Post by cal54382 on May 20, 2015 1:04:42 GMT
Mandy felt like she was going to be sick as she heard the timer ticking away. In the world of instant everything, how did it still take an eternity for an ept? Ryan waited with his breath held. He wouldn't be angry, just annoyed. The timer finally went off and she went to check it with baited breath, struggling not to cry when she saw the answer she'd feared. This wasn't what it was supposed to be like to be pregnant. The morning sickness, mood swings, fatigue, that was real pregnancy, but the feeling she had of dread, impending doom even, that shouldn't be part of a pregnancy. She'd never thought it would be part of hers, but she never thought these past months, past years, would happen either.
"What does it say?"
"Positive." When she'd passed the STD tests with flying colors, she'd thought she could actually finally get her life on track. Guess again.
"I'll kill him."
"You might not get a chance. You know I get to tell Dad this, right? Oh, by the way, Dad, not only did I marry a son of a bitch, but I get..." She stopped, wanting to cry again. "I get knocked up and you get a grandchild from him. Congratulations."
She felt it the biggest failure in her life, next to marrying her ex, and she hated failing.
"This isn't your fault Mandy. And I'll pretend its mine if you want."
"Can either of us really do that?" She wiped her eyes. "You'll always know. I'll always know."
"But your dad doesn't have too."
She shook her head. "He's already mad at Brad. No sense in having him mad at you too."
"It doesn't matter."
She thought of what she would have to tell Kaya and everyone else; her head started to spin. Natalia would understand, of course, and most of the rest of the family wouldn't ask, but her baby sister was bound to think it was Ryan's. Would it be easier to correct her and have to explain why it wasn't or to lie to her?
"Let's talk to your dad first," said Ryan, guessing her thoughts.
She nodded. "Today at work or tonight at dinner?" They were supposed to have dinner together with Horatio, Natalia, Kaya, and Calleigh and Eric if they could get a sitter.
"At work."
She nodded, hurrying to the toilet, getting sick again, throwing the test away on the way. Ryan followed with some water.
"Thank you," she said, finally able to stand and get dressed for work. She still felt lightheaded, so she was glad that she was working in the lab today, even if it meant she had no excuse to put off telling her family.
"Do you want me to tell H you're not feeling well?"
"I'm okay. I'm going to be in court most of the day and I can't put that off. Then I have to talk to someone at Kaya's school, so I promised that I'd pick her up. I told Natalia I'd help her cook." Just thinking about food made her sick though. She'd eaten little to nothing in days, the big tipoff that let them know something was wrong.
"You can't do all of that. I'll pick K up, H can help Nat."
"No, I'm there anyway. I'm okay. If Calleigh comes, she'll help Natalia."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm okay."
"Alright."
They left together and she checked in to her office there before slipping off to find her dad. Horatio looked up with a smile when Mandy entered.
She closed the door. "Hey." She tried to smile, but couldn't quite make it. "I need to tell you something."
"Sure, what's wrong?"
"I'm pregnant."
"Sorry?"
"You're going to be a grandfather."
"I'll kill Ryan."
"It's not Ryan's."
"Then who..... Brad?"
She nodded, pale.
"He is dead!"
"What's that going to help?"
"He.... he shouldn't..." said Horatio, lost for words.
"I just wanted you to know. I know Nat will understand, I know Cal, Eric, Alexx, Kyle, Tripp, none of them will ask. I'm worried about Kaya."
"She doesn't need to know."
"I would think in the next nine months, she's gonna suspect something."
"She doesn't need to know yet. She's too little."
"She's going to know I'm pregnant. She's going to think it's Ryan's. What do I need to do?"
"Tell her the truth. Not that it's Brad, just that it isn't Ryan."
"We can try that." She didn't think it would go far. "I've got to go. I've got court. Are you going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine. Does Ryan know?"
"He was there this morning when I took the test."
"Okay."
"I think we'll be okay. I don't know. I really don't know anything right now."
"It's okay, we'll deal with it."
She nodded, standing and walking out. The last thing she wanted to do was go to court, but two of her cases were starting today and the beginning of Brad's case was starting as well. Mandy was exhausted by the time she finished with the student and walked to the office to pick Kaya up. She tried to smile, knowing her little sister had looked forward to this for a week.
The office staff gave her a smile. "Kaya's just back there," they told her.
"Thanks." She managed to smile and not to look so tired. "Hey, sweetheart. Sorry I'm late."
"It's okay. Are we going to your house?"
"We can. I think your mom's still working a little longer."
"Yay!"
They walked out to Mandy's Jeep. "Do you want to stop off anywhere first?"
"No."
She nodded and drove back to her home.
"Mandy? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Do you have homework?"
"Yes."
"You should get started. You'll want to be finished by tonight, especially if Mari gets to come."
"Tonight?"
"Yeah, your mom and dad are having everyone over, remember?"
"That's tonight?"
She nodded, closing her eyes.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Mmhmm."
"You look tired."
