Yellowstone

Chapter 23 - You Can Have The Crown

A fifteen year old Beth sat on her bathroom floor, tears raining down her cheeks as she sniffled.

Her hands shook around the little plastic stick that she held, it being the cause of her distress.

A positive pregnancy test.

She quickly took and wiped her tears, heading out to the dining room where Jamie was studying.

"I need a favor." Beth spoke sincerely.

Without even looking up from his book, Jamie answered his younger sister. "I'm not spending my last day here watching you shop on Main Street."

"I need your help." Beth specified. "Jamie..."

He turned around, the annoyed expression quickly melting off of his face, only to be replaced with concern.

"I'm in trouble." Beth choked out.

Though uncomfortable, Beth explained her dilemma and the siblings loaded up in Jamie's truck.

Jamie was headed for the abortion clinic located on the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, just to keep it private.

"Who's the father?" Jamie asked shortly.

"It's none of your business." She answered quickly.

"It is absolutely my business-"

"No, it's my business!" She snapped at him. "Doesn't make a difference anyway."

Beth knew exactly who the father of her child was.

It was Rip, the little brunette orphan boy that John had most recently taken under his wing.

Jamie pulled into the gravel parking lot of the clinic, stopping his truck.

Beth, in a rare moment of vulnerability, reached over and held her elder brother's hand.

Jamie sighed and looked down at her hand before returning eye contact. "Let me go figure this out."

The blue-eyed brunette unbuckled his seatbelt and slid out of the truck, stepping into the clinic.

"Hi." He murmured, taking off his hate and approaching the woman at the front desk. "Are you Ellen?"

"I am." She turned to look at him.

"We spoke on the phone." Jamie specified.

"You're white." Ellen blurted, looking him up and down. "Listen... there's a Planned Parenthood in Billings. Take her there."

Jamie frowned a little. "I can't. Everyone will know."

Ellen gave him a look. "It's anonymous. Nobody will know."

Jamie dug into his pocket and gave her his ID, showcasing his and his sister's well known last name. "Everyone will know."

"You don't want to do this here." Ellen tried again. "A requirement for patients receiving an abortion at this clinic, is sterilization."

Jamie stiffened at her words, taking his ID back. "Understood."

He put his hat back on and trotted out to the truck where Beth was still waiting.

He opened the passenger side door, met with her teary eyes.

"Is it ok?" She choked out.

Jamie gulped. "Yeah... yeah, it's safe."

*~*~*~*~*

"Why can't we ride with them?" Tate asked, looking out as the mules were driven away with the wagon.