A N G E L (Roger Daltrey)

Twenty Five

TW: pregnancy complications

Janice's POV

Once I managed to stop crying, I explained the doll to Nancy. Then I put the lid back on her and tucked her in the back of my new sock drawer. I would have kept her out where I could see her, but it was too painful for right now. Plus, I really didn't want Michelle and Annie finding her and tearing her up.

Then I started writing a letter.

I dug up an envelope and some stamps and set off writing about how shitty things were and how   much I missed Roger and how upset I was that he didn't have a real discussion with me about Heather. I told him how different things could have been if he would have just talked to me about it instead of letting me find out on my own. Then, even though I knew I shouldn't, I told him all about Nancy's situation and what happened there, and how we didn't know if we should tell Keith or not. 

I was just getting ready to yell and ask Nancy if she remembered the address to their recording studio when I heard violent barfing from across the way.

Jumping up, I ran into the smaller bathroom where Nancy was crumpled in front of the commode, hurling her guts up. I grabbed her blonde hair and tied it up with the rubber band around my wrist.

"Thanks." She gasped, wiping her mouth with some toilet paper. 

"You're welcome, what happened?" I asked.

Nancy sat back against the wall.

"Something's wrong, Jan. With the baby." Her voice was raspy.

"Like how?" I prodded.

"I don't know, it just feels like something's wrong. It hurts. And I'm still bleeding." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Shit, Nance. How long have you been bleeding for?" I sat down on the floor with her.

"Since the day everything blew up at home. It never stopped." She cried softly.

"Dammit. Fucking, ugh, what do we do?" My heart ached for her. This had to be really hard.

"I don't know!" She wailed. "I don't want to lose it, I mean, I don't think I do. Can we go to the doctor? I'm still on my parent's insurance for now, it won't cost us anything."

"Yes, of course. Let's go right now. We can go to the ER if you want." I stood up and offered her my hand.

"Okay. That sounds good." She took my hand and I helped her up.

"Bev?" I called. "We're making an ER run, I'm not sure when we'll be back. We're okay, though. I think."

"Oh man, I hope everything's cool. See you when you get back." She responded from her room.

Nancy and I hurried out to the car as fast as we could.

"Want me to drive?" I asked.

She hesitated for a second, and my mind flashed back to what she had said in the parking lot of that diner about how she wouldn't let me drive even if she was in cardiac arrest. 

Which is why my stomach dropped to my toes when she put the key in my hand and said yes.

Quietly, we climbed into the car and I sped off towards the hospital. 

"I'm scared." Nancy whispered.

"Of what, the baby thing or my driving?" I asked with a forced chuckle.

She didn't laugh back or even crack a smile.

"Both." She breathed.

"Me too."