"I don't feel so good." She finally admitted, but by then it was an understatement.
"Maybe I should call mum to get me so you can rest?"
"I'll be okay." She opened her eyes, hoping the dizziness would pass.
"Promise?"
"Absolutely." She smiled for her.
"Okay."
She made Kaya her usual snack and then excused herself for a minute, disappearing. Kaya started her work, but kept looking for her sister. There was a crash in the nearby bathroom.
Kaya ran there, finding her sister on the floor. "Mandy!"
Mandy moaned, blood coming from where she'd hit her head. Kaya grabbed the house phone and dialed 911, telling them what had happened, then called her dad.
"Mandy?" He'd been worried about her since talking to her that morning and talking to Ryan didn't help.
"Dad! Mandy's hurt!"
He caught Natalia's attention as she was walking out the door. "What do you mean, hurt? Where are you sweetheart?"
"At Mandy's house. I called an ambulance."
"Good girl. Your mom is going to be right there and Ryan and I will meet you there, okay, sweetheart?"
"Hurry."
He hung up and turned to Natalia. "I need you to go to Mandy's. All Kaya said was that Mandy was hurt. Kaya seems okay, but scared. I need you to tell the medics she's pregnant. I'm going to get Ryan and we'll meet you at the hospital."
Natalia ran, thinking about what Horatio had said.
Natalia used every trick in the book to get to the girls, but still arrived after the ambulance. One of the medics stopped her at the door. "They're my daughters."
"Mummy!" called Kaya.
Natalia moved past him, hugging Kaya. "What happened?"
"I don't know. She was in the bathroom."
She was glad to see Lina looked awake, alert, when she was brought through. "Dad's going to meet us at the hospital with Ryan," she told Kaya again.
"Okay, I want to stay with Mandy."
Natalia started to argue and then nodded "We'll both go with her."
"Thank you."
Natalia hugged her again, sitting with her in the ambulance. Mandy didn't question being brought in, knowing something was wrong. "I'm sorry I scared you, sweetheart," she told her softly.
"You said you were okay."
"I thought I was."
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head. "I don't know."
The medic asked Natalia about Mandy's medical conditions, allergies and the like, and she told her what Horatio had told her only an hour before.
"You're pregnant?" Kaya asked, shocked.
Mandy nodded.
"To Ryan?"
"Kaya, this can wait," Natalia told her daughter.
"It's Ryan's," she said happily.
Ryan and Horatio waited for the ambulance to arrive. Neither was surprised to see Kaya with Mandy, but Horatio watched as Natalia took the same care with his daughter as she would her own. Kaya wouldn't let go of her sister's hand, crying when they tried to separate them.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I've got her," Alexx said gently, not only to Kaya, but to all of them as they slipped behind the doors.
"Mummy." Kaya buried her head in her mother's shoulder as she cried.
"What does it say?"
"Positive." When she'd passed the STD tests with flying colors, she'd thought she could actually finally get her life on track. Guess again.
"I'll kill him."
"You might not get a chance. You know I get to tell Dad this, right? Oh, by the way, Dad, not only did I marry a son of a bitch, but I get..." She stopped, wanting to cry again. "I get knocked up and you get a grandchild from him. Congratulations."
She felt it the biggest failure in her life, next to marrying her ex, and she hated failing.
"This isn't your fault Mandy. And I'll pretend its mine if you want."
"Can either of us really do that?" She wiped her eyes. "You'll always know. I'll always know."
"But your dad doesn't have too."
She shook her head. "He's already mad at Brad. No sense in having him mad at you too."
"It doesn't matter."
She thought of what she would have to tell Kaya and everyone else; her head started to spin. Natalia would understand, of course, and most of the rest of the family wouldn't ask, but her baby sister was bound to think it was Ryan's. Would it be easier to correct her and have to explain why it wasn't or to lie to her?
"Let's talk to your dad first," said Ryan, guessing her thoughts.
She nodded. "Today at work or tonight at dinner?" They were supposed to have dinner together with Horatio, Natalia, Kaya, and Calleigh and Eric if they could get a sitter.
"At work."
She nodded, hurrying to the toilet, getting sick again, throwing the test away on the way. Ryan followed with some water.
"Thank you," she said, finally able to stand and get dressed for work. She still felt lightheaded, so she was glad that she was working in the lab today, even if it meant she had no excuse to put off telling her family.
"Do you want me to tell H you're not feeling well?"
"I'm okay. I'm going to be in court most of the day and I can't put that off. Then I have to talk to someone at Kaya's school, so I promised that I'd pick her up. I told Natalia I'd help her cook." Just thinking about food made her sick though. She'd eaten little to nothing in days, the big tipoff that let them know something was wrong.
"You can't do all of that. I'll pick K up, H can help Nat."
"No, I'm there anyway. I'm okay. If Calleigh comes, she'll help Natalia."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm okay."
"Alright."
They left together and she checked in to her office there before slipping off to find her dad. Horatio looked up with a smile when Mandy entered.
