NYLON ~ CHAPTER TWELVE ~ DEFINITELY NOT PREGNANT
Hanna woke up with a sharp pain around her belly button and the sudden urge to vomit. She tiptoed into the kitchen, careful not to wake Aria, and poured herself a glass of water. Once she'd downed it the pain subsided and she crawled back into bed but not before her petite brunette friend was awakened.
"Hey," Aria groaned tossing the sheet aside.
"I didn't mean to wake you," Hanna told her.
"It's okay," Aria replied. "I wouldn't want to sleep through our London vacation.
"About that," Hanna told her, "I have to run into the office for a quick meeting to make sure my replacement has everything covered but as soon as it's over I'll show you the town. Deal?"
"Not a problem," Aria told her. "I can always try and find a used bookstore while you're gone. I know it's not really your thing."
"You're not mad?" Hanna asked.
"Not at all," Aria said. "I totally understand."
"Okay great," Hanna clapped her hands together. "I have to be there in an hour. Can you meet me at the office around ten? We can get a late breakfast."
"I'd love that," Aria smiled as another pang stung Hanna's navel.
"Oh," Hanna clutched a hand to her stomach.
"You okay?" Aria asked.
"It's nothing," Hanna replied. "Probably just something I ate."
Hanna headed toward the bathroom to get ready for work and showed up to her office just in time for the meeting. Hanna took her seat at the table and grabbed a hot tea in the hopes that it would calm her stomach. However, as the meeting progressed, Hanna felt her stomach getting more and more uncomfortable as the stinging sensation traveled to the right side of her abdomen. She was more than happy when the meeting was wrapped up. She rushed straight to the restroom and unleashed the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. She walked out of the stall and wiped her mouth before cleaning up. As soon as she stepped back into the hall she was cornered by Meaghan who informed her that Aria was waiting.
"Hey," Hanna forced a smile when she saw her friend sitting in her office
"Ready?" Aria smiled picking up her things. Hanna leaned over her desk and picked up her purse as well.
"Ow," Hanna gasped as her stomach strained once again.
"Hanna?" Aria asked. "Is there something wrong?"
"It's just my stomach," Hanna informed her. "It's been acting weird all morning."
"Is that everything?" Aria inquired.
"I feel sick," Hanna broke down.
"Maybe we should get you checked out," Aria replied. "Have you thought that you might be pregnant."
"I'm definitely not pregnant," Hanna told her.
"How do you know for sure?" Aria was confused.
"I already took a test," Hanna explained. "It was negative."
"It might be your appendix then," Aria continued. "Especially if the pain is on your right side."
"Is that bad?" Hanna freaked out.
"Ezra had it last year," Aria said. "It's totally treatable as long as you catch it early enough. Do you have a doctor here?"
"We can go to the Bristol Royal," Hanna said as she ran down the stairs with Aria on her tail. They hailed a cab and went straight to the hospital where they waited nearly an hour before someone saw Hanna.
"Okay," the nurse said taking a look at Hanna's chart. "What seems to be the problem."
"I feel nauseous," Hanna explained, "and my stomach has been hurting all day, mainly around my belly button and on the right side. I think it might be my appendix."
"You're probably right," the nurse replied, "but there are also some other possibilities so we're going to have to administer a few tests first."
"Okay," Hanna said slowly.
"Do you know what else it could be?" Aria asked the nurse.
"A number of things," came the reply. "It could be anything as mild as indigestion or as severe as a tumor."
"A tumor?" Hanna freaked.
"Don't worry," the nurse assured her. "We don't know anything for sure yet. It could also be a cyst, inflammation, or pregnancy."
"I'm definitely not pregnant," Hanna said quickly. "I already took a test."
"It's standard procedure for the hospital," the nurse smiled. "We have to test for everything. I'll be right back and in the meantime, could you change into a hospital gown?"
"Of course," Hanna replied as the nurse walked out. Hanna changed quickly and turned to Aria. "I'm sorry, she replied. I hope we haven't ruined your vacation."
"Right now your health is the only thing that's important," Aria assured her.
"Okay," the nurse said setting up an ultrasound machine. "We're just waiting on the results from your tests and in the meantime let's take a look around inside, shall we?"
"Uh yeah," Hanna replied.
"Can you sit back for me please?" the nurse asked. Hanna obliged and the nurse slowly lifted her gown to reveal her stomach. "It may be a little cold, but it's going to help us figure out what's happening."
"Okay," Hanna winced unsure of the outcome. She watched with uncertainty as the woman ran the device which looked like a joystick across her stomach. It didn't help that the woman kept hmming and huhing as if she was discovering a new world inside of Hanna.
"I'm going to go get your results," the nurse explained, "and I'll be back with the doctor for a proper diagnosis."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Hanna asked Aria once the nurse was out of the room. They waited in silence until the door opened once again. A female doctor with a kind face walked in holding Hanna's file.
"Well," she smiled, "I have your results and I'm happy to tell you, it's not appendicitis. It seems you're actually pregnant."
"I'm not…" Hanna breathed. "I can't be. My test was negative."
"Obviously," the doctor explained, "you're not very far along which means the pregnancy test may have been administered too early or given a false negative. Of course, the pregnancy would explain the nausea as well as your abdominal pain. Your stomach is stretching to make room for the baby. Would you like to know how far along you are?"
"Sorry," Hanna shook her head. She was actually pregnant and now she had to face the reality that she might not know the father's identity. She tried to clear her head and then turned toward the doctor. "I'm just going to need a moment to process this."
"I understand," the doctor smiled, "but we're going to have to do another ultrasound to make sure everything is progressing smoothly."
Hanna nodded. The doctor pulled out the stirrups and Hanna spread her legs allowing the doctor to insert a sensor. A minute later the image appeared on screen.
"That's your baby," the doctor pointed at the screen causing Hanna's heart to start beating faster. There was actually a child growing inside of her, "and it seems you're at about six weeks."
"Oh my…" Hanna breathed. She took a second to absorb this new information. Then she paused and looked at the doctor. "So, the date of conception would have been?"
"Sometime around May fifteenth," the doctor explained. Hanna tried to remember what she was doing that week and suddenly it hit her. She hadn't slept with Wren in almost three months so obviously the baby wasn't his but she and Caleb had hooked up after Spencer's cocktail party on the seventeenth. Hanna suddenly came to the harrowing realization that she was carrying Caleb's baby. The rest of the experience was a blur to Hanna. The nurse printed out a sonogram photo for Hanna and then she followed the doctor out of the room.
"I'm pregnant," Hanna said sitting up. She turned to Aria who gave her an elated smile.
"That's amazing," Aria told her. "Is it Caleb's?"
"No," Hanna lied. She wasn't ready to cope with this reality and she didn't want her friends to weigh in on her decision. Hanna got up from the examination bed and grabbed her purse before walking out of the room still staring at the sonogram in her hand. She was hardly paying attention when she walked straight into a white lab coat.
"Hanna?" she recognized Wren's voice. She looked up in shock and he stared down at the paper in her hand. The color fell from his face and he looked back at her. "Is it mine?"
Hanna's mouth went dry and she couldn't answer. She looked at Aria whose mouth had dropped open. She wasn't ready for any of this yet. She was still trying to process the fact that she was pregnant with Caleb's baby.
You guys are the best! I literally just got seven reviews in an hour so I'm happy to know people are interested in this story. This is the first part of today's reward and I will be posting the subsequent chapter momentarily. I know everyone is pro Haleb but what do y'all think about the pregnancy? Good? Bad? Interesting? More is coming soon, I promise!
