"Okay. You will have to sign these forms and wait outside for a while as the nurses prepare a room for you," Isa said, handing Val some forms, which she signed as fast as she could before she changed her mind.
She sat on the bench outside the doctor's office, scrolling through her phone but looking at nothing in particular.
A middle-aged woman, about 45 years old, went to sit beside her, and Val thought that she was there for the same reason as hers.
"Hello, am Florence," the lady said, smiling.
Val smiled back as she introduced herself
"Have you seen the doctor yet?" Florence asked, and Val nodded.
"Can you spare a few minutes to look at this?" Florence said, handing Val some brochures.
"Sorry. I can't. It's too late," Val said, moving away.
"It's never too late. It's only late once the process is done. You can change your mind. You can save the life of that child and give birth then put him/her up for adoption." Florence insisted, but Val wouldn't listen. "I terminated my pregnancy at 23, and years later, when I wanted a child in my marriage, I couldn't give birth. I longed for a child, I still long for one, and I don't want young people to make the same mistake that I made."
Val thought that having a baby at her age would hinder her from doing so many things in her own life.
She had thought about it and decided that she wasn't ready. Therefore she couldn't carry the pregnancy to term.
There was the emotional and financial aspect to be considered, and though financially she was a bit okay, she wasn't emotionally ready.
"I'm sorry. I have to do this. I can't take care of this child alone," she repeated, insinuating that her partner wasn't around to help her.
Isa walked over to the two ladies at that point and asked Val if she was ready, and without looking back, Val followed her into the room that had been set aside.
Isa allowed her to change into some hospital clothes, and as she lay on that bed, Isa asked for the last time if she had changed her mind.
"Can I see it?" Val asked in a small voice.
"Of course. We will have to use the other room," Isa answered.
Val got up from the bed and followed Isa into the other room, which was just separated from the previous room by a big curtain.
She was asked to lie on the free bed available, and a sonographer pressed a transducer against her stomach.
The transducer sent sound waves through Val's body, collected the ones that bounced back, and a small image was displayed on the computer in the room.
"There. It's still small," Isa said, pointing at the screen.
"Yes, let's go," Val said.
Isa and the sonographer looked at each other without saying a word. Isa had thought that Val would change her mind after seeing the baby, but she was still adamant.
In the other room, Isa injected a numbing medication into Val's cervix and stretched the opening of the cervix with a series of dilating rods.
She then inserted a thin tube through the cervix into Val's uterus. Using some medical tools and a suction device, she gently took the pregnancy tissue out of Val's uterus.
Hours later, when Val was ready to leave for home, Isa prescribed for her some medication to be used at home.
"Have plenty of rest and get in touch in case of anything," Isa said.
~
Serena was serious about talking to Eric's parents, but Eric had thought that she was just blubbing.
She got into Eric's car and drove straight to the Barger's family home and found Jim, Jael, and Carol in the living room.
Cheryl had excused herself and gone to her room, where she had to get back to the drawing board.
With Eric in business with her, she couldn't do as she pleased because there would be a third eye.
"It's been a while since we saw you," Jael said politely, but Serena didn't answer or smile back. "Is anything the matter? You don't look okay?"
"Everything is wrong," Serena said.
"I don't understand," Carol said.
Serena looked at her and said, "I will talk because Eric can't."
"What was Eric supposed to say? Are you expecting? Are we going to be grandparents once again?" Jael asked ecstatically.
"No. We aren't adding any more kids, but that's part of my problem with Eric and not the reason I'm here."
"I will leave you two to talk," Jim said, but Serena said that he also had to listen because it involved him as well.
"I have been helping Eric to run the business. He asked for my help more than a year ago, and I gladly accepted the offer," Serena said.
"Oh, so you're the assistant he hired," Jim asked.