Kim spent the rest of that week barely talking to Kenny. He would call and
she would make some excuse as to why she couldn't see him. On that
Saturday night she gave in finally. Partially because Jill had become more
curious about her and Kenny's relationship and why the sudden down time and
partially because she really did want to see Kenny. Kim brushed Jill's
concerns off to Kenny working afternoons.
When Kim arrived at Kenny's that night, he had the table all set and dinner cooking.
"I thought I would cook tonight, if you don't mind?" He said answering the door.
"I don't mind, thank you." Kenny went to give her a kiss and she turned her head so it landed on her cheek. "This looks amazing Kenny." She said brushing the kiss off.
"Kim, I have a question to ask you." Kim nodded and he continued. "I was given tickets to that fundraiser that the Catholic Church is hosting. Would you like to come with me? Look I know I said that I wanted to keep this a secret for a while but screw it Kim. I want to be with you and I am proud I am."
"I'd love to Kenny. When is it?" Kim felt dazed and a feeling in the pit of her stomach was saying that something was wrong.
"On Wednesday, the 27th." Kenny answered.
Kim nodded. "Wait did you say the Wednesday is the 27th?"
"Yes, today is the 23rd so Wednesday is the 27th why?"
"Will you please excuse me?" Kim said grabbing her purse and heading for the bathroom before Kenny had a chance to reply. Once inside, she tossed the contents of her purse on the counter looking for her calendar. She quickly counted up the days. "Damn it, how can that be?" She said to herself in the mirror. She counted again and got the same result, 34 days. Kim sunk to the floor with the calendar still in her hand. She was late and really late for Kim. How had she not noticed, she wondered. Tears started down her soft cheeks.
"Kim, are you okay?" She heard a soft knock at the door and Kenny's voice on the other side. She quickly took a deep breath and wiped her face.
"Yes I will be out in a minute." She answered as she threw everything back into her purse. She would not tell Kenny until she was sure that there was something to tell. With one last glance in the mirror she turned and left the bathroom. Kenny was waiting at the table with dinner getting cold. Kim was desperate to find out the truth but she also didn't want to hurt Kenny anymore by walking out on his meal. It would have to wait another hour or two. Kim tried not to rush dinner but was finding it hard to concentrate on anything but a screaming baby. Kenny noticed her anguish throughout dinner and knew something was up.
"Kim, what is wrong?" He said finally breaking the silence that had consumed most of dinner.
"Nothing, I just don't feel well." She paused. "Actually Kenny I think that I should go home. I hate to do this to you. You put so much work into tonight. But I really think I should head out." Kim had no intention of going home until she had gone by her mother's clinic and tested herself to see if she was pregnant or not.
"Well maybe I should drive you. If you feel that bad you shouldn't be driving." Kenny said following Kim as she headed for the door.
"NO! ... I mean no thank you Kenny I will be just fine. I will call you later. Thank you again for the meal, sorry I ruined it."
"You didn't ruin anything. Be careful getting home." Kenny said as Kim walked down his porch and headed for the car. She gave him a quick wave and got in.
She drove directly to her mother's clinic. Luckily Jill had given Kim a key this summer just incase of an emergency since it was long closed for the day. She quickly gathered the testing equipment together. She had done hundreds of these during her medical training but never on herself. Drawing the blood was no big deal to her anymore but her hand still shook like crazy. This test held information that would change her life forever, not to mention Kenny's. She carefully performed the skills that she had learned so well and set the timer on the counter.
Her mother's clinic had gotten several updates in the last few years thanks to a few wealthy patients leaving her sizable donations in their wills. One of which was Judge Bone. He had passed away this past spring and with no family to inherit his estate he left it to the town. His court room was redone and named after him, the sheriff's office was given a facelift and Jill's was given some much needed equipment. The rest was donated to the schools and the church. He was a wonderful man and Kim wished that she had been able to get back for his funeral but she was right in the middle of her final exams and couldn't miss any. Kim went into the other exam room and retrieved the brand new ultrasound machine. Again she had never performed one on herself and was not entirely sure that it would even work but she had to try, if the test turned out positive that was. By the time she had returned with the machine the timer had gone off. The result was sitting clear as day on the counter. She moved closer but only to double check the results. Positive, positive, positive, she repeated over and over again. There was no denying it she was going to have a baby, Kenny's baby. As a wave of dizziness hit her she scrambled for the edge of the counter to steady herself. Sitting on the stool next to her she regained her balance. A million thoughts went through her head. 'Had she done the test wrong? Could there be some mistake? What is Kenny going to say? Or Mom and Dad? What am I going to do?" She scanned the room. A poster of a pregnant woman was hung in one corner. She knew the physical side of pregnancy, she had studied it but the emotional and responsibility side was a complete mystery.
