by Lake, D. K.
"Why?" Drew grunted, trying to reach for the handle.
"Because I just want to speak to Nick alone for five minutes. It won't kill you to wait out here." I said firmly, grabbing his arm and stopping him from touching the handle.
Drew huffed and moved over to the wall just outside the door. He lifted his crossbow over his head and leaned it against the wall, and then he slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
"You've got five minutes." he grunted.
"Ok. Five minutes." I said, turning the handle.
Five minutes to grill Nick and have a possible freak out. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Chapter 25
Nick was on the other side of the room talking to the Chinese man and a female scientist, and a few others were at the other end of the lab, mixing liquids in tubes and taking notes.
"Did you bring the sample?" Nick asked, crossing the room to me.
"Uh...yeah." I dug it out of my pocket and pushed it into his hand.
"Why is it all wet?" Nick asked.
"I might have peed on it." I shrugged.
"And you couldn't have told me this before I touched it?" Nick shook his head and turned his back on me. "Take a seat." Nick threw over his shoulder as he returned to his lab table at the back and he and the female scientist huddled together and started talking in hushed voices.
"Please tell me it's not the virus coming back? I don't think I can go through all that again." I said, planting my butt on the weird seat that looked more like a dentist chair which is where Nick had taken the blood samples from me. Nick didn't respond and I sat there twiddling my thumbs for a few minutes.
"Nick, what are you doing over there?" I asked, feeling on edge. I couldn't sit still, my leg was bouncing up and down and my heart was racing.
"Have you been experiencing anything else unusual?" Nick asked and I had to strain my head to look at him because the stupid dentist chair was facing the wrong way.
"Um...I've been feeling a little more tired than usual."
"Anything else?"
"I'm hungry. All the time. Ohgawd, it's the virus, isn't it? I'm already turning and that's why I have cravings for meat."
"What kind?"
"The normal kind, chicken, bacon, and I would kill for a steak."
"Raw or cooked?" Nick asked but it sounded as though he was trying not to laugh.
Raw or cooked? What kind of a question was that? Oh...because I'm turning into a bloodthirsty monster.
"The cooked kind. Of course. Do you think this is the start of it? Craving meat first but soon I'll start craving people?" The very thought of it made me feel queasy again. "Nick, please tell me what's wrong with me?" I pleaded. "Do you need to take another blood sample, some saliva, anything? How is my pee going to help?"
"See? I told you." the female scientist said, talking to Nick.
"I can't believe we missed this. How could I have overlooked this?" Nick said.
"Hey! Can you two talk to me and stop whispering over there. It's rude. If I'm infected again I have a right to know."
"Calm down, Alex. You're not infected." Nick said, washing his hands off in the sink.
"I'm not?" I said, watching him dry his hands and waiting impatiently for him to hurry the hell up and tell me what's wrong.
He came back over to me and pulled a stool over with him and took a seat next to me.
"You're definitely not infected. It would have shown up in the blood samples I took last time."
"Ok...so what's wrong with me? Is it just my diet?" I asked, calming down a little.
"Not your diet, but we will have to change a few things. You're going to need more protein and fruity snacks, and you can't keep eating potato chips and junk food."
"So it is my diet?" I asked, confused.
"No." Nick said with a chuckle.
"Nick, this isn't funny. I thought I was dying and here you are laughing at me."
"I'm not laughing I'm just...It's been a strange day."
Strange as in we just buried his brother and he's already back in the lab?
Nick took a deep breath and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Alex...you're pregnant."
"What?" I gasped, the air leaving my lungs.
"We just did two separate pregnancy tests and they both showed up positive. I don't know how far along you are though. Can you remember the last time you had unprotected-"
"What? Uh...no?" I tried to do some calculations in my head.
I knew for a fact it wasn't Lane's as we had used protection the last time we'd had sex. It was the same night we lost Jasper, but even in my drunken state I made sure we used a condom. I was much more careful back then. How things had changed.
"I dunno...maybe it was that time we got separated and I was with Drew for a while, after the fire incident..." I trailed off.
"Right. Ok. Any other time?"
"Then again when we arrived in Eden when I was out all night."
"So you're still in your first trimester. All right, well, we'll get an ultrasound machine down here and have a proper look."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
This all felt so surreal. One minute I'm burying Lane the next I'm being told I'm having a baby.
"Yes. There is no mistake, you're definitely pregnant and all the things you just said, the tiredness, the vomiting, and the being hungry, they're some of the symptoms. I will ask Mary to get you a book so you can read up on it."
"A baby?" I whispered, still not believing it.
I couldn't have a baby. I was too young. And we were living in the middle of a zombie apocalypse! Nick must have picked up on my worried expression.
"You don't want the baby? If that's the case we will have to make arrangements-"
I shot him a look that said don't finish that sentence.
"But it would be very interesting to see if the baby carries your immunity."
"Oh, so you're going to turn my baby into your science experiment?" I asked angrily.
"No, of course not. No one wants your baby. I would just ask for a small amount of blood to study."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. One day at a time. And why do you even have pregnancy tests down here?" I asked.
