Mandi
"Honey, is that you," my mom called as I walked into my house.
"Yes, mom, it's me," I called back to her.
"Oh, honey, how was it?"
"It was pretty good, but I don't feel that great. I'm just going to go lie down for a while and see if that helps," I answered.
"Oh, what's wrong," my mom asked me.
She was worried; I had to say something that would calm her down.
"I'm fine, it's just that I'm really tired," I said reassuringly to her.
"Oh, okay; do you want some cookies? They're chocolate chip and just barely came out of the oven."
"Maybe later," I told her.
"Okay, that works," she replied. "Now, you just go and rest," she said giving me a hug. I walked to my room and changed into pajamas. I had just gotten home from summer camp. I had been gone for most of the summer, and now there was only two weeks left before school started. I laid down on my bed, and tried to relax to see if that would help me feel any better. The truth was that I was sick to my stomach, not "just tired". Maybe I caught something at the camp and I just didn't know for sure yet. I was kind of worried since I had never felt the way I was feeling before. I soon fell asleep, but it didn't last long because I had a nightmare. In the horrible dream I was running away from a man that was chasing and screaming at me that he was going to get me. All of a sudden I feel to the ground and the man grabbed me. After that was when I woke up screaming and my mom came rushing into the room.
"What's wrong, honey," she asked. "Why were you screaming?"
I didn't even have time to answer her before I was running to the bathroom to throw up. She ran in after me and held my hair back. When I was done she felt my forehead to see if I had a temperature.
"Do you still feel sick," she asked.
"Well, obviously it's more than a feeling," I said somewhat ornery.
"Well, you don't feel hot," she said in a thinking tone of voice. "Maybe we should take you to the hospital to get checked out."
"No, I'm fine; I just need some more sleep."
"Oh, all right you go lie down and I'll bring you some soup."
"No, I don't want any," I told her. Just thinking about eating made me want to throw up.
"You need to eat, though," my mom told me sternly.
"Maybe later, I just want to sleep right now."
"Okay, just go lie down and we'll see how you're feeling in a little bit."
"K, I will," I said. I went and laid back down in my bed. I still felt sick to my stomach as I fell back asleep. I ended up not having a second nightmare, thank God.
When I woke up it was to a faint knock on my bedroom door.
"Hey, are you awake," my mom asked from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, come in," I said sitting up.
"How are you feeling," she asked me.
"The same as earlier," I answered.
"Do you want some soup now?"
"I'll try it," I told her not really thinking that I would be able to eat it. Of course as soon as the smell of food hit me I was rushing to the bathroom just to throw up.
"That's it, get dressed," my mom said coming into the bathroom.
"Why," I asked.
"I'm taking you to see the doctor," she answered.
"No, mom, that's not necessary," I said. "Just give it until tomorrow; if I'm not better by then I promise you that I'll let you take me to go see the doctor."
"Fine, go lie down while I try to find something that you can actually keep down."
I knew she was frustrated that I was refusing that she take me to the doctor, but I absolutely hated going anywhere near the hospital.
A little bit later I heard the doorbell and thought that it was unusual. A couple minutes later my mom knocked on my bedroom door and then walked in with another lady close behind her.
"Who's this," I asked her.
"It's Mrs. Wilkins from church, don't you remember her," my mom asked me.
"Yeah, aren't you a nurse," I asked Mrs. Wilkins.
"Yes, I am," Mrs. Wilkins answered. "Your mother called me and told me what's going on and that you don't feel too well. She was so worried about your well being that she called me."
"Mom, I'm telling you that it's probably just the gosh dang flu."
"Oh well, we'll see about that then won't we," she said.
"You worry to much," I muttered under my breath.
"Will you leave us alone for a minute or two," Mrs. Wilkins asked my mom.
"Yeah, sure," my mom replied. "I'll just go put the cookies away for tomorrow."
After my mom left the room, Mrs. Wilkins asked, "So how are you feeling?"
"Not so good, I guess," I answered.
"How long have you been feeling sick for?"
"The past month I haven't had that great of an appetite, and I have been throwing up a lot."
"May I ask when you had your last period?"
"I didn't get it last month, but I didn't think too much of it since I've always had irregular periods."
"Did you happen to be involved in any sexual activity over the summer at all that you remember?"
