Well That Was Fast...

Real Awkward, Real Fast

Someone was trying to wake me up. They succeeded. I was now awake and in a lot of pain. I groaned and tried to move back onto Barry's side of the hospital bed only to find it cold.
"What the hell?" I sat up grumpily.
"We got in trouble, Phee, I told you that we would," Barry said in a pinched voice from across the room. He was sort of hunched over because a stern looking nurse had a hold of his ear.
"I am all for affection and visiting each other if you're in the hospital, but we have rules young lady. That means your boyfriend here will have to settle for a chair or he will not be permitted to visit without supervision, am I clear?" she scolded us, shutting my protest at the term 'boyfriend' down with a look. She finally let Barry go when we said 'yes ma'am' in unison.
He came and sat by me watching until the nurse was out of the door, "I told you! I told you we would get in trouble and we did!"
"It is not my fault you got caught! Nobody said you had to stay after I fell asleep! You could have gone home," I snapped back at him.
He rolled his eyes and said, "Like you would have let it go! You had a near meltdown when I tried to explain that we couldn't lay together and you looked ready to murder someone when you woke up alone!"
"I'm a big girl, I can handle waking up alone! And you have no right to hold anything against me that happened last night cause I was still hopped up on painkillers! It wasn't even any real trouble, you're just butt hurt because you got reprimanded like a little boy!" I practically snarled. By this point our argument had grown to a full out fight with both of us stood face to face shouting and glaring at each other. All of the tubes had come out when I stood up except for my heart rate monitor. The nurse came back in while this was happening giving a sharp whistle to get our attention away from each other and on her.
"You're not supposed to be arguing while you're hooked up to a heart monitor. You get back in bed, and you, young man, go home." Barry looked like he wanted to say no, but gave a nod and looked at me once before leaving.
"Lover's spat?" The nurse asked sitting in the chair next to me.
"We're not together. He likes one of our friends from high school, she's really sweet and frankly speaking, gorgeous," I replied, shifting so I wasn't resting on my bad arm.
She gave me a sympathetic look, "Well that's okay, it took my husband all through middle and high school to figure out that I liked him and that he reciprocated. Men are so clueless sometimes."
I sat up straighter, "I know right! Like do I have to spell it out on a microscope slide for that nerd?" We laughed and high fived.
"I'm sure he'll catch on soon, be patient," she told me with a pat on the hand.
I sighed, "I've liked him since I was nine.... He was twelve and I thought he was the sweetest guy I've ever met because he helped me pick up my books when I dropped them one time." The nurse smiled at me and told me to go to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning I was allowed to get out of bed, but not move around too much. After a few days of observation for the other small injuries culminated, I was finally permitted to be up and walk around.
I was trying to braid my hair one-handedly when Caitlin came in with Cisco, my first visitors in days.
"Ophelia? Cisco, are you sure this is the right room?"
I raised my hand above the bed, "Down here guys. I'm on the floor."
"What are you doing?" Cisco asked after putting a carrying tray with drinks down.
I stood up, facing them fully, "I was allowed out of bed so- actually I really don't know."
Caitlin handed me a cup, "One hot chocolate from Jitters with mini marshmallows-"
"Just the way you like it," a male voice from the doorway spoke up.
We all turned and looked to see who he was to find Barry Allen at the door with a box.
"Barry!" I squealed and ran over, nearly knocking the box from his hands as I hugged him.
"Hey guys, I thought you'd be at work," he said to the other two.
"It's Sunday."
"Oh."
I was practically bouncing waiting for him to say anything about the object in his hand.
"I can see you, Ophelia. This is for you," he told me as he extended the wrapped item toward me. I snatched it, put it on the table, and tried to tear the paper off with one hand. I finally got it open and found a huge red sweater with tiny gold lightning bolts on it, it even had my name embroidered on the front.
I stared for a moment, "Oh my god, I love it! Thank you so much!" I hugged him again and he kissed me on the cheek before whispering, "Happy belated birthday and graduation."
"I wish you could have been there, would've been better than just Iris and Joe," I whispered back. He smiled at me and and nudged me toward the bathroom with the sweater.
I stuck my heard out and motioned for Caitlin, "I need help, I can't get my left arm through." She rushed over and helped me, even stood in front of me pretending to present me before I came out giggling. The sweater completely engulfed me, sleeves well past my fingers, collar dipping down toward my chest, and the bottom of it touched the middle of my knees.
"I absolutely love it, thank you, Bear," I said whilst flopping the sleeves around.
"Did you just call him 'Bear'?" Cisco asked sounding like he was trying not to laugh.
"No! I said... Bar! Just shush, Cisco," I said trying not to sound suspicious.
He snorted under his breath so I started hitting him with my sleeves, "SWEATER PAWS ATTACK!" Everyone laughed at the 'thwack' noise before Cisco and Caitlin had to go, leaving Barry and I alone.
"Thanks again, it means a lot."
