CHAPTER FOUR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*The next day*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe Hyde is going to marry Jackie. It's like he's gone over to the dark side or something," Eric said as he and Donna laid in his bed.
"Eric! Enough with the Star Wars. And, I actually think marrying Jackie will be good for him."
"How can you say that? It's JACKIE."
"Eric!" Donna yelled as she punched him in the arm. "Jackie is my friend."
"Sorry! But they both just started school and they're not even close to graduating! Where are they going to live? In Hyde and Fez's dorm room?"
"You sound like Red!" she laughed. "Actually, Jackie said their going to move into the 'married housing' on the far side of campus."
"There's married housing on this campus?"
"Yea. It's over by the greenhouses. It has childcare and everything, so they will both be able to stay in school."
"But, Hyde is already struggling to pay for school now. How is going to support Jackie and a baby? Whoa, I DO sound like Red!"
"Jackie is paying for her school with the money her grandmother left her. They can get an academic loan to cover Hyde's tuition and then use the money he earns at work now to pay for their living expenses."
"Well, I guess they have it all worked out then," he said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
"Well, I'm sure it's still going to be really hard. That's why we need to be supportive."
"It's going to be hard to support something I think is a huge mistake."
"Well, would you rather Hyde abandon her and leave her to raise the baby alone? Because you know he wouldn't do that. Not after what his parents did to him," Donna said as she glared at him
"You're right Donna. You're right. I guess we have to choice but to support this freak show," he teased.
"Eric!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*A few weeks later*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How far along are you Jackie?" Rhonda asked as she and Fez stared at the tiny belly she was starting to grow.
"Three months," she said as she sat down at a table near the window. She cracked the window and breathed in the fresh air. She didn't want to stop going to see Steven and the band, but she thought all the smoke in the bar was bad for the baby.
"Wow!" Fez exclaimed. "Just think, right now there is a tiny person growing inside of you. I wonder what he is doing right now?"
Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Um, I don't know Fez."
"So, are you getting excited about the big day?" Rhonda asked. "Only two more weeks!"
"I know! I'm glad it's so soon. I don't want to look like a house when I walk down the aisle. Hey, did you pick up your bridesmaid dress yet?"
"Donna and I are going tomorrow."
"Did I hear my name?" Donna asked as she and Eric walked up to the table.
"We're just talking about wedding stuff," Jackie replied. Eric rolled his eyes. It seemed like all they ever talked about was wedding stuff. That or baby stuff.
"When does the band start?" he asked.
"In a few minutes," Jackie answered. "Steven usually comes out to say 'hi' before they start and we haven't seen him yet."
Just then, as if on cue, Hyde came out from back stage. "Hey there!" he said to Jackie as he kissed her gently on her forehead.
"Hey Hyde," Eric said, "When does the music start?" Even Hyde was no escape lately. Everything he talked about was Jackie this and Jackie that.
"OH!" Jackie yelled suddenly as she grabbed her stomach.
"What is it Jackie?" Hyde asked concerned.
"I'm not sure. Something doesn't...OUCH!" She had to grab Hyde's arm to keep from falling over.
"Jackie, I'm taking you to the hospital."
"But, they need you here."
"They'll be fine without me. Come on, let's go."
"Hyde's right Jackie. You need to go to the hospital," Donna said seriously. "The Vista Cruiser is parked right outside."
"Ok," Jackie relented.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*One hour later, at the hospital*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Any news man?" Eric asked as he and Donna got off elevator. They had just run downstairs to the hospital cafeteria to get everyone some coffee.
"Not yet," Hyde replied as he paced back and forth in the hallway. They had never seen him look so nervous.
Donna tried not to look worried as she handed out cups of coffee to everyone.
Just then, a doctor came through the swinging doors that separated the operating rooms from the lobby.
"Steven Hyde?" he said.
"That's me."
The doctor pulled Hyde to the side of the room so the others couldn't hear what he was saying.
"Is she ok?" Hyde asked.
"Yes, Jackie is fine, but...I'm afraid she lost the baby, son."
Hyde stared at him.
"I'm sorry. You can come back and see her now if you want too."
"Ok," he said as he followed the doctor back through the swinging doors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*Two weeks later*~~~~~~~~~~~
Jackie was sitting on her bed trying to get ready for class. She'd been out the hospital for over a week, but she hadn't felt well enough go to classes until today.
"Jackie, can I get you something to drink? Do you want some food?" Donna asked, in her most Kitty-like voice.
"Thanks Donna. I'm fine," she replied as she pulled on her shoes.
Donna had been taking care of her like this ever since she came back from the hospital.
"Here's you backpack," Donna said as she handed it to Jackie. "And here's your watch and your jewelry."
"Thanks."
Jackie pulled on the watch, a gold necklace, and some earrings, but she set Hyde's ring on the desk.
"You're not going to wear that?" Donna asked as she glanced down at the ring.
"No."
"Jackie, what's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Then why aren't you wearing that? You've barely taken it off since Hyde gave it to you. Even to sleep."
"I'm just trying not to get too attached to it."
"What are you talking about?"
"Donna, before Steven proposed, he never even told me he loved me. You and I both know he only gave me that ring because I was pregnant. He never even wanted to get married. He thinks it's some kind of government conspiracy or something."
Donna didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe how mature Jackie was being about the whole situation.
