Chapter 29 Shelby
*Note: a lot of people have been wondering about what happened to Shelby and Jess's mother, well, she didn't make it through the accident (next time I'll write it a little less confusingly). That's how Peter and Sophie got custody of Shelby & Jess. I didn't really go into detail, just picked up the story like days later or weeks later (I'll have to go back and read it meself). I do hope this little note clears anything up. That's how Shelby sorta "relapsed" back to her "old street/tough girl act". All the feelings that they are holding in will come out eventually. If not in this story, then in the spin off.
Cliffhanger Girl's Dorm Outside Porch
Shelby has taken a seat on the step of the dorm. She is doubled over in pain, clutching her left side. Scott has run over to see if she is okay.
"Go get Peter." Scott says to Auggie, who then takes off running towards the infirmary where Peter and Rodger have taken Taylor to be monitored. A few minutes later, a nurse, Peter and Sophie come running with Auggie to the Cliffhanger Girl's dorm.
"What's wrong?" Nurse asks alarmed looking at Shelby in anguishing pain. Shelby can't speak, but continues to hold her left side. She tries to exam Shelby put is unable to have her sit up straight.
"I don't know, she just went down after coming out of the dorm." Scott reports.
"Call 911 and get an ambulance here right away." The nurse looks at Peter. Peter takes off towards his office.
********* At the hospital
Shelby is once again lying in a hospital bed. She is staring out the same window as last time. Peter and Sophie have left to call and check on the other students. Doctor Amy enters Shelby's room.
"Feeling any better?" Amy asks picking up Shelby's chart and looking over it.
"A little." Shelby continues to stare out the window.
Amy walks over and takes a seat in front of Shelby. She hesitates with what is about to ask, but as a doctor, moves on.
"I have to ask you, Shelby. When was the last time you've had sex?" Shelby's uncomfortable movement answers Amy's dreadful question. "When you were raped?" Shelby shook her head yes. "You haven't had your period since then have you?"
"No." Shelby quietly replies.
"You have what is called an atopic pregnancy. Your fetus is stuck in your left fallopian tube. You need immediate surgery to remove it." Shelby just stares at her taking everything in. "Would you like me to tell Peter and Sophie for you?" Amy asks encouragingly.
"No, I don't want them to know anything." Shelby protests.
"I cannot give out any information without your approval. However, I really encourage you to share what is going on. They both care for you. I can see that. Plus you're going to need someone to keep an eye on you for a few days afterwards." Amy stops there not really wanting to say the rest of what she has too.
"What is it?" Shelby asks reading into Amy's sudden stop of information.
"Since your rape is documented, I am mandated to report the findings to Child Protective Services."
"Oh." Shelby diverts her eyes from Amy's and back to staring out the window.
"I will leave you with this little bit." Amy stands and gathers her belongings. "This is where friends might come in handy."
Amy leaves Shelby staring out of the window. She meets Peter and Sophie in the hall. Peter is standing talking on the nursing desk phone to Rodger. Sophie is standing beside him, a look of despair on her face.
"How is she?"
"Doing better with some medication."
"May we see her now?"
"Go right ahead." Sophie goes to run into Shelby's room; Amy puts her hand on Sophie's arm. "Give her time to tell you what's going on."
Sophie shakes her head in understanding and walks to the room. Peter is finishing up his conversation with Rodger.
"No no, leave Taylor in the infirmary and have Daisy and another counselor watch over her tonight." Peter listens to Rodger speak for a few seconds. "Thanks a lot man." Peter hangs up the phone and follows Sophie into Shelby's room.
They find Shelby sitting with her knees pulled to her chest. She has her head lying on top of her knees staring out the window. Sophie and Peter approach the bed cautiously.
"You really scared us kiddo." Sophie says smiling at Shelby.
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay." Shelby replies distantly.
"Amy is refusing to disclose what is going on. Is there something you want to tell us?" Sophie asks trying to get Shelby to talk. Shelby shakes her head no. Sophie looks at her unbelievingly. "Shelby. . ."
"Sophie, not right now." Shelby says interrupting her. "I just want to be by myself."
"Okay, we will respect your wishes." Peter chimes in before Sophie can say anything.
Peter escorts Sophie out of the room.
"Are you just going to let her fall back into herself?" Sophie boldly accuses Peter.
"Think Sophie, she's been through a lot. Think about what this might be."
Sophie stands back and looks at Peter, she starts to think things through. She then gets this skeptical look on her face.
"No, Peter she can't. She's told me that she's had her period."
"Wouldn't be the first time she lied." Peter says looking towards Shelby's hospital room.
"She must feel so confused."
A nurse goes into Shelby's room and comes out a few minutes later. She walks up to Peter and Sophie.
"Are you Sophie?" The nurse asks Sophie.
"Yes?"
"Shelby wishes to see you."
Sophie glances over at Peter. He gives her an encouraging hug. Sophie then goes to Shelby's room. Sophie enters and takes the seat next to Shelby's bed. Shelby continues to stare out the window, refusing to look at Sophie. She stares with a blank emotionless face.
"I have to have surgery." Shelby's tone is emotionless. "I have an atopic pregnancy."
"Oh Shelby." Sophie has tears forming in her eyes.
The two sit in silence, Sophie unsure of what to do. Shelby remains emotionally shut down. She just stares out the window.
