Love Sick

Pain Scale

Teresa

One Month Later

"Hello belly." Eva chuckled dryly as I pulled my breakfast out of the refrigerator, I furrowed my brow and looked down at the pop in my figure that I hadn't noticed when I woke up.

"I'm showing!" I said in awe, running my hands over the tiny bump before looking up at Eva, tears now blurring my vision.

"I felt him kick the other day." I whispered as my friend wandered over and placed her hands on both sides of my small bump. "Well, he's growing in there, so kicks are going to happen." She chuckled, her face dropping as her eyes remained on my stomach.

"Eva, come on, what's bothering you?" I asked, carefully taking her hands from my sides, holding them in my own. "I'm going back to work today." She whispered, her hands now trembling within my own, her eyes now rimming with tears.

"Are you sure? Sweetie, you don't have to go back so soon." I tried convincing, but she shook her head and bit her lip, trying to keep her tears at bay.

"It's been a month, I should be healed by now, and I'm still getting these flashes, so the only way for me to get better is to face it." She said letting her voice tremble before inhaling drastically.

"You know that it doesn't work like that. You've only had like three therapy sessions, and it may do more harm than good by going back this early." I urged, watching her brown eyes widen with fear before she shook her head at me.

"I've kept you locked in here for a month, you could've been back at work-." But I held my hand up and pulled her close, hugging her tightly, feeling her melt into my arms and release a sob. "You were there for me when I needed it, you still are, but you better believe that I'd stay here and help you! A month is nothing." I assured, pulling away to wipe her tears that had gathered under her eyes.

"But, if you want to go back, I will go and support you, and Chris will be there too." I reminded, watching her nod in relief before pulling me close, giving me one last squeeze.

...

I grumbled as I tried to squeeze my growing figure into my old scrubs, feeling the tiny flutters more closely as I exhaled and opened the on call door.

Eva was nervously pacing in the glass room, most of the damaged area had been replaced, new colors replacing the old panels, as an attempt to cover up the horrors that this hospital had witnessed.

My attention was shifted when I heard snickering behind me, making me turn to face my old coworkers who were whispering to each other.

I felt my hand itch to run my hands up and down my bump, a nervous tick that I had been trying to break. I stopped my hands and felt my lip curl into a smirk as I waltzed over towards the older woman who was responsible for the rumors.

"Cute, isn't it? I just started showing." I gloated, watching her raise her eyebrow to mock genuine concern.

"How old are your kiddos again?" I asked with the same mocking manner, watching as her attention rose with the mention of her family. "Fifteen and seventeen." She replied, smiling at the younger women who seemed to follow her like a pack of pathetic puppies.

"Wow, that's great! Now, did you get raped in order to have those kids? Did your husband then come and attack you again after you escaped, then try and murder your friends because you refused to let him be a part your kid's life because you think a rapist just isn't 'dad' material?" I asked with the falsest smile I could muster.