Chapter 39
"What...?" Ryan questioned
"I'm afraid that your baby may have Down syndrome. It is a congenital condition characterized by moderate to severe mental retardation, slanting eyes, a broad short skull, broad hands with short fingers, and trisomy of the human chromosome numbered 21."
"Oh my god..." Marissa said, gasping for air.
"But the good news is, it is possible that the trait will not show up. The chance of the disease effecting your baby is large, but some go through life with no signs of it. You have a choice to make. You can abort the baby and try again, or you can go through with the pregnancy and see what happens."
"Can we have a minute?" Ryan asked, stunned by the news.
"Sure, I'll be back in five" she said, and exited the room.
Marissa stared at the cold hard floor. How could this be? What was she going to do?
"Marissa, what do you want to do. It's your body, your decision. But a retarded baby is even harder to raise, and the chances of it being ok are slim." He informed her.
"I...I..." Marissa stopped. She did not know what to say. She broke down into tears, and collapsed into Ryan's arms.
"Honey, honey. It's ok. We can try again, with the next one. We can get married and try again."
"D-d-do you want me to have an abortion?"
"I think that would be best honey..."
"I can't! That's murder!"
"It's a choice"
"How can you say that?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Do what you want"
Dr. Milano came back into the room, and tried to console Marissa.
"Darling, it's not hopeless. You go, and you think about what you want to do. I'll be here." "Ok..." Marissa sniveled.
"Oh, and don't forget these." She said, handing Marissa the pictures from the ultrasound.
She shoved them in her purse and walked out the door, Ryan trailing behind her. They got in the car and drive home in silence.
******* ********* ********* ********** *********** ********
Once at home, Marissa went to the pool house and locker herself in the bathroom.
"What's going on?" Seth asked Ryan.
"Well, the baby might have problems and the doctor suggested an abortion."
"Oh, shit dude. What are you going to do?"
"I have no idea."
***** ******* ********* ********** ******** ******* *******
Back in the pool house, Marissa sat on the floor in the bathroom and stared at the door. "How could this have happened?" she thought. The door opened slowly, and Ryan appeared in front of her. He sat down on the floor next to her, and offered his hand. Marissa took it.
"Marissa, whatever your decision is, I'll stick by it." He told her. "And if the baby does come out with problems, we will still love it. And if you have an abortion, we can try again. No matter what, I'll be there for you"
Marissa had a lot of thinking to do. But she wanted to shut off her mind. She kissed Ryan hard on the lips. He kissed back, and removed Marissa's shirt. Things sped up from there, and before they knew it, they were naked on the cold hard bathroom floor.
Marissa lay on her back, and Ryan gently kissed every inch of her body. Underneath, Marissa wanted to yell out, but she again became lost in the moment. Ryan picked her up and carried her to the bed.
Marissa could feel the soft sheets rub against her skin, Ryan's body on top of hers, and a warm surge of energy like no other. Ryan panted and Marissa kissed his neck, tracing the muscles of his back with her fingers.
Ryan relaxed and lay to Marissa's side. She rubbed his palm and snuggled up beside him. They both lay awake for a long while, but eventually Ryan dozed off and Marissa remained restless. The baby was all she could think about, not knowing what to do.
She slowly pulled herself out of bed, and pulled on a large tee. She scanned the room for her purse, and seeing it near the double doors; she made her way towards it and slung it over her shoulder. She sat down on the edge of the bed, cautiously, so not to wake Ryan.
She rummaged through the bag until she had her hands on what she was looking for. She pulled out the pictures Doctor Milano had given her earlier that day of her baby. She carefully studied the small shape, making out the head, arm, legs, and a foot.
Ryan heard Marissa noisily searching through her bag, and sat up to see her sitting at his feet. She was looking at what appeared to be an ordinary strip of black paper. He moved in to get a closer look. He realized that it was a snapshot of his baby, so little and weak.
"Ryan... I can't do it. I can't kill this little thing. We have to take the chance."
Ryan nodded and stroked Marissa's back. "I'll call the doctor in the morning"
"Ok..." she replied. They sat in silence for a minute more, gazing at the tiny photograph, before they laid back down. Marissa set the picture on the night stand and again pressed herself up against Ryan, who wrapped his arms around her. Things would be ok, because even if the baby turned out to have Down syndrome, it would still have two parents who loved it very much.
DON'T WORRY MUCH MORE TO COME -telling Mrs. Cooper about the baby -planning and the birth -will the baby be ok? -can Ryan and Marissa make it? -will there be a wedding? -will Summer get pregnant again? -someone may show up who you DEFINITLY did not want to see!
