CH4. 4 weeks later. In Andy's apartment.
"Shit!"
I whisper, as I look at the result in the bathroom. I missed my period this month, and was feeling a bit paranoid. I've had previous pregnancy scares, but, for some reason, this one feels scarier. Maybe because I know it's a real possibility that it's true. I bought this pregnancy test from my chemist; I could sense the cashier snickering at me. For anyone buying a pregnancy test, they probably feel the same.
2 lines. 2 lines means positive. I take a deep breath as I reflect on the gravitas of the situation. I'm pregnant. Oh my god! Why? I start to feel dizzy, so I sit down on the porcelain floor. Suddenly, I think about Andy. Oh my god! Andy! He's going to be a father. Will he stay? He doesn't deserve to be dragged into this messy situation! It's then that I burst into tears.
As I gulp for breath in the midst of my tears, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. It's Andy.
"Hey. Finished work. Be there in 5." The text message read.
Oh God, I thought. I have to tell him. It's going to break his heart. Can't I just send him a text? I ponder for a second. No, Haley, you're an adult. The thought scares me, as I've always considered an adult as a parent. I feel nauseous that I'm now responsible for someone else's life. I can barely hold my own life together.
I splash water on my face, and try to control my breathing. I grab some tissues and dab at my eyes. My parents are going to kill me. I think they've always expected me to stuff up in some way. Whether it was college, or with my jobs. I think Mom especially has always tried to stop me from getting pregnant when I'm young, like she was with me. Now, their worst fears have come true. Tears well up in my eyes, as I feel the weight of their and my disappointment on my shoulders. Just then, I hear the door open, and Andy walks in.
Andy's POV
I walk into my apartment.
"Hales?" I ask.
"I'm here," Haley says, looking more serious than I've ever seen her. She gestures towards the table. "You should sit down. I need to talk."
"Okay," I hesitate, looking into her eyes. I can see tears on the brink of streaming down, and I gently touch her hand. She takes a deep breath and stares down at her hands.
"I'm pregnant."
My heart skips a beat. My body feels numb all over, and I can feel heat coming off my forehead. I bite my lip, and try to decrease the lump in my throat, swallowing with all my might. I can feel how fast my heart is beating, and I focus on my breathing. If this is hard for me, I can't imagine what Haley is feeling. I can feel her hands shaking, and I can see that she's trying her hardest not to burst into tears. I clear my throat.
"…Um… are you sure?" I quietly ask, already confident of the answer. Haley lifts her face. I can see the tears streaming out of her blood-shot eyes down her swollen cheeks. The pain that she must be wrestling with.
"I think so. I took a test." More tears stream down her face, and she gets her hands and wipes them away. They continue to shake. We sit in silence for a minute, then Haley begins to sob.
"Come here." I rise up out of my chair and kneel in front of Haley. She collapses into my arms and sobs on my shoulder. I can feel her whole body vibrating, and my heart breaks. Before long, tears begin streaming down my face, and I hold onto the back of Haley's neck and nestle into her hair. Her breathing rapidly increases and I fear she may soon start hyperventilating.
"Hey, it's okay." I take Haley by the hand, and lead her to the couch. She lies straight down and stares at me. I stroke her tear-stained cheeks. "Here," I hand her a glass of water. She drinks some of it, before coughing it up. "Haley, whatever you want to do, I'm here for you," I move her hair away from her face.
"Really? It's going to be so complicated."
"I can handle it." I stare deep into her eyes. "Try and get some sleep, honey," I whisper, as I place a blanket on her.
I head to bed, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. I take shallow breaths. My eyes feel so heavy, and I eventually close them and fall asleep.
THE MORNING
I wake up, and for a few seconds, the events of last night seem like a dream. My memory kicks in, and the seriousness of last night become clear. I stare up at the ceiling, and my thoughts turn to Haley. I wonder if she even slept at all last night. What is she feeling? I get dressed and go out to the dining room.
Haley is still asleep as I start making breakfast. As I pour the milk in my cereal, she turns towards me in her sleep and I can see how puffy her eyes are. She must have cried herself to sleep. My heart shatters.
As I sit down on the adjacent couch, I hear her move.
"Hi," I beam at her.
"Hi," she weakly smiles back at me.
"Thought you might want this," I hand her a piece of toast. She sits up and takes the plate from me.
"Thanks." She says, exhausted. I slip my arm over her back and rub her shoulder. She takes a deep, long breath, and takes a bite of the toast. She takes no less than 3 bites before she speaks, looking a slight shade of green. "Andy, I…" Before she can finish her sentence, she places the toast down and runs to the bathroom, coughing along the way. She violently vomits in the toilet. I rush to the bathroom, and wet down a washer, placing it on the back of her neck. She continues vomiting and coughing, as I stroke her back. She stops for a minute and composes herself.
