One
"Leave me alone!" Yelled Claire as Alex grabbed her by the waist and hurled her up onto the back of the ute. "You're injured Claire, if you can't walk, then I'm just gonna have to carry ya! Simple as that - I can't leave you alone in the paddock here or else you might get into even more trouble-" "I'm NOT in trouble ALEXANDER, and I'm perfectly OK - just a slight stomach ache, that's all" "Well if you didn't collapse, maybe I would listen to you, but I'm taking you back up to the house right now." Alex told her firmly, and he started the engine.
"Oh my god Claire, are you alright?" asked Tess. "I'm FINE. I just need an aspirin. I've got to do drenching before tea." "Oh, no you don't! you sit here and I'll make you a coffee. I'll get Becky to handle everything."
Claire lay in bed, with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. She really didn't feel like drenching today, but she didn't want the others to know, or they would know something was really wrong. Claire knew what was wrong. She had known for three days now but couldn't find the courage to tell anyone - not even her sister. "Claire, can I come in?" Claire heard Tess whisper from the half-closed door. "Uh, yea sure." Claire replied" Tess came in slowly and sat down on the bed. "Claire, something must be really wrong, I mean, you hardly EVER stay in bed!" She laughed, then gave Claire a very concerned look. "I'm fine, I told you." "Well, I don't think you are. You look paler than last week, and you have gone off a lot of food, and what's that new obsession for pasta lately?. Oh MY GOD! Claire? Are you. pregnant?"
"You guessed it." Mumbled Claire. "How long? Who's the father? Are you one-hundred percent sure? Have you seen the doctor." Claire closed her eyes as she listened to Tess ask questions over and over again. All she felt like doing was sleeping, and throwing up. "Three days, Tess, only three days." "THREE days! Why didn't you say something?" "I was. um. stressed out," Claire said, carefully so she didn't make it sound as if she was scared. "Does anyone else know? "Um, not yet. And don't you go and open your big mouth! I need some time to think before I tell Alex. "Alex? Is he the father?" "isn't it obvious," Claire replied" "Well, he's going to be .surprised!" Tess exclaimed. "Yea, I figured. I still don't understand though. We were so careful. most of the time." "What do you mean most of the time" asked Tess. "Well, there was that one day in the far paddock, down near the broken fence - " "Oh, Claire," giggled tess "I DON'T need the details!"
At the dinner table, everyone carried on talking as if nothing was different, but Claire and Tess remained quiet, and Tess was especially cautious of anything she said. "Claire, you still feelin' tired?" asked Becky. "Yea, that's so unlike you.' Said Jodi. "Yea, well I'm a bit better now thanks." "Ice cream anyone?" Meg asked, making Claire feel a little more comfortable.
Later that night, Claire phoned Alex. She made sure everyone was asleep before the finally plucked up the courage to ring him. "Alex, you need to come over here." "What? It's nearly midnight Claire. Can't I see you in the morning?" "No, it's really important. Come now please." She hung up. Alex wondered If something was wrong. He knew that Claire was sick but maybe she was getting worse?
"Leave me alone!" Yelled Claire as Alex grabbed her by the waist and hurled her up onto the back of the ute. "You're injured Claire, if you can't walk, then I'm just gonna have to carry ya! Simple as that - I can't leave you alone in the paddock here or else you might get into even more trouble-" "I'm NOT in trouble ALEXANDER, and I'm perfectly OK - just a slight stomach ache, that's all" "Well if you didn't collapse, maybe I would listen to you, but I'm taking you back up to the house right now." Alex told her firmly, and he started the engine.
"Oh my god Claire, are you alright?" asked Tess. "I'm FINE. I just need an aspirin. I've got to do drenching before tea." "Oh, no you don't! you sit here and I'll make you a coffee. I'll get Becky to handle everything."
Claire lay in bed, with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. She really didn't feel like drenching today, but she didn't want the others to know, or they would know something was really wrong. Claire knew what was wrong. She had known for three days now but couldn't find the courage to tell anyone - not even her sister. "Claire, can I come in?" Claire heard Tess whisper from the half-closed door. "Uh, yea sure." Claire replied" Tess came in slowly and sat down on the bed. "Claire, something must be really wrong, I mean, you hardly EVER stay in bed!" She laughed, then gave Claire a very concerned look. "I'm fine, I told you." "Well, I don't think you are. You look paler than last week, and you have gone off a lot of food, and what's that new obsession for pasta lately?. Oh MY GOD! Claire? Are you. pregnant?"
"You guessed it." Mumbled Claire. "How long? Who's the father? Are you one-hundred percent sure? Have you seen the doctor." Claire closed her eyes as she listened to Tess ask questions over and over again. All she felt like doing was sleeping, and throwing up. "Three days, Tess, only three days." "THREE days! Why didn't you say something?" "I was. um. stressed out," Claire said, carefully so she didn't make it sound as if she was scared. "Does anyone else know? "Um, not yet. And don't you go and open your big mouth! I need some time to think before I tell Alex. "Alex? Is he the father?" "isn't it obvious," Claire replied" "Well, he's going to be .surprised!" Tess exclaimed. "Yea, I figured. I still don't understand though. We were so careful. most of the time." "What do you mean most of the time" asked Tess. "Well, there was that one day in the far paddock, down near the broken fence - " "Oh, Claire," giggled tess "I DON'T need the details!"
At the dinner table, everyone carried on talking as if nothing was different, but Claire and Tess remained quiet, and Tess was especially cautious of anything she said. "Claire, you still feelin' tired?" asked Becky. "Yea, that's so unlike you.' Said Jodi. "Yea, well I'm a bit better now thanks." "Ice cream anyone?" Meg asked, making Claire feel a little more comfortable.
Later that night, Claire phoned Alex. She made sure everyone was asleep before the finally plucked up the courage to ring him. "Alex, you need to come over here." "What? It's nearly midnight Claire. Can't I see you in the morning?" "No, it's really important. Come now please." She hung up. Alex wondered If something was wrong. He knew that Claire was sick but maybe she was getting worse?