Chapter 2
Battling for baby
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
A/N: Thank you so much guys for all the great words of encouragement. I was surprised to see anyone was interested in this story. But since there has been such a big response im going to carry on :o)
Thanks again!! Xxxx
~~*~~
Phoebe opened the bathroom door and looked sadly out into the empty living room, its silence was almost eerie.
Was this how her life would always be from now on, a lifetime of solitude and loneliness?
No, how could it be. She had Mike, and she loved him more than life itself. He would always be there for her no matter what happened. He accepted her for who she was, and it would never change. So why did she feel an empty hole deep within, that Mike just couldn't seem to fill?
She lifted the yellow pages from below her telephone table and began to flick through the pages until she came to the letter C.
"Clinics" She ran her finger down the page and stopped as she came to the exact place she was looking for.
She paused for a moment of thought before picking up the phone and dialling the number.
"Yes, hi. I'd like to make an emergency appointment please. Yes, today at 1pm would be fine. The name is Phoebe Buffay."
She replaced the receiver down, all the while wondering if she was making the right choice. Although it didn't really matter now that she had made the phone call she had for the last 40 minutes been dreading. Whatever decision she eventually went through with she would be losing someone precious from her life for good. She had chosen to keep the person that was most dear to her, and she just prayed everything would work out for the best.
~*~
"Joey, stop it!" Jade, Joey's latest girlfriend screamed flirtily as he chased her around his apartment, trying to kiss her before she left to go to work.
She screamed even louder as he caught her and pulled her into his arms for a passionate embrace.
"Ok, that's enough, or im going to be late." She gave him one last kiss and pulled away.
"I'll call you when I get home, and we can make plans. Goodbye sweetie." She closed the door behind her, leaving a smitten Joey alone in his kitchen.
"How's it going with Jade?" Rachel appeared from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head in a turban like fashion.
"It's amazingly actually. I sometimes can't believe it. Me, Joey Tribbiani, settling down." He and Rachel laughed at the apparent irony. He had actually found a woman he wanted to spend more than one night with.
"Wow, must be serious then. Well I must say im glad. There's only so long you can around sleeping with every good looking girl and woman in Manhattan." She stated knowingly, like she was his Mother.
"So, what's your plans for today?" Rachel was used to Joey sitting around the house all day now that he wasn't working on Days of our lives anymore, but she always asked him anyway, just in case he had something different planned.
"My Dad called last night and asked me if I'd go into the city and help him with some construction work. You know, just some general labouring work. One of his guys has gone off sick, hurt his back last week when they were putting up some scaffolding. So I said I would fill in for him until he's better. It would really leave my Dad in the lurch if I didn't."
"That's great Joe. The extra money will come in handy for you, now your dating again," She gave him a little playful nudge.
"Yeah, well I better get going. If im late my Dad will kill me." Joey lifted his tool belt and gave Rachel a passing wave as he left for his first day on the job. He looked down at the piece of paper he had written the address on, and set off for the city.
~*~
Phoebe played with the strap on her purse nervously, as she watched for her stop.
She looked down at her watch and noted the time as 12:52.less than 10 minutes until her life would change forever.
Her eyes drifted from her watch and over to the clear glass window, where she observed the world go by. She couldn't help but wonder if anyone walking along the street had been in the same position as she was in, stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to focus on the right and wrong of a situation.
Of course they have, she noted to herself. Everyone had problems at one time or another. But did anyone ever have her problem? She doubted it. This was one of a kind.
No one on the sidewalk seemed to be smiling, as they sauntered along, minding there own business, going to unknown destinations. Was everyone so unhappy deep down? It sure looked like it to her. Or did it just take being sad to notice sorrow in others?
She didn't get the chance to answer her own question as the bus came to a halt at the place she was dreading.
She lifted her purse and threw it over her shoulder, her hands shaking as she tried to pull herself up to a standing position. This was it, she told herself. She was here and there was very little chance to turn back now. She took the few steps down onto the pavement and remained still until she felt the bus move away from behind her, carrying on its journey.
It was almost like her mind was made up for her as she stared at the building with tears in her eyes. She wished she had a friend here to hold her hand, and tell her everything would be fine, that she had made the right choice after all. But she had no one right now, and that killed her more than what she was about to do.
A sudden blast of courage pushed her forward and into the buildings reception. Its cold, white clinical looking walls, and eerie quiet seemed to make this whole experience worse than what she had imagined on her journey over.
She knew it wouldn't exactly be a bed of roses, but it didn't prepare her for what she was seeing.
"Can I help you?" An older, chubby looking woman called from her seat behind the wooden desk.
"Phoebe Buffay. I have an appointment for one o'clock." Her voice trembled in fear, little beads of sweat forming on her brow as she said her name. It was all too real for her liking.
