Happiness and Other Illusions {Carpe Vitam Book One}

2-One Complication

Xora Venturi pulled herself to her feet. Her entire body was shaking. It was the third time she'd thrown up today, and it wasn't even noon yet. Ever since the morning sickness had started, she hadn't been able to keep much of anything down. It was starting to scare her, and her next doctor's appointment wasn't for another week. She couldn't  wait that long, though. She needed to see a doctor now.

She cleaned herself up and brushed her teeth, then made her way to the living room, where her parents were talking in low whispers.They fell silent as Xora entered the room, giving her the distinct impression that they'd been talking about her. It wouldn’t be too far outside the realm of possibility; they hadn’t talked about much else since she’d told them she was pregnant. She felt her legs about to give out beneath her, and collapsed into the recliner by the fireplace.

"It's getting worse," she announced.

Her father Anthony looked up at her, his face equal parts disgust and disappointment. He hadn't spoken to her since she'd revealed her pregnancy two weeks prior.

Xora averted her eyes, looking only at her mother now. "I really need to go to the hospital, and I don't think I can drive myself. Can you please take me?"

Kelly Venturi fixed her with a cold stare. "Take the bus, or call that...boy. Have him take you."

"I don't see why I need to involve him."

"He needs to take some responsibility." Kelly turned her back on her only daughter.

Xora fought to keep the derisive snort that threatened to come out of her mouth silent. There were many words she would use to describe Ashton, but responsible was not one of them. After heaving a defeated sigh, Xora trudged back to her room. She sent Ashton a quick text.

Call me now. It's an emergency.

Five long minutes passed, during which Xora threw up again. Ashton hadn't gotten in touch with her. She tried calling him next.

"It's Ash, leave a message," his voicemail commanded.

She disconnected the call, not bothering to leave a message. Tears sprang to her eyes. What was she supposed to do now? She was starving, but couldn't eat anything without it ending up in the toilet bowl. Her parents obviously didn't care enough about her to help her, and Ashton was ignoring her. She was truly on her own.

The ringing of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts; she answered it at once.

"About time. What took you so long to call me back?"

The gruff voice that answered wasn't the one she was expecting.

"When did you call me?"

"Gramps?"

"Who did you think it was, Sugarplum?"

"I thought Ashton was returning my message."

There was a pause before Gramps spoke again. "Is everything okay? With your situation, I mean."

If there was one person Xora could count on to always be in her corner, it was her grandfather. She gave him a rundown of her morning.

"I'll be right there," he assured her.

Xora breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she had Gramps, she didn't need Ashton or her parents.

The ride to the hospital was mostly silent. Xora was afraid to open her mouth; she was feeling nauseated again, and didn't want to risk blowing chunks all over the interior of her grandfather’s car. Gramps was angry with Xora's parents, so he didn't say much, either.

It didn't take long before Xora found herself in an exam room. A nurse gave her some water to drink while Gramps filled out some paperwork. Xora's vitals were taken, then the nurse left them alone.

Xora tried her best  to stay calm. Her stomach churned violently. The fear of her condition, coupled with her fear of hospitals, made her vision blurry with anxious tears. When Gramps stepped out to turn in her finished paperwork, she felt her fingers starting to tingle. She recognized it as the beginning of a panic attack. She took several deep, cleansing breaths and willed herself to calm down.

A knock on the door distracted Xora from her worries. It swung open, revealing a woman around her mother's age. She introduced herself as Dr. Horton. Xora explained what was going on, while the doctor scribbled furiously in Xora's chart. Finally, she spoke.

"I'd like to keep you for a day or two."

Xora looked up at her in horror. When she was six, her cousin had gone into a hospital, and Xora had never seen him again. She'd been afraid of hospitals ever since. The idea of her staying overnight in one made her heart pound and her pulse quicken. She put her head between her knees and took deep breaths. She wouldn’t fall apart now.

"Can't you just give me some medicine and send me on my way?" she asked in a small voice.

Dr. Horton gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.. "I really need to keep you for a day or two to make sure you get rehydrated, and make sure the fetus is doing fine. Are your parents here?"

Xora shook her head, and the room spun wildly. "Just my grandfather. He's in the waiting room," she managed to say before the water she'd drank worked its way back up her esophagus and into a nearby basin. When she was finished, Dr. Horton spoke.

"Is the father in the picture?"

Xora shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. Probably not. He's been avoiding me ever since I told him."  She was crying again.

Dr. Horton scribbled something on a slip of paper, then handed it to Xora before rubbing her hand soothingly up and down Xora's back.

"This is the number for a friend of mine, Dorothy Grant. She works with young girls like yourself. If you need financial help, help with childcare or school, or if you just need someone to talk to, give Dorothy a call. She'll also help you if you decide you don't want to keep the baby.

"Just sit tight for a minute. I'm going to talk to your grandfather, then we'll get you set up in a room."

Xora nodded. "Thanks," she muttered, slipping Dorothy's number in the pocket of her jeans.

Dr. Horton shut the door behind her, leaving Xora to her thoughts. If she needed someone to talk to, she had Gramps. He had also agreed to give her access to the bank account he'd set up for her, starting the day the baby was born. Her friend Reed's mother ran a daycare, and had agreed to give Xora's baby a spot at a discounted rate. At her grandfather's suggestion, she had also began selling clothes that she never wore any more. She was putting that money into a bank account, to be used for emergencies.

Why had Dr. Horton given her this Dorothy woman's number? Had she sensed that Xora was thinking about not keeping the baby? The thought had been on her mind since the day Ashton had abandoned her. She hadn't told anyone, not even Gramps. Her grandmother had been a strict Catholic. She would turn over in her grave if she knew that Xora was even thinking about getting an abortion. Gramps had supported her thus far, but she didn't know if he would continue to continue to stand by her if she decided to terminate her pregnancy, and she was afraid to find out.