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Antonio lay back against the cool white sheet. The nurse tied the tourniquet tightly around his muscular bicep. Antonio glanced at Ricardo lying on the next bed. Ricardo was staring intently at the ceiling while another nurse readied his arm for the blood test.
Antonio watched the needle as it sank into his arm. He closed his eyes as the nurse released the tourniquet and the vile filled with his dark red blood. Ricardo watched his brother as he lay quietly on the bed with his eyes shut. Neither could believe it had come to his. Two brothers, best friends, having their blood drawn to determine which was the father to Gabi’s baby. They had fought fiercely the day before, drawing blood then from each other and now, again. Ricardo closed his eyes as the nurse pulled the needle out of his arm. He bent his arm up as instructed and sat up on the side of the bed. Antonio held the gauze tightly against his arm to stop the bleeding. He raised himself up and swung his legs off the bed. The two brothers sat facing each other, their eyes meeting with an intensity that was palpable. Each one certain the test results would prove him the father. After a few moments of silence that could have been cut with a knife, Antonio spoke. "I can’t believe you are making Gabi go through this now, Ricardo." "It can’t wait, Antonio. The sooner I prove to you that baby is mine, the sooner you can get over this infatuation with Gabi and let things get back to normal." Ricardo said surely. Antonio looked incredulously at his brother. Ricardo sensed Antonio’s mood, so he ventured on. "You know, T, Gabi and I made love a lot more times than you two did so..." "Enough, Ricardo. I have to go." Antonio said with disgust as he stood from the bed and headed out the door. "I wouldn’t turn in that collar yet, T," Ricardo called after him with a laugh. (WRITER’S NOTE) I have no medical training whatsoever, but for purposes of this story, amniocentesis can be used to determine paternity. THANKS!!! Antonio hurried to the room Gabi had been taken to. He knew she was nervous about the amniocentesis. As he entered, he saw the ultrasound machine sitting near the head of her bed. Gabi was lying down, her eyes shut tightly, her stomach exposed. The nurse was cleaning her belly with the rust colored, foamy liquid. Antonio stood in the doorway for a few seconds. The thought had never entered his mind that this baby wasn’t his. After his experience with God and the way Gabi had protected him from Ricardo, he was sure it was his child. He wouldn’t allow himself to think any other way. Gabi opened her eyes looking anxiously for Antonio. She spotted him and quickly held out her hand. Antonio walked to the opposite side of the bed, taking Gabi’s hand in his. She touched her other hand to the band-aid covering the site of his blood test. Antonio looked down at her with a warm, gentle smile. He could feel her hand trembling in his and he was getting worried. Tyus came into the room and began checking the equipment. Gabi looked nervously to the doctor as he fussed with the dials. Tyus turned to Gabi, "Okay, Gabi. Are you ready to get started?" Gabi fought to control the tears as she nodded her head yes. Antonio squeezed her hand tightly covering it with his other hand. "Are you sure this is okay, Tyus? It isn’t going to hurt the baby?" Antonio asked cautiously. "Everything should be fine Fa...Antonio," Tyus answered, correcting himself quickly. Ricardo had explained in great detail the necessity of the test to Tyus, so he was aware of the complexity of the situation. "The baby’s heartrate has been very strong since the accident and Gabi has had no pain or bleeding. This is a very routine procedure. Why don’t we get started?" Gabi turned her head to face Antonio. "I don’t think I can watch," she said quietly, her voice shaky. "It’s okay...just keep looking at me." Antonio said reassuringly, even though his own stomach was tied in a knot. Tyus turned on the machine and readied the wand with the lubricant. He placed it on Gabi’s belly and she jumped slightly from the coldness. Antonio looked up quickly to make sure she wasn’t in any pain. Gabi managed a small smile and Antonio relaxed a bit. The room filled with a soothing, swishing sound. Gabi immediately recognized it from her appointment with Dr. Green. A tear slipped out of her eye and down her cheek. Antonio leaned over and spoke quietly to her, "Are you okay, Gabi?" Gabi looked into his eyes as a smile crossed her lips, "Antonio, that’s the baby’s heart beat." Antonio looked back to the ultrasound screen as the picture began to take shape before him. Gabi turned to the screen just as the image became clear. Tyus raised his hand and pointed to the small round blur thumping wildly inside Gabi’s womb. "This is the baby’s heart," he said matter-of-factly. He moved the wand across Gabi’s belly slightly as the image on the screen turned. "And this is the baby’s head." He pointed to the screen. Antonio and Gabi could see the outline of the baby’s head, the sunken, black circles that were its eyes, the rounded shape of its nose and the small lips that formed the edge of its mouth. Gabi began to cry as Antonio squeezed her hand tightly. She looked up to see his eyes full with tears as he stared at the screen. This was their baby…their baby. Tyus reached over to the sterile tray and lifted the needle. Gabi gasped when she saw the long, silver needle attached to the large syringe. Antonio’s eyes widened as Tyus moved the needle towards Gabi’s stomach. "Okay, Gabi…I need you to lay very still for me, okay? It’s real important that you don’t move." Antonio turned his attention back to Gabi. "Look at me, Gabi. Look right at me," Antonio prodded her gently. Gabi raised her eyes to meet Antonio’s and his heart grabbed from the fear in her eyes. He wanted to stop this craziness right now, but he knew Ricardo would keep insisting on the test until it was done. "It’s okay, Gabi. I’m here." He held her hand with both of his. "Just lie still." Gabi never took her eyes off Antonio. Antonio tried not to grimace as Tyus deftly pierced Gabi’s abdomen with the 7-inch long shiny needle. Gabi whimpered and squeezed Antonio’s hand as the needle penetrated her skin. Tyus focused on the