Kate (3): illness scare (7)

The Disappointment

I didn't want to have family dinner night at Arthur's house. I hadn't felt well all week—classes seemed to drag by, and I was having a hard time concentrating because I'd been so tired. Wasting my Saturday night at my brother's house just didn't sound like my idea of a good time. I would rather be in bed.

But not going would be just as suspicious. Everyone was worried about me, little miss college girl, and they wanted me to do well. Mom and Dad wanted to see me because I wasn't living at home, and since I was the last of the Read children to leave home, it was a momentous occasion. Maybe if Arthur and DW weren't such pains, it wouldn't be such a big deal for the good one to finally be leaving home, no offense to them.

So I had no choice. I gathered a grocery list to make my special macaroni when Craig called me. I'd been seeing him a few months now, mainly to feel older. I was eighteen and new to college, but he was thirty and a seasoned student. He was only at Elwood City University to add on to his skills, but we shared a class and had a lot in common.

"Hey, babe, how's it going?" I smiled.

"Glad I caught you before you left for tonight. Look, can we talk later? Can I come by?" he asked.

"Sure, what's up?" I asked, surprised by his tone. I checked my watch, "You can come over now."

"Alright, be right up," he said, ending the call. It was suspicious, but I went with it. Craig was older and different at times, plus what did I know about men, especially older men like him?

Sure enough, he knocked a moment later and bounded into my apartment. Before I could even close the door, he was on the couch waiting for me. I closed and latched the door and sat at the other end:

"Is everything okay? You're acting really weird—"

"Just—Just let me get this out," he said quickly, holding his hand up to me, a gesture I didn't appreciate. But I let him continue, "Kate, you mean a lot to me…and that's why I can't see you anymore. My wife—"

"Your wife?!"

"Let me finish! My wife knows everything, and I—I can't keep doing this. I—"

"I'm the other woman?" I interrupted, shaking my head, "Why bother, okay? Go back to your wife you asshole!"

"Look, you've got more problems than me being a cheating bastard, okay? I thought it worked—"

"Thought what worked?"

"My vasectomy—"

"What…?" my eyes grew wide, "You said—"

"I know what I said, and they did a test, but now a girl is pregnant and swears it's mine. She's in your—wait, never mind—"

"She what?! How many of us are there?!" I screamed, not knowing where all my anger was coming from. I'd never felt so angry before in my life. I wanted to throw something and kill him with it all while screaming.

He was bolting before I could stop him, but I let him go. How could I be so stupid to think he'd want me, that I'd be the only one? I wanted to cry—

—but then I got the reminder. If I wanted to be finished in time for family dinner, I had to get my ingredients now and start cooking. I looked down at my list in shame. I added TEST to the top of it with little stars. Even if I ended up not going to dinner, at least I would know the truth.

Missing family dinner was the end of the world for my family. The Read Family had dinner together every Saturday. We rotated between Mom and Dad's house, DW's house that she rented with friends, and Arthur's house, where he had his family. Arthur's house was my favorite because I liked where it was. I liked going home too, but Mom and Dad were always trying to convince me to stay. DW's house was the worst because her roommates were slobs and she liked being petty, which meant if it wasn't her mess, she wasn't touching it. Using the bathroom there was a craps shoot.

But I missed that dinner and the next, so I had to go. At least it was Arthur's turn again, and at least my macaroni ingredients were still good. I made the dish and arrived early, smiling to Arthur's wife even though I really didn't like her. She was nice enough, but her voice reminded me of forks scraping across a plate while ten hands went down a blackboard at the same time—shrill and awful on every level. I didn't know how he did it.

"Will Craig be—?"

"We broke up," I smiled, handing her the dish and disappearing into the living room, where Arthur was watching as his oldest did his homework on the family's tablet. I sat down quietly and pretended to scroll through my phone. After ten minutes, I sent him a message asking for a private chat. He finished up with his son and led me upstairs to the playroom.

"What's going on?"

"I need some advice, big advice—"

"Don't marry that guy. You've never been with anyone else," Arthur said suddenly.

"What?"

