December 23rd

Erin lounges on her couch in utter misery. The ADA's typically buttoned up appearance is a stark contrast in this scene. Her hair has been tugged into a haphazard bun in a fit of necessity in the early morning hours. The polish on the toenails of her bare feet is chipped. Her pajamas offer no comfort as she anxiously checks the watch on her wrist. A white ceramic mug sits atop a coaster on her coffee table filled with precious liquid caffeine, and entirely untouched. As a face appears on the screen of her laptop she breathes a small sigh of relief.

Her family physician offers a charming smile as she meets with Erin from the comfort of her home office.

"Are you feeling any better than when I saw you yesterday, Erin?"

"Not one iota."

"I see that you managed to make it to the lab for all for all of the testing that I ordered."

"Listen I am certainly not trying to rush you, but I just need to know whether or not I have Covid-19. My daughter took a job in Texas last spring, and I haven't seen her since. It is the longest I have ever gone without seeing her in person."

"I assure you that you will be able to see your daughter for the holidays Miss Reagan. You do not have Covid-19."

"That is great news, because she will be here this afternoon. Is whatever I have contagious?"

"It is not. In fact I have gotten to the bottom of what is going on with you. I assure you that it is self-limiting, and not contagious."

"That is great news. I appreciate that you were able to make room for me in your busy schedule."

"Miss Reagan we do need to have a conversation about your test results."

"Can it wait?"

"It cannot. It will only take a few minutes."

"I thought that they were all standard labs."

Her family physician nods, "They are, but that does not mean that standard labs cannot offer life-altering results."

"Life altering?" Erin furrows her brow.

"The symptoms that you are experiencing are completely normal, and to be expected."

"I am confused."

"I shall be forthright. Erin, you are pregnant."

She falls totally, and utterly silent. Her skin transforms into a ghostly shade of white.

"I see that I have caught you off-guard. Erin I have been your family doctor for over a decade. I have called in a favor with an OB/GYN colleague of mine that can see you this morning at 10. She had a last minute cancellation, and is willing to see you."

"Okay," is all she can manage to eek out.

"I will have the office send the information to you via text."


Less than two hours later Erin has managed to obtain a shower, and pull on half-way decent clothing. She absent-mindedly fills out paperwork in an empty waiting room. A nurse calls her name, and leads her into an exam room. The RN in brightly colored scrubs bombards her with a litany of questions. Erin shifts uncomfortably on the seat of a hard wooden chair. She stares at the nurse blankly as she asks one question for a second time.

"Last menstrual period."

Erin shrugs as she folds her hands in her lap, "I don't know."

"That's okay. I think everyone's sense of time is a little warped during this pandemic."

"I…"

The nurse offers her a neatly folded gown, "I can see that you are still digesting this information. We will know more regarding time frame once we complete the ultrasound. Please change into this gown, and I will be back in a few moments."

"Ok," she nods as she accepts the blue paper gown.

The next several minutes seem feel like an alternate reality. After Erin applies a hideous one-size-fits-none gown the nurse returns to the room. None of the facts being presented to her make any sense as she lies on the exam table watching the seconds tick by on her watch. The sound of the nurse's voice nudges her back into reality.

"Based on these calculations I would say that it is safe to say conception was sometime around the first week of November."

Erin groans, "The election."

The sound of a key scraping the lock of her door shifts Erin's focus. Her anxiety rises with each passing second. She's barely made it home from her appointment, and Nicky is at her door. She realizes something is in her hand. She frantically searches for somewhere to secure the various black and white images in her possession as she stands at the kitchen island. She pulls open the refrigerator doors, and shoves them inside the freezer behind the frozen peas. She closes the door in the nick of time.

Nicky enters the apartment and drops her bags at the door. She races towards Erin. She wraps her arms around her.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Erin desperately wants to hold onto her daughter for an eternity, but the scent of her perfume is entirely overwhelming, which seems to be the theme of Erin's day. She pushes Nicky away, and races out of the room, barely making it to the bathroom before retching.

By the time the emesis stops she realizes that Nicky is standing in the doorway of the bathroom glaring at her in concern. Erin rises to her feet and flushes the evidence. The two of them stand in utter silence as she scours her mouth with Crest, and rinses with unscented mouthwash.

"Are you okay?" Nicky arches an eyebrow.

"I'm fine."

"The barf session would indicate otherwise."

"I am not contagious, if that is your concern. I assure you that I have tested negative for Covid."