"Doc, just lay it out for us," Ryan said, breaking the silence.
"Alright, two options," Hannah started.
With Ryan's prompt, Hannah didn't hold back. "Option one: surrogacy using another man's sperm. We'll use assisted reproductive tech to get the sperm and inject it into your wife with a syringe, so she doesn't have to sleep with another guy."
She went on, "Option two: in vitro fertilization. This means taking your sperm and her eggs out and fertilizing them outside the body. The big difference is, one option means carrying another man's baby, the other means carrying your own."
"But there's a catch with option two," she added. "IVF means your wife has to come here daily for three months for egg retrieval. And with your low sperm survival rate, if it doesn't work, she'll need another three months of injections, each costing three grand."
After laying out the options, the room went quiet.
Ryan and Scarlett exchanged looks, clearly deep in thought.
As Scarlett's husband, Ryan definitely didn't want her carrying another man's baby.
But the second option meant a lot of pain for Scarlett, and he loved her too much to see her suffer.
Scarlett, being delicate, didn't want the second option either, but she couldn't suggest the first one, which felt morally wrong.
At this point, I had to step in.
"Having another man's baby? That's just not right. No guy wants his wife carrying another man's kid. And even if Ryan's okay with it, we don't know the quality of the other guy's sperm or his habits. It's not fair to the kid."
As soon as I finished, Scarlett and Ryan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, exactly."
"But the second option is tough on Scarlett. Even if we get the sperm, with my low quality, the baby might not be healthy," Ryan said, looking troubled.
He was clearly upset about his sperm quality.
Hannah then suggested, "If you go with the second option, maybe start with someone close to you, a guy not related to your wife, to ensure better sperm quality."
After she said that, Ryan and Scarlett both looked at me.
It was clear I fit the bill—unrelated to Scarlett and a young guy.
Scarlett's eyes were full of emotion, hinting she might be okay with being intimate with me, even having my baby.
But Ryan's look was more complicated.
Even though I was his brother, I was still an outsider in his marriage. If Scarlett had my baby, how was that different from her having an affair with me?
"This doesn't feel right," I quickly waved my hand. "Honestly, even though Scarlett and I aren't biologically related, neither are Ryan and I."
"We call each other brothers because we were orphans and got adopted by the same foster parents when we were kids. This doesn't really fit your suggestion, does it?" I asked.
"Actually, your relationship might be more suitable for the first option. After all, you don't know who your biological parents are, so it's not about family legacy, right?" Hannah asked, testing the waters.
Ryan and Scarlett exchanged a look and nodded hesitantly.
"Exactly. If it's not about family legacy, then having a child is probably just for the joy of it, simply because you love kids," Hannah said.
Scarlett nodded decisively. "Yes, I really love children. Holding a warm, soft child in my arms makes me so happy. Every time I see my colleagues dress their kids up so nicely, I get envious and wish they were mine."
Hannah, being a mom herself, could totally relate. I remembered overhearing her talk about her husband and child last time, and it was clear she adored them.
She smiled gently and suggested, "Yes, a child's sweet smile is very healing. So, the most important thing is for the child to be healthy. From a doctor's perspective, I'd still recommend the first method. But the final decision is yours."
Scarlett didn't say anything more but looked at Ryan, waiting for him to decide.
What she did was smart, putting the decision in Ryan's hands. Because no matter what they chose, it would require a big psychological adjustment.
"Can we go home and think about it first? We'll come back with an answer after we've thought it over," Ryan requested.
"Sure, if you choose option two, come back and make an appointment with me, and I'll set you up for in vitro fertilization. If you choose option one, just get pregnant and see an obstetrician directly," Hannah nodded, packing up her things.
I remembered her saying we were the only patients today, so once we were done, she could leave work.
"Okay, thanks. We'll head home now," Ryan said, looking a bit upset.
Hannah nodded and watched them leave.
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to leave with Ryan and Scarlett.
After all, I was the one who introduced them to Hannah, and I stood to benefit the most from the first method. I could sleep with the beautiful Scarlett, have a child, and not even have to raise it—Ryan would do that for me.
But in that case, Ryan might suspect that Hannah and I had conspired to let me sleep with Scarlett.
Before leaving, I turned back and exchanged contact information with Hannah.