Page 90 of Submission

I take another sip of the lukewarm brown liquid in my cup as a new realization hits me as fiercely as a thunderbolt.

Regardless of what those doctors tell me when they walk through those double doors tonight, I already know what I have to do.

Chapter 36

What Have You Done To Me?!

Megan

When I pry my eyes open, it’s to the view of a plain white ceiling. My entire body feels uncharacteristically heavy as I stare up, dazed. There’s a dull throb in my lower abdomen, and my head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton. My mouth is parched, and when I try to move, a pain-filled moan escapes my lips.

“Megan?” Hunter’s ragged-looking face pops into my line of sight, “How’re you feeling, baby?”

“Feeling?” I echo. “I’m thirsty, but my stomach hurts.”

“Wait.” He picks up a white styrofoam cup of ice water from the side table. He inserts a fresh straw through the plastic lid and raises it to my lips. “Take small sips. Careful.”

The cold liquid goes a long way in clearing my head as I look at Hunter tiredly. I feel about as bad as he looks.

“So, I guess I survived?”

“From a gunshot to the gut? Yes,” he says with an odd look as he presses a button to page a nurse. “You’re going to be more than fine. In fact, there’s something you should know.”

Before he can say anything else, a woman walks in dressed in a white lab coat. I recognize her.

“Dr. Yasmin?”

“Well, you sure are one lucky girl,” she says, beaming at me. How’re you feeling?”

It doesn’t escape me how Hunter’s body shifts uncomfortably whenever anyone refers to me as a “girl”. I haven’t thought about it lately, but I think our age difference makes him much more uneasy than he’ll ever admit out loud.

“It hurts to move, but it’s not as bad as it could be,” I confess, feeling more like myself as my body awakens.

“Well, you and the baby are fine. It’s-“

“I’m sorry,” I sputter, choking on my own salvia. “Me andthe whatis fine?”

“The baby.” Dr. Yasmin looks at Hunter who now looks annoyed. “You didn’t tell her?”

“I was just about to when you walked in.”

“Wait, I don’t understand.” I look between the two of them, my mind barely processing the words. “I’m pregnant?”

“Yes.” Dr. Yasmin smiles at me. “Congratulations. You and the baby are fine.”

“There must be some mistake. I can’t get pregnant. There was an accident, and I…well, my stepmother told me I couldn’t have kids. She said–“

“Well, you’re perfectly healthy.” Dr. Yasmin frowns. “I don’t know why your stepmother told you that, but she was wrong. You’re actually six weeks along.”

“Six weeks?”

Immediately I try recalling what I’ve been eating, drinking, and doing over the last six weeks. Not once did I feel sick or anything, but now that I think about it, my period was late.

“There’s been so much going on,” I mutter, feeling blank. “Are you sure?”

“Completely sure. Fortunately, your injury didn’t cause you to lose the baby. And while I recommend you set up an appointment for prenatal care as soon as you’re released, I highly suggest you take it real easy this first trimester. Your body experienced severe trauma two days ago. It needs time to repair and heal itself."

“Wait, I’ve been asleep for two days?”

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