Is this even real?

thebug.mpeg

December -14 weeks

"So you've been feeling ill these past few months and said you've noticed some abdominal swelling, is that correct Mr. Alderson?"

"Yes"

"These could be the signs of colon cancer. I'll have you sent in for an MRI and I'll call you when you're results are in."

With that, I left the oncologist's office and a nurse showed me to a room where I changed into a hospital gown. Sometime later they finally came back for me and got me into the MRI machine, it's a little claustrophobic in there. Made me anxious, and it's really loud too. I couldn't hear my thoughts while I was in there. Once it was done they let me change back into my clothes and let me go home, said I'd get the results in a few days.

That was ten days ago.

"Mr. Alderson I'm sorry to say but It seems we've lost your results. Instead, I was mistakenly given an MRI of a three-month pregnancy. I will reach you as soon as we find the correct files." This didn't sit well with me, how could that happen again? I sat at my computer and hacked into their system again I had to see this for myself. Maybe there's a woman who has a similar name and they keep mistaking it. I looked for every possible match, there was none. I found "my" MRI images, this little fetus on the black and white picture growing inside someone struck me I can't forget it. While I was on my profile in the hospitals' database something caught my eye. "Chromosome mutation" What? Why is that there? It seems my whole profile has mistakes.

"It doesn't."

Did I just hear that right? Tell me you heard it too.

"Elliot, look at me, we need to talk."

This can't be, he's been gone for four months, why is he here?

"Turn around Elliot."

"Where were you?"

"Turn around for fuck's sake!"

I turned around, I had to face him, I need to know why has he been gone for so long.

"Why are you here?"

"Like I said we need to talk."

"About what?! Maybe you'd be so kind as to tell me where you were this whole time huh?" I snapped.

"Relax Elliot you have to calm down."

"Or what?! I'm not gonna calm down until you tell me where you've been!"

"Calm Down, it's not good for the baby. You want to play this little game? okay fine, I won't explain until you relax."

What? What baby, what is he talking about? Has he gone insane too?

"Sit back down."

I sat on the couch, it was getting late I'm starting to get tired, like every night these past few months.

Mr. Robot lifted my feet up and propped them on the coffee table, why did he do that? He took a chair and sat on it backwards.

"Elliot, listen, all those test results you've been getting, they're not mistakes and you know it."

"What are you talking about? I'm a man I'm not pregnant."

"That profile right there says otherwise."

"Must be a mistake in the system, simple."

"In fact, it's not that simple Elliot. Chromosome mutation, you know what that means?"

"That's not true I'm perfectly healthy."

"Chromosome mutation, not imbalance, there's a difference. You don't have down syndrome, no but... I can't believe I have to tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"Elliot, you have a uterus okay? You can get pregnant, and you are."

This can't be, he's making this up. I don't know what's real anymore. I sat up and buried my face in my hands. How is this possible? How long has this been going on? So many questions, but before I could ask him anything he was gone. I went back to my computer and stared at the MRI picture. It's inside of me. I can't deal with this right now, this isn't happening. Disoriented I took a couple pills of Morphine. It's more than my usual dosage but right now I don't care. I didn't even bother grounding them. I laid on the couch looking at Qwerty awaiting my high.

"Are you insane?!"

Mr. Robot grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me to the bathroom.

"What did I just tell you?"

He put his scarf in front of my nose made me breathe in deeply, the smell of his cologne and cigarettes made me retch. I puked, hunched over the toilet seat until nothing but bile came up. I coughed feeling a string of saliva coming from my nose.

"You need to take care of yourself, Elliot. I've just told you there's a person inside of you and the first thing you do is get high? Seriously, what the fuck?"

He's serious. So this is really true? That little fetus from the MRI is really inside me. I took off my shirt and splashed some water on my face.

"You need to understand, this is real, and you need to treat yourself better. No more smoking and more importantly, no more drugs. I don't care if you go through withdrawals." He went to the kitchen. I decided to take a shower, I need to clear my mind. Looking down to walk into the shower I glanced at my stomach, with the past months' events a lost a pound or two but it isn't flat, in fact, there's a defined swell to it. Never realized how much it's actually grown. I washed my hair closing my eyes, makes it easier to think. I made my way down washing my body eyes still closed, my hands brushed over my lower abdomen feeling the slight curve that had developed over this past month, my mind went blank. I got done with my shower and put on a t-shirt and sweats to sleep, Mr. Robot was playing with Flipper. I walked up to him.

"Why are you still here?"

"Have to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"So what now? You're gonna hang around me like a service dog or something?"

"No, but I'll stay tonight until you fall asleep."

I had to chuckle at that. Why is he acting all guardian angel all of a sudden?

"Why did you show up now?"

"Because you wouldn't believe any medical proof. If I wouldn't have come to make you understand, you would've killed this kid sooner or later."

"Why didn't you come sooner?"

"That doesn't matter, it matters I'm here now."

"Bullshit doesn't matter!"

"Calm down, damn it. I couldn't come sooner it's all you need to know."

"Why can't I remember the last night I saw you? That means you took over. Why did you do it."

"I had to. As I said, it doesn't matter right now. What matters is the life that's in there." He pointed to my stomach almost touching it, I took a step back.

"When I said you need to take care of yourself I meant it. Not just for it but for you too, these are gonna be a tough 6 months ahead of you."

"How do you know how long it's been?"

"If you'd listen to your doctor you'd know too, besides I know a lot of things you don't."

I stopped questioning him he's just gonna keep deflecting it. I drank a glass of water, laid in bed and closed my eyes, never have I fallen asleep so quickly.

The kid still managed to fall asleep on top of the covers, I slightly pushed him over and pulled them from underneath him and the tucked him in. This is gonna be really hard on him.