Dwindle [Motough]

{Chapter 14}

Beth's POV

I open my eyes. There is sunlight breaking thorough the blinds. I must have fell asleep on the couch last night.

I go upstairs and take a shower and brush my teeth and hair.

I heard some noise coming from the kitchen. I walk to the kitchen. I see Derek making some pancakes. I sit down on one of the chairs by the table.

Derek flips a pancake. Then he walks over to me and places a kiss on my cheek and a plate of pancakes in front of me. "Good Morning." He says.

"Good Morning." I say.

I read the time on my phone. 11:48AM. I guess I must have slept in.

He places a pancake on the plate beside him using his spatula. He turns the knob on the oven turning off the stove. He picks up the plate of pancakes and places down the spatula, replacing it with a fork. Then, he walks over and sits in the chair beside me.

"So, I was thinking maybe we can hit the mall for a hour or so and then go to our appointment" Derek suggested.

I swallowed the bite of pancake I had in my mouth. "Okay" I replied.

***

"Bethany Mota" a nurse called out into the waiting room. I picked up my bag and stood up. Derek stood up as well and we followed the nurse.

She led us into a room. There at the desk sat Doctor Martin. She was doing some computer work on her computer. As soon as we entered she stopped and turned herself to look at Derek and I and she smiled.

"Hello, Beth. What seems to be the problem?" she asked.

I sat down on the patient bed and Derek sat down on a chair beside Doctor Martin's desk.

"I just learned last night that I am pregnant and I just wanted to know whether or not it is unsafe for me to have a baby with my cancer."

She nodded her head. "I see. Well, we can do some tests to find out if that okay with you."

"Yeah, that's okay with me."

"Great, then let's get started with those. We'll do an MRI scan as well as a urine sample test."

She opened the door and called out into the vacant hallway,"Julia!". A nurse walked into the hallway and entered the room. She stood near the doorway as Doctor Martin told her some instructions.

Then, I went through some tests. Derek tagged along during the tests and kept me company. We sat in the waiting rooms and waited for the test results.

Julia walled out into the waiting room and called us back into the room.

Doctor Martin held a stack of sheets and was leafing through them.

"So...the tests came back and I'll give it to you straight. The baby will be taking the healthy cells from your body as well as the mutated ones which could cause it to be born with a mutation and it could also increase the stage of your cancer since it is also taking those healthy cells which could lead to your cancer becoming more severe" she explained.

I shut my eyes and nodded my head.

"You could do abortion or you could keep the baby" she added.

I looked at Derek. He looked shattered. "Can you give us a moment to think about it".

She nodded her head. "Okay, also..."she flipped to a page in the middle of the stack and skimmed through it. Her expression changed from neutral to confused. "um, who's the father?"

"Derek" I said. I looked at Derek. He looked at me, then to Doctor Martin. "wh-why do you ask?"

"Um, we found out that the father isn't Derek" she answered.

That felt like a slap to the face. I turned my head to look at Derek. He looked hurt, heart-broken and betrayed.

"Well, do you know whose it is?" I asked.

She shook her head and then left the room. As soon as she left the room, Derek stood up. His tall figure towered over mine.

"If I'm not the father then who is, Bethany!? Who is it!?" He yelled.

"Jeremy," I whispered.

"What?"

"Jeremy" I more clearly said.

Rage erupts in his face. Anger pierces through his eyes. "So, is that why you broke up with me? so you could run away and have sex with him!?" He yells,"I knew there was something fishy when I went to his house. You were practically sleeping naked and You-you had sex with him!"

Tears are streaming down my face. I stand up. "No, Derek! That was never my intention. I just didn't want to hurt you" I explained.

"Well, I guess that plan of yours didn't work, did it?" he said.

I opened my mouth to say something but then shut it. "Derek, I'm sorry." I begged.

"Forget it. Don't ever talk to me again, you little slut!" he spat out. Those words felt like a punch to the stomach.

He stormed out of the room. I looked down and noticed the ring.

"What about our engagement?" I called across the hall.

He stopped and turned on his heel. He slipped the ring off his finger and threw it across the hallway. Then, he turned around and left.

The tears continued to slip down me cheeks. I walked back into the room and dug through my purse and got out my phone.

I called Jeremy, he could help me, right?

"Hello?" Jeremy's voice echoed through the phone.

"Hello, Jeremy. It's Beth."

His tone turned from normal to concerned as he heard the grief in my voice. "Beth? What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant-" I said.

"Well, that's great! You and Derek must be so happy." he interjected.

"...and you're the father" I continued.

"Oh..."

"Can you pick me up? Derek sort of stormed off when he found out" I requested.

"Yeah, I can. Where are you?" he asked.

"I'm at Carling Hospital" I answered.

"Okay, I'll be right there." he said.

"Okay, thanks." I said.

I hanged up and threw the phone back into my purse. I fell back into the chair.

Doctor Martin slipped into the room. "So, I take it that he didn't take it so well?" she asked.

"Yeah" I replied.

"Have you decided whether or not you're going to keep the baby?"

I shook my head. "No, I haven't" I answered.

"Okay, when you decide, just call in and let me know"

"Okay. I will" I said and with that, she left the room. I fell into the chair and waited for Jeremy.