Chapter Four- Everything Changes
**This chapter isn't too exciting, but it keeps the story going where I want it to go. Let me know if you have any suggestions... Stayed tuned for more!!!- serendipity
Natalie walked into Llanfair feeling as if a truck had run over her. The nausea that had come over her at the diner a week ago had continued to stick with her and she had barely managed the drive over. Surely this stomach virus would go away. Most of it she chalked up to the tense and agonizing feeling she felt every time she saw John lately. Normally she would have enjoyed seeing him around. But, lately every where he was, there was Kathyrn. He had tried to talk to her several times, but the blonde always had some excuse ready to claim his attention. It was as if beneath her cheerful demeanor she was deliberately trying to keep John and Natalie apart. Which was ridiculous... wasn't it?
"Mom? Mom, are you here?" She took a deep breath and walked to the kitchen.
"Oh, hey Sweetie. I was just fixing some tea and a sandwich, you hungry?"
"Sure... no... I don't know." Her insides felt all turned inside out and the mere mention of food, the only that sound good was years and years of quiet and sleep.
"What's wrong? You aren't looking so hot." Vicki picked up her tea and walked over to Natalie concerned by the distress she saw in her daughter's eyes.
Natalie was about to say she was fine when she caught a whiff of the tea and was unable to hold back the nausea this time. Running for the sink she barely made it when she proceeded to lose the entire contents of her stomach.
"Oh god! Ohhhhh!" Trying to take deep breaths and praying that the uncontrollable shaking of her body would stop.
"Honey! Oh my, are you ok?" Vicki grabbed a dish towel and poured some cold water on it and held it out to Natalie was slumping over the sink and trying desperately trying to control the dizziness that held her in it's grip.
"Yea... I just think that I have a stomach virus or something... the stress. I am alright now." Putting the towel on her face she stood up and washed the sink out," Mom, I sorry about this. It's pretty gross."
"Don't worry about that. Come on, sit down and I'll get you some water to sip. How long has this been going on?" Vicki went to get a glass and filled it with ice water. Her concern for her daughter was written clearly on her face. "I guess about a week or two. It's not big deal, I am fine."
"I really think you should go to the doctor Natalie. At least go and make sure it's just a virus and not something serious."
"Mom, I'll go if you go. And that is the only way." She knew then that after she and Jessica had been on Vicki's case for days about going to the doctor she finally had a way to get her there.
"Ok... fine. You win, I'll call right now and see if I can get us both in." Vicki stood up, forgetting about her sandwich and tea and went to the phone," Yeah, Hi! This is Victoria Davidson. Yes, I am fine. Thanks. I need to get two appointments for myself and my daughter as soon as possible. No sooner, can that be managed? Great, we will leave right now, I really appreciate this." Hanging up the phone she walked back over to Natalie, "OK, let's go we have a date at the hospital in twenty minutes."
1 ½ hour later- Llanview Hospital
Natalie sat in lobby waiting for the nurse to call her back, both she and Vicki had given blood, and had some other tests run. The doctor had also had her mom have some tests done on her heart and lungs, so the wait was quite a bit longer than she had anticipated.
Seeing Vicki walk down the hallway she got up and met her halfway.
"Mom? What did they say?" Even though she had her own medical problems to deal with at the moment she knew that whatever turned out to be wrong with her, that Vicki's problem would most likely be more serious.
"Be patient. The doctor said it would take awhile so I probably won't know anything for a few hours. Has she called you in yet?"
"I was waiting for you. I know this is really silly but, I was hoping you might go in with me." Natalie felt about five-years old, but at this moment she was glad that her mother was with her.
"Mrs. Vega? You can come on back now." Natalie and Vicki stood up and walked back to the exam room," Normally we would have you talk to a nurse first, but I think we can figure this out fairly easy."
"Dr. Alexander, is there something wrong with me? I figured it was just stress and that it would go away in time, right?" Natalie tried to be positive, but for some reason the look on the doctor's face and the tone she had taken didn't quite sound right to her.
Dr. Alexander looked from Natalie to Ms. Davidson sitting there, "Well, um, there is something "wrong" with you as a matter of fact. Are you sure you want your mother in here?"
"Doctor there is nothing... and I mean NOTHING more important to me than my daughter's health. If there is something wrong with her, I would like to know." Vicki felt her chest tighten and she tried to stay calm.
"It's ok. I asked my mom to be here. So go ahead... please tell me what's wrong with me?" Natalie felt her confidence start to waver. It was just stress... just some type of stomach virus right?"
"Well, Ms. Vega. I don't know how to say this. But, you are going to have a baby. Based on the date of your last menstraul period I would say your about nine to ten weeks along."
Both Vicki and Natalie sat there in silence, not knowing what to say or how to react. Finally as if the pressure had gotten to be too much they just looked at each other and laughed.
