Chapter 16: Oh shit.
"Honey, swallow this. It'll help you get rid of some pain," A nurse whispers, poking my lip delicately with a pill.
I open my eyes a little bit to find three nurses around the bed, tending to me.
"What… what happened? Where's Paul?" I ask, looking around the room.
The nurse gives me a smile.
"Your appendix burst, sweetie. You're alright now that you're in the hospital, but it could've been fatal. You're lucky that you were with someone when it happened," a plump nurse informs me, checking an I.V. in my arm.
"And Mr. McCartney is in the waiting room, along with Mr. Lennon, Mr. Starkey, and the Harrison clan," She gives a small laugh. "It's quite a sight seeing all of those boys in there. The girls are drooling outside the building."
I manage to fake a smile, even though it bothers me that the girls don't care about me. Only about the Beatles. But I've expected that.
The nurses make small talk with me while they poke me with needles and give me pills and medicine.
Then the plump nurse sits on the edge of the bed and gets quiet.
I look up at her strangely, and then at the other nurses, whose faces have grown solemn. I give a nervous laugh.
"What's going on?" I ask, suddenly worried.
The nurse reaches out and holds my hand.
"Everything alright?" I ask, trying not to come to conclusions.
"Honey, we took a few tests, you see, to make sure that everything was running correctly in your body, and that you had no diseases. And it is. It's working perfectly, the way it should. But," she grips my hand tighter.
"Are you ready?" I stare at her blankly.
"We did find something."
Long pause.
"You aren't married, are you?"
I shake my head. "No Ma'am."
She looks down at my hand. "I was afraid so. Listen honey, we found that you're pregnant."
I don't believe my ears. "I… can't be." I say, my voice only coming out in a whisper.
She bites her lip. "I wish I was lying. Do you have any idea who the father might be?"
I feel my face go white.
"Paul McCartney."
Her face goes as white as mine. "That can't be good for publicity," She whispers, apparently trying to make a joke. It's not funny to me at all.
"Does… he know?" I ask, meeting her eye. She shakes her head.
"I'll go get him. You two can talk it out."
She moves her hand away, but I grab her arm.
"Can you tell him?" I ask, a pleading sound in my voice.
"I would, but I think it's best if he hears it from someone he understands better."
She turns around but I stop her again.
"Can they all come in first?" I ask, praying she'll agree.
She smiles sympathetically. "I don't see what's wrong with that. I'll go get them all."
She walks out of the room, a bounce in her step. Fake enthusiasm. I'd rather her shuffle out sadly than fake it.
Next thing I know, the room is full of smiling faces.
Paul's holding my hand and beaming, and John, George and Ringo are poking at tubes connected to me.
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are on my other side, holding my hand.
"John, you better not break that. I don't want my blood to spray all over you."
He pulls his hands away. "As you wish."
George and Ringo flop down in stiff green chairs in the corner of the room.
John moves over to where Paul sits, cracking jokes that light up the room.
George and Ringo go on about recording 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and that it takes far too long. Paul doesn't say a word, he just laughs and smiles.
They stay for about half an hour, then they start to file out.
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison give me a kiss, Ringo and George kiss me on the cheek, and John, making sure Paul's watching, gives me a long kiss on the lips.
He releases and winks, then walks out of the room.
Paul gives me an even longer kiss, backs away, sets a bouquet of roses on the table, and starts to walk out, when I stop him.
"Hey Paul, I have to tell you something," I whisper. He turns around.
"Alright, what's up, Stella?" He sits on the edge of my bed innocently.
You would never guess that he was the father.
"I don't know how to say it," I take a deep breath. "Would you rather me just say it flat out, or make it all flowery first?"
"Is there a way to make it flowery?" Paul says, giving me a nervous laugh.
I don't say anything.
"Just come out and say it, I guess. Is it really that bad though? I mean, you don't have a disease… the nurse said! And,"
"I'm pregnant," I say quickly, wincing at the very words.
He freezes, his mouth still open.
I bite my lip, fighting back tears. Since when was I so sensitive?
Paul closes his lips together, and just stares at me blankly.
"W-what?" He asks quietly.
"Paul… what are we going to do?" I ask, my voice trembling.
"How do you know?" He asks.
"The nurse told me the doctor found my body reacting strangely, and they took an ultra-sound. But really Paul, what are we going to do?"
He stands up, his face pale.
"I… don't know. Listen Stella, I need some time to myself. I'll see you."
Then he walks out of the room without saying anything.
I burst into tears as soon as I can't hear his footsteps anymore. How could we have let this happen? But it'll all be okay. Paul just needs some time to come up with a plan. He'll be back for me in no time