A stabbing feeling in the depths of her ribs and upper abdominal area is what jolted her out of sleep on her first Monday back after the winter break.
Her final trimester was just around the corner, so she was prepared for all the changes that would come to her body. She'd read all the books, taken all the advice she could from doctors so she was confident she was ready.
This feeling however, was unusually extreme, and it didn't appear to only effect her abdominal area, she felt it slowly but surely take over her whole body, her head, her chest, her lungs, every part of her body felt like a fire ripping through her, weakening her from the inside out. This certainly wasn't something she had prepared for.
However, despite feeling like she was seconds away from fainting and taking her Dad's advice to stay home, she adamantly made her way to school that morning anyway, and everything appeared to seem normal and tolerable at most, until she was approached by Hal Cooper. This was all she needed today.
She caught him at the corner of her eye, his facial expression switching from cocky to mild curiosity when he laid eyes upon her. He waltzed on over to her locker, narrowing his grey eyes towards her and leaning up against the locker next to hers.
"Hey." He simply states, starting slow and hoping to build things up to an actual conversation.
She flashes a quick annoyance filled glance his way, shifting her gaze back to the books in her locker as she took them out one by one. "Hey nothing." She snapped back sharply, before swinging her bag over back, the mildly vigorous action making her twinge in pain, that remarkably went unnoticed by Hal.
"I'm trying to be friendly here Alice." He protested, feigning such innocence as if he hadn't subtly insulted her the last time they spoke.
"You can 'try'-" She added, making quotations with her fingers. "As much as you want, it's still mission impossible when you're a fucking asshole." She retorts, slamming her locker shut and storming off down the hallway.
His beady blue eyes widened in fury as he watched her, tightening his wide jaw and clasping the strap of his bag into a wrinkled state before power waking after her. "You're lucky I didn't report your little violent outburst to Weatherbee and get your ass kicked off the newspaper." He subtly threatened in her ear.
She spun around, her golden locks practically whipping him across the chest. "So why didn't you?" Her eyes widen in curiosity, feigning an interest into why, despite slapping the life out of him, he was still here pursuing her and had kept her on his newspaper, but she believed she already had the answer, and just wanted confirmation. To hear it straight from the horses mouth.
He pauses, loosening his tightened and scowled face after she speaks. "Because-" He stammers before she swiftly interrupts
"Because what? You still think you've got a chance with me?" She laughs, taking enjoyment in his mild embarrassment on his face as he glared down. That's exactly why he was being persistent and seemingly nice, he really thought it would result in getting her out of her panties.
"Think I'll stick to my own kind, they really know how to get a girl going." She taunted, sticking her tongue out between her teeth to really add emphasis to her aim.
His face remained straight, besides the blatant anger, jealousy and hit to his inflated ego, but it was more so out of confusion. What on earth did she mean by that. "Your kind?"
"Southsiders of course." She states confidently as she turned, her blonde locks again practically hitting him in the chest, which she of course didn't give a calm about. "Don't tell me you never knew?"
She watched on in pride as the colour practically drained from his face at the mere mention of the Southside. His beady blue eyes narrowed in mild fury before grabbing a hold of her wrist, demanding an explanation. "You're a damn Southsider-"
She pulls back briskly, almost tumbling over. "Let go of me!" She hissed, still trying to leave his grasp, unintentionally gaining the attention of everybody in the hall as they halted in their movements and watched the altercation take place between the two.
Hearing what he believed to be Alice from a distance, FP waded through the student body present in the crowd, finally approaching the circle that was formed around them.
"Alice?!" He called, stunned to see the looks of irritation on she and Hal's faces and his hand hand around her wrist. "You good?" He added, stepping closer to her as she turned around to face him.
"It's nothing, FP. I'm fine." She insisted, not wanting this to go any further.
"Yeah it's nothing, so run along back to your pack." Hal taunted, referring to the rest of the Bulldogs, another group of individuals he seemed to have a strong dislike for.
"I wasn't asking you." FP spat, scowling his face and tightening his jaw as he laid eyes on the frustrated Hal.
"FP, it's fine, just go back to class." Alice begs weakly, her mystery illness taking a toll on her as she clutched her chest,
FP backed off calmly, his face still scowling but none of that mattered in the moment, all that mattered was Alice. "You sure you're okay?" He reiterated, shifting his gaze back to her but this time calmer.
"This is none of your business trailer trash!" Hal bellowed, which was swiftly followed by gasps of shock from the crowds around them.
FP and Alice snapped back around in a rage, mouths gaping at Hal's insensitive and classist words and eyes widening in surprise.
Fury ripped through the bulldog as he poked his tongue in his cheek and all cool points were out the window. He ignored Alice's blatant glares warning him to drop the whole thing and stormed towards Hal, leaving very little space between the two of them as he sized him up. He was slightly taller than the preppy writer. He had no doubt he could take him in seconds flat.
"You wanna bet?!" He hissed, raising his thick dark brows as he stared Hal down. He had him right where he wanted him. He did a good job at hiding his slight fear as he suppressed his gulp and trembling lip, FP would give him that, but Hal was the impulsive type, mentally, emotionally and physically. He didn't think things through, and he certainly didn't consider doing the smart thing and just walking away knowing this could result in him losing some teeth.
"FP just back off!" She demands, taking a hold of his chest and trying to push him back, but her weakening body proving to be not strong enough.
"Go take a steroid break already." Hal rudely teased, all impulses out the window in that moment.
Taking his already clutched fist, he rose it immediately to Hal's face, the preppy boy immediately stepping back in fear and fortunately missing the hit, frustrating FP, but another shocking sight getting attention right after.
He stepped back after his failed attempt of violence to find Alice lying on the floor, face clammy and hot, eyes still fluttering desperately.
"Alice?! Alice wake up!"
The last thing she hears before sparking out completely.
•••
He's been pacing up and down the plain white room at Riverdale general for roughly ten minutes, completely oblivious to what was happening, and she couldn't blame him either.
"How long are these doctors gonna be?!" He rhetorically asks, biting the bail of his left thumb as he wandered anxiously.
She watched his pacing from her position in the bed opposite him, resting her hand upon her bump and sliding it across in worry. She had no idea what was wrong with her, with all the books she's read she could chalk it up to anything, but the one thing she couldn't hear was that harm may have come to her child. That fear constantly ran through her head, but she figured suppressing it was for the best, she didn't need to burden FP with that fear too.
"These tests take time FP." She states nonchalantly. "They've gotta be thorough."
"But you're pregnant." He emphasised, placing his hands around the hospital bed railing. He expected that due to the fact she was with child, the doctors would at least take things more seriously, and speed up their processes.
"And so's every other patient on this ward, so just cool it." She sternly advices, hoping he'd take heed.
A grey haired doctor briskly walked in with a clipboard in hand, smiling mildly and nervously as he approached Alice's bed, wanting to be polite, despite the potential news he could drop any minute.
Alice perked up slightly as FP walked around to the side of her, frustration and worry gracing his face as he locked eyes with the older doctor. "So? What's up with her? Is the baby okay?" He knew deep down how rude and impulsive he was being, but he couldn't help his attitude, the woman carrying his baby could be seriously ill, along with the child and he wanted to know what the hell was happening.
The doctor cleared his throat, fixing his face into a more professional expression and choosing to look Alice directly in the eye. He'd already taken a dislike to FP and his attitude.
"I'm afraid Miss Smith, that your blood work and test results have come back showing, you have developed preeclampsia." The doctor sympathetically delivered.
She had heard of the condition before, many times throughout her pregnancy, she'd even read about it in one of her fancy medical books she'd borrowed from the local library, but she thought it was rare. She didn't think she'd be one of the very few pregnant women in the world who would fall victim to it.
She was young, healthy, still in her prime. Yes she smoked and drank regularly, but quit immediately after she discovered she was pregnant. She had even began eating healthier and exercising as much as she could, just so she could prevent something like this, but as usual, nothing ever worked out for her. She was always dealt with the shit stick no matter what she did.
FP slowly lowered his hand from his mouth, holding his face in a concerned as well as confused expression. That was certainly not a term he had heard of before, to top it off, it sounded quite serious too. "Pre- preeclampsia? What even is that?"
The doctor finally gave him his attention, taking a moment to sympathise with the young man, he assumed he had to be the father, so naturally he was concerned, it was all part of being a parent. He couldn't knock him for simply being a father.
"It's, a pregnancy complication, characterised by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys."
FP's face immediately dropped, shifting from frustration to deep worry, not only for the baby but for Alice as well. He shifted his attention to the concerned mother as she listened intently to the doctors words.
"But fortunately, you only seem to have only developed the high blood pressure stage, that's not to say damage to organs isn't potential." The doctor warned, hoping to soften the blow a little. "The good thing about this is that it's early stages at the moment."
"How did this even happen?" She wondered sadly with a mild shrug. "I'm barely 17, I'm eating healthier, I get regular check ups, I've been extra careful since my fall. Is this just the universes sick way of punishing me for being pregnant at 17?"
"There are many factors that can contribute Miss Smith, it's not necessarily definitive. A history of the condition in your family can be one, along with diabetes and hyper tension too." "The doctor explained to her rationally. "And first pregnancies are the highest risk, but being so young, and still being early stages, this is perfectly manageable for you." He added with a hint of assurance, hoping to put the worried expectant teen parents at ease.
"So, how do we deal with this?" An anxious FP questioned innocently, the roaring look on his face long gone and resembling a sad puppy. She was so focused on the doctor that she hadn't noticed FP taking a hold of her hand for support. She happily squeezed his back, they both needed all they could get in that moment.
"Well first of all, plenty of rest is one. It isn't treatable until the baby is born, you're 28 weeks, correct?"
She nods, still gripping FP's hand.
"It's important to keep this as minimal as possible, and rest is where it starts. We'll need to increase your check up, checking your blood work regularly as well as your protein levels, roughly every week."
The doctor continued to provide them with all the necessary details they needed. As scary as this whole situation was, knowing it was manageable and hadn't reached a serious stage yet helped slightly. He left them with a prescription for medication, leaving the room on account of needing to tend to another patient.
The atmosphere between the two remained quiet after he had gone, possibly a result of the two of them still being in shock. "My grandpa was diabetic." FP whispered absentmindedly, keeping his eyes on the floor.
"What?" Alice questioned
"My grandpa. He had diabetes, that's probably what contributed to this." He said apologetically.
"FP, I don't think he meant paternally, and even if he did, it's not your fault, or your grandpa's." She explained, knowing he was probably blaming himself and feeling immensely guilty. That was just the type of guy he was. "I don't know Jack about my Mom or her ancestry, that could've contributed too."
He had since let go of her hand, bringing his own back to his mouth. She sat up from her position, taking his hand and rubbing her thumb across his tense knuckles. "This isn't anybody's fault, these things just happen."
He eased up a little, looking down into her innocent eyes as she glanced up at him. "I know, I just can't help but feel responsible, you know?"
"I do, but that's just being a parent I guess, you feel bad about shit you can't control." She chuckles as he continues to glare at her, softening his face at her words. She was right, this was just the start of parenthood, there would a million and one things they'd have to endure besides this, and they were more than ready for it.
"And I'll be with you, throughout this, bed rest and all." He promised, wanting nothing more than to keep her and his unborn son happy and safe.