"You can't be serious. I mean, there's no way... I... no... I'm really pregnant?" Natalie felt as if her world had spun out of control. The one night that she was trying so hard to forget, the one night that had brought her back to life, had indeed changed everything.
Vicki didn't say a word. She was shocked and confused, but she knew now was not the time to say anything, but she felt Natalie would talk about it when she had absorbed everything she had just been told.
They sat in the car staring at the parking lot. Not saying anything, just sitting in the running car, listening to the radio play a song.
"Mom... It's John's baby. I am carrying John's baby." Tears silently fell down her face as she turned and faced Vicki in the passenger seat," You must be so disappointed in me." "Oh baby! No. I mean, this is surely not what I was expecting, but I am far from disappointed in you. A little shocked... surprised... I mean when... how... ok, stupid question. Where have I been? I didn't even realize you and John had gotten so serious." Vicki took Natalie's hand and held it. Her baby was going to be a mom.
"We aren't serious... I mean it happened one night... things just happened. What am I going to do?"
"Well, you have several options here. I am not sure how you feel about having this baby. But, no matter what you decide I am here for you and that is never going to change."
"Mom... I know this is crazy and maybe I am crazy, but when Dr. Alexander sat there and started talking to us about vitamins and taking care of myself... all the changes... well, something about it just felt right. I just feel that this baby is meant to be." Wiping the tears from her cheeks she tried to smile, but didn't quite succeed.
"So... these tears... are tears of joy?" Vicki was trying so hard to be patient, but she just knew there was something she was missing here. "No... I mean... yes... I am not quite ecstatic yet... I mean... how am I going to tell John? Oh Hi John! Things are great... by the way you are going to be a father... Congrats!" A fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes and laughter shook her body.
"I must be nuts, I mean here I am laughing, crying and I don't know what in the hell I am going to do."
"Give it time sweetheart. Just give yourself time to get used to this... ok... why don't you come back to the house with me. Well make some tea... ok... no tea... umm well eat some ice cream and veg out in front of the television or something..." Vicki gave Natalie a hopeful smile.
"That sounds great... but, I think I am going to take you home, and then I am going to go home, take a hot bath, and try and relax... I just need some time to think about all this... can I take a rain check?" Natalie started the car and headed back to Llanfair. Time... well, she had less than nine months to figure out just how she was going to tell the other people in her life that she was carrying John McBain's child.
**This chapter isn't too exciting, but it keeps the story going where I want it to go. Let me know if you have any suggestions... Stayed tuned for more!!!- serendipity
Natalie walked into Llanfair feeling as if a truck had run over her. The nausea that had come over her at the diner a week ago had continued to stick with her and she had barely managed the drive over. Surely this stomach virus would go away. Most of it she chalked up to the tense and agonizing feeling she felt every time she saw John lately. Normally she would have enjoyed seeing him around. But, lately every where he was, there was Kathyrn. He had tried to talk to her several times, but the blonde always had some excuse ready to claim his attention. It was as if beneath her cheerful demeanor she was deliberately trying to keep John and Natalie apart. Which was ridiculous... wasn't it?
"Mom? Mom, are you here?" She took a deep breath and walked to the kitchen.
"Oh, hey Sweetie. I was just fixing some tea and a sandwich, you hungry?"
"Sure... no... I don't know." Her insides felt all turned inside out and the mere mention of food, the only that sound good was years and years of quiet and sleep.
"What's wrong? You aren't looking so hot." Vicki picked up her tea and walked over to Natalie concerned by the distress she saw in her daughter's eyes.
Natalie was about to say she was fine when she caught a whiff of the tea and was unable to hold back the nausea this time. Running for the sink she barely made it when she proceeded to lose the entire contents of her stomach.
"Oh god! Ohhhhh!" Trying to take deep breaths and praying that the uncontrollable shaking of her body would stop.
"Honey! Oh my, are you ok?" Vicki grabbed a dish towel and poured some cold water on it and held it out to Natalie was slumping over the sink and trying desperately trying to control the dizziness that held her in it's grip.
"Yea... I just think that I have a stomach virus or something... the stress. I am alright now." Putting the towel on her face she stood up and washed the sink out," Mom, I sorry about this. It's pretty gross."
"Don't worry about that. Come on, sit down and I'll get you some water to sip. How long has this been going on?" Vicki went to get a glass and filled it with ice water. Her concern for her daughter was written clearly on her face. "I guess about a week or two. It's not big deal, I am fine."
"I really think you should go to the doctor Natalie. At least go and make sure it's just a virus and not something serious."
"Mom, I'll go if you go. And that is the only way." She knew then that after she and Jessica had been on Vicki's case for days about going to the doctor she finally had a way to get her there.
