Since You Been Gone

Since You Been Gone: Chapter 8

Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. How could such a small word mean such a big thing? Aubrey sat paralyzed on the bed, fear and adrenaline rushing throughout her entire body. 'How can I be pregnant?' she thought. 'This can't be happening to me!'

"Nurse," she cried out, suddenly being released from her paralyzing fear. Her hand was held out in front of her and was reaching towards her, as though she expected to pull the woman back to the bed and demand an answer; to demand an answer that she didn't want to hear, an answer that made much more sense.

"Nurse, please," Aubrey begged as the woman strolled back to the bed, her heels clacking against the tile floor. The clipboard was cupped to her chest, and she stared exasperatedly at Aubrey.

"Please tell me there's been some kind of mistake," Aubrey yelled, frantic. "I can't be pregnant! I just can't be!"

"Well, you are," the woman replied calmly in Aubrey's red face. "I'm afraid that there's nothing I can do, and..."

Suddenly, the door swung open and in walked Shannon. The nurse swirled around, shocked. She then looked back at Aubrey and nodded her head.

"Excuse me, ma'am," she said, and backed up out of the room.

"Aubrey," Shannon gasped as soon as the nurse was gone. "Here's the strawberry cheesecake you wanted me to get you. I ran all the way down to the lobby to get it! You're lucky, too! It was the last one," she giggled.

She walked over and sat down on the edge of Aubrey's bed. As her eyes slowly travelled to Aubrey's face, she realised something was wrong. Her brows crumpled with the motherly look she was so used to giving.

"Aubs, what's the matter, honey? You look flushed!" She leaned over and swooped Aubrey's hair off of her face. "Your forehead is so hot! What's the matter? What's wrong?" she demanded.

Aubrey looked into Shannon's green eyes with a queasy feeling in her stomach. She didn't know how to say this to Shannon, let alone hear it to herself.

"Oh God," Aubrey whispered.

Shannon's eyes bulged open wide. "Aubrey, you're scaring me! What's the matter with you? Are you sick?"

Aubrey turned her head to her white walls and tears ran out of her grey eyes. She took a deep breath as the tears overflowed the river of her eyes. "I'm pregnant, Shannon!"

There was no sound for a few moments, not even the audible gasp that Aubrey expected to follow soon afterwards. She dared to turn her face to look over at Shannon who pulled her expression together before Aubrey saw her outrageously shocked face. Shannon cleared her thought while Aubrey waited.

"Well, do you know who the father is?" she asked.

Aubrey stared coldly at Shannon. "You know who the father is," she roared. "I know who the father is!"

Shannon just sat and stared helplessly at Aubrey. "Aubrey, honey," she started. "I think...I think that maybe you should talk...you know, talk to...talk to Dawn about this..."

"What?" Aubrey bellowed.

"Listen to me Aubs," Shannon whispered softly, in an effort to control Aubrey's breathing. "You need to talk to her. She's been through so much already. She's been told that Que may be paralyzed and he may not be able to walk again."

"How come no one told me this?" Aubrey whispered, in shock again.

"Because, it's been too much. Aubrey, you need to talk to her!"

Aubrey stared past Shannon's worried face. 'Why is this happening to me? Why does this have to be me?'

"Okay," Aubrey said. "I'll talk to her."