Chapter 20: Breaking in 2

I'm getting to the point. Eventually… I'm just trying to keep it so it makes sense but not too straight forward.

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Murdoc felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and ironically he started hearing her niece's bitter laughter. She laughed and laughed after the pause and her face turned pink as tears fell down her face, elbowing Murdoc in his side. It seemed like she couldn't stop laughing and Murdoc continued to put up with her hysteria until she was calm enough to speak. "Hey, great one, dad. I bet this was your joke, wasn't it?"

He watched her giggle again but the stern expression he cast her soon made her smile fall and heart sink. "That's a great one…"

"A great what?" he asked.

"Joke." He heaved a silent sigh and put an arm out to her but her sudden reaction made him jump. "You're not joking?" she strained her voice to keep down its volume of fright. "Abortion? What are you on about?" her attention stirred onto the nurse who saw a whole different side of her personality.

"You didn't know...?" The plump nurse eased her wrinkles and anger for this poor child. "We had taken some tests and found… you are pregnant."

"Now you tell me?" she whispered and stared down at her boots trying to let it sink in. "But how? I had always-" she glanced up at the nurses as more tears delicately tickled her face. "I mean, I never… How long?"

"Nearly 4 weeks."

"But don't you think I would have known?" she seethed at her. Murdoc grasped her shoulders and held her in front of him as her attitude started to turn rotten. The goddamn worry filled his wild eyes again as his irises darting back and forth onto hers. "Rachel… you did."

"WHAT?"

"Maybe you didn't know consciously or never for sure but deep down, I know you've had the suspicion. And that was enough." Rachel never bothered to argue with him she was still so shocked. She didn't even ask how he knew because he just did. Was it written all over face, gleaming in her eyes, hidden behind the smile? Empathy was in his. She guessed the pain never really got out which means their trio was still incomplete. The stands really did catch up with her, karma and all that what-goes-around-comes-around crap. She finally spoke as she wiped her tears and demand entered her tone.

"I'm not having an abortion." Murdoc gasped and his grip loosened on her arms. "Jesus Christ, luv…" He stuttered on his words and turned to the nurses for assistance but they looked the other way, allowing them to work out their opinions themselves. They left the room. "You're only 12."

"I'm practically 16, maturity-wise."

"That's still so young…"

"Abortion is murder." He stared at her for a further few seconds before taking his arms off her and when he looked back the empathy had vanished.

"Don't be fucking thick, have the abortion."

"Murdoc, this is my body, I can do whatever I please."

"Not while I'm here you don't."

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"You don't know half the complications of parenthood!"

"Better than you fucking did, eh?!"

"You are having the abortion!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO BE A MURDERER!"

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL DO YOU EXPECT TO DO WITH A CHILD? EAT IT OR SELL IT OUT FOR A SLAPPER, LIKE YOUR VERY FUCKING PROUD SELF!" Rachel let out a shrill cry and ran out of the room flooding with tears and blinded by betrayal. On the way out she ran past Russel and 2D.

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Murdoc hesitated then realised his anger had got the better of him. He ran after her knocking 2D to the floor on his way out but never stopping to look back. Rachel collapsed into the bathroom and tried scrambling away as Murdoc followed her. Her hands clutched to her face as patients gave her odd stares and hurriedly got out of their way. "Rachel." She was about to lock herself inside a cubicle but Murdoc put a strongly hand on the door and held it open. "Let go," she ordered, her voice sore from all this crying.

"Rachel, I'm sorry."

"It's too late for that now. It always was." Murdoc sighed and tried to herd her out of the cubicle. He stood her in front of the mirrors but her eyes were clenched and focused on the floor, she ignored him. He lifted her pretty chin up to see her reflection in the mirror. The ugly red marks of pain and frustration were covered her features and she looked away in even more tears. Murdoc stroked her hair and tried to quieten her down.

"I'm sorry. You of all people know that I didn't mean what I said… I'm just trying to protect you because no one else can. I don't want you hurt." He lightly kissed her hair and she looked at the mirrors, rather looking at him with a faint smile. "I'm not gonna ask how you got up the duff, it's clearly none of my business but I'm telling you that pregnancy is a huge reasonability. Just because you have a cup size bigger than your friends, it doesn't mean you're mature enough to have a baby. You're still too young and I'm not letting you throw away the one and only chance you'll ever have of being a kid. You're not gonna make the same mistake."

"But Murdoc… the abortion."

"I know it's scary and there may be a very, very small chance that something could go wrong. But it's so much safer than childbirth. You've still got a lot of growing up to do yourself, missy.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Abortion is murder, you don't have to say it. But who would you be murdering if you didn't do it, eh? Rachel, I'm not trying to-" She smiled as the tears vanished and he wrapped his arms around her. An old man came into the bathroom and broke him off as they both stared. His eyes grew so wide and Murdoc gave him a little scowl. "Get outta here," he said and that old man turned on heel and scampered away.

"I'm not trying to brainwash you into the abortion but I'm just giving you my side. It's your choice… Either way, I'm still your Uncle Mudsie. I just hope you know what you're doing." She gave him a peck on the cheek from his sweet talk.

"Y'know… I'm sure we've had this conversation a thousand times before."

"We sure have, doll face," he grinned.

Why the fuck does everything I write have to be so damn dramatic?