Chapter 53

It's quite a scene watching Tori and Tae interact. My two favorite people are at complete odds. I'm sitting safely in the backseat while Tori and Tae shoot daggers across from each other in the front seat. Tori said she would play nice at our ultrasound appointment today but I can tell she still doesn't fully forgive him. 

I appreciate how she always has my back. I feel a warm hand on my shaking knee. I look up to meet Tae's eyes. It's his first time seeing these babies in real time. I'm sure he's excited but I am so incredibly nervous to see if they are healthy. 

We file into the small dark room. A few waiting room chairs are lined against the wall and a pelvic bed with a machine I'm all too familiar with is waiting. She confirms my name and date of birth and I give her the information. 

"So who do you have with you today?" She eyes my entourage on the chairs and before I'm even able to make a sound I hear Tori speak. 

"I'm her sister." She says proudly and I see Tae looking at her with a smirk on his face. "I'm husband." Tori's face morphs into an annoyed expression and scoffs, "like hell you are." He retorts, "You aren't even her sister." I chuckle and look at the Ultrasound tech "They are my family." That earns me two beaming smiles. I feel impressed at Tae's English. I guess Kang has actually helped him a lot the past week and he was studying more in Korea. 

I try to understand everything she is doing, knowing full well that I don't understand everything. I am an ultrasound tech but I don't scan high risk OB so it still is a little confusing. She is sure to show us all of the adorable moments. Baby A waving at us, Baby A sucking it's thumb, Baby A kicking it's wombmate. I start to notice the lack of movement from Baby B and how she is deliberately not showing them to us. 

While she is still scanning my doctor comes in and starts to take a look as well. She points over to Tae, "Is this the father?" I nod wondering why everyone is so concerned. "Perfect, you have a support person with you." I see Tori about to purse her lips to speak when she stops. "The babies are stable for now, but Baby B still is not growing and his heart rate is erratic. We need to deliver these babies today." 

The room goes silent. I'm not sure if it's me, or everyone else. My eyes lock onto Tae's and I'm sure he didn't understand every word of what was said but he knows by my face. He jumps up from his seat and stands next to me, grabbing my hand with one and the other moving the hair off of my face. 

Tori also rises into action, "Now? Or soon?" The doctor confirms my fears. "Now."

"I think we will be able to still follow your birth plan, the babies aren't too large. I think we can still do a vaginal delivery. We will start you on pitocin to induce your labor at the hospital and I'm hoping you can deliver tonight. If not, we will be forced to do a C-Section in the morning. We will keep constant monitoring on the babies, so if anything changes you will be the first to know." 

"We will get on the phone with the L&D and tell them you will be on your way." 

Tori gets up and starts messing with her phone, "I'll call my Dad, he can bring your hospital bag you packed." She pauses and then looks right at me, "Do you want me to have him contact your Dad?" I shake my head, "Not yet. I need to get through this first." She nods at me, "Okay, and just so you know me and Tae will be with you the entire time. You are not alone." 

The tech starts wiping the gel off of my swollen belly and she hands a stack of pictures to Tae. He looks at the top one for a long time and swipes a tear from his eye and then looks at me. He kisses the top of my forehead and it seems everyone has left the room. He kisses my nose and then my lips. He whispers to me in English, "I love you, Rina." 

I get a quick glance at the top photo in the stack and it has two speech bubbles above each baby's lips. "Hi Daddy, nice to meet you" and "We love you."