"Mom?" I can hear her voice far before I can see her face, which lets me know that I'm still alive. "Mom, are you okay?" Betsy's hand falls on my face as my eyes slowly open wide enough to catch a glimpse of her. "You're awake- thank God." Her hand meets her chest as she gives me a soft smile.
It's obvious that she's been crying, but if you knew Betsy, you'd understand that, that's completely normal.
Creasing a brow lightly, I start to glance around the room. There's a board on the end, with my name written neatly. There's also a food tray, a small tv and a couch.... A hospital couch.
"What is wrong with me?" I don't mean to be so blunt, but I really don't know what happened.
I was feeling perfectly fine, and then I was out cold- it was weird.
"They're running some tests, but you're gonna be just fine." Adam's sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, right next to the window that overlooks the parking lot.
He's the one that rode here with me- I can suddenly remember him talking to the paramedics.
"Right," I nod my head, but something in the back of my mind tells me otherwise.
Passing out like that is not normal, not at all. I've never just felt so ill that I couldn't stand up. I can probably assume the worst. I mean, I don't mean to be such a downer, but at my age- it might be more common than not.
This morning... if it's even still Friday, I thought I was going through menopause, but I don't think passing out is a symptom.
"I called Bridget and she said she's going to try to catch a bus back from the valley." Betsy probably called her all worked up, telling her that I'm dying, or maybe she thinks I'm on life support.
She's always been overly dramatic, so I wouldn't be surprised if Bridget is on a bus, thinking about what I've left for them in my will.
"Call her back and tell her to relax. She doesn't need to come home." I shake my head with a swift eye roll.
She doesn't need to come back home and worry about me- Betsy worries enough for everyone. Besides, I've been looking forward to an empty house.
"Mom, something is wrong." She protests, hands on her hips as she paces back and forth at the end of the bed. "Adam said you hit the floor pretty hard. You might have bumped your head, or worse."
Looking over at Adam, I shake my head. "I thought you were on my side." I can't help but smile, and he gives me one right back.
"I'm always on your side, mama." That's probably true, because Lord knows he can hardly get along with Mark.
They both complain about each other behind their backs, but are great buddies when they're hanging out. It's hilarious.
"My head doesn't hurt, Betsy." I shrug, raising an eyebrow just to prove her wrong. My head does hurt, but it's only a headache from her craziness.
"Fine, okay. I'll call her and tell her that she can stay:" She gives me this awful look and all I can do is motion towards the phone in the room.
I know Bridget better than Betsy thinks I do. Betsy just thinks the worst about her sister and sometimes it's true, but sometimes she just doesn't give the girl enough credit. Bridget has always been different. I mean, since the moment she could walk- she was running. She runs away from her problems, so I'm slightly surprised that she had even told Betsy that she would be on her way home for my sake.
That isn't who she is. She's a free-bird.
While Betsy works on getting ahold of her sister, who has horrible cell service in the Valley, I sit quietly, playing with the strands that are dangling out of the awful bun someone tangled my hair into. I'm certain it was Betsy- she's the only one who can make hair look this big nowadays.
"Stephanie?" The door slowly creeps open, the doctor standing in the doorway. "How are you feeling?" He lets off a gentle smile as he steps further into the room.
Looking over at Betsy, who is listening very intently- I realize that I probably shouldn't ask if I'm dying. "I'm feeling much better." I nod, hoping that this is my easy pass to head home and forget about all of this.
"I have your test results back, but I think I'll clear the room out first." He chuckles, and both of the kids are quick to head out into the hallway.
The moment the door closes, my attention is placed back on him. "What's up?" I try not to act worried, but I am. My health has always been important to me, and to think I could be sick is scary.
"We got your bloodwork back and..." Another smile dances across his lips as he ponders for a moment. "And I'm happy to inform you that you're about five weeks pregnant."
I just stare at him for a long second, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
That can't be right... I am too old to even think about having another baby. No, I'm ready to be a grandma. I can't have a baby now. Hell, I could hardly handle the two I had in my twenties, but now I'm right on the verge of fifty.
"You're kidding." I bring my hand up to my head, heart pounding just at the thought of giving birth to another human. "Are you sure?" I mumble, head hitting the pillows lightly.
He chuckles again, nodding his head. "It's definitely a baby." He assures.
I take a few minutes to think and once he leaves the room, the kids come back in.
I can't tell Betsy that her middle aged mother is having a baby, yet she's been struggling to do so. I don't have it in me, so when she asks what the doctor said- I take the easy way out.
"They don't know- they have to run more tests."