"Mom and Dad thought you were wanting to get married, that you were avoiding family dinner to avoid telling us about it," Arthur replied, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, but I happened to agree with them on that theory. It's not like you gave me anything else to go on."

I sighed, "Well we broke up, so you don't have to worry about that. I just…he was a liar and had a bunch of us. A girl in my biology class was dating him too. I found out when she was crying and told everyone. I guess he didn't almost slip up and tell her."

"So you're one of dozens? Did you do anything with him? You should get tested—"

"I had to," I sighed, "because I had to do another test. It was positive."

"God, what are you going to do with a baby?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you," I said, shrugging gently, "I know you had Davius young, so…what should I do? I don't really want to give it up or get rid of it, but I don't think I can make it work either. Plus, what are Mom and Dad going to say? This is really going to let them down."

Arthur sighed, "You're not letting them down—"

"DW is the one who didn't get knocked up early. How am I not a disappointment when she's the only one who got it right?" I huffed.

Arthur shook his head, "Actually—"

"No!"

"You remember her college trip for that internship? All a rouse—"

"How come you never told me?!" I cried, laughing, "God, we're all fuck ups!"

"No we're not," Arthur sighed, shaking his head, "The school system didn't teach us anything."

"They taught me everything. I just figured the pill and his vasectomy would make a good combo," I shrugged.

"You used both and it still failed? Are you sure?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. I missed the first family dinner because he came over and told me, so I added a pregnancy test to the list and it was positive. I went to the clinic on campus for an STD screen and a test. I've got the results right here," I said, holding it up to him. Arthur ran his finger over the entries and shook his head in disbelief. I put my phone away, "So?"

"I'll get you a card for the doctor we used. Tell them your fears and get the packet. We got one too—it'll have the adoption stuff and some of the other stuff, but look at the adoption stuff. That's what DW did," Arthur whispered.

I sighed, "And you won't tell a soul?"

"Nothing you've said will ever leave this room," he said, rubbing my shoulders as someone called out from downstairs. We rejoined dinner, and Arthur and I both managed to keep our cool. As I left, he handed me my dish. Inside the container wrapped in a Ziploc bag was a business card for his wife's OB/GYN. I made an appointment the next morning.

"Kate Read?"

Knowing I was at a doctor's office for pregnant people as a pregnant person was wrong on so many levels. I used to worry that people would think that's what I was in for, and now I wasn't wrong. I had special paperwork to fill out and everything, and now I was on a scale and heading into a room like always, except this room had more than just a table with funny stirrups attached. There was an extra machine in the corner as well as more gadgets on the counter. Reproductive posters hung on the walls—not just of a woman's parts but of a baby's development and other baby-related things. This room? This was the Baby Room.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor came in and examined me. It was a typical exam filled with questions before the usual stuff. When she was done, she let me know they were waiting on the fax from the lab with my results from my previous test. I needed to wait for that, but I could get dressed. After she left, I lay back on the table. The room jumped with every heartbeat, and there were a lot of them, but it was better than sitting up waiting.

Finally she came in with a folder and retook her seat. She looked over the file and smiled to me, "Well, I know what you came in here for, but the lab made a mistake."

"A mistake? What kind of mistake?"

"A computer one, by the looks of it," she smiled, looking up to me, "I'm writing you a prescription for a powerful antibiotic. That should nip this in the bud before you even have symptoms, but you'll need a retest in a year, okay? Limit your activity or wear protection until we know for sure."

I gasped, "I'm not pregnant?"

"Just a pesky infection. Congratulations," she smiled, shaking my hand and leaving the room.

Before I left, I told Arthur the good news via text, double-checking about ten times to make sure it was going only to him and not the family group text. A few minutes later, I bought a celebratory milkshake. After weeks of worry, I finally knew that I wasn't going to be a disappointment. So what if I got an STD? Those were too common to avoid these days, plus it was something I could hide. Only Arthur and I would know, and that's how I intended to keep it.

~End

A/N: Thirteen down, 87 to go! This is a piece for my 10x10 Challenge. For more info, see my profile or send me a PM. If you'd like to participate, let me know so I can read your responses. Keep in mind you don't have to do the challenge in a month like I am.