"I'm going to be late for class," Jackie said as she walked out the door without a backward glance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Thanks for reading! If you liked it, please review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*The next day*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe Hyde is going to marry Jackie. It's like he's gone over to the dark side or something," Eric said as he and Donna laid in his bed.
"Eric! Enough with the Star Wars. And, I actually think marrying Jackie will be good for him."
"How can you say that? It's JACKIE."
"Eric!" Donna yelled as she punched him in the arm. "Jackie is my friend."
"Sorry! But they both just started school and they're not even close to graduating! Where are they going to live? In Hyde and Fez's dorm room?"
"You sound like Red!" she laughed. "Actually, Jackie said their going to move into the 'married housing' on the far side of campus."
"There's married housing on this campus?"
"Yea. It's over by the greenhouses. It has childcare and everything, so they will both be able to stay in school."
"But, Hyde is already struggling to pay for school now. How is going to support Jackie and a baby? Whoa, I DO sound like Red!"
"Jackie is paying for her school with the money her grandmother left her. They can get an academic loan to cover Hyde's tuition and then use the money he earns at work now to pay for their living expenses."
"Well, I guess they have it all worked out then," he said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
"Well, I'm sure it's still going to be really hard. That's why we need to be supportive."
"It's going to be hard to support something I think is a huge mistake."
"Well, would you rather Hyde abandon her and leave her to raise the baby alone? Because you know he wouldn't do that. Not after what his parents did to him," Donna said as she glared at him
"You're right Donna. You're right. I guess we have to choice but to support this freak show," he teased.
"Eric!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*A few weeks later*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How far along are you Jackie?" Rhonda asked as she and Fez stared at the tiny belly she was starting to grow.
"Three months," she said as she sat down at a table near the window. She cracked the window and breathed in the fresh air. She didn't want to stop going to see Steven and the band, but she thought all the smoke in the bar was bad for the baby.
"Wow!" Fez exclaimed. "Just think, right now there is a tiny person growing inside of you. I wonder what he is doing right now?"
Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Um, I don't know Fez."
"So, are you getting excited about the big day?" Rhonda asked. "Only two more weeks!"
"I know! I'm glad it's so soon. I don't want to look like a house when I walk down the aisle. Hey, did you pick up your bridesmaid dress yet?"
"Donna and I are going tomorrow."
"Did I hear my name?" Donna asked as she and Eric walked up to the table.
"We're just talking about wedding stuff," Jackie replied. Eric rolled his eyes. It seemed like all they ever talked about was wedding stuff. That or baby stuff.
"When does the band start?" he asked.
"In a few minutes," Jackie answered. "Steven usually comes out to say 'hi' before they start and we haven't seen him yet."
Just then, as if on cue, Hyde came out from back stage. "Hey there!" he said to Jackie as he kissed her gently on her forehead.
"Hey Hyde," Eric said, "When does the music start?" Even Hyde was no escape lately. Everything he talked about was Jackie this and Jackie that.
"OH!" Jackie yelled suddenly as she grabbed her stomach.
"What is it Jackie?" Hyde asked concerned.
"I'm not sure. Something doesn't...OUCH!" She had to grab Hyde's arm to keep from falling over.
"Jackie, I'm taking you to the hospital."
"But, they need you here."
"They'll be fine without me. Come on, let's go."
"Hyde's right Jackie. You need to go to the hospital," Donna said seriously. "The Vista Cruiser is parked right outside."
"Ok," Jackie relented.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*One hour later, at the hospital*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Any news man?" Eric asked as he and Donna got off elevator. They had just run downstairs to the hospital cafeteria to get everyone some coffee.
"Not yet," Hyde replied as he paced back and forth in the hallway. They had never seen him look so nervous.
Donna tried not to look worried as she handed out cups of coffee to everyone.
Just then, a doctor came through the swinging doors that separated the operating rooms from the lobby.
"Steven Hyde?" he said.
"That's me."
The doctor pulled Hyde to the side of the room so the others couldn't hear what he was saying.
"Is she ok?" Hyde asked.
"Yes, Jackie is fine, but...I'm afraid she lost the baby, son."
Hyde stared at him.
"I'm sorry. You can come back and see her now if you want too."
"Ok," he said as he followed the doctor back through the swinging doors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*Two weeks later*~~~~~~~~~~~
Jackie was sitting on her bed trying to get ready for class. She'd been out the hospital for over a week, but she hadn't felt well enough go to classes until today.
"Jackie, can I get you something to drink? Do you want some food?" Donna asked, in her most Kitty-like voice.
"Thanks Donna. I'm fine," she replied as she pulled on her shoes.
Donna had been taking care of her like this ever since she came back from the hospital.
"Here's you backpack," Donna said as she handed it to Jackie. "And here's your watch and your jewelry."
"Thanks."
Jackie pulled on the watch, a gold necklace, and some earrings, but she set Hyde's ring on the desk.
"You're not going to wear that?" Donna asked as she glanced down at the ring.
"No."
"Jackie, what's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Then why aren't you wearing that? You've barely taken it off since Hyde gave it to you. Even to sleep."
"I'm just trying not to get too attached to it."
"What are you talking about?"
"Donna, before Steven proposed, he never even told me he loved me. You and I both know he only gave me that ring because I was pregnant. He never even wanted to get married. He thinks it's some kind of government conspiracy or something."
Donna didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe how mature Jackie was being about the whole situation.
"I'm going to be late for class," Jackie said as she walked out the door without a backward glance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Thanks for reading! If you liked it, please review.