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Realizing I’m seconds away from bailing, Tyler takes over for me.
Good, he’s the reason I’m here in the first place.
I’m hit with another pang of guilt at the thought.
No, he’s not.
Watching my friend emphasize the degree of my suffering to the catty receptionist, I will myself to feel something for him again. I’ve pined after him for so long that it feels like I'm missing a limb with the attraction suddenly disappearing.
All I can feel now is annoyance and guilt. And annoyance for feeling guilty. And guilt for feeling annoyed.
God my head hurts. Why did he have to do this to me now? Of all the fucking days.
The woman collects my information and directs us to have a seat and wait for the triage nurse. Turning to the waiting area, Ihead to a corner away from the various other patients scattered throughout.
A young man accompanied by his mother holds his arm which is bent at an odd angle. An older couple sit in the seats closest to the doors leading further into the hospital. The man stroking back the hair from who I assume to be his wife as she stares off into the distance, eyes glazed over. A few other groups fill the lobby, all in various states of disarray, no one happy to be here.
Well, at least I fit right in.
Suppressing a sigh, I slump into the padded seat and watch the TV attached to the far wall. There’s an old sitcom playing with captions blocking a decent chunk of the screen. It’s one of my favorites but I can’t bring myself to laugh, even at the shenanigans of the friend group.
Tyler sits quietly beside me, throwing glances my direction every once and a while. I'm grateful he hasn’t broached the question he asked earlier. I have no idea what I’m going to say but I know he won’t like whatever it is.
About an hour and a half later, a young man, maybe only a few years older than me, calls my name. I rise to my feet and immediately the room spins. Collapsing back into the chair, I drop my head forward between my knees, breathing heavily.
I can hear Tyler calling my name and the sound of people bustling around me but I can’t bring myself to lift my head. Hands grip either arm and I’m lifted up in the air. The motion makes me immediately nauseous again as my head spins.
I try to mumble that I’m going to be sick but nothing gets past my lips. The motion only lasts a few moments, thankfully, as I am laid down on a bed. My hearing fades in and out and I can hear the triage nurse asking Tyler what happened as they wheel me back. His voice is strained as he admits he doesn’t know, relaying the little information he has.
At some point between the waiting area and the exam room, I lose consciousness, waking with a hoarse scream. Hands flutter around my body, inserting needles, attaching electrical monitors, checking my blood pressure.
It’s all too much.
“Please. Stop.” I beg, my voice barely a whisper.
Tyler’s face fills my vision and he strokes my forehead, murmuring softly, “It’s okay Ava. They’re just gonna figure out what’s wrong.” My eyes fill with tears and I shake my head.
They can’t know. If they find out, he’ll kill me.
Tyler shushes me, still sliding his fingers across my skin. “Shhh. I’ll be right here. I’ve got you.” I stare helplessly back at him. There’s nothing I can do, I can’t even sit up on my own.
More bodies move in and out of the room and I’m wheeled toward a secondary room filled with a large machine. An unfamiliar face appears above me, asking a question I can't fully comprehend. The middle-aged woman waits expectantly.
Blinking several times, I croak, “What?”
She gives me a sad smile as she repeats her question. “Do you have any allergies to contrast dye?”
I shake my head, sending another wave of dizziness. Thankfully I know the answer due to a broken ankle in high school that required multiple imaging, including contrast dye comparisons.
“Okay, great. One more question sweetheart.” Her eyes crinkle on the ends as she softly asks, “Is there any chance you're pregnant?”
If I thought I was nauseous before, it was nothing to the feeling I have now. It’s an easy enough question to answer if I hadn’t just fucked a stranger with no protection less than twenty-four hours ago. Regardless, I mutter, “No.”
My mind whirls as the woman preps me for the images.
I can’t be pregnant. Please don’t let me get pregnant by that man.
I make a mental note to get a plan B pill as soon as I'm discharged.