*********
*Note: a lot of people have been wondering about what happened to Shelby and Jess's mother, well, she didn't make it through the accident (next time I'll write it a little less confusingly). That's how Peter and Sophie got custody of Shelby & Jess. I didn't really go into detail, just picked up the story like days later or weeks later (I'll have to go back and read it meself). I do hope this little note clears anything up. That's how Shelby sorta "relapsed" back to her "old street/tough girl act". All the feelings that they are holding in will come out eventually. If not in this story, then in the spin off.
Cliffhanger Girl's Dorm Outside Porch
Shelby has taken a seat on the step of the dorm. She is doubled over in pain, clutching her left side. Scott has run over to see if she is okay.
"Go get Peter." Scott says to Auggie, who then takes off running towards the infirmary where Peter and Rodger have taken Taylor to be monitored. A few minutes later, a nurse, Peter and Sophie come running with Auggie to the Cliffhanger Girl's dorm.
"What's wrong?" Nurse asks alarmed looking at Shelby in anguishing pain. Shelby can't speak, but continues to hold her left side. She tries to exam Shelby put is unable to have her sit up straight.
"I don't know, she just went down after coming out of the dorm." Scott reports.
"Call 911 and get an ambulance here right away." The nurse looks at Peter. Peter takes off towards his office.
********* At the hospital
Shelby is once again lying in a hospital bed. She is staring out the same window as last time. Peter and Sophie have left to call and check on the other students. Doctor Amy enters Shelby's room.
"Feeling any better?" Amy asks picking up Shelby's chart and looking over it.
"A little." Shelby continues to stare out the window.
Amy walks over and takes a seat in front of Shelby. She hesitates with what is about to ask, but as a doctor, moves on.
"I have to ask you, Shelby. When was the last time you've had sex?" Shelby's uncomfortable movement answers Amy's dreadful question. "When you were raped?" Shelby shook her head yes. "You haven't had your period since then have you?"
"No." Shelby quietly replies.
"You have what is called an atopic pregnancy. Your fetus is stuck in your left fallopian tube. You need immediate surgery to remove it." Shelby just stares at her taking everything in. "Would you like me to tell Peter and Sophie for you?" Amy asks encouragingly.
"No, I don't want them to know anything." Shelby protests.
"I cannot give out any information without your approval. However, I really encourage you to share what is going on. They both care for you. I can see that. Plus you're going to need someone to keep an eye on you for a few days afterwards." Amy stops there not really wanting to say the rest of what she has too.
"What is it?" Shelby asks reading into Amy's sudden stop of information.
"Since your rape is documented, I am mandated to report the findings to Child Protective Services."
"Oh." Shelby diverts her eyes from Amy's and back to staring out the window.
"I will leave you with this little bit." Amy stands and gathers her belongings. "This is where friends might come in handy."
Amy leaves Shelby staring out of the window. She meets Peter and Sophie in the hall. Peter is standing talking on the nursing desk phone to Rodger. Sophie is standing beside him, a look of despair on her face.
"How is she?"
"Doing better with some medication."
"May we see her now?"
"Go right ahead." Sophie goes to run into Shelby's room; Amy puts her hand on Sophie's arm. "Give her time to tell you what's going on."
Sophie shakes her head in understanding and walks to the room. Peter is finishing up his conversation with Rodger.
"No no, leave Taylor in the infirmary and have Daisy and another counselor watch over her tonight." Peter listens to Rodger speak for a few seconds. "Thanks a lot man." Peter hangs up the phone and follows Sophie into Shelby's room.
They find Shelby sitting with her knees pulled to her chest. She has her head lying on top of her knees staring out the window. Sophie and Peter approach the bed cautiously.
"You really scared us kiddo." Sophie says smiling at Shelby.
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay." Shelby replies distantly.
"Amy is refusing to disclose what is going on. Is there something you want to tell us?" Sophie asks trying to get Shelby to talk. Shelby shakes her head no. Sophie looks at her unbelievingly. "Shelby. . ."
"Sophie, not right now." Shelby says interrupting her. "I just want to be by myself."
"Okay, we will respect your wishes." Peter chimes in before Sophie can say anything.
Peter escorts Sophie out of the room.
"Are you just going to let her fall back into herself?" Sophie boldly accuses Peter.
"Think Sophie, she's been through a lot. Think about what this might be."
Sophie stands back and looks at Peter, she starts to think things through. She then gets this skeptical look on her face.
"No, Peter she can't. She's told me that she's had her period."
"Wouldn't be the first time she lied." Peter says looking towards Shelby's hospital room.
"She must feel so confused."
A nurse goes into Shelby's room and comes out a few minutes later. She walks up to Peter and Sophie.
"Are you Sophie?" The nurse asks Sophie.
"Yes?"
"Shelby wishes to see you."
Sophie glances over at Peter. He gives her an encouraging hug. Sophie then goes to Shelby's room. Sophie enters and takes the seat next to Shelby's bed. Shelby continues to stare out the window, refusing to look at Sophie. She stares with a blank emotionless face.
"I have to have surgery." Shelby's tone is emotionless. "I have an atopic pregnancy."
"Oh Shelby." Sophie has tears forming in her eyes.
The two sit in silence, Sophie unsure of what to do. Shelby remains emotionally shut down. She just stares out the window.
*********