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KICK INSIDE

by Keith Topping

A surprise for Tegan.

Rated G

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The girl lay back and stared squintingly into the florescent overhead light. The black leather couch had formed a second skin in places, where her maternity dress had ridden up, stuck to her real skin like glue.

Slowly, with measured, experienced thrusts, the gynaecologist was busy inserting a series of optic fibres into her womb, whistling softly to himself as he did so. He turned to the lurid green display unit at the side of the couch and flicked the switch upwards, immediately bringing the screen to life with a flourish. A single green line formed across the screen from end-to-end. "This should only take a moment," he said through a bristling moustache. "Ah, there we are."

The line flickered and formed inself into a regular pulse. A rhythm. A heartbeat.

"Now, you should be able to see and hear the baby's heartbeat, Miss Jovanka," said the gynaecologist with a faltering smile as the pumping, pulsating sound seemed to echo and ricochet folding back on itself. The waving green blip on the screen had suddenly become two. "Damn," said the gynaecologist with annoyance, slamming his fist onto the top of the VDU. "It must have picked up an echo. I mean, the baby can't have two hearts, surely?"

A hand shot up to the girl's mouth and then moved down to her bulging stomach. "No," she said softly, "quite impossible." She smiled.

THE END