"Ah, yes, take a seat please,"
Phoebe did as she was told, taking the nearest chair to her, she sat and clutched herself tightly, afraid to move or make a noise and break the silence. A woman, who she noted looked around the same age as herself sat reading a copy of last months vogue, looking very calm and composed as apposed to Phoebes uptight stance.
She must have noticed Phoebe staring as she lifted her eyes from the publication and flashed her a broad smile that Phoebe couldn't return. There was too much on her mind right now to be smiling. Only happy people smiled, and she couldn't be further from that if she tried.
The only thing she knew she was capable of at that moment was running to the toilet to throw up, not because of her pregnancy, but through the worst case of nerves she had ever felt. Her stomach churned, over and over like she was in the middle of a roller coaster ride, but this was no funfair ride. This was a living nightmare.
Suddenly the silence was broken with the noise of a pneumatic drill breaking concrete, its vibrations so powerful they could be felt all around the clinic.
"I do apologise for that," The receptionist called over at the top of her voice, trying to out scream the drill.
"We're having work done to the exterior of the building all this week and there's nothing we can do about it im afraid. Ill see if I can get the builders to keep the noise to a minimum for you." She let her head turn back to her computer before anyone in the waiting room could answer her or further complain. Not that Phoebe cared, or even really paid attention to what she had said in the first place. Her gaze and her mind were elsewhere right now. Her main thought being Mike, Poor Mike that was at work, and had no idea what was going on. But that was for the best, for just now at least. She would speak to him later, once she had this over and done with.
The sounding of a buzzer brought her back to earth for a minute.
"Could Miss Buffay make her way to room 12 please," The buzzer rung off and Phoebe stood.
"Go through the corridor at the main entrance that you came in and room 12 is on your left," The receptionist barely looked at Phoebe as she gave her instructions.
Phoebe felt her cheeks flush red as shame overcame her yet again. She let her head fall and her eyes drift to the shiny well polished floor and watched her feet carefully as she retraced her steps, unwilling to make any more eye contact with anyone.
"Oh im sorry," Phoebe heard the words just as she felt her body bang into another, the persons arms bundled her up and stopped her from plummeting to the ground.
"Phoebe?" Her head shot up in sudden terror as this stranger called her name, but this was definitely no stranger.
"What are you doing at an abortion clinic!?"
She froze on the spot. How could she ever explain this?
~~*~~
Battling for baby
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
A/N: Thank you so much guys for all the great words of encouragement. I was surprised to see anyone was interested in this story. But since there has been such a big response im going to carry on :o)
Thanks again!! Xxxx
~~*~~
Phoebe opened the bathroom door and looked sadly out into the empty living room, its silence was almost eerie.
Was this how her life would always be from now on, a lifetime of solitude and loneliness?
No, how could it be. She had Mike, and she loved him more than life itself. He would always be there for her no matter what happened. He accepted her for who she was, and it would never change. So why did she feel an empty hole deep within, that Mike just couldn't seem to fill?
She lifted the yellow pages from below her telephone table and began to flick through the pages until she came to the letter C.
"Clinics" She ran her finger down the page and stopped as she came to the exact place she was looking for.
She paused for a moment of thought before picking up the phone and dialling the number.
"Yes, hi. I'd like to make an emergency appointment please. Yes, today at 1pm would be fine. The name is Phoebe Buffay."
She replaced the receiver down, all the while wondering if she was making the right choice. Although it didn't really matter now that she had made the phone call she had for the last 40 minutes been dreading. Whatever decision she eventually went through with she would be losing someone precious from her life for good. She had chosen to keep the person that was most dear to her, and she just prayed everything would work out for the best.
~*~
"Joey, stop it!" Jade, Joey's latest girlfriend screamed flirtily as he chased her around his apartment, trying to kiss her before she left to go to work.
She screamed even louder as he caught her and pulled her into his arms for a passionate embrace.
"Ok, that's enough, or im going to be late." She gave him one last kiss and pulled away.
"I'll call you when I get home, and we can make plans. Goodbye sweetie." She closed the door behind her, leaving a smitten Joey alone in his kitchen.
"How's it going with Jade?" Rachel appeared from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head in a turban like fashion.
"It's amazingly actually. I sometimes can't believe it. Me, Joey Tribbiani, settling down." He and Rachel laughed at the apparent irony. He had actually found a woman he wanted to spend more than one night with.
"Wow, must be serious then. Well I must say im glad. There's only so long you can around sleeping with every good looking girl and woman in Manhattan." She stated knowingly, like she was his Mother.
"So, what's your plans for today?" Rachel was used to Joey sitting around the house all day now that he wasn't working on Days of our lives anymore, but she always asked him anyway, just in case he had something different planned.
