A/N: Hi, everyone! First off and like always, I want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing. It's been years since I started to write these stories and it means a lot to me that many of you are still reading till this day. I'll also be updating a bunch of stuff that I haven't updated in a good while so keep an eye out :)
Anyway, as all of you already figured out, Lana's expecting! Now, my dilemma is- boy or girl? Lol I've done both in multiple stories but for this one I'm a bit stuck. I know a lot of you have brought up Johnny but tell me, what do you guys, think?
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TWENTY-TWO
Uncharted, Unexpected, Unplanned
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A bone chilling scream justled Oliver out of his deep sleep that night. He shot up out of his bed, almost stumbling to the floor and when his mind finally came to its senses, he turned on the light to find Lana kicking about under the sheets. Oliver saddened at the sight of her suffering and sat back on the bed, calmly and slowly collected her face in his hands.
"Lana, hey," He spoke her name softly while she whimpered in her sleep. "Lana."
Lana's eyes fluttered open and she began to cry almost immediately as she clung to him for life. Oliver collected her in his arms, holding her tight as he whispered sweet words in her ear. Lana's body shook something awful and it took her a few minutes to settle down. It had been another night terror. They weren't as frequent as they used to be but they showed themselves often enough. Nevertheless, Oliver had become an expert at calming her from such terrors and patiently held her until she calmed down.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Lana cried into his chest, clutching onto his white shirt with a strong grip.
"Hey, no, don't be sorry." He kissed the top of her head, "I'm here."
Lana relaxed when she heard him say those words and slowly opened her eyes. She hadn't told him about all the strange things that were happening to her. There were changes she began to notice little by little but her mind made no sense of them at first. She felt lost and confused and just a little bit afraid but she kept those things to herself; embarrassed to admit to Oliver that she didn't know what exactly was happening to her own body. It filled her with a frustration so deep she wanted to cry and she did. She felt like a child, unaware and naive.
But even though these things had been lost upon Lana, she began to wonder of all the possibilities, even the one that seemed so far fetched, it hadn't crossed her mind at first.
"Do you feel better now?" He asked.
Lana closed her eyes, "Yes."
The following morning Oliver went about the house looking for one of his razors. He was sure he had left in the bathroom like he always did but it was missing. Oliver opened the bottom cabinet in the bathroom he and Lana now shared, looking for it but all he found were multiple boxes of menstrual products. Oliver grabbed an unopened box and studied it. He then reached in the cabinet and brought out another unopened box. He stared at the two unused boxes and wondered why Lana hadn't made use of them. It wasn't like her to not make use of her things.
He shook his head, a small sheepish smile brushed along his face, "It's not like she's pregnant." He muttered the small joke to himself.
Then slowly like water trickling out of a dam, the realization bursts through the cracks like tidal waves of cold, hard reality. The smile disappeared from his face and Oliver dropped the boxes, his heart sinking into his chest as he stood to his feet, ambling down the hall in pure shock. He stopped at the entrance of the hall where he found Lana sitting on the floor with a new puzzle. Her eyes were cast upon the multiple scattered pieces, unaware of his presence at first. Then after a moment, she looked up at him, brows raised, unaware of the realization Oliver had just made in the bathroom seconds ago.
"Lana." He spoke, unsure of what to say or what to think. He didn't want to jump to conclusions or make any rash assumptions but he had become very familiar with Lana's body since she arrived in his home and her monthly was always on time. To the dot.
"What?" She asked, calmly and casually, looking back down to her puzzle, "Did you find your razor?"
How could she not have said anything? He had to remind her what a menstrual cycle was. She probably didn't even know what was happening to her. Oliver felt foolish. If he was right in his assumptions, why hadn't he noticed sooner? He should have noted it sooner, after all, they weren't being safe when it came to that aspect of their personal lives.
"No." Was the only word he was able to speak.
"I'm sure it'll pop up." She placed a piece in its right place and then picked another.
"Lana." Oliver spoke her name in a grave tone, "We need to talk."
Oliver watched from the window as Lana still sat out on the porch. She had been out there for the greater part of the day, watching the children across the street ride their bikes up and down the neighborhood. Oliver felt a deep guilt inside of him mixed with a sense of excitement and worry. If his assumptions were correct, Lana was expecting. She had been experiencing multiple symptoms that coincide with early pregnancy. Oliver felt foolish for not catching onto it sooner. It wasn't normal for a woman to be waking up at the crack of dawn to vomit her entire stomach out day after day.
Perhaps it was time he asked what she was thinking. He stepped out onto the porch, hands in his pockets and stood in silence as he watched one of the smaller boys ride his bike in circles. "Lana, I-I just want to say…"
Lana turned her head to look at him. She had her chin resting on her fist. Her eyes were puffy as if she had been crying. Still, she looked lost and confused. Oliver didn't know what to say after that. What could he say? All he had were assumptions that were most definitely correct. He didn't have the proper equipment to fully test a pregnancy but he knew the telltale signs that never failed.
