"She doesn't need to do the x-ray"

One innocuous afternoon in late June, Margaux and I headed off to a designated clinic to have my medical tests done - the final stage towards getting my UAE residency card.

I don't mean to complain, but it's important I feel to point out that it's always a bit of a hassle getting around with an infant. Since I don't drive it requires getting everything ready and then wandering around in the heat trying to hail a taxi driver, who will hopefully know where he's going. I always pack activities and food for Margaux, but it's a bit of a gamble as to whether either or both will be successful.

In the late morning on this day we met Thomas near his office to collect some final paperwork from him regarding the residency process, and Margaux took the opportunity to have her day-time nap in the pram. Personally, I would have preferred it while we were in the waiting room of the clinic, but I don't really have much of a say in when sleep takes over...

We eventually made our way to the clinic and waited around for what felt like forever with Margaux tearing around the waiting room, before I was called in to have my blood test done. I hate needles. Once that was over, all that was required was a quick chest x-ray (no idea why) and all would be done. Hooray!

There was just one brief form to fill before we did the x-ray: to declare upon my mother's grave and everything that I hold dear that I am not pregnant. Well. I knew I wasn't. I'd been pregnant before, so obviously I knew what it felt like. Yes, technically I could have been but I just wasn't. But, since I couldn't categorically say that I conclusively wasn't pregnant, the technician asked me to do a (ahem) urine test just to be sure. (If you are pregnant then you are exempt from the x-ray, due to possible damage to the foetus from radiation.)

So back Maggie and I went to the main building to request the test, only to discover that the lab shuts at 2:00pm. The time was 2:03. I'm not even exaggerating. No, it was absolutely impossible to do the test and have the results today. I pleaded my case, using Margaux as my prime leverage, but it was to no avail. I would just have to come back tomorrow.

That night I did a pregnancy test myself just to make sure, and the results were that I wasn't pregnant. No big surprise.

The next morning my intrepid companion and I headed back to the clinic for the fateful test. We waited about 15 minutes for the result, and then a lab technician came and said, "We're not certain of the results."
"Pardon me?"
"Well, there are traces of pregnancy in the urine."
"What do you mean, 'traces of pregnancy'? I can't be a little bit pregnant!"
"There are two options here: you come back first thing in the morning in two days' time and we can re-do the test then, or you can do a blood test now and come back tomorrow to find out the result."
"So I have to come back, no matter what."
"Yes."

Not wanting to risk a second ambiguous urine test result, I settled on the blood test.

The following day, for the third time in three days, Margaux and I made the trek out to the clinic. One of the men working there went to fetch the results. He returned and spoke directly to his colleague, not even acknowledging my presence, with the following, life-changing comment:
"She doesn't need to do the x-ray."
Me: "Hang on. What was that? Was that me you were talking about?"
"Yes."
"I don't need to do the x-ray? Because I'm... I'm... pregnant???"
"Yes."

All of a sudden I felt rather light-headed and like I was in an alternate reality. But what about the pregnancy test I'd done at home? Then I remembered that the same result had happened with Margaux, so maybe I shouldn't have been too surprised.

I didn't know where to stand or where to sit. Or what to think. Or anything, much. Margaux was disappointingly nonreactive to this news. And then I started thinking about all the implications... my mind was on overload. Yes, we'd been intending to expand the family, but I wasn't quite ready to find out. And especially not like this!

Of course I immediately called Thomas, who was over the moon about the finding. It was time to find some specialists.