By the time Peter got back from the chase, he landed on M.J's balcony,
looking in at a dismal-looking Mary Jane. She had her knees huddled up to
her chest, embedded in her arms with her head bent down. She looked up
once she heard Peter speak, "You okay?"
M.J. nodded and put on a weak smile.
Peter was burning up in his sweater, so he discarded it over his head, tossing it on the bed, then spoke, "Do you still want that breakfast?"
Her smile widened, just merely and answered, "That would be great."
Peter turned with an "okay" and headed out the bedroom door and down the stairs starting the fire up on the stove again.
Once Peter got back, M.J. was sprawled out on her bed, on her back with her head hanging over the foot of the bed. She was clothed, but Peter hadn't registered it earlier, in flood jeans that were cut off and an off-white peasant top that was loosely long-sleeved and tight at the abdomen. Her arms hung above her head, playing with her fiery red hair.
Peter absorbed the pleasant sight before him, and then spoke up, "I hope you like your eggs over-easy."
"My favorite," Mary Jane spoke with a little more flavor to her voice than she had before.
Peter handed her the plate as she slid off the bed and out onto the balcony. As she sat down at the small table out there, she said to Peter, "Why do you think I would.you know.throw up, so soon after last night?"
Peter was leaning against the railing, across from and facing M.J. as he answered, "I really don't know M.J. Maybe it's my anatomy," he shrugged, then it seemed like he was talking to himself, "Well . . .no. Most spiders don't lay eggs for up to twenty days, but some African species lay the eggs right after mating . . .but I doubt the research facility used African spiders."
Mary leaned in while eating because Peter was talking in such a low mumble. She tried grabbing his attention, "Peter . . ." He still mumbled on about African spiders and their mating habits. Mary Jane tried a bit louder, "Peter . . ."
She stood when she wasn't getting a reply from the young man that seemed so wrapped up in his mind exploration for previous and stored information on spiders. Grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes, M.J. said sternly, "Pete." That got his attention, for now all his attention was held in his eyes. She continued, "Peter, I don't think anything would have happened this soon. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours yet."
"But why else would your body react that way?" He actually raised his voice an octave at her.
"Pete, are you yelling at me?" Her voice didn't waver from the stern.
"I-I," His mind was reeling too fast for his words, so he took a deep breath, "No. I wasn't yelling at you, Mary Jane. I'm just concerned for you, that's all."
"Then, if you're so concerned," looking at his eyes, she could tell he was truly concerned-full of care and asking for forgiveness, "I'll go to the hospital and see what's up. Okay?"
Nothing fell away from his eyes but something close to terrified filled them to the edges of the orbs. "But what if the doctor picks up the strand of spider DNA? What if there's a baby spider growing in you? Or even a sac of baby spiders? Oh God! What if you die like any other female spider after laying eggs?! What if you lay eggs instead of giving birth?!"
"Peter!" That stopped his two-second attack of unreasonable questions that M.J. questioned as to how somebody could get in so many questions so quickly. She calmed herself with a sigh, "Peter, what if . . .what if I'm NOT pregnant? I think I should go to find out or else I'll have to resolve matters otherwise because you're being too paranoid."
"I'm not paranoid," he said to Mary Jane retreating form.
"Sure," she said longingly and teasingly.
Peter glanced down at M.J's plate, "Hey, you barely ate."
"I'm sorry, I'm not very hungry," she said, gathering her feet under her in a cross-legged fashion and picking up the phone.
Peter immediately noticed her action. "What are you doing?" He asked at lightning speed as his eyes widened.
"Calling my doctor, seeing if I can make an appointment. Why?"
He took a deep breath and pursed his lips in frustration, then turned out towards the city, and mumbled to himself, "I'm not paranoid."
While waiting on hold, M.J. called towards Peter's form that leaned against the railing with his back to her, "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself." She couldn't help letting out a giggle at the end of her sentence but stopped immediately once the doctor picked up . . .
M.J. nodded and put on a weak smile.
Peter was burning up in his sweater, so he discarded it over his head, tossing it on the bed, then spoke, "Do you still want that breakfast?"
Her smile widened, just merely and answered, "That would be great."
Peter turned with an "okay" and headed out the bedroom door and down the stairs starting the fire up on the stove again.
Once Peter got back, M.J. was sprawled out on her bed, on her back with her head hanging over the foot of the bed. She was clothed, but Peter hadn't registered it earlier, in flood jeans that were cut off and an off-white peasant top that was loosely long-sleeved and tight at the abdomen. Her arms hung above her head, playing with her fiery red hair.
Peter absorbed the pleasant sight before him, and then spoke up, "I hope you like your eggs over-easy."
"My favorite," Mary Jane spoke with a little more flavor to her voice than she had before.
Peter handed her the plate as she slid off the bed and out onto the balcony. As she sat down at the small table out there, she said to Peter, "Why do you think I would.you know.throw up, so soon after last night?"
Peter was leaning against the railing, across from and facing M.J. as he answered, "I really don't know M.J. Maybe it's my anatomy," he shrugged, then it seemed like he was talking to himself, "Well . . .no. Most spiders don't lay eggs for up to twenty days, but some African species lay the eggs right after mating . . .but I doubt the research facility used African spiders."
Mary leaned in while eating because Peter was talking in such a low mumble. She tried grabbing his attention, "Peter . . ." He still mumbled on about African spiders and their mating habits. Mary Jane tried a bit louder, "Peter . . ."
She stood when she wasn't getting a reply from the young man that seemed so wrapped up in his mind exploration for previous and stored information on spiders. Grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes, M.J. said sternly, "Pete." That got his attention, for now all his attention was held in his eyes. She continued, "Peter, I don't think anything would have happened this soon. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours yet."
"But why else would your body react that way?" He actually raised his voice an octave at her.
"Pete, are you yelling at me?" Her voice didn't waver from the stern.
"I-I," His mind was reeling too fast for his words, so he took a deep breath, "No. I wasn't yelling at you, Mary Jane. I'm just concerned for you, that's all."
"Then, if you're so concerned," looking at his eyes, she could tell he was truly concerned-full of care and asking for forgiveness, "I'll go to the hospital and see what's up. Okay?"
Nothing fell away from his eyes but something close to terrified filled them to the edges of the orbs. "But what if the doctor picks up the strand of spider DNA? What if there's a baby spider growing in you? Or even a sac of baby spiders? Oh God! What if you die like any other female spider after laying eggs?! What if you lay eggs instead of giving birth?!"
"Peter!" That stopped his two-second attack of unreasonable questions that M.J. questioned as to how somebody could get in so many questions so quickly. She calmed herself with a sigh, "Peter, what if . . .what if I'm NOT pregnant? I think I should go to find out or else I'll have to resolve matters otherwise because you're being too paranoid."
"I'm not paranoid," he said to Mary Jane retreating form.
"Sure," she said longingly and teasingly.
Peter glanced down at M.J's plate, "Hey, you barely ate."
"I'm sorry, I'm not very hungry," she said, gathering her feet under her in a cross-legged fashion and picking up the phone.
Peter immediately noticed her action. "What are you doing?" He asked at lightning speed as his eyes widened.
"Calling my doctor, seeing if I can make an appointment. Why?"
He took a deep breath and pursed his lips in frustration, then turned out towards the city, and mumbled to himself, "I'm not paranoid."
While waiting on hold, M.J. called towards Peter's form that leaned against the railing with his back to her, "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself." She couldn't help letting out a giggle at the end of her sentence but stopped immediately once the doctor picked up . . .