He had been so wrapped up with their new found relationship and the heavy work load of difficult patients that he hadn't thought much of it. The concern was there but it came and went throughout his busy sessions. He had a patient at the moment, Rob Hawthorne, whose wife had just left him. He was a blubbering mess of a man that needed every moment of Oliver's attention during their sessions. He babbled on and on about all the things that could have possibly gone wrong in his marriage. Oliver tried his best to pay attention but his mind was clogged with too many things.
"A baby." She stated. He couldn't read the tone of her voice.
Oliver attempted to smile. Instead, he took a seat next to Lana, "Yes, I believe so."
Lana sniffled. "Well, you are the doctor, aren't you?"
He chuckled softly. "Yes. I'm not an OBGYN but I'm sure even a podiatrist can give you the same hunch." He tried to steal a glance at her expression but she looked away. "I'd have to take you to a clinic to truly know."
Lana's head whipped at this, "A what?" Her face had turned pale and he could see the fear in her eyes.
"A clinic. To see a doctor."
"But you are a doctor." Her voice began to crack and he knew she was afraid.
"A specialist to be more exact. We need to know for sure."
Lana began to hyperventilate so Oliver helped her back inside before any of their neighbors came out to see what was going on. Oliver sat Lana down on the sofa and knelt down on the floor before her, taking a hold of her hands, "Lana, listen to me. Take deep breaths, just like we practiced."
Lana attempted to do as she was told but the anxiety attack within her was growing too strong and she was beginning to panic. She stuttered and tripped over her words, shaking her head side to side as tears streamed down her face. "I can't- I can't. They'll take me back. They'll take me back!"
"No, they won't." He stated firmly, "Look at me. They won't take you back to Briarcliff. I won't allow it. Do you hear me?" He spoke the words fiercely as he looked up into her eyes and Lana believed him. She let herself crumble in his arms, still terrified and confused. All she had wanted was peace and tranquility after the horrors of Briarcliff but now she felt a different kind of fear. A fear of the unknown growing from within her.
Oliver had given Lana some tea to calm her nerves and laid her to rest in their bed. He sat at the side of the bed, placing the half empty cup of tea on the nightstand. Lana lay with her head on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling.
"I feel different…" Her voice trailed off; it was faint and subdued.
Oliver traced his thumb along her cheek, smiling softly at her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He noted it the first time he saw her on that television screen and once again at Briarcliff when she looked like a completely different person. Oliver had fallen absolutely and madly in love with Lana and to know that she could possibly be carrying his child made him love her even more. Alas, he did not want to fill his head with ideas or possibilities that might not happen.
"It's nothing to be afraid about. We'll find out for sure soon enough."
"I don't know how to be a mother…"
Oliver met her gaze and a fear filled deep within him. He took her hand in his own and brushed her fingers. He knew he should wait until she was seen at a clinic before jumping into anything but Oliver already knew that if there was a baby growing in Lana's womb, he already loved it too but there was no love in Lana's eyes. Nor was there excitement or hope. There was only fear.
"I don't-" She began to stutter, "I…" She closed her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks like tiny pearls.
"It'll be fine. Whatever happens." He kissed her hand, "I promise."
Lana's eyes fluttered open later that night. The clock on the nightstand struck 3:15 in the morning and Oliver lay beside her fast asleep. She could hear his soft, leveled breathing. She sat up and watched his sleeping frame through the darkness of the room. Even while he slept, Lana felt protected. No one on the face of the earth would risk everything for her the way he had; she knew that.
Lana stood from the bed and quietly left the room. She meandered down the hall in complete darkness until she reached the living room and turned the light on. She blinked a couple of times as her eyes adjusted to the light and looked around the living room. Her new puzzle had been left on the floor where she had abandoned it before her talk with Oliver. Things had seemed so different that morning; so simple.
Lana walked past the puzzle and made her way out to the front porch where she seemed to collect her thoughts the best. She didn't bother to turn on the porch light and instead cuddled herself inside of Oliver's warmest robe. She sat on the bench by the door and breathed in the cold night air. Lana couldn't remember if having a child was something she had ever wanted in her old life. If at any point in her mind she felt the yearning or desire for motherhood. Lana didn't want to go to a clinic but it would be a great peace of mind to truly know. She placed a hand on her stomach and imagined a tiny little pomegranate seed inside, nestled in the safety of her womb.
She didn't know what to feel or what to think. All she knew was the fear that was building within her like a rumbling sea before a thunderstorm; waves crashing violently against the rocks. Lana then thought of Oliver. He had looked so hopeful, so assured; as if he wanted it. She had never seen that look upon his face before.
Both arms hugged her stomach and suddenly Lana felt less alone in the world.
