Erica felt someone lift her, and a moment later she realized that Yuri was carrying her to the clinic.
"My wife pass out," he explained to the nurse on duty.
"How do you feel now?" the nurse asked Erica.
"OK, I guess," Erica told her. "Maybe just a little weak. That's so weird. Nothing like that's ever happened to me before."
"Why don't you lie down and rest for a bit," the nurse suggested. "Then we'll see if you're well enough to go back to work today."
"You will be all right now, Erica?" Yuri looked worried as he gently swept the hair back from Erica's forehead.
"I'll be fine, Franz," she said, closing her eyes. "Go back to work."
Yuri kissed her forehead, then left. Erica rested for about thirty minutes, then returned to work. She was fine for the rest of the day.
The following morning, Erica felt queasy as soon as she got up. She ran to the bathroom and stood over the toilet, retching. Yuri followed, looking very concerned.
"Maybe you should stay home today, Erica," he said.
"I think I'll be all right," Erica told him. She went to him, and he held her and rubbed her back for a few minutes. Then they left for work together.
Lunchtime for Erica was a major challenge. She was hungry, but just the thought of any of the cafeteria's options, especially the ones containing meat, made her nauseous. Finally she settled on a vanilla milkshake and a baked potato.
"You're going to work all evening on that?" Yuri asked her.
"I just don't feel like eating anything else," she told him.
"Erica, I think you need to see doctor," said Yuri.
"I'm sure it's just a stomach virus," Erica told him. She wished her period would hurry up and start. She felt all bloated, and her breasts were very tender, but there was still no sign of it. It had never been this late before. She knew that Yuri was right, but she was afraid. Very afraid.
That night she couldn't sleep. If what she suspected was true turned out to in fact be true, she didn't know what she'd do. My God, how could I have been so stupid? she asked herself. In the back of her mind, she supposed she'd known all along that this might happen. Why, oh why, hadn't she taken precautions?
At last she arose and went into the bathroom, where she switched the light on and looked closely at herself in the mirror. Nothing looked amiss so far. She took her pajama top off. Her breasts did look quite swollen. Gently she squeezed one nipple, and a single drop of milky-looking fluid appeared. Icy fear shot down her spine. She knew she'd never get back to sleep now.
Erica was very sleepy all day the next day. On the way home from work, she stopped at the drug store and bought a home pregnancy test. She read on the package that first thing in the morning would be the best time to take it. She didn't know how she'd be able to wait until then.
"Erica, what is wrong?" Yuri asked her that evening. "I have never seen you this quiet before. I am very worried."
"Oh, Yuri, I'm so scared!" Suddenly she could hold the tears back no more. They flowed copiously as Yuri held her and patted her back.
At last her sobbing abated, and Yuri looked into her face and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Why are you scared?" he asked softly. Wordlessly, Erica showed him the home pregnancy test. "Oh," he said slowly, understanding suddenly dawning on him.
"It says the best time to take it is in the morning," Erica told him.
Yuri just stared at the package not saying anything for a long time. Then he quietly put it down and looked at Erica.
"It will be all right, Erica," he said. "Even if it is true, it will be all right. I will take care of it."
"What do you mean by 'take care of it'?" asked Erica.
"I will get you an abortion," Yuri told her.
Erica gasped. No! she wanted to scream, instinctively clutching her belly protectively.