The Unexpected

About three weeks had passed since the painful incident when Todd had brought Marty the flowers. Since that day, a strange illness had begun to plague Marty. She wasn't sure what could be causing her discomfort. All she knew was that she was tired quite often, sleeping in when she should be getting up to help her parents with the chores. Often in the evening after school, she would fall into her bed, completely exhausted and uncaring of her school work. But what was most disturbing was the vomiting. Everyday she threw up, sometimes as many as five to six times a day. She assumed it was due to the rape. The disgusting memories seemed to come to her at the most inopportune times, causing her to feel nauseated - even when she was trying to help Dr. Larry care for his patients.

One such day, she had gone with Dr. Larry to check on Barbara who was still having difficulties in her pregnancy. When she saw Barbara reach for the chamber pot to retch, Marty started putting two and two together. Many of Barbara's symptoms were identical to Marty's - the fatigue... the vomiting...

*Ohhh my God,* Marty was thinking as the horror of it struck her. *I am PREGNANT!*

Marty was fearful and numb all at the same time. She was scared. No one could find out the truth now that she knew.

"They'll stop loving me," she mumbled quietly as she wrapped her arms around herself. There was no way that she wanted anyone at all finding out about the vile thing that had happened her. She knew that she must keep it a secret.

"Marty, what's wrong?" Dr. Larry asked with concern, seeing Marty standing there with an odd expression of horror upon her face.

"Nothing's wrong," Marty denied. "I just need some air."

She ran from the Manning's cabin, leaving Larry to care for Barbara on his own. He made a mint tea to settle Barbara's stomach. He had done everything he could for the frail, pregnant woman, including saying a silent prayer that Barbara and her child would survive her difficult pregnancy.

"Thank you for looking out for me, Dr. Larry," Barbara said gratefully. "Peter's away often... and Todd's at school. It gets lonely here... just lying in my bed... waiting for the little ones's arrival."

Dr. Larry gently patted Barbara's hand. "You're doing everything you can for yourself and your unborn child. I know it isn't easy... but you just have to keep following doctor's orders," Larry said gently.

"Doctor, this time... do you think that... my baby will live?" Barbara asked tearfully. After having lost several babies, Barbara was desperate to hold a living, breathing child.

"We have to hope for the best," Larry said as he knew there was no guarantees. At this point, the outcome was out of his hands.

"Thank you, Doctor," said Barbara as she closed her eyes to rest.

Moments later, Larry stepped outside, in search of Marty. He found her sitting on the rickety porch steps of the Manning's cabin. Silent tears were streaming from her eyes.

She barely looked up as he sat down next to her. "Marty ~ dear," he spoke gently. "What is it? What is wrong?"

"It's awful," she said. "Just awful."

"You can tell me anything," Larry said soothingly. "We love you, Marty; you are our daughter."

"I..." Marty said as tears started to spill down her cheeks. She started to sob uncontrollably.

Finally, she managed to get out the words. "A- A man forced himself on me. A man in the woods."

Larry let out a gasp. "You were raped?!"

She just started sobbing even harder as she covered her face with her hands. Larry felt his heart tearing in two. He got a sharp pain in his chest at the thought of someone hurting his sweet, innocent daughter. He didn't know what he was going to do. He pulled her into his embrace as she sobbed brokenly against his chest.

"What are we going to do?" she murmured. "I can't... I can't have a baby."

Larry went suddenly rigid, hearing Marty's words. "Marty, you're... you're with child?" he questioned.

All she could do was look at him, her face streaked with tears as she began to nod. She couldn't even say the words - those dreaded words. "I- I just want to die," she told him brokenly.

"Everything is going to be alright, Marty. I promise," he said as he took her hand. He stood up and reached for his doctor's bag. "Let's go home. We'll have to have a talk with your mother."

When they returned to the cottage, Marty scurried up the ladder to her loft bedroom. She disappeared before Larry could approach Meredith. "What's going on?" Merrie asked when Larry came inside. She could see by the grave expression on his face that something momentous had happened. Larry looked absolutely devastated.

"Our daughter is with child," Larry told his wife. "I am afraid that... our little girl was attacked."

"WHAT?" Meredith gasped as she placed a hand upon her heart. She was so upset she feared it was going to burst. "How could that have happened to Marty, our sweet, darling girl?"

"I don't know. I asked her, but she's not saying a lot."

"Our daughter was raped... and she's carrying a child," Meredith spoke as the gravity of it struck her. She started to cry. "What are we going to do, Larry? Our Marty is unwed... and she's about to have a child. People will talk. They are going to say awful things... about Marty. Our Marty. She's going to be shunned... even if wasn't her fault."

"I know... and that's unfair. We need to do something- help Marty in some way, but I don't know what to do; at least not now any way," said Larry as he let out a heavy sigh. He sat down at the table as he stared into the flames of the fireplace. They were in a terrible predicament and he had no idea how to remedy the situation. At that point in time, his greatest worry was for Marty. She had been through so much. How as he going to help her? He wanted his daughter back- the joyous, carefree girl she was before the unthinkable had happened. All he could do was hope and pray that his Marty would somehow return. Ohhh how he missed her... he needed her. With an aching heart, he hung his head to cry.