"What...?" Ryan questioned
"I'm afraid that your baby may have Down syndrome. It is a congenital condition characterized by moderate to severe mental retardation, slanting eyes, a broad short skull, broad hands with short fingers, and trisomy of the human chromosome numbered 21."
"Oh my god..." Marissa said, gasping for air.
"But the good news is, it is possible that the trait will not show up. The chance of the disease effecting your baby is large, but some go through life with no signs of it. You have a choice to make. You can abort the baby and try again, or you can go through with the pregnancy and see what happens."
"Can we have a minute?" Ryan asked, stunned by the news.
"Sure, I'll be back in five" she said, and exited the room.
Marissa stared at the cold hard floor. How could this be? What was she going to do?
"Marissa, what do you want to do. It's your body, your decision. But a retarded baby is even harder to raise, and the chances of it being ok are slim." He informed her.
"I...I..." Marissa stopped. She did not know what to say. She broke down into tears, and collapsed into Ryan's arms.
"Honey, honey. It's ok. We can try again, with the next one. We can get married and try again."
"D-d-do you want me to have an abortion?"
"I think that would be best honey..."
"I can't! That's murder!"
"It's a choice"
"How can you say that?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Do what you want"
Dr. Milano came back into the room, and tried to console Marissa.
"Darling, it's not hopeless. You go, and you think about what you want to do. I'll be here." "Ok..." Marissa sniveled.
"Oh, and don't forget these." She said, handing Marissa the pictures from the ultrasound.
She shoved them in her purse and walked out the door, Ryan trailing behind her. They got in the car and drive home in silence.
******* ********* ********* ********** *********** ********
Once at home, Marissa went to the pool house and locker herself in the bathroom.
"What's going on?" Seth asked Ryan.
"Well, the baby might have problems and the doctor suggested an abortion."
"Oh, shit dude. What are you going to do?"
"I have no idea."
***** ******* ********* ********** ******** ******* *******
Back in the pool house, Marissa sat on the floor in the bathroom and stared at the door. "How could this have happened?" she thought. The door opened slowly, and Ryan appeared in front of her. He sat down on the floor next to her, and offered his hand. Marissa took it.
"Marissa, whatever your decision is, I'll stick by it." He told her. "And if the baby does come out with problems, we will still love it. And if you have an abortion, we can try again. No matter what, I'll be there for you"
Marissa had a lot of thinking to do. But she wanted to shut off her mind. She kissed Ryan hard on the lips. He kissed back, and removed Marissa's shirt. Things sped up from there, and before they knew it, they were naked on the cold hard bathroom floor.
Marissa lay on her back, and Ryan gently kissed every inch of her body. Underneath, Marissa wanted to yell out, but she again became lost in the moment. Ryan picked her up and carried her to the bed.
Marissa could feel the soft sheets rub against her skin, Ryan's body on top of hers, and a warm surge of energy like no other. Ryan panted and Marissa kissed his neck, tracing the muscles of his back with her fingers.
Ryan relaxed and lay to Marissa's side. She rubbed his palm and snuggled up beside him. They both lay awake for a long while, but eventually Ryan dozed off and Marissa remained restless. The baby was all she could think about, not knowing what to do.
She slowly pulled herself out of bed, and pulled on a large tee. She scanned the room for her purse, and seeing it near the double doors; she made her way towards it and slung it over her shoulder. She sat down on the edge of the bed, cautiously, so not to wake Ryan.
She rummaged through the bag until she had her hands on what she was looking for. She pulled out the pictures Doctor Milano had given her earlier that day of her baby. She carefully studied the small shape, making out the head, arm, legs, and a foot.
Ryan heard Marissa noisily searching through her bag, and sat up to see her sitting at his feet. She was looking at what appeared to be an ordinary strip of black paper. He moved in to get a closer look. He realized that it was a snapshot of his baby, so little and weak.
"Ryan... I can't do it. I can't kill this little thing. We have to take the chance."
Ryan nodded and stroked Marissa's back. "I'll call the doctor in the morning"
"Ok..." she replied. They sat in silence for a minute more, gazing at the tiny photograph, before they laid back down. Marissa set the picture on the night stand and again pressed herself up against Ryan, who wrapped his arms around her. Things would be ok, because even if the baby turned out to have Down syndrome, it would still have two parents who loved it very much.
DON'T WORRY MUCH MORE TO COME -telling Mrs. Cooper about the baby -planning and the birth -will the baby be ok? -can Ryan and Marissa make it? -will there be a wedding? -will Summer get pregnant again? -someone may show up who you DEFINITLY did not want to see!