screen as he maneuvered the needle amazingly close to the baby. Gabi puffed away the pain without her eyes leaving Antonio’s face. Antonio watched as the needle appeared on the screen entirely too close to his baby for his comfort. Tyus began to draw the top of the syringe as the chamber filled with the yellow fluid. "Okay, Gabi. You’re doing great. Just another minute." Tyus spoke calmly. Gabi closed her eyes tightly and waited for the test to conclude. She felt a pinch as Tyus withdrew the needle. Antonio leaned close and whispered, "It’s all over, Gabi. You did great." He brushed her cheek lightly with his soft lips. She felt a warm flush as she opened her eyes. Antonio was smiling at her as she turned her head back to the ultrasound screen. Antonio’s eyes followed hers to gaze one more time at the baby. Tyus flipped off the machine and put the wand back onto the tray. "Okay, Gabi. The nurse will get you all cleaned up and then we’re going to let you go home. It’s very important that you go straight to bed. You need a lot of rest to replace the amniotic fluid we have taken out. Take it very easy the next few days. We should have the results in two days. I’ll call you." "Thank you, Tyus," Antonio reached out his hand. Tyus shook Antonio’s hand and left the room. Antonio looked back to Gabi who was now staring out the window. He expected to find her with a look of relief, but she was staring blankly looking a million miles away. "Gabi?" Antonio whispered softly. Gabi closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "Gabi, what is it?" Antonio desperately wanted to take away whatever was hurting her. Gabi couldn’t speak. What if it isn’t Antonio’s baby, what if it really is Ricardo’s? Her head was spinning. Antonio reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. Antonio stepped back from the bed and Gabi could see the look of rejection in his eyes. Antonio wasn’t sure what to do. "Do you want me to wait outside?" he asked, hoping she would tell him no. Gabi shook her head yes and looked away from him. Antonio stood still and then started to reach for her hand again. He stopped himself, dropping his head. He didn’t want to leave her now. Antonio waited for Gabi to look back to him, but she didn’t. He turned and left the room reluctantly. As soon as he was out the door, Gabi began to cry. As he stood in the hall, Antonio reached his hand into his jacket pocket finding the smooth box still inside. He held it in his hand for a moment, and then pulled his hand back out quickly. He needed some fresh air. Antonio headed down the corridor and outside for a brief walk. Antonio waited outside for almost half an hour trying desperately to figure out why Gabi was so upset. Was she worried about the baby being alright after the test? Was she still upset about her run-in with Ricardo that morning? Was she worried that maybe the baby would be Ricardo’s after all? Antonio shook the thoughts from his head and headed back into the hospital. Tyus was standing in the hallway outside of Gabi’s room. "Antonio, Gabi’s ready to go now. Remember what I said, she needs strict bed rest for the next few days." "Don’t worry, Tyus. I’ll make sure she stays off her feet." Antonio shook Tyus’ hand once again before stepping into Gabi’s room. Gabi was dressed and sitting in a wheelchair. The nurse looked up to see Antonio waiting at the door. "You can go get the car and meet us downstairs," she instructed. Antonio looked at Gabi who still wouldn’t meet his gaze. He longed to go to her and hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but his own mind raced with the same thoughts as hers. He turned and headed out to get the car. Gabi rode all the way back to Surf Central without saying a word. She would wince when the car went over a bump. Her left arm and leg were still very sore. Antonio noticed that Gabi never moved her right hand away from her stomach. They arrived at Surf Central and Antonio ran around to open Gabi’s door and help her out. She stood gingerly, walking carefully up the steps and in the door. Antonio helped her up the stairs and into her room. "Why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll go down and get you something to eat?" Antonio offered. "Do you want me to help you get changed?" "No," Gabi said quietly. "I’ll manage." She turned and walked to her closet. Antonio closed the door behind him and headed downstairs. On his way down, he ran into Casey. "Hi, Casey." "Hi, Father Antonio," Casey replied with his usual smile. "What are you doing here?" Antonio cringed upon hearing Father from Casey. It suddenly occurred to him that no one was aware of the monumental events that had taken place in the last few days. "I just brought Gabi home from the hospital. I was just going to get her something to eat. Why don’t you come with me and I can fill you in?" Antonio was only going to tell Casey about Gabi’s accident…he decided it would be best to wait until the test results came to divulge anything further. Casey helped Antonio fix a tray for Gabi as he gave him all the details. Casey couldn’t believe Gabi had been so lucky in the accident. "I guess your boss must have been watching out for her, huh?" Casey quipped. "Yeah, I guess so." Antonio replied thoughtfully. "I guess so." Antonio headed back up the stairs with Gabi’s tray. He opened the door and stepped into her room. Gabi was lying on the bed, curled up on her right side. Her left arm was draped over her exposing the hospital bandage that covered her stitches. She was wearing shorts and Antonio could see the large, black and purple bruise that covered most of her left thigh. He cringed at the remembrance of hearing Tyus recount the accident. "Gabi?" Antonio said quietly, stepping towards the bed. Gabi’s eyes were closed and he could hear her breathing softly and rhythmically. Good, she needs to sleep, he thought to himself. He set the tray down on her desk and covered her up carefully with the blanket from her bed. Antonio was exhausted. He sat down in the corner chair and rubbed his eyes furiously, wincing as he touched the bruise on his cheekbone. He watched Gabi sleeping peacefully for awhile before he closed his own eyes for some rest, trying not to think about the test results.
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