Love Sick

Precautions

Eva

"I don't want to be touched." Teresa wept, curling away from me on the sofa, her body trembling as I pulled out my old bag that had supplies that I had attained when I believed that my calling in life was midwifery.

"I know, sweetie I know, but I have to make sure that you're okay, both of you." I explained, watching her tears fall down her splotchy cheeks, her lip trembling with fear and confusion.

"I'm not going to pry down there, I just need to make sure that nothing is hurt." I urged, watching her shake and inhale sharply, thoughts running across her face as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"I showered after he did it. I felt dirty and I wanted him off of me." She wept, shame now covering her face as she sobbed, pulling a pillow over herself, trying her hardest to hide from my stare.

"It's okay, all I'm concerned with is your health, and I will only make sure that you and the fetus-."

"Baby! It's a baby!" She snapped, causing my words to leap back into my throat, only a small croak coming out of my throat. "He put a living, human, baby inside of me. He held me down and-." But I swiftly cut her off, nodding quickly as I unwrapped my old heart monitor and slipped the plastic sleeve over the wand.

"I understand." I replied calmly, carefully moving my hands toward her balled fist, watching as she tensed with the looming contact. "I'm just going to take your hand, baby steps." I narrated, watching her breathing intensify as I cautiously cupped her hand with my gloved ones.

"This is all I'm doing." I whispered, watching her terrified eyes well up and gaze at me. Her cold fingers slowly began to interlace into mine, squeezing softly before strengthening her shaking grip.

"Teresa, please let me make sure you're okay, then we can just talk. I'll make you some tea, or whatever you want to drink." I promised, watching her eyes water and spill over once more.

"I can't get rid of it, I'm catholic! I can't!" She cried, her entire body shuddering as she hastily gripped her stomach as if I were a threat to her child's safety.

"Okay, that's fine! It's your choice, honey. But, I want you to know that it's not against the Catholic Religion in this particular case, if a woman is assaulted, you can terminate the pregnancy because the child isn't made out of love." I further explained, watching her face crumple with internal conflict and sorrow.

"But it goes against MY moral code! I can't just get rid of this baby because it's painful for me!" She sobbed, unable to think straight, I nodded and watched as she slowly moved into my unexpected but awaiting embrace, sobbing violently into my shirt.

"Just check me quick! And please don't touch me too much down there!" She cried, clinging to the rough material of my scrubs, her bruised face wincing as I nodded and set her against two pillows, she arched her knees and carefully spread them, both of them trembling as I held up my hands for her to see, one of them vanishing behind her legs to carefully pull her underwear down. Audible sobs filled the air and I quickly lifted my hands again for her to see, but she nodded and urged me on quickly.

I carefully and diligently examined what had happened, and everything seemed to be in order, thankfully, but the damage on her face and in her heart were still a clear reminder of what she had endured emotionally.

"All done with that scary stuff." I exhaled, setting her legs down as she hastily pulled her underwear and pants back up. "Let's look at your baby." I said with a reluctant sigh, setting the old machine up. Teresa nodded carefully and pulled her shirt up, letting me place the wand on it carefully. A small image of her grainy uterus appeared and I swiftly moved it around until I spotted a small bean nestled onto her uterus.