Her mind instantly switched to panic. Was everything okay? She stood back up and moved to the table. The ultrasound machine had been warming up and was ready to go. Kim shed the necessary clothing and with a cold gel and probe she glided over the area. Nothing showed. 'Maybe the test hadn't been right.' Than in the far corner, in a very hard to see picture the beginnings of what was to be her child showed. She couldn't be sure but her stomach twitched and fluttered as she paused on that spot. She printed the picture, cleaned off and tidied the exam room. Using the conception wheel she quickly figured out that she was only was four or maybe five weeks along, which set her due date around the middle of March. She figured out that it must have happened in the first few times she had been with Kenny. After finding out all that she could at this point she packed up her stuff and made sure not to leave trace that she had been there. Her mother would eventually find out but she had to find a way to tell Kenny before her mother did. So much of what happened now depended on him. She swiped some pamphlets from the office and locked the door behind her.
The whole way home Kim ran over what she could say to Kenny. It hadn't even sunk into her yet. How was she going to tell him? When she got home Jill was waiting in the living room for her.
"Kim, Kenny phoned 40 minutes ago to make sure that you had gotten home. He said you weren't feeling well." Jill said as she rushed to Kim's side.
"Yeah sorry I had to stop by the store and pick up some medication. I will give him a call back. Thanks mom. I think I am going to just go to bed." Kim started up the stairs. Her mind was so confused she didn't see the concern on Jill's face.
"Are you sure that you are okay?" Jill shouted up the stairs.
"Yeah mom, good night."
Kim gave Kenny a call and told him the same thing that she had told Jill. He brought it but she could tell he was worried. Kim quickly climbed into her pajamas and went to climb into bed when the mirror in her room caught her eye. She paused for a minute and turned sideways. Pulling her nightshirt tight she tried to imagine what her body would look like in a few more months. Kim turned and grabbed one of the throw pillows off of her bed and stuffed it up her shirt.
"That's better." She said to herself. "Wow, can a body really do that." She placed her hands on the pillow stomach. "I can't do this. I am not ready to be a mother." She whispered. "No I can't do this. I am a student still. I have two years left of residency. I can't take care of a child and finish medical school. What have I done?" Kim collapsed on her bed, tears streaming down her face. Her emotions were on high drama and they were exhausting. Kim fell asleep wishing it would all go away.
When Kim arrived at Kenny's that night, he had the table all set and dinner cooking.
"I thought I would cook tonight, if you don't mind?" He said answering the door.
"I don't mind, thank you." Kenny went to give her a kiss and she turned her head so it landed on her cheek. "This looks amazing Kenny." She said brushing the kiss off.
"Kim, I have a question to ask you." Kim nodded and he continued. "I was given tickets to that fundraiser that the Catholic Church is hosting. Would you like to come with me? Look I know I said that I wanted to keep this a secret for a while but screw it Kim. I want to be with you and I am proud I am."
"I'd love to Kenny. When is it?" Kim felt dazed and a feeling in the pit of her stomach was saying that something was wrong.
"On Wednesday, the 27th." Kenny answered.
Kim nodded. "Wait did you say the Wednesday is the 27th?"
"Yes, today is the 23rd so Wednesday is the 27th why?"
"Will you please excuse me?" Kim said grabbing her purse and heading for the bathroom before Kenny had a chance to reply. Once inside, she tossed the contents of her purse on the counter looking for her calendar. She quickly counted up the days. "Damn it, how can that be?" She said to herself in the mirror. She counted again and got the same result, 34 days. Kim sunk to the floor with the calendar still in her hand. She was late and really late for Kim. How had she not noticed, she wondered. Tears started down her soft cheeks.
"Kim, are you okay?" She heard a soft knock at the door and Kenny's voice on the other side. She quickly took a deep breath and wiped her face.
"Yes I will be out in a minute." She answered as she threw everything back into her purse. She would not tell Kenny until she was sure that there was something to tell. With one last glance in the mirror she turned and left the bathroom. Kenny was waiting at the table with dinner getting cold. Kim was desperate to find out the truth but she also didn't want to hurt Kenny anymore by walking out on his meal. It would have to wait another hour or two. Kim tried not to rush dinner but was finding it hard to concentrate on anything but a screaming baby. Kenny noticed her anguish throughout dinner and knew something was up.
"Kim, what is wrong?" He said finally breaking the silence that had consumed most of dinner.
