Take Me By The Hand

Chapter 28 O_O

"Is this a fucking joke?" My breathing seems to come in uneven pants and I glare at Gerard. "You're joking right? It was your fucking idea in the first place, suggesting I was pregnant. Making me take the pregnancy test was one thing, but faking this entire thing--"

"Frank, this isn't..." Gerard watches me with wide eyes, shaking his head and letting his words trail off before he can collect himself. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"Then how the fuck do you explain that!?" I point an accusing finger at the monitor, my eyes landing once again on the small blinking light. But the sincerity, the blatant shock in Gerard's gaze, makes me think that maybe he didn't plan this. But... "That's impossible." I let out a short laugh. "Right?" This time I look at the doctor, demanding that he tell me something is mixed up because there is no way in hell there is a baby in my stomach.

Doctor Webb glances between me and the screen, his mouth open and gaping as well. "It's impossible," He mumbles. "But..." He looks back to the image still flickering. "But it's right there. That's incredible."

I push his hand away, the screen going blank with the lack of contact. Nothing about this is incredible. This is fucked up and terrifying. I can't be--

"Hand me those," I demand, pointing to the box of tissues across the room. Gerard looks around, dazed, before realizing that I asked him for something. He reaches for the box, handing it out for me to take a handful of the Kleenex. Wiping the gel from my stomach, I stand up and pull my shirt back into place. As I throw the used tissues in the trash bin and turn to face the others, I realize both of them are watching me. Not just watching, but gawking. "Stop looking at me like I'm a fucking science experiment!" I snap. I fold both of my arms across my chest, hiding myself as much as possible behind the limbs.

Gerard is the first to recover, stepping forward and, without words, wrapping his arms around me. I immediately relax into the embrace and twist my arms around his waist. "It's not real," I mumble into his chest. His shirt muffles my words and I'm not sure if he can hear, but they're more for my benefit anyway. "It can't be real. It's impossible."

Gerard leans back and catches my gaze with his own. He brushes a few fingers through my hair, trying to soothe me, but I'm still in panic mode. "It's gonna be okay. Okay? We're gonna figure something out."

"It's remarkable," Doctor Webb mumbles and my attention is once again drawn to him. He seems shocked and mesmerized, watching me with a curious gaze. His smile widens and he chuckles. "I'd love to do more testing. To really figure out how this occurred. It truly is amazing--"

"No," Gerard shakes his head, watching the older man with a disappointed expression. "No testing. Not right now. Look, this might be some scientific feat for you or whatever, but Frank is freaking out. So your testing can wait. I'm taking him home." He looks down at me as if checking to make sure this is alright. I just swallow hard and nod.

Gerard thanks the doctor, but I'm too out of it to really focus on what's going on. With Gerard's help, I manage to reach the car. He helps me buckle the seatbelt, not saying a word, for which I'm thankful. I'm not sure what I would say right now. I hear my phone going off but I ignore it. I just curl up on the front seat and close my eyes, hoping that when I wake up, all of this will be a dream.

Unfortunately, when I open my eyes, I can tell immediately that everything that happened was real. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, but when they do, I can make out a few posters lining the walls. The lights are off and I feel smooth sheets brushing my skin. I'm in a bed, but I can tell instantly that it's not my own. It smells differently here. My face is buried in a pillow that smells heavily like cigarette smoke. But the more I inhale, the more I recognize the scent. The same scent  that filled me when I wore that pink turtleneck more than two months ago.