"No, I've never even had a boyfriend before."
"All right, I think that it would be best if you let your mom take you to go see a doctor," Mrs. Wilkins told me.
"What do you think is wrong," I asked her.
"Well, as hard as it is for me to say this," she said, "but I honestly think that you might be pregnant. Although, if it is something else, you want to catch it early."
"Okay, you can go ahead and tell my mom that you think her daughters pregnant," I scoffed. "She ain't gonna like it, I can tell you that much."
"I'll make sure that she understands that you'll need to go to the doctor tomorrow," Mrs. Wilkins informed me.
"Okay then, what should I do until then," I asked her still not believing that she actually thought that I might be pregnant.
"Just try to get as much rest as you can and I'll have your mom bring you some saltine crackers."
"Do you think I'll be able to keep them down," I asked her.
"It should help keep the nauseousness to a minimum," she answered.
"Okay, thanks," I told her.
"I'll probably see you tomorrow when you come in," Mrs. Wilkins said before leaving.
About fifteen minutes later my mom came in my room with some crackers.
"Hey, here's you some crackers," my mom said handing me the package. "I set up an appointment at the clinic for ten tomorrow morning."
"K, thanks," I told her. She left me alone in my room and I was surprised to find that I was able to keep a few crackers down.
A little bit after that I fell back asleep. The dream I had was like a continuation from the nightmare that I'd had earlier. What I saw was a big burly man ripping off my clothes, but I wasn't fighting back. That's when I noticed that I was lying on the ground unconscious.
I woke up again, but I wasn't screaming this time. What if these dreams meant something? That's when I remembered something that had happened one day at camp, but only vaguely. I'd woken up with my only really good friend from camp, Savannah, sitting next to me. I didn't really feel all that great and I couldn't remember anything that had happened the night before. It didn't help that Savannah wouldn't tell me anything that had happened. She had given me her phone number and told me to call her whenever I needed to talk. I decided that I was gonna call her. Who knows, maybe now she'd tell me what had happened that one night at camp.
I took out my phone with shaking hands. I was really nervous as I dialed her number.
"Hi, this is Savannah," Savannah said answering her phone.
"Hi, Savannah, sorry to bother you but this is Mandi; from summer camp," I said nervously.
"Oh, hi, how are you?"
"Not so good," I answered.
"Why not," she asked.
"I've been throwing up ever since I got home," I said.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I hope you get better soon," she told me sincerely.
"It's okay, that's not even the reason I called," I replied. "Do you remember last month when I couldn't remember anything that happened that one night?"
I was beyond nervous now.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"I know that you obviously know something about that night, and if you remember I was wondering if you could tell me?"
"Well, all I know is that I found you in the woods unconscious and with no clothes on," she said kind of awkwardly.
"You don't know anything that might have happened a little bit before that?"
"No, after I found you I put your clothes on and carried you back to our cabin," she answered.
"Okay, well thanks for telling me," I told her.
"Yeah sure, no problem; if you ever need to talk you can call me. I gotta go for now, bye Mandi, it was so good to hear from you," she said.
"Bye, thanks for your help," I said before disconnecting the line.
Knowing what Savannah had told me didn't make me feel any better than before. Besides, it wasn't much to go on.
"Mom," I yelled.
"Yes," she answered from somewhere in the house; probably the kitchen.
"Come here, please," I yelled not wanting to have to yell just to have a conversation with her.
"What is it," she asked walking into my room.
"Is the clinic closed?"
"Yeah, they close at six. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," I answered.
"If you really don't feel that good I can take you to the emergency room. Do you want me to do that?"
"No, I can hold up until tomorrow morning. What did Mrs. Wilkins tell you exactly," I asked.
"That you didn't look like you only had the flu and that I'd better take you in to the clinic as soon as I could," my mom answered.
"Oh, okay," I said; I decided that I wouldn't bring up the fact that Mrs. Wilkins thought that I was pregnant.
"Is that all you needed," she asked me.
"Yeah," I answered. I looked at my clock and realized that it was almost ten.
"Try to get some more rest and maybe you'll feel a little better tomorrow."
With that she walked out of my room and left me alone. I lied down and fell asleep thinking about what we would find out when we went to the clinic the next day.
What if I was pregnant? Then what would happen? All I had to do was hope for the best that I was not pregnant.