Chapter Twenty One

                                    

                                          
The Future 
                          
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She was dead; on the inside, that is. With her feet swinging off the side of the examination table, it seemed like more of a nervous reflex than a childish habit. Neither gentlemen in the room paid any mind to stilling her. Sebastian stood by the door with his arms behind his back and Ciel was seated in the corner, just a foot or so from the table.
                          
The doctor had been taking a little longer than usual, though no one seemed to be bothered by it in the least bit. Ciel wasn't looking forward to returning to his pile of paperwork, and Sebastian didn't look too eager to head back to his daily routine. Neither of them wanted to leave Elizabeth alone in this state. 
                          
Elizabeth hoisted herself further back onto the cushioned table and relaxed against a small pillow. She hadn't spoken a word all day, and it was closing in on three p.m,. Her eyes closed and she slipped off into a relaxed half asleep state. It was unusual for her, to say the least, she never really indulged in taking midday naps. 
                          
The door opened and the usual, cheerful doctor waddled in. However, he seemed to be of heavy heart upon arrival. Instead of greeting Elizabeth as he usually would, he placed his suitcase on the counter provided and waddled over to stand in front of her. Elizabeth looked forward at the short man, emotionless. So many times she had seen this man walk in and out of her life; he was the man who delivered her, he was her childhood doctor as well as her mothers, He had patched up multiple scrapes and broken bones from both toddler and adolescent versions of she and her husband, he was a man in which knew more than he spoke of and remained close to the Phantomhive family for many years, and he was a very close regarded friend of Lady Francis. 
                          
Elizabeth managed to force a smile, in hopes of brightening up his deeply saddened face, if nothing else. "You don't have to smile for me, my little Lizzy." His chubby hands plucked her smaller ones from her lap and gave them a gentle squeeze, "There is little I can do for pain of the heart and it's an illness that will never go away. So I can't give you much more than my condolences. For that I am sorry. Let us each share a bit of your pain, for the little ones sake, shall we?" Elizabeth managed to nod and recompose herself as she allowed the doctor to examine her. He went through the usual steps, only he was quieter this time around. 
                          
The humble doctor scratched his head and finally spoke, "Oh dear.." Elizabeth jumped as Ciel sprang up from his seat, "What is it?!" He was nearly nose to nose with the doctor as he tried to see whatever it was he was seeing. With a knowing smile on his face, the doctor gently nudged him back to his seat beside the table, "Relax.." This made Elizabeth giggle and everyone in the room seemed to lighten up at the sound of her laughter. He hadn't heard it all day, Ciel hadn't realized just how much he had missed it.
                          
"I was going to say,"  The doctor continued, "The Lady would appear to be healthy, very healthy. So healthy that I am afraid she may deliver prematurely. 
                          
"Prematurely? But I'm only twenty weeks.." 
                          
"If things keep up the way they have been, we should expect a baby as early as eight months."
                          
"You're certain?"
                          
"Mark my words." He said with a grin and a nod, "I've been doing this for a while, you know?" Elizabeth smiled and gently rubbed her belly, "Oh! That reminds me!" He gently placed his stethoscope on her stomach and latched the other end to her small ears.  "You hear that?" Her glossy lips parted as she gasped, "Oh my goodness! What is that?"
                          
"You hear the inconsistency? There are two of them, the faster one belongs to the baby."
                          
"Oh my god-! Ciel, come listen to this!" Elizabeth shrieked across the room with excitement. Ciel gave the doctor a confused look, to which he responded with a smile, "Your child's heartbeat, would you like to listen, Lord Phan-" Ciel already had the stethoscope in his possession and was eye to eye with her belly. Elizabeth was left rubbing her, now stinging, ears from the force of him yanking the instrument from them, yet she couldn't help but laugh.
                          
"Stop laughing, Cordelia, I can't hear..!" Sebastian stared down at Ciel with surprise splattered across his usual stoic face and shook his head while pinching the bridge of his nose. The room burst into laughter and Ciel became flustered with agitation, "All of you-! Shut up!"
                          
After a few attempts, Elizabeth managed to calm down enough for him to hear the difference in heartbeat, "It's so fast.." His blue eyes twinkled with amazement, "I had no idea this was even a thing..that could be done..it's real.." It was clear to the doctor, Ciel had been lost in both realization and amazement. It was something that made him smile, as he didn't usually get to see this side of the young Phantomhive. 
                          
"You know, with that quick of a heart rate, I would just about wager the gender.." Ciel slid the medical instrument down around his neck and turned his attention to the doctor, "Oh? What would you wager?"
                          
"Based on my experience and the symptoms provided by the Lady. I can almost guarantee you a daughter, Lord Phantomhive."
                          
"A daughter, really?"
                          
"A fast heartbeat, early morning sickness, and proportional swelling; yes, would you like for me to promise you?"
                          
"Celine, right?" Ciel turned to Elizabeth with a very unusual smile on his face. "Yes, that was what we had initially discussed. "
                          
"I've thought about it, and I've come up with a middle name." Both Elizabeth and Sebastian gave him questioning looks, "You have? Really?"
                          
"Celine Francesca Phantomhive. What do you think?" Ciel hadn't meant to make Elizabeth cry, but some things couldn't be helped. He really liked the name and it had come to him only last minute, it just seemed to fit.