Poison

Chapter Five

Hamilton fiddled with his fingers as Jefferson paced around the room, his hands running through his hair. Hamilton looked around the room, needing some kind of distraction. He always hated hospitals. They made him anxious. He put his head in his hands, trying to keep his breathing level.

Someone knocked on the door before opening it, causing both Hamilton and Jefferson to look up. "Alexander Hamilton?" Hamilton nodded. "I'm Dr. Bek," the woman said. "What seems to be wrong?"

"I'm sick. I mean, I don't feel sick, I feel fine, but every morning I throw up. Sometimes I get indescribably hungry, and sometimes I don't want to eat anything. I've been sleeping and feeling more tired than usual. I don't know what's wrong."

The doctor nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. "We're going to take a blood sample and run a few tests to see if your body functions are running normally. It will only take up to ten." Hamilton nodded, smiling. The doctor returned the smile and took the blood sample. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She left the door open on her way out.

Hamilton sat on the paper, trying to stay still so he didn't have to hear the paper crinkling. He hated that. He also hated the blaring lights, the sanitizer smell in the air, the white coats of the doctors, everything. He ran his hands through his hair a few times before lifting his head back up.

"Lex?" Hamilton noticed a thin girl standing in the door and smiled.

"Liz," he replied. Eliza came into the room some.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm sick, or something..."

Eliza nods with empathy. That's the thing Hamilton hated most about hospitals. The empathy everyone gave you.

"Mr. Hamilton, I have your results." The doctor looked at Eliza, a little unsure.

"Go ahead," Hamilton said, wanting Eliza by his side in case it was bad. Eliza grabbed his hand and squeezed gently.

The doctor nodded. "Congratulations, Mr. Hamilton. You're pregnant." Hamilton's eyes widened. He stared at the doctor, then Eliza, and finally Jefferson. Jefferson's face was masked, but there was definitely a mix of emotions swirling in his eyes. Eliza, however, looked shocked. She stared at Hamilton, her mouth dropped. Hamilton looked down at the floor, tears pooling in his eyes. "I'll leave you to it," the doctor said quietly, reading the room very well. This was not an expected pregnancy, nor a wanted pregnancy.

"Alex, you're..." Eliza staggered, but she smiled brightly. "Oh, congratulations!" She hugged Hamilton tightly, surprising him. "You're going to be a great dad!"

A nurse popped into the room. "Eliza, you're needed in room 226B."

Eliza nodded. "I'm so proud of you, Lex," Eliza said before leaving the room.

Hamilton just stared in shock at the floor. "What the hell am I going to do?" he muttered aloud.

"Telling John would be the first step," Jefferson said, gaining Hamilton's attention.

"Oh god," Hamilton muttered, the tears starting to spill. "Oh my god." He put his head in his hands. "I can't- he would-" His breathing sped up.

"Hamilton?" Jefferson stood in front of Hamilton now. He took Hamilton's hands away from his face. "Breath. Deep breaths." He took a deep breath, Hamilton following suit. He then released it and took another breath. After a minute, Hamilton's breathing was normal. "It's alright, you don't have to tell him." Hamilton nodded gratefully, though was still a little shaken.

Thankfully, the doctor came in a second later. "Alright, I'm assuming you're the father?"

Jefferson's face went hot. "No no, I'm just his roommate."

The doctor nodded, seeming unconvinced. "Alright. Here's some medication if he starts to have some stomach pain. If he has back pain, up to two ibuprofen a day. From what I can tell you use binders, correct?" Hamilton nodded. "Try not to use those. I'd recommend a sports bra, it has similar effects without completely restricting your chest. Try to stay physically active, keep a decent sleep schedule, and eat healthy and regularly. I'll schedule an ultrasound with you in a month." She writes something down quickly before looking between Hamilton and Jefferson. "Any questions?" Hamilton and Jefferson both shook their heads. "Alright, I'll call you later about the details of your ultrasound. Congratulations, and take care."

The drive back to the dorm was quiet. Neither of them knew what to say. When they got to the dorm, Hamilton sat down on the couch gently, as if any movement at all would cause him to break. His mind ran at a million thoughts a minute, and he almost didn't hear Jefferson. Almost.

"Do you want me to call Peggy?" Hamilton looked up at Jefferson, pity reflecting in his chocolate eyes. Jefferson expected Hamilton to yell at him, screaming that he doesn't need pity and can do it himself. He was shocked when Hamilton just nodded and looked down.

Jefferson grabbed his phone and called Peggy. "Yo, what's up?"

"You need to get over here now," Jefferson said. He glanced at Hamilton, who hadn't moved. Jefferson moved to the kitchen.

Peggy was already grabbing her keys. "What's wrong?"

"Hamilton's pregnant."

"I'll be there in two minutes."

"Thanks, Peggy."

"Don't mention it."

Word Count: 872