She closed the door. "Hey." She tried to smile, but couldn't quite make it. "I need to tell you something."
"Sure, what's wrong?"
"I'm pregnant."
"Sorry?"
"You're going to be a grandfather."
"I'll kill Ryan."
"It's not Ryan's."
"Then who..... Brad?"
She nodded, pale.
"He is dead!"
"What's that going to help?"
"He.... he shouldn't..." said Horatio, lost for words.
"I just wanted you to know. I know Nat will understand, I know Cal, Eric, Alexx, Kyle, Tripp, none of them will ask. I'm worried about Kaya."
"She doesn't need to know."
"I would think in the next nine months, she's gonna suspect something."
"She doesn't need to know yet. She's too little."
"She's going to know I'm pregnant. She's going to think it's Ryan's. What do I need to do?"
"Tell her the truth. Not that it's Brad, just that it isn't Ryan."
"We can try that." She didn't think it would go far. "I've got to go. I've got court. Are you going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine. Does Ryan know?"
"He was there this morning when I took the test."
"Okay."
"I think we'll be okay. I don't know. I really don't know anything right now."
"It's okay, we'll deal with it."
She nodded, standing and walking out. The last thing she wanted to do was go to court, but two of her cases were starting today and the beginning of Brad's case was starting as well. Mandy was exhausted by the time she finished with the student and walked to the office to pick Kaya up. She tried to smile, knowing her little sister had looked forward to this for a week.
The office staff gave her a smile. "Kaya's just back there," they told her.
"Thanks." She managed to smile and not to look so tired. "Hey, sweetheart. Sorry I'm late."
"It's okay. Are we going to your house?"
"We can. I think your mom's still working a little longer."
"Yay!"
They walked out to Mandy's Jeep. "Do you want to stop off anywhere first?"
"No."
She nodded and drove back to her home.
"Mandy? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Do you have homework?"
"Yes."
"You should get started. You'll want to be finished by tonight, especially if Mari gets to come."
"Tonight?"
"Yeah, your mom and dad are having everyone over, remember?"
"That's tonight?"
She nodded, closing her eyes.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Mmhmm."
"You look tired."
"I don't feel so good." She finally admitted, but by then it was an understatement.
"Maybe I should call mum to get me so you can rest?"
"I'll be okay." She opened her eyes, hoping the dizziness would pass.
"Promise?"
"Absolutely." She smiled for her.
"Okay."
She made Kaya her usual snack and then excused herself for a minute, disappearing. Kaya started her work, but kept looking for her sister. There was a crash in the nearby bathroom.
Kaya ran there, finding her sister on the floor. "Mandy!"
Mandy moaned, blood coming from where she'd hit her head. Kaya grabbed the house phone and dialed 911, telling them what had happened, then called her dad.
"Mandy?" He'd been worried about her since talking to her that morning and talking to Ryan didn't help.
"Dad! Mandy's hurt!"
He caught Natalia's attention as she was walking out the door. "What do you mean, hurt? Where are you sweetheart?"
"At Mandy's house. I called an ambulance."
"Good girl. Your mom is going to be right there and Ryan and I will meet you there, okay, sweetheart?"
"Hurry."
He hung up and turned to Natalia. "I need you to go to Mandy's. All Kaya said was that Mandy was hurt. Kaya seems okay, but scared. I need you to tell the medics she's pregnant. I'm going to get Ryan and we'll meet you at the hospital."
Natalia ran, thinking about what Horatio had said.
Natalia used every trick in the book to get to the girls, but still arrived after the ambulance. One of the medics stopped her at the door. "They're my daughters."
"Mummy!" called Kaya.
Natalia moved past him, hugging Kaya. "What happened?"
"I don't know. She was in the bathroom."
She was glad to see Lina looked awake, alert, when she was brought through. "Dad's going to meet us at the hospital with Ryan," she told Kaya again.
"Okay, I want to stay with Mandy."
Natalia started to argue and then nodded "We'll both go with her."
"Thank you."
Natalia hugged her again, sitting with her in the ambulance. Mandy didn't question being brought in, knowing something was wrong. "I'm sorry I scared you, sweetheart," she told her softly.
"You said you were okay."
"I thought I was."
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head. "I don't know."
The medic asked Natalia about Mandy's medical conditions, allergies and the like, and she told her what Horatio had told her only an hour before.
"You're pregnant?" Kaya asked, shocked.
Mandy nodded.
"To Ryan?"
"Kaya, this can wait," Natalia told her daughter.
"It's Ryan's," she said happily.
Ryan and Horatio waited for the ambulance to arrive. Neither was surprised to see Kaya with Mandy, but Horatio watched as Natalia took the same care with his daughter as she would her own. Kaya wouldn't let go of her sister's hand, crying when they tried to separate them.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I've got her," Alexx said gently, not only to Kaya, but to all of them as they slipped behind the doors.
"Mummy." Kaya buried her head in her mother's shoulder as she cried.
