Our Experiment

9: Decisions, Decisions

~Past~

His leg jumped restlessly as he sat in the waiting room. His sweaty palms gripped his hone so tightly his knuckles turned snow white. His eyes were focused on one spot in the room, not really taking in whatever his eyes had laid on. His mind was racing as he waited to be acknowledged.

The lobby was busy, full of people waiting to see loved ones; hospital staff hustling to and fro, carrying clipboards and patients from room to room.

His head shot up as a nurse greeted him and guided him to the room of the patient he was far too eager to see. At the door, she explained that Justice was in pretty bad shape and to brace himself. She left him then.

He opened the door and then closed it behind him before laying eyes on Justice's battered form. She was sitting upright, watching a show on television. Her bruised eyes met his.

"Johnny." she croaked.

He approached her, seating in the chair at her bedside. "How are you feeling, Justice?"

She tried to form a smile, but merely managed a grimace. "Better now that the medicine has kicked in."

"Well, you look awful." he joked, trying his hardest to hide how sorrowful he felt.

Justice released a breath meant to be a laugh. "Oh good, I was afraid I would look like a super model."

The pair shared many laughs during his visit. A while after, Justice's parents arrived and Johnny took that as his cue to leave, but not before promising Justice he would visit her again.

Her parents greeted her, asking about her well-being. As they were conversing, her nurse came in with some news.

"You can tell us." Justice said, noting the nurse's hesitancy.

"Well," she began, her eyes shifting between all three pairs of eyes. "Test results came back that you are pregnant, Justice."

~Present~

Mr. A went in to work early the next morning, leaving a note to inform Justice that it was an emergency. Crumpling the note, she trashed it and skimmed the fridge for something to eat. Nothing seemed appetizing until her eyes fell upon the dark bottle of red wine. Grabbing the bottle, she took a glass from the cabinet and filled it halfway.

Returning the bottle to the fridge, she took the glass and swirled the liquid, slowly. Bringing the rim to her nose, she breathed in the intoxicating aroma. She was reminded of her first night back at the Ravine; of how her feelings and desires for Johnny had resurfaced so suddenly and so strongly. She brought the glass between her lips as her mind wandered to the kiss they shared. But just as the liquid touched the tip of her tongue, her thoughts were shattered back into reality by the sound of a knock on the front door.

Fearing it may, somehow, be her father, she hid the glass beneath the cabinet and answered the door. Her eyes widened to find a familiar, smiling face staring back at her. A face she had not seen in nearly seven years!

"Riley?"

His grin widened. "Good to see you too, cuz."

Justice threw her arms around him, "Oh my gosh! I've missed you so much! How've you been?"

"Great." he replied, giving her a squeeze. "You look amazing. Nothing like the old bookworm I'm used to."

Justice laughed, stepping back into the house. "What are you doing here?"

Riley closed the door behind him. "My dad got a new job here."

"How's uncle Reuben been?" she asked as she entered the kitchen.