"My Dad called last night and asked me if I'd go into the city and help him with some construction work. You know, just some general labouring work. One of his guys has gone off sick, hurt his back last week when they were putting up some scaffolding. So I said I would fill in for him until he's better. It would really leave my Dad in the lurch if I didn't."
"That's great Joe. The extra money will come in handy for you, now your dating again," She gave him a little playful nudge.
"Yeah, well I better get going. If im late my Dad will kill me." Joey lifted his tool belt and gave Rachel a passing wave as he left for his first day on the job. He looked down at the piece of paper he had written the address on, and set off for the city.
~*~
Phoebe played with the strap on her purse nervously, as she watched for her stop.
She looked down at her watch and noted the time as 12:52.less than 10 minutes until her life would change forever.
Her eyes drifted from her watch and over to the clear glass window, where she observed the world go by. She couldn't help but wonder if anyone walking along the street had been in the same position as she was in, stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to focus on the right and wrong of a situation.
Of course they have, she noted to herself. Everyone had problems at one time or another. But did anyone ever have her problem? She doubted it. This was one of a kind.
No one on the sidewalk seemed to be smiling, as they sauntered along, minding there own business, going to unknown destinations. Was everyone so unhappy deep down? It sure looked like it to her. Or did it just take being sad to notice sorrow in others?
She didn't get the chance to answer her own question as the bus came to a halt at the place she was dreading.
She lifted her purse and threw it over her shoulder, her hands shaking as she tried to pull herself up to a standing position. This was it, she told herself. She was here and there was very little chance to turn back now. She took the few steps down onto the pavement and remained still until she felt the bus move away from behind her, carrying on its journey.
It was almost like her mind was made up for her as she stared at the building with tears in her eyes. She wished she had a friend here to hold her hand, and tell her everything would be fine, that she had made the right choice after all. But she had no one right now, and that killed her more than what she was about to do.
A sudden blast of courage pushed her forward and into the buildings reception. Its cold, white clinical looking walls, and eerie quiet seemed to make this whole experience worse than what she had imagined on her journey over.
She knew it wouldn't exactly be a bed of roses, but it didn't prepare her for what she was seeing.
"Can I help you?" An older, chubby looking woman called from her seat behind the wooden desk.
"Phoebe Buffay. I have an appointment for one o'clock." Her voice trembled in fear, little beads of sweat forming on her brow as she said her name. It was all too real for her liking.
"Ah, yes, take a seat please,"
Phoebe did as she was told, taking the nearest chair to her, she sat and clutched herself tightly, afraid to move or make a noise and break the silence. A woman, who she noted looked around the same age as herself sat reading a copy of last months vogue, looking very calm and composed as apposed to Phoebes uptight stance.
She must have noticed Phoebe staring as she lifted her eyes from the publication and flashed her a broad smile that Phoebe couldn't return. There was too much on her mind right now to be smiling. Only happy people smiled, and she couldn't be further from that if she tried.
The only thing she knew she was capable of at that moment was running to the toilet to throw up, not because of her pregnancy, but through the worst case of nerves she had ever felt. Her stomach churned, over and over like she was in the middle of a roller coaster ride, but this was no funfair ride. This was a living nightmare.
Suddenly the silence was broken with the noise of a pneumatic drill breaking concrete, its vibrations so powerful they could be felt all around the clinic.
"I do apologise for that," The receptionist called over at the top of her voice, trying to out scream the drill.
"We're having work done to the exterior of the building all this week and there's nothing we can do about it im afraid. Ill see if I can get the builders to keep the noise to a minimum for you." She let her head turn back to her computer before anyone in the waiting room could answer her or further complain. Not that Phoebe cared, or even really paid attention to what she had said in the first place. Her gaze and her mind were elsewhere right now. Her main thought being Mike, Poor Mike that was at work, and had no idea what was going on. But that was for the best, for just now at least. She would speak to him later, once she had this over and done with.
The sounding of a buzzer brought her back to earth for a minute.
"Could Miss Buffay make her way to room 12 please," The buzzer rung off and Phoebe stood.
"Go through the corridor at the main entrance that you came in and room 12 is on your left," The receptionist barely looked at Phoebe as she gave her instructions.
Phoebe felt her cheeks flush red as shame overcame her yet again. She let her head fall and her eyes drift to the shiny well polished floor and watched her feet carefully as she retraced her steps, unwilling to make any more eye contact with anyone.
"Oh im sorry," Phoebe heard the words just as she felt her body bang into another, the persons arms bundled her up and stopped her from plummeting to the ground.
"Phoebe?" Her head shot up in sudden terror as this stranger called her name, but this was definitely no stranger.
"What are you doing at an abortion clinic!?"
She froze on the spot. How could she ever explain this?
~~*~~
