Loose Change~ Montgomery De La Cruz / Zach Dempsey/Scott Reed

Part 4 Chapter 9a

"It's okay," Justin said. "Scott knows now."

Scott just let out a short, humorless laugh, looking at Justin. "Thought you said she didn't want people to know."

"Scott, is this the fucking time for that?" Marisa snapped at him. She looked at Justin. "Where is she?"

Justin sniffed, loudly. "Apparently, the stress from the drill...kicked her into premature labor."

Marisa stilled.

"Oh my god!" Estella gasped. "They can't stop it?"

"Stop it?" Marisa asked.

"I don't know," Estella panicked. "Sometimes they can hault labor, right?"

"She's six months, right?" Tyler asked.

"Around there," Marisa said. "Over twenty weeks, for sure."

"Premature babies born between twenty and twenty four weeks have less than a fifty percent chance of survival," Tyler said, suddenly. They all looked at him. He crossed his arms, suddenly regretting his words. "I-I started looking into it after she got all depressed and shit after camp. Thought something might happen then."

Scott gulped. He sat up more. "What about the mom? What's the mom's chance of survival?"

Tyler hesitated. "I mean, hospitals are really advanced when it comes to-"

"Is it more likely she'll die?" Scott cut him off. "If it's premature?"

There was silence. Slowly, Tyler nodded.

Estella let out a pitiful sob. She covered her face. "Oh my god..."

Marisa took hold of her, pulling her in for a hug, and then helping her into a seat besides Justin, who started comforting the girl.

"Why the fuck do you have to ask shit like that?" Marisa snapped at Scott.

Scott glared at her. "What?"

"You're making shit worse."

"I'm making shit worse?" His voice suddenly rose. "Where were you Marisa? Ophelia thought you got shot."

Marisa's face paled. "They-They caught me in the hallway, and told me I had to be quiet while they took me to the office. That's where they took all the kids who were out when they weren't supposed to be."

"So you were just quiet?" he asked her. "You just walked quietly? Letting her think you were shot?"

"They told me I had to be-"

"She thought you were dead!" Scott yelled at her. He leaned forward. "She still thinks you're fucking dead! Why wouldn't you call out to her?"

"I'm sorry!" Marisa shouted back. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "I didn't know this would happen! I told her before it was just a drill! My friend texted me saying she already got caught in the hallway. It was fake! I told her it was fake!"

"She obviously didn't fucking know that!"

"Scott," Justin hissed. "Calm down!"

Scott stood up suddenly, and he walked down the hall, out of view.

Marisa collapsed into the chair. "Fuck..."

"Are people still at school?" Justin asked.

"They're trying to keep them there for now," Marisa said. "But people are pissed."

Justin nodded. "I'm fucking pissed. How could they do that to us? How could they do that to her?"

"They didn't know she was pregnant," Estella tried to say.