He smiled, "I'm just glad you liked it. It also looks really cute on you."
I felt my face flush, so I turned away from him quickly. Maybe a little too fast.
"Hey you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just. You can't smile at me like that or look at me the way you are or say things like that or- or you might give a girl false hope. Just like when we were kids," I had started out nonchalant, but I was saying everything in a rush.
He took a step forward toward me, but I backed up to put more space between us. I would see the hurt on his face, but I was too panicked to feel bad.
"Ophelia, hey, it's okay. I'm going to sit in the chair, okay? We can talk and you can tell me what's going on," he said sitting down across from my bed. He motioned for me to sit so I did at the foot of the bed.
"We've, well more me than you, known each other since you were in third grade," I told in while pulling at a knot in my hair.
He looked shocked, "Third grade? How old were you?"
I gave a somber nod, "I was in first. You really don't remember a little girl who sat with you every day until you graduated eighth grade?"
He shook his head, "No, I'm sorry."
"I should have known you wouldn't with your Iris this, Iris that constantly. I bet you still haven't had the guts to tell her yet," I snapped standing up from the bed and turning from him.
I could see anger and hurt flash over his face, "That was harsh and you know it."
He reached out to touch me, to get my attention, but I recoiled from him.
"Ophelia, look at me."
I had a mental mantra of 'don't do it, don't look' as I stared at the opposite wall, "No, just leave me alone, Barry."
I could feel him getting angry, "Ophelia. Look. At. Me." I was so angry I finally spun around an glared at him. He was smirking like he'd won some sort of competition. He opened his mouth to say something, but I slapped him across the face stopping him in his tracks. He stood in stunned silence as I fumed.
"What was that for?"
"I suddenly don't feel well, please leave," I said sighing. The nurse suddenly came in looking grim with a paper in hand.
"I hate to break up this spat, but we now know why you have been getting sick a lot," she said. "I'd like both of you to have a seat."
Barry and I looked at each other as we sat down before sliding closer to each other.
She took a deep breath and said, "Before I tell you I need to know the last time you had... relations with a man and your last period."
I felt my face flush, but told her, "I don't think I ever had relations and... Well it's November now, so September twelfth?"
"Not this month or the last one?" she asked looking over the paper.
"No, guess not. Why?"
"Well, little missy, it appears that you're pregnant," she told me. "And you young man, you better make her an honest woman, you understand me?"
I sat in stunned silence as Barry stuttered.
"N-no, we're not, I'm not uh, sorry what?"
He looked like he was going to explode or throw up or cry or, you get the point, bad. I was still in shock, how could this be? Had I been taken advantage of by Garfield when I was unconscious? I shuddered at the thought, but anything was possible. There had been nights that he had beaten me so badly that I was awake but my mind had gone offline. Those nights I don't remember anything other than being smacked around. I wracked my brain for even one time, oh, I know when it could have happened.
"Wait, I think I might have one time," I said sparing Barry from any more embarrassment. They both looked at me with eyebrows raised so I continued, "A few weeks ago, just a few days before I was liberated so to speak, I had alcohol for the first time ever. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I woke up a different kind of sore than usual. More lower body, I just figured I fell or something."
The nurse gave me a sad look, "Okay, that would line up with the timeframe. I apologize for accusing you, young man. Little miss, you'll have to stay just a few more days so we can make sure you're both healthy."
I gave a nod before she left the room. Barry turned to me and said nothing for a few minutes.
"Guess I'll have to look for somewhere to live, huh?"
He suddenly looked angry, "That's absolutely ridiculous! You're still welcome to live with me, it was going to be a surprise, but everyone has been fixing a room for you."
I looked down at what I thought was a chubby belly, "That's really so sweet, but I don't want to burden you with having a baby around...."
"Nonsense, you'll live with me, case closed. I'm just sorry this happened to you this way right now," he said with one hand on my stomach, the other resting between my shoulder blades and kissed my forehead, cheeks, and nose.
I suddenly felt so overwhelmed by everything that was happening that I burst into tears prompting Barry to scoop me up into his lap.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. Don't cry," he said stroking a hand over my hair.
"I'm gonna get fat and pee a lot and eat all your food and be grumpy all the time! You're too sweet with your wittle freckles and cute face," I blubbered into his shoulder.
"You think I'm cute?"
I nodded with my face squished against his neck, "Uh huh."
"You poor little thing, relax, relax," he soothed rubbing a hand up and down my back.
I sniffled, "I'm sorry, let me up."
He stood me up on my feet, "You okay? You look pale."
"IgottathrowupokaysoIdothatnow," I said in a rush through clenched teeth.
"Huh?"
I pointed to myself and then the bathroom.
"Oh! Go!"

After I had come back from regurgitating the little food I had in my stomach, I laid down on the bed and went back to sleep. I could have sworn that I felt a hand smoothing my hair down just before I drifted off.