"Mary made sure we had everything."
"But what about my period, I never got it?"
"Hmm...It was probably due to come back at any time after you recovered but then you fell pregnant which is why it hasn't returned."
"So I can still get pregnant without my periods?"
"Like I said your period was probably on its way but you happened to get pregnant just before it's arrival."
"Right. So now what?"
"Now I'm gonna let you go so you can process what I've just told you and I'm guessing you'll want to tell Drew the good news." I think the horror on my face said it all. "You don't want to tell Drew?" Nick said, unsure.
"If I tell him he'll leave for sure."
"What makes you say that?"
"Drew doesn't want a baby. He just wants to go home, and if I have this baby it would mean staying here even longer because we wouldn't be able to travel with a tiny baby. I won't be surprised if he leaves after I tell him."
Nick sighed. "I think you underestimate that boy's feelings for you."
"He doesn't want a kid, Nick. He hates being tied down. Sometimes I think he's still annoyed that he fell for me. I tie him down, what do you think a baby will do? He'll hate me."
"Well, you know that saying, it takes two to tango. This isn't all on you." Nick said, standing up.
"I'm going to have someone collect some prenatal vitamins, and I want you eating more healthy, and resting more...until you make a decision. If you decide to keep the baby we want to give it the best start in life, ok?"
Nick was so thoughtful, always thinking ahead.
I just nodded and swung my legs over the side of the chair and sluggishly climbed to my feet.
"We'll talk later." Nick said before returning to his lab
bench.
How was I ever going to tell Drew? He would leave me, I just knew it.
I nervously wiped my sweaty hands on the hem of my dress before I opened the door. I slipped back out the door and Drew jumped to his feet.
"What's going on? I was just about to charge in there." Drew said impatiently.
"It's ok. Everything is ok." I replied.
"Ok? Why do you look so pale? Are you going to be sick again?"
I was sick with nerves.
"Can we go somewhere? I need to talk to you...alone." I said, distracted by a maid that was cleaning the artwork hanging on the walls.
"You're making me nervous, Pretty." Drew murmured.
"You don't need to be. I'm ok, really." I tried my best to put on a smile.
Drew reached down and picked up his crossbow and lifted it onto his shoulder. He started walking and I quietly followed him and he led me back to our room. I wandered inside and looked around the room at my clothes and belongings I had left scattered around. I had told the maids not to bother tidying my clothes away. I was messy but it made the room feel more homely, and the closet was full of new clothes that didn't feel like mine anyway. Also tidying up after myself wasn't really apart of my agenda. Drew's backpack sat on the other side of the room, untouched, ready to go. He hadn't unpacked anything. He was still wearing the same scruffy jeans that had been washed since we arrived but they were still full of holes, and he wore the same boots, the only new thing he had on was the gray t-shirt. Drew closed the door behind me and I suddenly felt trapped.
"Why do you look like you're about to pass out?" Drew asked, brushing past me.
"Just sit." I gestured to the bed.
"I'd rather stand." Drew said gruffly, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, keeping his eyes on me. "So what did Doctor Nick have to tell you?"
He knew very well Nick wasn't a qualified doctor.
"Well, I'm not dying, so that's a good thing." I said, wandering over to the window to look outside.
I took a few minutes and Drew stayed where he was, watching me quietly.
"Sooo...you gonna make me guess what's wrong with you?" Drew asked, getting impatient.
"No. I can tell you but you won't like it." I said but my voice cracked on the last few words.
"You said it yourself you're not dying so I'm already happy." Drew said, pushing off the wall and walking toward me.
"You don't look happy." I said, watching his face darken with every second.
"Because you won't tell me what's wrong." he sighed.
"It's not easy. If I do this everything is going to change...and you're going to leave me."
"Leave you? What are you babbling about, woman?" Drew grabbed the top of my arms and turned me to face him, leaning down so he could look at me properly.
"I know you want to leave. Go back home, back to Louisiana."
"That's nothing new, you've always known that."
"And now I don't know if I can go with you."
"Why not? You said it yourself you're not dying so what's the problem?"
"I'm...I'm..." Why was this so hard? "You're gonna hate me." I breathed.
"Alex, please tell me what's wrong? You're driving me crazy right now."
"I'm-" I looked into his eyes and the words tumbled out of my mouth. "Pregnant."
Drew's grip on my arms instantly loosened.
"What?" he said, not breaking eye contact searching my eyes for any truth in what I had just told him. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. "How?" he frowned.
"How?" I laughed. "Oh, come on, Drew. We've messed around quite a few times without using protection." I pulled away from him and sat on the window ledge.
"No, I mean how did this happen? You said your periods had stopped."
"They had...but Nick seems to think I was due to get my period and then I got pregnant and it put a halt to it."
"So is it..." he started to say and I looked up at him.
"Is it what?" I said, knowing exactly what he was going to ask.
"Is it definitely mine?" he said, running a hand through his hair but it was a lot shorter and there wasn't much for him to grab so he ended up running his hand over his head, trying to figure it all out.
