Chapter 25

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I am currently a bit traumatized because according to the internet, series 3 of the Dumping Ground will be the last, but it also said that Series 3 of Tracy Beaker Returns would end with Liam getting Elektra pregnant, so wikipedia isn't a reliable resource but still...

She had been no different from anyone else, just a kid with her hair in plaits, who had a best friend called Jane.

They had gone to ballet classes together, and worn matching friendship bracelets. At school they would eat their school lunches together, then they would go out to the playground and play skipping games. Then after school they would go round to each other's houses, then they would go home, and do the same thing the next day.

Then everything changed.

And she was put in care.

And she never saw Jane again.

Xxx

"Have you considered abortion?" Mike questioned, the two teens sat stunned.

"No, I am not killing my child," Erin almost growled,

"I'm with Erin, it isn't right killing our baby," Rick said.
"I am just saying you should consider all your options," Mike said,

"I am just saying you should fuck off," Erin replied, storming out of the room.

Xxx

Sam stared out of the window, trying to memorize the view from her bedroom, even though it was hardly a room with a view.

She was memorizing the trees, the main road, the newly bought house next door, the wall she liked to sit on, more trees, some grass, a few more trees.

In two days time she would be moving in with her Grandparents, and she needed to pack.

She started simple: clothes.

It was easy to tell her clothes from Ari's. Firstly Ari's were tiny, but they also tended to be quite colourful, unlike Sam's which were mainly black, white or blue.

Sam sat on her bed, suitcase open in front of her and started folding.

"Sam," the blonde looked up, Erin was standing in the doorway.

"Erin," Sam said, more than slightly surprised.

"Can I help?" she asked, looking a bit lost.

"Of course," Sam replied, recognising that the girl wanted to talk.

Erin smiled weakly, and sat down on the other side of the suitcase.

It was two minutes before Erin started talking.

"I trust you to be honest with me," she said, "you've become more honest recently, you've been blunter and you've stood up for yourself."

"I blame Ari," Sam replied, smiling.

"Your not as bad as Ari,"

"thank god," awkward pause, "so what do want to know?"

"Do you think I should keep the baby?" Erin asked, "because Mike thinks I should, but I don't think it's right."

"Difficult question," Sam replied, "I could reply in a number of ways, both for and against abortion, what do you want to hear?"

"I want your real opinion, not some textbook shit."

Sam was silent a moment, thinking how she could say what she wanted to say, without giving away Arietta.

"A few months ago I met a woman, her name was Tara," Sam started, then regretted it, remembering Tara was Ari's middle name. "She had been abused by her husband, and she was a prisoner in his house, she hated her life. Then she fell pregnant. Her pregnancy filled her life with hope, but then, when she was 8 months pregnant, she angered her husband and he beat her till she miscarried. And his beating has made her infertile." Sam stopped sighing, Erin was wiping her eyes, then Sam continued.

"Tara was only in her 20s, still has her whole life ahead of her, but she's going to have to watch her friends, her sisters, her work colleagues, go through pregnancy and see them have what she never had. What she never will have. So what I am saying is, a baby is a gift and those who have that gift are very fortunate, and I believe it is wrong to destroy that gift."

"What if I'm not a good Mum?" Erin asked, between sobs.

"Do you love your baby?" Sam questioned,

"but..."
"do you love your baby?" Sam repeated. Erin nodded. "That's the most important thing, a baby will be hard work, a life long commitment which will control about two decades of your life. But a baby is a huge responsibility, and note how I say responsibility not burden, but you will need to provide for your baby. Make enough money to feed it, clothe it, to keep the house warm, which means you need to get good grades in school, to make sure you can get the jobs which will provide your money. But in the end it will be worth it."

Erin nodded.

"Thank you," she said,

"your welcome," Sam replied, Erin stood up made her way to the door but then turned back,

"Sam." Sam looked up, "I'm sorry for abandoning you at Thorpe Park," and with that Erin was gone.

Xxx

"I don't know who I am any more," Tee told Tyler, "I'm not the girl I was 2 months ago, but I'm not the girl I have spent the last few weeks pretending to be."

"You're Tee," Tyler replied, taking her hand, "and that is all that matters."

Xxx

The Dumping Ground seemed to be falling apart, despite Tee, Johnny and Tyler reconciling, everything was changing.

Jemima and Bailey had joined the Dumping Ground.

Faith had been hit by the car.

Arietta had gone into hospital.

Johnny and Kitty had broken up, and Johnny had lost his friends, but had found Sam.

Erin and Rick had broken up, and the pregnancy situation made everything worse.

And in two days time Sam would have left, and Ari...

Ari was coming out of hospital the day Sam was leaving.

Sam would leave, and Ari would be discharged about two hours later.

They would miss each other.

They would never see each other again.

Xxx

Arietta wasn't popular with the other patients of the ward: she had complained, woke them up in the middle of night when her nightmares had caused her to scream, she had complained a bit more, slapped a Doctor (in her books it was a reflex, and it was justified) and was being generally difficult.

She wasn't that popular with the Nurses for those same reasons, and she actually heard one moan about the fact that she was going to be there for another two nights.

At least the Doctors (bar the one she had slapped) didn't seem to mind her.

"Has the tumour gone?" Arietta asked,

"it appears to be completely gone," the Doctor told her.

"So was it cancerous?"

"If it doesn't come back we have no way of knowing. The tumour could have been cancerous, but it might not have been, we'll never know," he explained.

"So am I healthy again?"

"No," he told her honestly, "you are still underweight, but apart from that you are physically fine."

"So can I leave?"

"No, on Wednesday, I promise. But tomorrow you'll be meeting your psychiatrist, and then on Wednesday we will be re-evaluating you, and if all is good you can go home."

Arietta didn't tell her that when she went back to Elmtree House it would no longer be home.

And she didn't explain that that was because her best friend wouldn't be there.

Xxx

"I think it might be the only solution," Gerry Barber sighed,

"I know," Rick's mum, Lisa Barber replied. Little did they know that 5 year old Rick was hiding behind the sofa, listening to their conversation.

"Rick would love a sibling but..." Gerry started,

"but it's impractical," Lisa finished, "a baby would make a quick get away impossible."

Rick was silent. He had always wanted a sibling and...

"I'll go to the doctors tomorrow," Lisa said, "they can book me in for an abortion."

Aged 5 Rick had no idea what abortion meant, but it didn't sound good.

"Then no more baby," Gerry whispered.

That night Rick cried himself to sleep, mourning the sibling he would never have.

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