"Oh god Holly did you get the plate number of that bus who hit me?!"
My head laying over my arm resting across the toilet where I spent the last two hours throwing up and now Holly is in here holding my hair.
"Dude maybe you should go down to the medical center you been throwing up for a week."
"It's not that bad......"
Just like that another round hits. Let's be real even if I went to the medical center on campus, what you call nurse in there doesn't know crap. Last time I went down for a sore throat she said it was allergies I ended with step and stuck at home for a week so my dad could take care of me. I've been so sick for over a week that I can barely make it to class and all I do is lay in bed when I am here.
"Seriously Ryder you need to get seen, I never seen you so sick."
"I'm not going to the center!"
"Fine then go to urgent care."
"I can't drive like this....."
"I'll drive, come on let's go, just grab a bucket you're not throwing up in my car."
The twenty-minute drive to the urgent care damn near killed me. I walked in and stood in line and as soon as I heard the receptionist call next person, I could have sworn I recognized the voice, and it look up. "Oh my God" its Tracy. I take a deep breath and walk over.
"Ryder oh my god, what are you doing here?"
"I need to get seen"
"Ok what's wrong sweetie?"
I felt the tap to m y shoulder and Holly whispers,
"You know her?"
"Yeah....."
"Who is she?"
"Just a friend of mine sister, why don't you wait for me over there"
and I point to the waiting area, with a nod she walks off.
"Ok Miss Ryder what's the problem?"
"Nauseous, vomiting, sore back and headache......"
"Oh, poor thing, listen the wait is like 3 hours long, let me go back and I'll talk to the doctor see if I can get you in quicker."
"I appreciate it."
"Hey when you're feeling better give Joey a call, I asked about you couple days ago and he said he hasn't seen you."
I didn't say anything, just smiled and walked over to where Holly was sitting texting on her phone.
"Damn its busy in here"
"Tracy said it's like a three hour wait. If you want to go, I'll just take an Uber back."
"I can stay......"
"It's fine, like I said it's like a three hour wait."
I like to say I'm trying to get her gone because of the wait truth of it is it's only a matter of time before she puts two and two together if she sees Tracys name tag and the fact that she looks so much like Joey its sick. If she puts it together my entire cover is blow and she is going to figure out that I know Joey let alone he is that guy from back home. She hugged me and headed out on the phone with Brayden, I'm sure that is exactly where she is heading, they can't spend any time apart. After this semester ends, she is moving into his apartment with him and I'll be stuck getting another roommate, I can't tell you how thrilled I am. I sat waiting for About half an hour when Tracy's voice caught my attention, calling me back. At the very least I didn't have to wait three hours. she walked me to a small room in the far back corner,
"Well Doc will be in in a second, she knows that you're a close family friend of mine so you're in good hands. Stop up front before you leave, will you?"
"Ok...."
With a smile she walked out closing the door. Here I sit in this small room and the silence was deafing. The doctor knocked in the door and stepped in a few minutes later.
"Hi Ryder....?"
"Hi"
"What your birthday Ryder?"
"November 15th"
"Ok great, so Tracy says you are having some nausea and vomiting?"
"Yes....."
"How long has this been going on?"
"About a week."
"Any chance of pregnancy Ryder?"
"No...No"
"What the date of your last period?"
"April 4th"
She stopped looking at something silently on the computer screen before sliding her glasses up to the top of her head.
"Are you on birth control and sexually active Ryder?"
"No and I only been with anyone once in the last eight months."
"Well by what you told me I like to go ahead and have you give me a urine sample."
"For what, I figure it's just a stomach bug?"
"With what you told me, I like to go ahead and do a pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy."
"I really couldn't be pregnant...."
I didn't even believe what she has sitting here saying, I've only been with Joey and that was one time. It's been forever since I've been with anyone other than that, there is no way I'm pregnant. She pulled a plastic cup for the cabinet and handed it to me with a wipe and pointed me down the hallway to the rest room. I just sighed and did it, if this is the only way to just have her tell me it's the flu and give me something so I can get back to my dorm and my bed I'll do it. I quickly did it and put the cup in the window and returned to my room. It seemed like forever I sat there; I didn't notice my leg bouncing from nerves. I heard the knock before the click of the latch on the door. The doctor stepped in, stack of papers in her hand. I looked up at the expression on her face and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Ryder....."
"Yes"
"Well, I have the results from your test....Your test is positive Ryder and by the date of your last period I figured you are about six weeks along."
"So, I don't have the stomach flu?"
"No Ryder you're pregnant"
"Oh My God.... Please don't tell Tracy!"
"Ok...."
"Please!"
"I won't, now here is your paperwork, you are going to need to get into an obstetricians office very soon."
I sat in shock I took the papers from her hand and just sat there. I don't know how long I sat there but Tracy's head appeared in the doorway.
"Hey you're still here?"
"ahh yeah...."
"How you make out?"
"Ok......"
"Is your friend coming back for you?"
"No, I'm....I'm just going to call an Uber."'
"Don't worry about it, I'm done for the day come on ill drive you back to the dorm."
"It's ok you don't have too"
"It's fine, get your jacket, come on we can catch up it's been over a year since I seen you."
I can do this; I can get in that car with Joey's sister after just finding out her brother got me pregnant and drive back to my dorm like nothing happened. I grabbed my jacket and smiled meekly at her and followed her to her car. She pulled out and headed to the highway,
"So Ry did doctor tell you whats wrong?"
"Oh yeah just some stomach stuff."
"oh...."
"Yeah....."
"So, Joey stopped by my mom's last night. He said he hasn't seen you since his show, I'm surprised I figure you two would be back to how you used to be."
"Yeah, I've been really busy with school."
I honestly didn't know what to say to her, I'm grateful that he hasn't told her more of the story than he has, because honestly, I don't even know how I would even respond since deep down I know I should talk to Joey especially now I just can't.
"I get it, school is a lot."
We pulled up to campus and she turned in,"
"What dorm are you Ryder, how do I get there?"
"I'm in Babcock Towers, make a left here go all the way down make the first right and I'm the third driveway on the right."
She drove down and pulled into the parking lot,
"Ok here you go Ryder"
"Thank you" "When you're feeling better give Joe a call, I know he misses you, I'll let him know I seen you."
"NO DONT!!!"
"Geez why?"
"I'll just call him, thanks again for the ride."
I slid from the car and headed up. I unlocked the door of course no Holly just the note that she was sleeping at Brayden's. I dropped the paperwork and fell to the bed, " fucking great I'm pregnant" is all I though. I don't even know how to be a mother; I never even held a baby. All I know is I don't even know how to process this or what do I want to do. Do I tell Joey, he is like this sex symbol he isn't going to want a baby. Maybe I don't tell him, and I just go and terminate it....I can't do that I know I could. All I know if I have to figure something out soon because now the night with Joey got even more complicated.