your blood through my veins - vinnie hacker

four

"im so sorry." i sobbed out. not only did i feel bad physically and emotionally, i was embarrassed. not sure if i was embarrassed about throwing up in front of vinnie, it's vinnie. he's seen me in my worst state of sickness, he's taken me to the ER before when i got a stomach flu and not complained even in the slightest about me throwing up on his new seats or outside his car window when he had just gotten the windows tinted.

"it's okay, it's okay." he said caressing my back. "i didn't know you weren't feeling well, I'm sorry."

"i need to go." i was embarrassed about crying, not even crying—breaking down. i lost all my cool, as stupid as it sounds my cool was everything to me.

"are you sure?" he asked. "do you want water or something?"

"im okay." i sniffled. i was light headed, i almost fell over.

"ok, no, let's lay you down okay? i don't need you passing out at the wheel." he said, i let myself get led upstairs to what used to be our bed. he helped me lay down, brought a trash at set it to the side of me—just in case. "ill leave you alone for a while ok? rest."

"i cant. i don't sleep well." i said, it wasn't a lie. i've been sleeping horrible since the break up. he sat on the bed next to me, and he played with my hair. he knew this knocked me out like a light every time.

***

"good morning, slept a long while huh?" i heard as my eyes fluttered open.

i napped for 4 hours and woke up sick again, shivered and kept getting sick for like 3 hours, and went back to sleep and ended up sleeping in till 11 am the next morning.

"mhm." i stretched.

"you feel better?"

"no." i was nauseas. "fuck, what if i have covid?"

"is throwing up even a covid symptom?" he asked giving me a glass of water.

"everything is a covid symptom." i said drinking a small sip. "ill get out of your hair in a minute, let me process waking up."

"you can stay all you want."

"none of that okay? this wasn't supposed to happen." i said getting up from the bed.

"mhm, thats why you clung on me like a baby sloth all night."

"i was asleep."

"you okay? you look—and thats what i thought." he said. my head once again leaned over the trash can, throwing up nothing. my stomach hurt from the tension. "why don't you go to a doctor?"

"i hate doctors." i said wiping my mouth.

"it could be more serious than you think. what if you have like...i dont know? a bad stomach virus." he rubbed my shoulder. "lets go to minute clinic."

"no!"

"isabella."

"no! fuck you no."

***

"isabella garcia?" called out the reception at the clinic.

"fuck you vincent. you can leave now." i scoffed getting up.

"im good."

"youre not with me anymore, leave."

"okay! uber home." he said standing with his arms across his chest. i hate ubering, i hate hate hate taxis and ubers. they scare me.

"fuck you. come." i said walking to the receptionist. "please."

"yeah, mood swings." i didn't have to look back to know he rolled his eyes.

we didn't wait long in my designated room till the doctor came. i told her my symptoms—being vomiting, headache, etc. vinnie had to make sure to tell her i was in a mood, as if it had to do with anything. she was testing me for the flu, covid, and any kind of infection or virus. i had to get my blood drawn, and everyone knows i hate needles. i don't even have a tattoo on my body. vinnie liked that always, he said it made me "pure".

"any updates?" he asked, i was laying down, trying to rest. i realized our nurse changed, the old one probably was on break or switched duties.

"well, its too soon to know much you know?" she smiled kindly, looking at some files.

"what do you mean its too soon to know? how long do we have to wait?"

"depends! i think you should schedule because there are certain things that will take a week, certain things that could make weeks! its all exciting though!"

"what part about this is exciting? i just want the throwing up to be over?" i had a bit too much attitude in my voice.

"honey, waiting for a little one is always exciting! you just have cold feet."

"excuse me?" said vinnie. i felt both our hearts sink. please, anything but this.

"are you two...oh my god. you two didnt know you're pregnant?"