Knock! Knock!
Janice already knew it was Damien coming to drop off Naomi. Over the last three months, they'd follow through with their agreement. Janice started her fall semester at Chesapeake College and their co-parenting was going fine.
Janice stopped stuffing her face with her cheese steak from Bullocks and went to open the door, "Hey Damien." She chewed her cheesesteak and swallowed, "Thanks for dropping her off here this time."
"No problem. Jay, you're looking kinda chubby. Stop stuffing your face like that." He stepped in and Naomi ran into the play room past Janice. Damien poked her belly, "You're gaining some weight. But Alana had the baby yesterday on a better note. Naomi isn't too happy about her new brother."
"Are you getting a DNA test done like I said you should? And I've let myself go since I've started this semester, don't rub it in." She pulled her shirt down and covered her tiny belly.
Damien laughed through his smile, "Yeah, but can we talk?"
She led him into the living room and sat down across from one another, "What's wrong?"
He exhaled, "I think you and Naomi should move a little closer to me so we're both not going so far on the weekends like this."
Janice exhaled and felt her breakfast slowly coming up, running to the bathroom, releasing it into the toilet.
"Damn, was it that bad of an idea?" He joked as he stood in the doorway.
Janice flushed the toilet, her face cooled by the swirling water going down, "No. I just haven't been feeling the greatest lately."
"Have you been to the doctor or hospital about it?" He pulled her hair back off her face, "You still have hair ties in the medicine cabinet?"
She shook her head up and down. Damien reached back, opening the medicine cabinet, grabbing a hair tie and pulling up Janice's hair into a sloppy bun. She finished letting go of her breakfast as he sat on the tub, rubbing her back.
"I'm sorry you have to see this." Janice mumbled into the toilet as it flushed and cooled her face again.
"I'm taking you to the hospital. You can't just keep throwing up like this with Naomi in the house." Damien insisted. He pick her up princess style and she buried her head into his shoulder, her tears staining his shirt.
"Naomi!" He yelled and she popped around the corner, "Put your jacket back on baby and come get in the car please."
"Ok daddy." She picked up her coat from the play room floor and slipped it back on.
Damien sat Janice in the front seat and ran back into the house as Naomi made her way out. He wrapped Janice's cheese steak back up and put it in the microwave. Assuming she'd throw up on the ride to Easton, he empty out the bathroom trash can and replaced the bag for her to put in between her legs. Damien glanced around for Janice's house keys, only to find them in front his face on the coffee table. He scooped them up with the trash can as well, locking the door behind him and getting back in his car. He handed the trash can to Janice and checked that Naomi was buckled up.
"Damien." Janice moaned, "I don't need to go to the hospital."
"Shut up Jay." he snapped, "You're obviously sick or something. Have you had your flu shot yet?"
She shock her head side to side and released her little bit of cheesesteak into the trash can, "It tasted so better going down." She moaned.
"Mommy, are you okay?" Naomi peeked in between the seats.
"I'm fine baby. Sit back for me please." She pressed Naomi's forehead against her cheek and she sat back.
The car ride to Easton felt like forever. Coming up on Pizza Hut, Janice let go of the last of her food.
"Drop Naomi off at my uncle's house please." She mumbled.
"Why?" Damien came to a stop at the light.
"Because I don't want her tat the hospital with me. Please just drop her off." She held her head in her hands and put the trash can on the floor.
Damien pulled off from the light and led onto Aurora street, where her uncle's house sat on the corner.
Janice called her uncle, it seemed like the phone rang forever before he picked up.
"Uncle Ivan, can you watch Naomi while I go to the hospital... No it won't be long... We're outside... Ok, here she comes." Janice looked up to her uncle standing in the doorway, "Naomi, go with Uncle Ivan please. We'll be back in a few."
"I don't wanna go in there." Naomi whined.
"Go in the house Naomi, it's not up for discussion and I'm not going to tell you again. We have to go." She slightly raised her voice as Naomi frowned her face up at Janice. She climbed out and went up to Uncle Ivan before Damien pulled off again, rushing to the hospital.
The parking lot was piled with cars but they still managed to find a parking spot. Damien got himself unbuckled and went over to Janice's side of the car, picking her up and carrying her princess style again.
The receptionist looked over her glasses, "How may I help you?"
Damien stood Janice up in front of the desk, with her face buried in his shirt, "She's been throwing up since about 11:00 when I got to her house and she doesn't know why. I especially don't know why."
She rolled her eyes, "Name?"
"Janice Y. Neal. Her birthday is February 5th. Anything else you need?" He rubbed her back softly.
"No, please be seated over in the waiting area and someone will come call you out." She snapped.
He picked Janice back up and carried her to the waiting area.
"Neal? Janice Neal?" A nurse called out.
Damien carried her back to the registration, where she only let out the last of whatever her body could.
The nurse stopped typing, "We'll just start some tests now and we can do this later because I don't think we'll make it through this process right now."
They poked and processed every ounce of blood they could take from Janice along with pee, blood pressure and asked all the required questions there was. Janice laid back on the bed ghostly as her doctor walked in.
"Janice. I'm Dr.Howard. Now we have your test results back but I have one final question for you. When was the last time you were sexually active and had your last period?" He stood against the counter.
She wiped the tears from her eyes, "I don't really remember the last time I was sexually active and I'm on birth control so periods just come and go whenever. Why? Is it an STD, HIV or something?"
"No, nothing that outrageous." He laughed, "But however, you are pregnant. Congratulations."
"Can we have a second please?" She asked.
Dr.Howard walked out.
Damien put his face in his hands and sighed, "What's this mean now Jay?"
"I don't know Damien." She held her now pronounced baby bump, "What do you want to do this time with this?"
He exhaled deeply and scratched his head, "Keep it."