"Nothing, I just don't feel well." She paused. "Actually Kenny I think that I should go home. I hate to do this to you. You put so much work into tonight. But I really think I should head out." Kim had no intention of going home until she had gone by her mother's clinic and tested herself to see if she was pregnant or not.
"Well maybe I should drive you. If you feel that bad you shouldn't be driving." Kenny said following Kim as she headed for the door.
"NO! ... I mean no thank you Kenny I will be just fine. I will call you later. Thank you again for the meal, sorry I ruined it."
"You didn't ruin anything. Be careful getting home." Kenny said as Kim walked down his porch and headed for the car. She gave him a quick wave and got in.
She drove directly to her mother's clinic. Luckily Jill had given Kim a key this summer just incase of an emergency since it was long closed for the day. She quickly gathered the testing equipment together. She had done hundreds of these during her medical training but never on herself. Drawing the blood was no big deal to her anymore but her hand still shook like crazy. This test held information that would change her life forever, not to mention Kenny's. She carefully performed the skills that she had learned so well and set the timer on the counter.
Her mother's clinic had gotten several updates in the last few years thanks to a few wealthy patients leaving her sizable donations in their wills. One of which was Judge Bone. He had passed away this past spring and with no family to inherit his estate he left it to the town. His court room was redone and named after him, the sheriff's office was given a facelift and Jill's was given some much needed equipment. The rest was donated to the schools and the church. He was a wonderful man and Kim wished that she had been able to get back for his funeral but she was right in the middle of her final exams and couldn't miss any. Kim went into the other exam room and retrieved the brand new ultrasound machine. Again she had never performed one on herself and was not entirely sure that it would even work but she had to try, if the test turned out positive that was. By the time she had returned with the machine the timer had gone off. The result was sitting clear as day on the counter. She moved closer but only to double check the results. Positive, positive, positive, she repeated over and over again. There was no denying it she was going to have a baby, Kenny's baby. As a wave of dizziness hit her she scrambled for the edge of the counter to steady herself. Sitting on the stool next to her she regained her balance. A million thoughts went through her head. 'Had she done the test wrong? Could there be some mistake? What is Kenny going to say? Or Mom and Dad? What am I going to do?" She scanned the room. A poster of a pregnant woman was hung in one corner. She knew the physical side of pregnancy, she had studied it but the emotional and responsibility side was a complete mystery.
Her mind instantly switched to panic. Was everything okay? She stood back up and moved to the table. The ultrasound machine had been warming up and was ready to go. Kim shed the necessary clothing and with a cold gel and probe she glided over the area. Nothing showed. 'Maybe the test hadn't been right.' Than in the far corner, in a very hard to see picture the beginnings of what was to be her child showed. She couldn't be sure but her stomach twitched and fluttered as she paused on that spot. She printed the picture, cleaned off and tidied the exam room. Using the conception wheel she quickly figured out that she was only was four or maybe five weeks along, which set her due date around the middle of March. She figured out that it must have happened in the first few times she had been with Kenny. After finding out all that she could at this point she packed up her stuff and made sure not to leave trace that she had been there. Her mother would eventually find out but she had to find a way to tell Kenny before her mother did. So much of what happened now depended on him. She swiped some pamphlets from the office and locked the door behind her.
The whole way home Kim ran over what she could say to Kenny. It hadn't even sunk into her yet. How was she going to tell him? When she got home Jill was waiting in the living room for her.
"Kim, Kenny phoned 40 minutes ago to make sure that you had gotten home. He said you weren't feeling well." Jill said as she rushed to Kim's side.
"Yeah sorry I had to stop by the store and pick up some medication. I will give him a call back. Thanks mom. I think I am going to just go to bed." Kim started up the stairs. Her mind was so confused she didn't see the concern on Jill's face.
"Are you sure that you are okay?" Jill shouted up the stairs.
"Yeah mom, good night."
Kim gave Kenny a call and told him the same thing that she had told Jill. He brought it but she could tell he was worried. Kim quickly climbed into her pajamas and went to climb into bed when the mirror in her room caught her eye. She paused for a minute and turned sideways. Pulling her nightshirt tight she tried to imagine what her body would look like in a few more months. Kim turned and grabbed one of the throw pillows off of her bed and stuffed it up her shirt.
"That's better." She said to herself. "Wow, can a body really do that." She placed her hands on the pillow stomach. "I can't do this. I am not ready to be a mother." She whispered. "No I can't do this. I am a student still. I have two years left of residency. I can't take care of a child and finish medical school. What have I done?" Kim collapsed on her bed, tears streaming down her face. Her emotions were on high drama and they were exhausting. Kim fell asleep wishing it would all go away.