"Yes, Drew. You already know it's yours. The last time I slept with Lane was back in Utah before we left the prison, and we used protection, I made sure of it. There's no doubt it's yours."
"Is it even safe for you to be pregnant? What if this thing inside of you has some genetic fault, what if it's infected? It will kill you." he spat.
"Ohmigawd, Drew. It's a baby, not a monster!"
"You should get rid of it." he deadpanned.
"You did not just say that to me." I looked up at him, feeling angry and hurt.
I hadn't even made up my mind what I wanted to do yet, but it was clear this was something Drew didn't want.
"It's not right, you need to get rid of it."
"Why would you say that? We don't even know if there's anything wrong with it yet?"
"It could have already infected you."
"No, Nick already told me they would have picked up on it if the virus had returned from the last blood samples they took."
"Your body is different, Alex, you're already a hybrid. I mean, all you have to do is look at your eyes and see that you're not normal. You need to get rid of it."
Not normal? The truth was finally coming out what he really thought about me. I looked away and gripped the hem of my dress, twisting the fabric between my fingers. Why was he saying all these horrible things to me? I was lost for words.
"It might be all ok and dandy right now but what about next month, or the month after that, what if there is something wrong with it and it starts transitioning inside of you, what if it tries to eat your insides?" Drew barked.
"Stop!" I screamed and stood up.
I felt so hurt. I couldn't listen to this, not today, I was already a mess because of the funeral and now Drew was shouting at me and telling me to get an abortion.
"Just get out!" I cried and shoved him away from me.
Drew stumbled back a step but didn't try to come after me.
"Alex, I'm-" he started but I just shook my head as the tears started to roll down my cheeks.
"Get. Out." I gritted out.
Drew sighed and shook his head, heading for the door, grabbing his crossbow on the way out, and slamming the door behind him. I flung myself on the bed and sobbed into the pillow. Wishing I had never met Drew Caraway.
Chapter 26
It had been six days since Lane's funeral and Drew hadn't said one word to me. He had moved out of the bedroom and was staying on a different floor. And I was expecting him to leave any day now. Nick had already had a midwife check me over and the ultrasound came back fine. I had a healthy baby growing inside of me, we didn't know the sex yet as it was too early to tell, but I was still in two minds about keeping it. Everything Drew had said had left me broken and a complete mess. What if he was right about the baby hurting me? I had asked Nick a million questions and they had been monitoring me closely, but Nick had assured me the baby was human and not about to eat my insides any day. I wanted to talk to Drew, even after he said all those horrid things. If I gave up the baby would he come back to me? I just didn't know what to do anymore. I missed Drew. I knew he was around, I had seen him a few times with Sophie and Hutch but he avoided me whenever he saw me. I felt isolated and I had no one to talk to. I had spoken to Sophie a few times and told her everything that had happened and she had said to give Drew some space and that he'd come around. Somehow I think no amount of time would change Drew's mind. The group was leaving today, heading back to Missouri. They had done their job and got us here safely and they'd had a mini vacation in the White House at the same time, but now it was time to return home and I was certain Drew would go with them.
Mary had supplied them with two heavy-duty vehicles that would get them home safely, plenty of gas, and more supplies than they woul
d ever need. She had even set up a group of her people to escort the group safely out of the city. After Sophie leaves, I would have no one to talk to, just Nick, but Nick wasn't a girl and he was so proper you couldn't even crack a joke without him getting confused.
The group was all outside saying their goodbyes, and Mary had come out to see them off along with Wells. I'd just finished saying goodbye to Pope, Sully, and Duke when Sophie came over to me and pulled me in for a hug.
"I'm gonna miss you, girlfriend." she said, squeezing me tightly.
"Me too." I held on to her as long as possible before Hutch came over to us.
"Time to go." Hutch said and I reluctantly let go of Sophie.
I looked around once more, searching for Drew but couldn't see him.
"Is Drew not traveling with you?" I finally broke down and asked having promised myself I wouldn't ask any questions about him.
"No, why would he be?" Hutch said before pulling me in for a hug too.
"I just assumed he would...I dunno, go back with you before he went back home or something."
Sophie shook her head. "No, why would he leave you?" she said with a frown. Hutch tugged on Sophie's arm. "Just give me one minute." Sophie said and Hutch nodded.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Alex. I hope everything goes well for you." Hutch said.
I smiled and waved goodbye to him as he headed to the vehicles to meet up with the others. Sophie grabbed my arm and pulled me away from any listening ears.
"Look, you two need to sort this shit out. Drew loves you, he would never leave you."
"He won't even talk to me, and I don't even know if I want him to after all the things he said to me."
"He's just processing everything."
"Me too. This is a big deal for me too. I'm the one having a baby."
"He only said those things because he's scared of losing you. The thought of something attacking you and hurting you gets him all riled up."
"It's a baby, it's not going to attack me."
"I know, but he panicked. You know he's not good with his words and expressing himself. He was probably so shocked when you told him and that was him having a freak-out. I honestly don't think he meant what he said to come out the way it did."
