’s brow furrows for just a moment as he moves the wand around before stopping and pushing on one spot.

“Nothing to worry about,” he says in a carefully modulated voice that immediately makes me worry. “Let me just check a couple of things here.”

Unease unfurls within me, but I try my best to brush it aside, focusing instead on Sin’s hand in mine.

I can see Sin’s reflection on the screen—his face is drawn and despairing.

“Wow, look at those little fingers,” I say in an attempt to inject some sense of normalcy into what is starting to feel like a living nightmare. “He’s perfect.”

Just then, the technician’s fingers pause. “Hmm. That’s odd,” he mutters, leaning in closer to the screen. “There’s something here, but I can’t see . . .”

Suddenly, the lights flicker, and the power goes out completely, plunging us into near darkness. The only light comes from the small screen, which is still displaying the ultrasound.

“What’s happening?” I ask, panic rising in my chest in fast waves.