Page 98 of Oblivion
He pulled a box out of his bag and put it in front of my face.
“Shall we?” He asked, and all I could do was stare at him as my hands wrapped around the pink box, containing the pregnancy test.
But what if it’s positive?
25
OPHELIA
There werethings haunting me over the years. Innocent people I’d harmed, whereabouts of my sister, the need to separate myself from Nikolai, and many more, but nothing ever shocked me as much as the little plus sign on the pregnancy test.
I couldn’t be a mother.
I would be a terrible mother. My mom was the worst role model, my father was catastrophic, I couldn’t raise a child.
Oh, God.
I was carrying a child.
Storm’s child.
My hand flew to my stomach instinctively, as if I could already protect the embryo hiding inside.
“You don’t seem very happy about this news,” Doctor Charles remarked, holding up a prescription he wrote for prenatal vitamins. “There are ways you know.”
“Ways for what?” I looked at him.
“Ways to terminate pregnancy. If this isn’t what you wanted, then the abortion could be—”
“No!” I yelled out, moving away from him all the way to the headboard. “You’re not going to harm my child.”
“Hey, hey,” he said calmly, holding his hands up. “I’m not going to harm your child, but I want you to know that it is your choice, and whatever you choose, you have every right to it. But…” he smiled and placed the paper down on the nightstand. “It seems that you want to keep it, and that’s amazing. But if that’s the case, you need to start taking prenatal vitamins, and you need to visit a doctor. I’m going to give you a number of private clinic in the city, and the doctor that works there is amazing. He will take good care of you.”
“Oh my God.” My hand flew to my mouth, the realization slowly coming to me. “I’m pregnant. I’m really, really pregnant.”
“Yes,” he nodded. “But you’re also malnourished and you need vitamins and to get checked out. They will also need to remove that implant from your arm. I’m going to set up an IV now to give you some fluids and to get you relaxed. I don’t like what I’m seeing and we need to put some weight on you.”
I stared at him as he prepared the needle, attaching it to my hand, and it was like watching a movie, completely unaware of everything that was happening.
“I’m going to let them know you’re okay and that they can come in.”
I nodded, unable to form words.
“Doc,” I said as he stood up, collecting his things. “Please don’t tell Storm,” I pleaded with my eyes. “I, just…”
“Don’t worry. He might be paying me, but you’re my patient and as my patient your medical conditions can’t be discussed with anyone outside of this room, unless you want me to.”
“Thank you.”
I was in a daze, lying down on the bed and staring at the blank spot on the ceiling when the doctor left.
Holy shit.
I was going to be a mother. I was going to be in charge of a small human being. They will need to be fed, clothed, taken care of…
Fuck, I couldn’t even take care of myself. I couldn’t even remember to eat most of the days, not to mention anything else. They would need me to be strong, to protect them.
Tears pushed forward, blurring my vision just when the door opened, revealing worried Zoe and Atlas.
