For The Love Of A Snake

Chapter 36: Ticking Time

   The beatings started the next morning and lasted weeks. I was constantly bruised and bloody. Adrian's men would come in and beat me in hopes that somehow it would trigger the magic within me, but nothing worked. Adrian on a nightly basis would try to drink my blood but nothing ever happened. I was taken to a bathroom once a day to relive myself, take a cold shower and doctor up and cuts I had that were exposed. They had forced me to wear just underwear as they had been trying to keep track of what kind of abuse was happening and the reactions my body had to it.

    It had been almost four weeks when the vomiting started. Every night I would wake up around four extremely nauseous. I couldn't keep food down and they suspected I had gotten an infection from the beatings and open wounds. I wouldn't have been surprised, I wasn't kept in a clean area or doctored properly. They also had moved the camp a couple times since keeping me captive so I no longer knew where we were location wise. Every night I prayed for Jaxon and the Hogwarts teachers or the ministry of magic to burst through the tent doors. I was never that lucky.

   I assumed that they were on the hunt for me but due to the Skull Seekers constant movement it was practically impossible to follow. Every night Sebastian would enter with my one meal of the day. Usually it was just bread and some fruit but every now and then I'd get lucky and they'd give me some form of meat. The only reason I hadn't starved myself to death was because I wanted to live for Jaxon. I wanted to live for our possible future. If he's still have me after all this that was.

   Today was suppose to be the day they changed tactics. I was terrified for how they planned to get my magic out now. Adrian, the Skull Seeker doctor, Sebastian and a couple of Adrian's lead men entered the room to observe. Adrian stood back as Sebastian approached me. "Use your powers or it's only going to get worse" he gritted his teeth at me while grabbing my chin and forcing an unwanted kiss upon my lips.

    "Don't you dare touch me again!" I screamed out with what energy I had left. I had lost a lot of weight and it had taken a toll on my body. I had caught a wiff of Sebastians cologne as his body backed away from mine. I instantly became nauseous. They had put a pail next to me that I was suppose to use for my vomit. I tried to reach it quickly but the chains had become so heavy on my frail body I only was able to get a small portion of it in the actual pail.

   "The magic didn't work Sebastian. I thought you said it would" Adrian was angry now.

    "I've seen it work this way before I swear" he backed away defensively, "It could be because she's sick" Sebastian added.

    "Why is she vomiting?" Adrian turned to the doctor immediately.

    "We aren't sure. Could be infection, disease or something else" the doctor was a women in her 40's who never seemed to enjoy participating in my abuse.

    "Test her, feed her, get her well again. We need this to work. Clearly the abuse hasn't worked...so we will try an opposite method" Adrian spoke with command as he left the room. Sebastian and the other mean followed while the doctor stayed behind. She quickly drew my blood, poured some kind of powder in it and then lit the tip of her wand underneath it.

   "No infection so that's good" I couldn't tell if she was talking to me or herself. She then swabbed my nose with a cotton bud and put it into a liquid vile while shaking it. She waited for a moment and then shook her head. "No disease either" the results had her stumped. She then released the chains and took me to the bathroom. "Take a shower, come out, and we will properly address your wounds and give you some food". I nodded and did as she said. She allowed me to take as long of a shower as I needed. I was finally able to get off the grim of a months worth of abuse. When I stepped out she was waiting for me and began to address every single wound I had acquired. She then gave me a vile to drink. It tasted bubbly and unpleasant.

    "What is this?" I croaked out.

    "To test for a bacteria called H.Poyli" she answered me then had me blow into a bag which she observed a dial on the front of it. "Negative" she replied while continuing to bandage me up. "Do you have any allergies?" She then asked as she helped me into a new pair of clothes that actually was clean and covered my body properly.

    "No" I replied while looking at myself in the cracked mirror on the wall in the bathroom. I really had lost weight. My face was a lot thinner than before.

    "When is the last time you had your period?" She raised an eyebrow at me while I continued to be focused on the mirror.

   "About a week before I was taken here" I replied without realizing what I had said.

   "So you're almost two weeks late then?" She asked now catching my attention. Apparently I had been here longer than I realized.

   "Well yeah but stress can cause your period to stop completely" I replied as I had experienced that before when my parents died.

   "When's the last time you had sexual intercourse?" Her questions began to feel extremely personal.

   "Why does that matter?" I snapped at her and felt bad after. She was actually trying to help me.

    "Your period is almost two weeks late, your nauseous to smells and have morning sickness...I think you know why that information is important" she shook off my attitude and tried to be more comforting in how she spoke. It then hit me what she was trying to imply.

   "There's no way" I stuttered slightly panicking, "It was only one time and over a month ago now. There's no way. No. Just no" I began to pace until her hand rested on my shoulder.

   "We won't know unless you take a test" She was right but I was scared. What would I do if I was? What would Adrian do? Or Sebastian? What would Jaxon think? I hadn't thought of him in a while except at night when I dreamed of him coming to get me. Now the reality was hitting that I could indeed be with child.

  "Okay" I acknowledged her as she handed me a test to pee on. I had been holding it in all day so it was easy to fill it to the line. I then handed it to the doctor who sanitized it before setting it on the counter.

  "I'll send someone to bring you to dinner while we wait. Please eat as much as you need" She motioned for me to leave the doorway where someone was waiting to guide me. It was a burley man who towered over me. He guided me to the dining hall. As I entered the room went silent. I had never been in this room let alone in front of all of the Skull Seekers at once. The man sat me down at the end of the table in an empty seat. He quickly left to grab me a plate and then plopped a thanksgiving like meal right in front of me. My mouth instantly watered. I devoured the plate and wanted more but knew my stomach after starving for over a month wouldn't be able to handle it. He then led me back to a room where the doctor was waiting for me. Once he dropped me off he left and shut the door behind him.

   "Here" she handed me the test. I took a deep breath before looking down at the words on its small little screen.

       Pregnant