Like Mother, Like Daughter

Chapter Twelve: The Serpent's Bite

It was when I saw my own blinds through my half-open eyelids that I immediately sat bolt-upright in bed, shocked that I'd been inexplicably returned to my own bedroom. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I immediately lowered my hands to my belly, just to make sure that the baby was okay. It flipped from inside me, and I was instantly relieved that it hadn't been cut out of me while I was sleeping. My mother was capable of a lot of things, but murder of her own grandchild didn't seem like one of them.

I pushed myself up from my bed then, slightly groggy as I crossed the room. I was no longer in a hospital gown, and was instead in a T-shirt and shorts. Checking, I saw that I had a pair of panties on beneath the shorts, but no bra, which was just as well, as I didn't sleep in a bra under any circumstances whatsoever. While the invasiveness I suddenly felt that I'd been undressed without permission sent bile to my throat, I knew I needed to figure out some things as I went into the bathroom.

Once I'd relieved myself, I washed my hands before putting up my hair into a messy bun and headed downstairs. My parents, predictably, were out, and I didn't know where my younger siblings were at the moment. I headed into the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of water and sipped it carefully, rolling back on my heels as I considered the predicament I was in. I wondered if I was going to be held prisoner until the child was born, and then forced off to university while the baby was sent away somewhere. At the thought, I nearly dropped my glass and placed both hands upon my stomach, heart hammering in my chest once again, and I felt my face flush at the notion of what I was doing.

I walked out of the kitchen immediately and went upstairs to my bedroom. There were still clothes missing from my dresser, so I knew that they were still likely at Pops and Uncle Ian's place across the street. I swallowed, looking out my window, and seeing that someone had brought my car back here, and the keys were placed on the top of my chest of drawers. I checked my phone, seeing that it was mid-afternoon, on a Monday. Doing the math, I knew that I must have been given a sedation after Pops had left the hospital the night before, and that I'd likely been transferred back home.

Shaking my head, I dressed hastily, piling my hair back up onto my head and gathering a few more articles of clothing. Stepping into my sneakers, I picked up my keys and dashed downstairs as quickly as I dared, my head already throbbing due to the nervousness that seemed to creep into every corner of my body. I grabbed the doorknob of the front door and turned it, stepping outside into the sunshine before I slammed it behind me, hearing the automatic click that always sounded, letting me know it had locked on its own. I fled down the stairs and through the gate and ran across the street, letting myself into the house before I shut and locked the door behind me as quickly as I could.

"Kiddo?"

My heart lurched upon hearing that voice and, turning around, I ran through the living room and into the kitchen, where Pops stood. Without hesitation, I threw my arms around him, shaking like a leaf in his arms.

"You okay?" he asked.

I shuddered, pulling back and wrapping my arms protectively around myself, before I forced a nod to come to my subconscious. "I'm fine," I replied, lowering my hands towards my stomach again and smiled. "We're fine," I told him.

. . .

I called in sick to work for the next two days, and spent most of my time pacing around the house, hands on my stomach. Now that I'd officially acknowledged the existence of my child inside me, as well as informed Dr. Lennox that the abortion wouldn't be happening, I found myself at a loss about what my future would hold. Obviously, I knew that if I was keeping the baby, that college, for now, at least, was out of the question, and I would have to come up with childcare arrangements once the baby was born. Knowing that the next six months or so would be filled with planning was almost beyond me, but I knew that I could come to a decision when it came down to what was right for the baby.