"I guess this means it's really happening, huh?" She asks, wiping her mouth, her eyes red from leaning down.
"Yeah, I guess." I reply, cooling down her face with the washer. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, now. Sorry you had to see me like that."
"It's alright. I've seen you look worse." I joke.
"Hey," Haley laughs, poking me in my side.
"Haley, in case there's any doubt in your mind, I'm not going anywhere." I say, knowing fully that I truly want to do this.
"Really, are you sure, because-"
"- Haley," I stare deep into her eyes. "I'm sure." I nod and take her hand.
She stops suddenly, and looks down at the floor. I prepare myself for her vomiting again. "Guess I better book a doctor's appointment." She takes a deep breath and briefly smiles.
"Yeah."
CH5. A week later. Haley & Andy are waiting in the reception area of the doctors office. Haley's POV
My hand shakes as I fill out the doctor's form. My mind turns blank and sweat drips from my fingers onto the page. I've always hated hospitals and the sterile environment of it. White walls, white coats, gloomy mood. Now that I actually have to come here throughout the year, it causes my anxiety levels to spike. I think Andy can sense my fear, as he turns to look at me, crossing his eyes. His goofy face makes me laugh and I lean on his shoulder. He must be so nervous too. He was very insistent in coming, even though I told him that he had a choice.
"Haley Dunphy," the doctor calls out. I look at Andy and stand up. She gestures towards a door, and Andy touches my back and follows me in.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Oliver." She places her hand forward.
"Haley," I shake her hand. I cringe as I think of the sweat that must have been exchanged on to her hands. That will probably be the least scary part of today, I tell myself.
"Andy."
"Great to meet you guys. Now, Haley, we're going to do a blood test to determine if you pregnant. The result should come through in a couple of hours, so you'll find out this afternoon."
"Okay," I say nervously. I'm pretty scared of needles, and this intense of a situation won't help matters.
"Can you please roll up your sleeve for me?" Despite my aversion to anything hospital-related, she reminds me of my Mom, and she gently smiles at me as she presses the needle into my arm. I close my eyes and turn away. "Alright, all done." She takes away my vile of blood. Andy rubs my neck, and grins. I smile back. "So, if you'll come back at 4, we should have the results for you. We'll further discuss options then."
"Thankyou," I say, almost in a haze. It feels like I'm dreaming, none of this feels real. We walk out and eat at a café.
"How you holding up?" Andy flashes his doe eyes at me as we devour our meals.
"Well I don't feel sick at the moment, so that's good. I also feel like the appointment wasn't as bad as I had pictured. What about you?" I lean in towards Andy.
"It was surreal and scary, and it wasn't even the scary part. This afternoon will be truly frightening." Andy sighs, still trying to smile and be positive for me. Butterflies fill my stomach and my heart rate spikes. "We'll be fine, regardless. Whatever happens, Hale." He grabs my hand and softly kisses it. I gaze at Andy and reflect on how truly blessed I am. A lot of men would have walked out.
I stare up at the pictures on Dr Oliver's wall. There's one of a gigantic tree, and it reminds me of one that I used to climb when I was little. Dad used to lift me up on his shoulders, and let me swing from the branches. How quickly my childhood went. Dr Oliver walks in.
"Hi, guys. The results are in. We've checked your hormone levels, and it's positive. You're pregnant, Haley." As soon as I hear those words, I can feel my heart spike. Though I feel so scared, a smile escapes from my lips. I look at Andy. He smiles right back at me, his eyes twinkling. "Congratulations."
"Wow." Joy sweeps through my body, as I imagine my child's tiny hand wrapping around my finger. It's overwhelming.
"You're 6 weeks along, so in 2 weeks, I'll want to check your blood pressure and see how you're progressing."
"Sure." We walk out and book an appointment. In the car, Andy speaks to me.
"Congratulations, Haley!" Andy's beaming.
"Congratulations, Andy! You're going to be a father!" I squeal. Andy laughs. We arrive back at Andy's apartment. I open the door and walk in.
"Can you believe it? It's amazing," I say. Andy stares right into my eyes, walks towards me and kisses me.
"I love you," he whispers.
"Love you more." We stare at each other for a while. "You realise we have to tell our family soon?" I'm really dreading it. "Your friendship with Dad might dissolve."
"Yeah, I figure. At least they can't get too mad at you, knowing how bad stress can be. I'm sure they won't hold back on me, though."
"Andy, it will be fine. My family adores you. I'm just scared of Mom and Dad's reaction. Not to mention, Alex and Luke. "
"Guess we'll have to find out." Andy kisses my cheek. We both go to bed, and I vomit in the middle of the night.