"Kirsty Sutherland, step onto the stretcher. The doctor will see you now." Kirsty rolled onto the stretcher. She could hardly see in front of her because of her bump, which was getting considerably large. She felt an invisible force push her down the endless hospital corridor. She was getting faster, going past familiar faces, Seb, Nick, Fisher, Max, her father; she saw all of their dirty looks, jeering her as she travelled faster. She speeded past Kane, who didn't even glance at her. He was just a blur. He didn't love her. She wanted to cry, but nothing happened. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. She saw a wall before her. She was going to crash.
"Stop, please stop, "cried Kirsty. "I'm sorry!" All of a sudden, everything switched to slow motion; she was getting closer to the wall; she was going to die, along with her baby. She felt as if she were floating down the corridor, she would be peaceful; perhaps death would be better than her torment. Prepared for a crash, Kirsty was surprised to see Dani stop the hospital trolley. She looked angry.
"How could you Kirsty? How could you sleep with him? How could you be such a traitor? You're sick Kirsty, I hate you!" Dani looked manic, as she repeatedly punched Kirsty. Her hair was crazy and wild, her face covered in streaks of mascara.
"Stop it! You're gonna hurt my baby!"
"I can't let you have it Kirsty, I can't let you."
Kirsty felt every punch, and howled in pain. "Stop it Dani! Kane, where are you? Come back!" Kirsty kicked Dani off her stretcher, who collapsed onto the floor. Kirsty breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe. As if by magic, she was being pushed again, not in slow motion, but extremely quickly. The wall at the end of the corridor was disappearing. She really was going to die.
Kirsty woke up screaming.
"Kirsty, what's wrong?" asked Jade. "You were talking in your sleep."
Kirsty suppressed her tears. She was so glad to be alive. As absurd as the dream was, it seemed real. "What did you hear?" she asked.
"You were screaming, 'come back' and 'stop it'. What was happening?"
"Oh nothing, I was just being pushed around."
"That's not like you, " smiled Jade. "I've moved back in here if that's okay. I've got a killer headache after last night, I can't remember anything I did with Nick."
"Did you sleep with him?" asked Kirsty.
"No! As if I would, that is totally slutty!" Kirsty felt uneasy as Jade laughed at her sisters absurd comment. "I wouldn't do that, I mean I've just turned sixteen, there's no rush. Anyway, I'd better have a shower. I hope I can concentrate in class today." Jade left the room, leaving Kirsty feeling worse. Was she slutty? She'd slept with Kane as soon as she'd turned sixteen, and now she was pregnant. Her friends would hate her; she'd get a reputation as a slut around Summer Bay. She'd be compared to her angelic sister constantly. Perhaps the nightmare was just reflecting reality; Kane had shunned her and Dani would want her to have an abortion. Kirsty heard a knock at the door. Her mother looked coldly at her daughter.
"I made an appointment for 9:30, so make sure you're reading by quarter past." Shelley left, as quickly as she entered. She never would've thought that she'd have to cope with this situation. It was beyond belief. She didn't know what to do, she shouldn't force her daughter into abortion, but it may be the only option.
***
Kirsty stared at the waiting room tiles of the antenatal clinic. They were square, with hexagonal patterns that could make someone ill by persistent staring, probably put there deliberately to make young girls talk to their mothers while waiting. Kirsty hadn't spoken to her mother since breakfast; neither knew what to say to each other. She looked around the waiting room, full of expectant mothers at varying stages of their pregnancy, some with partners, some without. Most looked happy, if not slightly tired. None looked at Kirsty. She was just another teenage pregnancy statistic.
"Kirsty Sutherland?" A midwife came out of her room. "Can you come in please?" Kirsty followed her, along with her mother. She looked friendly enough.
"Good morning, I'm Dr Kay, and I'll be your midwife if you decide to continue with your pregnancy. Do you think you would like to continue with your pregnancy?"
"Yes, " said Kirsty at the same time her mother said a firm "No." They looked at each other in resentment.
"Kirsty isn't sure what she wants to do, but termination is an option she will think about, " said Shelley struggling to keep calm.
"It is not an option Mum, I'm keeping my baby, " said Kirsty. "It's my decision."
Dr Kay looked uneasy. "Well I'm sure you can discuss this amongst yourselves. I'll have to run a couple of tests, and ask a few questions, it's just routine really."
"Fine, " asserted Kirsty.
"I'll need a urine sample." Kirsty tried not to look taken aback. She needed to prove to her mother that she understood pregnancy. She went off to the toilet seemingly unfazed.
***
After a while, Dr Kay had finished running her tests on the sample, and asking Kirsty questions. She didn't know about Kane's side of the family, so couldn't comment on it.
"Well going on the information you have given me Kirsty, I can indicate that you are around six weeks pregnant, and your baby is due in early August, " she said. "We can make another appointment to see how you are getting on. I'm also going to refer you to another clinic, so you discuss all of your options. You are quite young, so I think it I important for you to think about whether you want to have this baby."
"I do, " said Kirsty. "More than anything." For the first time, she felt special. She had her baby inside her. That meant everything. No one was going to take it away.
"My daughter has not considered all of the implications yet, I think her hormones are affecting her thinking, " said Shelley.
"Well Kirsty, I hope the pamphlets can help you make a decision and I'd also like you to take some of the advice about medication and exercise. I'll make another appointment for three weeks to see what you've decided." Kirsty left the surgery, clutching the booklets. Shelley sighed.
"Kirsty, I want you to think seriously about a termination. Having a baby is going to be difficult, without a father and financial support. I will support you, but there are so many implications. Your education, space and such. I hope your thinking about this."
"I have and I'm going to have this baby, whatever it takes. I'll get a job, work extra shifts, I'll live in one of our caravans if there's not enough room."
"Well, to give you time to think, I think it'd be best if you went to the city for a couple of days to stay with the grandparents. There are more clinics, and everything can happen much quicker than in Summer Bay. I think it'd be best if you were hidden, before you make your decision."
"What?" exclaimed Kirsty. "I've already thought about it!"
"I don't think you have. If you decide not to go, I'm telling your father, and we all know how he'd react." Kirsty froze. Her father had just started saying whole phrases to her; she didn't want to ruin her relationship with him completely.
"When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow."