Woman of the Past

Chapter 16

Thank you so much all of you that are reading this! I got a little sidetracked with work and another story that I've started that isn't ready for Wattpad. (I was obsessed with getting those ideas on paper before I forgot them.)  Anyway I finally got back to this one over the weekend. I hope you like where it's going. ; ) Special thanks to rhielmha for reminding me to update. I appreciate it.

Chapter 16

Peyton hated the weakness of her body. She had tried to walk to the cafeteria under her own power but her legs had buckled. She would have fallen faster than a sack of rocks if it weren’t for the dark haired attendant whose name she couldn’t remember. Jupiter had sent him to get a wheel chair and they’d rolled her through a maze of hallways and up twenty levels to the cafeteria. The room took up half of the entire floor.

The noise coming from the room was almost deafening to Peyton. Her ears had adjusted to the quiet of isolation. When the door opened, it stayed loud at first. Peyton watched as a few of the women started pointing her out. The cafeteria slowly quieted as Jupiter wheeled her over to get her food. The man in a hairnet asked for her name.

“Peyton Parker,” Her voice still sounded hoarse from disuse but it was getting better.

The man punched in her name on the holo-screen in front of him. He read the menu that popped up and went to get her food. The man came back with a tray piled high with fruit, a vegetable omelette, a bottle of milk, and a cup of thick yogurt, “Your lucky ma’am, most women aren’t allowed to eat this much.”

Peyton didn’t feel lucky. She felt useless and weak, but she bit her lip and said nothing. Her other attendant took the tray from the cafeteria worker. She thought his name started with a D. What was his name?

She was ruminating in her own thoughts, not paying any attention to where she was going as Jupiter wheeled her around or the hushed whispers through the cafeteria. Her hand was lying protectively over her belly as she tried to remember the man’s name. It wasn’t as if it was important but it bothered her that she couldn’t remember. She could see him introducing himself last night but she couldn’t hear his name.

“PEYTON!” A voice rang out from across the crowded cafeteria. Peyton jumped in her wheelchair as May and little Max ran over to her from the other side of the room. Max reached her first, his eyes as wide and as happy to see her.

“You’re back.” He quirked his head at her wheelchair and attendants and frowned, “Are you sick?”

Peyton couldn’t help her smile, “No Hun, I’m not sick. I’m just really tired.” She opened her arms to him, “Come sit with me and we’ll have these two take us to our family.”

Max smiled, liking the idea of riding in the wheelchair with her. He started to climb into her lap when May gave soft a warning, “Careful Max, Peyton’s pregnant.”

Peyton looked up, a question in her eyes. May shrugged and answered, “I’ve been around pregnant women my whole life.”

Max was careful sitting himself sideways in her lap, “Cool, my Momma’s pregnant too. We’re sitting over there.” He pointed over towards the far side of the room.

Peyton leaned close to Max as Jupiter pushed them in the direction Max pointed and whispered in his ear, “Max I need some of your courage. I know its girl stuff but can I hug you?” Max nodded seriously and turned to hug her. She immediately felt a wave of calm flow through her, “Thanks Max.” He smiled and let go. As they got closer he jumped off her lap to go play with kids in the play area on the left side of the room. Peyton saw her parents standing at their table, trying to get a better look. When they got there her Mom was crying and her Dad was trying to calm her down.