Disclaimer: Don't own
A/N: Thanks to Carol and Katie for betaing. Sorry for the delay stupid
hurricane!
Chapter 6
Jackie stayed up all night cleaning and re-cleaning the house. She couldn't sleep. Eric came looking for her around one telling her to come to bed. She finally felt comfortable with him and they were working things out. Then she got a phone call Monday morning.
The doctor's office called. She resented how the doctor made fun of her for wanting a DNA test. Granted you can't tell how Harrison got Autism but she just wanted to feel like she was in control of the situation.
-----Flash Back-----
Jackie had just got Harrison down for his nap. She finally had peace to herself. She started to do some laundry in the basement when the phone rang. She was in the basement and wrote it off as Kitty. Then she remembered the phone could wake Harrison up so she ran up the stairs to get it. "Hello?" She answered. "Hello Mrs. Forman," The secretary said. Jackie cringed at her name. "This is Dr. Jocaby's office calling with your test results," "Oh, ok," Jackie, responded. " We normally don't call, we send the results in the mail but in this case we felt that this was inappropriate to be sent in the mail," the secretary explained.
Jackie froze, what else could be wrong? Everything was bad enough but there was still more news to come. "What is it?" Jackie pressed unable to take the silence from the other end. "After examining the DNA samples, we concluded that the father's DNA did not match up with your son's," The secretary remarked. "What?" Jackie exclaimed. "Your husband is not the baby's father," The secretary restated. "Yeah, I got that.. Oh my gosh," Jackie let out. It was sinking in. "Mrs. Forman do you know who the father is?" The secretary asked with interest. This infuriated Jackie. Her life was not a soap opera and the secretary already knew too much. "Thank you, good bye," She stammered into the receiver and hung up. "Oh my gosh, it's Steven's!" She said in realization. ----End of Flash Back----
Jackie didn't know what to do. She knew that if wasn't Eric's it was Steven's. That's the only other person she had given herself to in the time the baby was conceived. She also didn't know if she should tell Eric because then they got married and ruined their lives for nothing. He would be crushed, he did want a child and even though she knew he wished it were his and Donna's kid, he loved his son all the same.
Another thing, Steven would be heartbroken. He hadn't talked to her since she told him about her and Eric. She didn't know how he would take it. If she had just gotten a paternity test in the first place she wouldn't be in this mess. It was her fault that everyone's lives where so miserable. If she had gotten the paternity test Eric and Donna could have worked out their differences and they could be together now. And she could be with Steven.
She didn't know which was worse. Making Eric raise a child that wasn't his, he could get out of this if she told him. She had ruined his life, the child has autism and it's not his child. She knew if she had told him now he wouldn't end up with Donna anyway. Or she could tell him and he would want a divorce and she could tell Steven. Then they both would end up alone but Eric would have to start all over. He had time he was only twenty.
And on top of everything this poor child would have to go through life with a father that was not his or not a father at all. She wasn't sure she could even bare to tell him that Eric wasn't his father if she didn't tell Eric. How was she going to explain this huge mess she had gotten everyone into. And how she probably ruined the baby's life. How could she tell Harrison that he was a mistake? She knew she couldn't. She had messed up things big time this time. She knew what she did now would really affect her future. She was only nineteen and was going through more pain and heartache in a year then anyone would have to go through in a lifetime just because she screwed up once. She had heard when she was younger that one person's mistakes can affect everyone around them and she knew now that was true because she was that person.
She was surprised she was more concerned about other peoples lives and not her own.
She gave up on cleaning and walked into the baby's room. She looked down at a sleeping Harrison. She looked at him hard and saw features of Steven. She knew Eric would find out eventually. People would notice the child did not look like his father.
She felt even more depressed now. She could have prevented her miserable life. She could of not caused this much pain in four peoples lives. She could of prevented everything but she was young and stupid and she would have to live with her mistakes but so would four other people.
Things have gone from hard to worse. She didn't think this could happen. She wanted to run away and get away from it all, just like her mother. She didn't want to be like her mother. Her mother left her and she couldn't leave Eric to raise a child that wasn't his. She knew she had to tell both of them but she didn't know how, or when.
She began to cry like she had done a lot of the times before. She had cried so much and it wasn't for someone's death or a joyous event it was because she messed up.
Eric checked in on her before he went to work. He said he would take the day off and give her a break from Harrison but she didn't know where she would go. She also thought it was awful that he thought that only after nine months she needed a break from her own son. She also felt awful because she felt some resentment towards him. It wasn't his fault he was born or living it was hers. And she hated that she felt it was someone's fault for him to be brought into the world but she was still to young to be a mother.
She knew there wasn't going to be a happy ending to this. She needed to talk to someone. She couldn't keep this all bottled up inside but who could she talk to? Donna, no they haven't spoken in years. Not Steven or Eric, she didn't know what to say to them. Kitty? No, she was Eric's mother and she couldn't tell her before she told him.
She walked back to her bedroom and laid in her bed for a while. After trying to think this through for about an hour she picked up the phone that was on her nightstand. She dialed the number fast almost mad at herself for doing it. The phone rang twice when she realized that she was in Wisconsin and that California was a couple hours behind. He might not even be up yet.
