The Heartbeat

The freezing gel hit my lower stomach, sending a harsh, involuntary shiver down my spine. I lay flat on the examination table, my fingers white-knuckling the edges of the thin, crinkling paper beneath me. I pulled my oversized hoodie higher up my chest, desperate to hide as much of myself as possible. When I walked through the sliding glass doors of the clinic this morning, I prayed for a quick, i