"Ok... fine. You win, I'll call right now and see if I can get us both in." Vicki stood up, forgetting about her sandwich and tea and went to the phone," Yeah, Hi! This is Victoria Davidson. Yes, I am fine. Thanks. I need to get two appointments for myself and my daughter as soon as possible. No sooner, can that be managed? Great, we will leave right now, I really appreciate this." Hanging up the phone she walked back over to Natalie, "OK, let's go we have a date at the hospital in twenty minutes."
1 ½ hour later- Llanview Hospital
Natalie sat in lobby waiting for the nurse to call her back, both she and Vicki had given blood, and had some other tests run. The doctor had also had her mom have some tests done on her heart and lungs, so the wait was quite a bit longer than she had anticipated.
Seeing Vicki walk down the hallway she got up and met her halfway.
"Mom? What did they say?" Even though she had her own medical problems to deal with at the moment she knew that whatever turned out to be wrong with her, that Vicki's problem would most likely be more serious.
"Be patient. The doctor said it would take awhile so I probably won't know anything for a few hours. Has she called you in yet?"
"I was waiting for you. I know this is really silly but, I was hoping you might go in with me." Natalie felt about five-years old, but at this moment she was glad that her mother was with her.
"Mrs. Vega? You can come on back now." Natalie and Vicki stood up and walked back to the exam room," Normally we would have you talk to a nurse first, but I think we can figure this out fairly easy."
"Dr. Alexander, is there something wrong with me? I figured it was just stress and that it would go away in time, right?" Natalie tried to be positive, but for some reason the look on the doctor's face and the tone she had taken didn't quite sound right to her.
Dr. Alexander looked from Natalie to Ms. Davidson sitting there, "Well, um, there is something "wrong" with you as a matter of fact. Are you sure you want your mother in here?"
"Doctor there is nothing... and I mean NOTHING more important to me than my daughter's health. If there is something wrong with her, I would like to know." Vicki felt her chest tighten and she tried to stay calm.
"It's ok. I asked my mom to be here. So go ahead... please tell me what's wrong with me?" Natalie felt her confidence start to waver. It was just stress... just some type of stomach virus right?"
"Well, Ms. Vega. I don't know how to say this. But, you are going to have a baby. Based on the date of your last menstraul period I would say your about nine to ten weeks along."
Both Vicki and Natalie sat there in silence, not knowing what to say or how to react. Finally as if the pressure had gotten to be too much they just looked at each other and laughed.
"You can't be serious. I mean, there's no way... I... no... I'm really pregnant?" Natalie felt as if her world had spun out of control. The one night that she was trying so hard to forget, the one night that had brought her back to life, had indeed changed everything.
Vicki didn't say a word. She was shocked and confused, but she knew now was not the time to say anything, but she felt Natalie would talk about it when she had absorbed everything she had just been told.
They sat in the car staring at the parking lot. Not saying anything, just sitting in the running car, listening to the radio play a song.
"Mom... It's John's baby. I am carrying John's baby." Tears silently fell down her face as she turned and faced Vicki in the passenger seat," You must be so disappointed in me." "Oh baby! No. I mean, this is surely not what I was expecting, but I am far from disappointed in you. A little shocked... surprised... I mean when... how... ok, stupid question. Where have I been? I didn't even realize you and John had gotten so serious." Vicki took Natalie's hand and held it. Her baby was going to be a mom.
"We aren't serious... I mean it happened one night... things just happened. What am I going to do?"
"Well, you have several options here. I am not sure how you feel about having this baby. But, no matter what you decide I am here for you and that is never going to change."
"Mom... I know this is crazy and maybe I am crazy, but when Dr. Alexander sat there and started talking to us about vitamins and taking care of myself... all the changes... well, something about it just felt right. I just feel that this baby is meant to be." Wiping the tears from her cheeks she tried to smile, but didn't quite succeed.
"So... these tears... are tears of joy?" Vicki was trying so hard to be patient, but she just knew there was something she was missing here. "No... I mean... yes... I am not quite ecstatic yet... I mean... how am I going to tell John? Oh Hi John! Things are great... by the way you are going to be a father... Congrats!" A fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes and laughter shook her body.
"I must be nuts, I mean here I am laughing, crying and I don't know what in the hell I am going to do."
"Give it time sweetheart. Just give yourself time to get used to this... ok... why don't you come back to the house with me. Well make some tea... ok... no tea... umm well eat some ice cream and veg out in front of the television or something..." Vicki gave Natalie a hopeful smile.
"That sounds great... but, I think I am going to take you home, and then I am going to go home, take a hot bath, and try and relax... I just need some time to think about all this... can I take a rain check?" Natalie started the car and headed back to Llanfair. Time... well, she had less than nine months to figure out just how she was going to tell the other people in her life that she was carrying John McBain's child.