"Hello?" The voice answered, he sounded half asleep. "Laurie?" she asked. "Jackie!" Laurie exclaimed.
Chapter 6
Jackie stayed up all night cleaning and re-cleaning the house. She couldn't sleep. Eric came looking for her around one telling her to come to bed. She finally felt comfortable with him and they were working things out. Then she got a phone call Monday morning.
The doctor's office called. She resented how the doctor made fun of her for wanting a DNA test. Granted you can't tell how Harrison got Autism but she just wanted to feel like she was in control of the situation.
-----Flash Back-----
Jackie had just got Harrison down for his nap. She finally had peace to herself. She started to do some laundry in the basement when the phone rang. She was in the basement and wrote it off as Kitty. Then she remembered the phone could wake Harrison up so she ran up the stairs to get it. "Hello?" She answered. "Hello Mrs. Forman," The secretary said. Jackie cringed at her name. "This is Dr. Jocaby's office calling with your test results," "Oh, ok," Jackie, responded. " We normally don't call, we send the results in the mail but in this case we felt that this was inappropriate to be sent in the mail," the secretary explained.
Jackie froze, what else could be wrong? Everything was bad enough but there was still more news to come. "What is it?" Jackie pressed unable to take the silence from the other end. "After examining the DNA samples, we concluded that the father's DNA did not match up with your son's," The secretary remarked. "What?" Jackie exclaimed. "Your husband is not the baby's father," The secretary restated. "Yeah, I got that.. Oh my gosh," Jackie let out. It was sinking in. "Mrs. Forman do you know who the father is?" The secretary asked with interest. This infuriated Jackie. Her life was not a soap opera and the secretary already knew too much. "Thank you, good bye," She stammered into the receiver and hung up. "Oh my gosh, it's Steven's!" She said in realization. ----End of Flash Back----
Jackie didn't know what to do. She knew that if wasn't Eric's it was Steven's. That's the only other person she had given herself to in the time the baby was conceived. She also didn't know if she should tell Eric because then they got married and ruined their lives for nothing. He would be crushed, he did want a child and even though she knew he wished it were his and Donna's kid, he loved his son all the same.
Another thing, Steven would be heartbroken. He hadn't talked to her since she told him about her and Eric. She didn't know how he would take it. If she had just gotten a paternity test in the first place she wouldn't be in this mess. It was her fault that everyone's lives where so miserable. If she had gotten the paternity test Eric and Donna could have worked out their differences and they could be together now. And she could be with Steven.
She didn't know which was worse. Making Eric raise a child that wasn't his, he could get out of this if she told him. She had ruined his life, the child has autism and it's not his child. She knew if she had told him now he wouldn't end up with Donna anyway. Or she could tell him and he would want a divorce and she could tell Steven. Then they both would end up alone but Eric would have to start all over. He had time he was only twenty.
And on top of everything this poor child would have to go through life with a father that was not his or not a father at all. She wasn't sure she could even bare to tell him that Eric wasn't his father if she didn't tell Eric. How was she going to explain this huge mess she had gotten everyone into. And how she probably ruined the baby's life. How could she tell Harrison that he was a mistake? She knew she couldn't. She had messed up things big time this time. She knew what she did now would really affect her future. She was only nineteen and was going through more pain and heartache in a year then anyone would have to go through in a lifetime just because she screwed up once. She had heard when she was younger that one person's mistakes can affect everyone around them and she knew now that was true because she was that person.
She was surprised she was more concerned about other peoples lives and not her own.
She gave up on cleaning and walked into the baby's room. She looked down at a sleeping Harrison. She looked at him hard and saw features of Steven. She knew Eric would find out eventually. People would notice the child did not look like his father.
She felt even more depressed now. She could have prevented her miserable life. She could of not caused this much pain in four peoples lives. She could of prevented everything but she was young and stupid and she would have to live with her mistakes but so would four other people.
Things have gone from hard to worse. She didn't think this could happen. She wanted to run away and get away from it all, just like her mother. She didn't want to be like her mother. Her mother left her and she couldn't leave Eric to raise a child that wasn't his. She knew she had to tell both of them but she didn't know how, or when.
She began to cry like she had done a lot of the times before. She had cried so much and it wasn't for someone's death or a joyous event it was because she messed up.
Eric checked in on her before he went to work. He said he would take the day off and give her a break from Harrison but she didn't know where she would go. She also thought it was awful that he thought that only after nine months she needed a break from her own son. She also felt awful because she felt some resentment towards him. It wasn't his fault he was born or living it was hers. And she hated that she felt it was someone's fault for him to be brought into the world but she was still to young to be a mother.
She knew there wasn't going to be a happy ending to this. She needed to talk to someone. She couldn't keep this all bottled up inside but who could she talk to? Donna, no they haven't spoken in years. Not Steven or Eric, she didn't know what to say to them. Kitty? No, she was Eric's mother and she couldn't tell her before she told him.
She walked back to her bedroom and laid in her bed for a while. After trying to think this through for about an hour she picked up the phone that was on her nightstand. She dialed the number fast almost mad at herself for doing it. The phone rang twice when she realized that she was in Wisconsin and that California was a couple hours behind. He might not even be up yet.
"Hello?" The voice answered, he sounded half asleep. "Laurie?" she asked. "Jackie!" Laurie exclaimed.