Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 81

two of them were on the early shift.

Without having had lunch, Sherri and Natalie contemplated heading to the ultrasound room for their

scans.

Approaching one of the rooms, they gently pushed the door open, only to find a female doctor in her

forties performing an ultrasound on a patient. Sherri quickly realized the situation and quietly closed the

door behind them.

Neither of them found it surprising that people were still in the room at this hour, so they waited

patiently outside the door.

It was standard as the demand for ultrasound scans was high, often leading doctors to work extra

hours to complete their exammations before calling it a day.

Soon enough, the patient stepped out with a paper in hand.

Sherri checked the information on the screen, confirming they were the final patient. With a determined

step, she opened the door again and entered the room.

Sherri warmly greeted the female doctor in the ultrasound room. “Hey, Chloe! It seems like you’ve had

a hectic day today.” The weary Chloe exclaimed, “Gosh, I’m exhausted. It’s been non-stop lately, with a

never-ending influx of patients. I practically have to stay past my shift every single day.”

Glancing at Natalie, Chloe raised an eyebrow in surprise, “What brings you two here today, like a tag

team! Did you skip lunch at the cafeteria for an examination?”

Sherri smiled sweetly, her laughter carrying a hint of charm. “Exactly! Mrs. Wilson had some

gynecological concerns, so 1 brought her for a check-up”

Natalie was speechless. Her smile was tinged with a hint of awkwardness,

Chloe chuckled and said, “Well, it’s no surprise these days. Many young women have gynecological

concerns. They often neglect early signs, and things can get complicated later on. Alright, please lie

down, and let me conduct an examination.” Feeling embarrassed, Natalie hurriedly explained, “Oh,

Chloe, don’t worry. Go ahead and grab a meal. We can manage the examination ourselves without

wasting your time.”

Warmly and compassionately, Chloe insisted, ‘Don’t worry about the time. It’ll only take a few minutes.

Come on Sherri

quickly made an excuse. “Chloe, you should attend to your other duties. Mrs, Wilson here has a slight

discomfort. She’s a bit shy about undressing in front of strangers. It might be better if 1 handle it. We’re

used to checking on each other, you know.”

Natalie found herself at a loss for words once again.

Chloe couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Oh, you young folks! You’re still so young, yet you already

have so many quirks Alright, you can handle it yourselves. But you really should work on overcoming

your shyness. In the future, when you’re married and become pregnant, you’ll have to undress for

examinations quite frequently. And during labor, your cervix must be checked multiple times throughout

the night. There’s no need to be embarrassed. We’re all women, and when it comes to undressing,

we’re all in the same boat.”

Sherri was left speechless, her mind momentarily blank

Natalie once again found herself speechless, her forehead throbbing with a rapid pulse. Determinedly,

she mustered the courage to respond, “Chloe. I understand. Ell do my best to overcome it.”

Having a genuine concern for the younger generation, Chloe imparted her advice with sincerity.

Satisfied with Natalie’s reply, she decided not to dwell on the matter further. “Alright then, I’ll leave now.

Remember to close the door when you’re done.”

Sherri quickly chimed in, “Absolutely.”

Once Chloe left, both Sherri and Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. Natalie walked toward the door and

secured it with a lock. “Chloe is truly caring. I almost felt overwhelmed by her kindness.”

Sherri nodded in agreement, her voice filled with conviction. “Absolutely, that’s why I brought you to this

ultrasound room. She’s wonderful, very friendly, and genuinely caring. You can lie down first, and I’ll

perform the examination.”

Natalie rolled up one pant leg and positioned herself on the examination bed.

Sherri prepared the ultrasound probe with a protective cover and applied the gel before commencing

the scan.

Once she visualized the embryo, Sherri’s expression turned complex, a mix of surprise and

indescribable emotions crossing her face. “Natalie, the embryo has successfully implanted in your

uterus. Everything looks good. Now, as for you…

As she removed the probe and disposed of the used protective cover in a designated waste bin, she

continued with her

Questi

Natalie anticipated Sherri’s question. “I know what you’re thinking. Once the decision is made, I won’t

waver. Having him will bring me a new dimension, adding some much needed vibrancy. Don’t be so

pessimistic. Shouldn’t you be happy that I. the lone wolf, will have a child? But above all, u’s about you

Have you truly thought at through?”

Honestly, the presence of another life growing inside her belly wasn’t her most significant concern. She

knew she could provide and care for the child. It was the situation with Sherri that troubled her

Taking full responsibility, she couldn’t deny feeling a sense of guilt.

