“of coursee I can see them,” Jack said. He was bending over Laurie, who was semi-recumbent on the examination table. Dr. Arun Ram was standing between her legs, which were draped with an examination sheet, directing the ultrasound probe with one hand and pointing at the screen with the other. He was a short man with honey-colored skin and remarkably dark, thick, medium-length, carefully groomed hair. He was also young: Jack guessed early thirties. What Jack noticed most was the singular gentleness and serenity he projected.

“I’m amazed I can see them so well,” Jack added with excitement. “Laurie, can you see them?”

“If you stop hogging the screen I can.”

“Oh, sorry,” Jack said. He backed up a foot or so. Using his index finger, he counted four in the left ovary alone.

“It’s a wonderful crop,” Arun agreed. His voice matched his composure.

“How much longer with the injections?” Jack asked.

“Let’s measure,” Arun said. Then, to Jack, he added, “Could you hold the probe while I get a ruler?”

“I guess,” Jack said, not sure he wanted to play doctor with his own wife. But he took the handoff of the probe from Arun, and he took it blindly. The image rapidly distorted.

“Careful!” Laurie complained.

“Sorry,” Jack said contritely. Watching the screen, he managed to reposition the probe where it had been. He felt nervous.

Arun opened the exam-table drawer and pulled out a ruler. Placing it directly on the screen, he read out the diameters of the follicles: “Seventeen millimeters, eighteen millimeters, sixteen millimeters, and seventeen millimeters. That’s terrific!” He put the ruler away. “I think we can substitute the gonadotropin trigger injection for your injection shot today.” He took the probe from Jack and removed it. He gave Laurie a reassuring pat on the top of her knee. “We’re done. You can get up, and we’ll meet in my office.” He waved for Jack to follow.

“The trigger will be today?” Laurie asked. “I’m thrilled.”

“We don’t need for them to be much bigger than they are,” Arun said from the doorway, gesturing for Jack to precede him. Inside his office, he moved a couple of chairs over to his desk. Jack took one. Arun sat down and recorded his finds in the chart he’d started for Laurie. “This looks like a very auspicious cycle, with four such healthy-looking follicles poised over the functioning oviduct. Dr. Schoener will be pleased. If the trigger shot is done today, which I’m going to recommend, then the fertilization should be tomorrow. Are we going to utilize intrauterine insemination, or what is your preference?”

“I think we should wait for Laurie,” Jack said.

“Fine,” Arun commented, finishing up and tossing the chart aside. “Did your wife happen to mention that there was a time I aspired to be a forensic pathologist here in India?”

“I don’t believe she did.”