Behind The Mask

Chapter 68

Anouk's POV

Today I get discharged from the hospital. It feels weird, looking at my baby bump. I could swear it grew overnight. But, of course, I've missed around 2 months of my life. It is funny how I relate to everything. I could swear that a few days passed since visiting Janet with Mrs. Katherine. It was a warm autumn day, with mellow sun and a gentle breeze. And now, California weather and all, it looks rather chilly outside. There are dark grey clouds in the sky and I swear that I can feel the gusts of wind through the wall. It is mid November so I missed Halloween. Damn, I always wanted to understand what's all the big fuss! I mean, unless you really believe some weird shit is happening on All Saints' Eve and dead souls actually come out of the graves....what's the whole point? Oh well, I'll find out all about it next year. Wait a minute! Next year....Baby Applehead will be born! Wow....just imagine that! This time next year I'll have a moonwalking baby keeping the house awake at all hours. Wow!

I put my hand over my belly again. I haven't really processed all the implications of this pregnancy. I don't mean being ill. I knew the risk. I took it. I am not one bit sorry. But this little life growing inside me...it won't be an abstraction for long. They'll cut me open and get it out...and it will be a baby with ten fingers and ten toes, two eyes, a nose....well....a baby! My baby! Mine and Michael's baby!

I feel a sudden wave of tenderness for this tiny life.

"You put up a good fight, kid! I mean, you nearly killed mommy, no hard feelings, of course...but you're a fighter...you're a survivor. Just like you daddy...just like your daddy."

And just then he walked in the room with a large canvas bag in his hand.
"Hey, there, beautiful! Ready to go back home?"

"More than ready, baby! I am getting warts up my ass if I have to spend another hour in this hospital bed!"

"Hush, let's just be grateful to God you and Baby Applehead are fine."

"I elect to be grateful to all the doctors and nurses who busted their asses to keep us alive."

Michael sighed, but did not protest. He still tries to patch things up between me and the boss upstairs. At times, I felt like giving God the chance to show his benevolent face to me. But now...this was more than a slap over my face. It was attempted murder. If God is really so amazing, why would he put one of his best fans in this world through such torture? I look at Michael and I can see in his thinner frame and eyes just how much he suffered these two months. Now, if God is such a nice fellow, why would he do this to me knowing that Michael would be the first one to suffer? And my poor mom, who already got her fair share of kicks in the ass from life, had to postpone her wedding. If God is trying to show me he loves me, he surely goes about it in a really twisted way.

"Do you want me to help you get dressed?"

"No, I'm fine. I still remember how to pull up a pair of trousers....hold on...Houston we've got a problem!"

"What's wrong, Nooki?"

I step away from the privacy screen they put in my room and point to the obvious issue:

"Baby Applehead is bigger now and doesn't fit in these pants anymore."

"Oh damn! I just...how could I not think about this??? Jesus, what do we do now?"
"I have no problem to walk around in this nerdy NASA t-shirt and panties..."

"Nooki!"

"But considering my husband's sensibilities, I'll probably wrap this hospital gown around me like a skirt....like this....ewww, isn't this the ugliest skirt in the history of humanity?"