However, Natalie would never let it show on her face. She understood Sherri’s temperament, knowing

she disliked overly emotional scenes like herself. If Sherri decided to proceed with the pregnancy,

Natalie was prepared to take on the subsequent challenges. She had made that decision the night

before.

She wouldn’t let Sherri face unwarranted criticism

Sherri’s emotions dampened, realizing she hadn’t fully sorted out her feelings. She hesitated to make a

definitive decision. “Let’s proceed with the examination first. Give me some time to think.”

Natalie didn’t push further and nodded in agreement. Alright, lie down.”

Following the same procedure, Sherri requested to have the computer screen turned toward her. “Let

me take a look.”

Natalie obliged and adjusted the computer screen to face Sherri.

As Sherri caught sight of the embryo, tears welled in her eyes and began trickling down her cheeks.

Natalie’s eyes also glistened with tears, and she softly spoke to Sherri, “Sherri. I’m sorry”

Sherri brushed away the tears welling in the corners of her eyes and smiled, her voice filled with

warmth. “Oh, you silly fool. what are you talking about? Do you think I’m crying because I’m

overwhelmed by this unexpected pregnancy? No, that’s not it at all. I’m amazed, utterly astonished,

that there’s a tiny little embryo growing inside me. Natalie, I want to bring her into this world. I can’t

bear to deny her the gift of life.

At that moment, her mind was crystal clear, her determination unwavering

Natalie fought back tears, her eyes gleaming with understanding, and nodded in agreement. “Alright.”

Sherri understood Natalie’s feelings of guilt, but life is unpredictable. She had chosen to visit the

mansion, and that fateful night, despite Natalie’s caution, she had encouraged her to have a drink. She

couldn’t lay the blame solely on her.

Moreover, having this child wasn’t all downside. Just imagine sharing the journey of pregnancy and

prenatal check-ups with Natalie and ultimately giving birth on the same day. It would be a truly

remarkable and beautiful experience,

By approaching things from a different angle, one never knows. Happiness might be waiting just

around the corner.

Stepping out of the ultrasound room, Natalie checked the time on her phone and said to Sherri. “It’s still

early before work. Let me get you some nutritious meals. We can’t just grab anything.”

As an obstetrician-gynecologist, she understood the significance of nutrition for the baby and the

precautions to be taken. “Alright, even milkshakes are off-limits now.”

Natalie chuckled, ‘We’ll have to resist some cravings. It’s ironic being a doctor and constantly having

these thoughts. I’m even prepared to give up durian.”

Sherri thought about Natalie’s previous smoking habit, which used to be quite frequent. “You can’t

smoke anymore. After we finish work this afternoon, let’s head to the pharmacy and get some

nutritional supplements. Swift grain, milk, coffee beans. We can make our coffee too.”

Natalie was determined to take good care of Sherri “Certainly, Your Highness. I’ll make sure to attend

to your needs perfectly.”

Sherri tilted her head back and burst into laughter. “With a chuckle, little Natalie will be your companion,

heading straight to your office.”

“Alright. You may rise.”

They laughed joyfully, and the dark clouds in their hearts dissipated. It could be said that upon seeing

the pulsating embryo, all the negauve thoughts vanished into thin air.

How could a compassionate person ever commit the act of ending a life, especially one connected to

their flesh and blood?

It was too cruel

They accepted their circumstances, resigning themselves to fate.

This was the shared mindset of Natalie and Sherri

Only two souls with such kindred spirits could engage in deep conversations and sustain an eternal

bond

At noon, Natalie ordered a nourishing meal for Sherri. She selected a comforting creamy tomato soup,

a perfectly cooked steak, flavorful barbecue ribs, delectable meatballs, grilled salmon, and an

irresistible plate of pasta.

Sherri slumped in her chair, feeling stuffed and rubbing her belly.

Natalie couldnt help but express her concern. “If you couldn’t finish it, you could have saved some for

later. You’ve eaten so much. You might end up with an upset stomach.”

Sherri let out a satisfied sigh. The food was delicious. Despite the small size of the stir-fry restaurant

next to the hospital, the flavors are truly exceptional.”

Natalie nodded in agreement, especially impressed by the thick and rich texture of the creamy tomato

soup that seemed to have added more than just one tomato.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Natalie’s mind. She looked up at Sherri, who was sitting across from her.

“Hey, Sherri, how’s your plan to study abroad? Have you talked to your director? Today seems to be

the deadline for submitting the forms.”

Sherri quickly stood up, startling Natalie. “Hold on, let me catch my breath. I just realized it too. With

everything that happened yesterday, it slipped my mind.”

“Well, I won’t waste any more time. I will find the Director and have a thorough discussion.