Chapter 32- What a Loss

"Mr. Oster?" Riley raised her hand, waving it frantically to get his attention. "Can I please go to the nurse? I really don't feel well." Riley was gripping her stomach with her free hand. She had experienced cramps before, but never this bad. It felt like she had been kicked in belly with a steel-toed boot. "Please?" Mr. Oster looked at her from over the rim of his glasses and he could tell she was not faking it. He nodded and volunteered another student to go with Riley. But before she even reached the door, another student screamed. Confused, Riley looked around to see what was going on. There was a trail of blood from her desk to the front of the room. That was the last thing Riley remembered before she fainted.

When Riley woke up, she was in a hospital bed and she was wearing a gown. Her mother and father were standing next to her bedside, worried looks on their faces. Topanga breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Riley opened her eyes.

"Oh Thank God you're okay, Riley." Topanga exclaimed, rushing over and grabbing Riley's hand, careful not to upset the IV the doctors put in. Topanga kissed her daughter's forehead as Riley groggily looked up at her parents.

"Mama? Daddy? What happened?" Riley was scared and confused. Topanga sniffed back her tears and wiped her eyes.

"The school called us and told us to get to the ER because you were bleeding everywhere in class. I thought you had been stabbed or cut, or something." Topanga explained. Cory came forward and grabbed Riley's other hand, just as the doctor came in the room. Suddenly, Riley remembered what happened before she fainted and she started to cry. The doctor's grave look did not help to soothe Riley.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we lost one of the babies." The doctor looked at Cory and Topanga's confused faces. Cory shook his head.

"I'm sorry Doctor. You must have the wrong room. Our daughter is not pregnant. She was injured at school. Right, Riley?" Cory looked at Riley, waiting for confirmation to his statement. In response, Riley looked down at her fingers instead. Cory, suddenly a little woozy, found a chair and sat. Topanga looked at the doctor with wide eyes.

"Riley, is in fact, pregnant. And unfortunately, one of her babies did not make it. I'm truly sorry. But the good news is we were able to keep the other one in there, for now. I want to keep her here for a few days, just for observation. After that, if everything looks good, you can resume light activity. But no sports and no running." The doctor explained, looking from Riley to each of her parents. "I do have to let you know what you can expect when you go home. This is what is referred to as a late miscarriage, because it happened after 12 weeks, but before 24 weeks. You will experience the passing of the miscarried fetus when you use the bathroom. Usually in the form of clots or tissue and blood. This will usually subside in about two weeks. You may also experience slight cramping during all of this. If the cramps are severe, let me know or come back into the ER. You will most likely be put on bedrest later on in your pregnancy, but we will cross that bridge when we get there, right?" The doctor smiled and looked down at his chart. "Do you have any questions for me today, Riley?" Riley quickly shook her head and continued looking at her fingers. "Okay then, the nurse will be in to check your vitals fairly soon. Your parents can stay as long as you want them to. Get some rest, Riley." He smiled again and closed the door behind him. Topanga, speechless up until this moment, was the first to speak.

"Riley? What happened? I thought- I- I thought-" she stammered, unable to form a sentence. Cory spoke up.

"What your mother is trying to say is why, Riley? Did we not give you enough information about sexual safety? Who is the father? Who's dick do I need to cut off?" Topanga's eyes widened.

"Cory?! Language, please!" she exclaimed.

"This isn't a church, Topanga." Cory replied, annoyed. "Who is it, Riley?"

"Evan, I think." Riley answered quietly. Cory's eyebrows shot upward.

"You think? You mean, you're not sure?! Well, that's just perfect!" Cory's voice got increasingly louder. "What does that even mean, Riley?!" Topanga shushed Cory when his volume got to the point where it echoed in the room. Lowering his volume at her behest, he asked again.

"What does that mean, Riley? You 'think'?" Cory crossed his arms and waited for Riley's response. Riley told her parents the story, leaving out Lucas and Farkle and also leaving out the impaired state she was in during both encounters. Upon concluding her account of events, Cory sat in the chair and placed the palms of his hands over his eyes.

"I can't even believe this, can you Topanga?" he asked, incredulous. "How can you expect to take care of a baby, Riley? You're not even old enough to drive a car."

"Maya is doing it. So can I." Riley replied. Topanga's eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips.

"So, you did this to be like Maya?!" Topanga threw her hands into the air. "Unbelievable." She stopped and took a deep breath, centering herself. "Okay, Riley. What is important right now is that one of your apparent two babies is still alive." Topanga burst into tears and looked at Cory.

"She was going to have twins, Cory. Twins. Now one of them is gone." Cory rushed over to Topanga and embraced her, rubbing her back as she cried into his chest. Stifling a sob, she turned toward Riley. "Why aren't you more emotional about this?" Riley shrugged.

"I didn't even know there were two in there. But I am sad, though." Riley answered, and then, under her breath, "as if anyone cares." The nurse came in to do Riley's vitals and put in Riley's order for lunch. Topanga and Cory had to head back. Cory needed to relieve the babysitter and Topanga needed to close the diner. They promised to be back after dinner. Leaving Riley alone with her thoughts, her parents left. When the door finally closed, and she was sure they had finally gone, Riley turned to her side, curled up in a ball, and cried herself to sleep until dinner. She felt like she had nobody on her side at all.

When Riley woke up a few hours later, she glanced at the clock on the wall. 4:30pm. The nurse would be in soon with her dinner. She slowly sat up and gasped in shock when she saw Maya sitting across the room, napping in one of the chairs. Maya woke suddenly when Riley gasped. Seeing that Riley was awake, Maya smiled and stretched.

"Hey Sleepyhead." Maya wriggled out of the chair and waddled over to Riley. "How'd you sleep?" Still groggy, Riley shrugged.

"Okay, I guess." She replied. "Listen, Maya. I am sorry about keeping this from you for so long. I was angry and bitter, and feeling a little jealous, but I should have said something sooner. Maybe then, I would not have lost one of the babies.

"Shh. Don't worry about it, Riley. Pregnancy hormones are a bitch, I know all about that." She pointed to her burgeoning belly. " Sometimes, these things happen. It is nobody's fault. Least of all, yours." Riley looked up at Maya with tears welling up in her eyes. "I love you, Riley. You are my sister."

"I love you too, Peaches." Riley replied, smiling through her tears. "Oh, no. Who is going to get your schoolwork now? I am stuck in here." Maya smiled knowingly.

"I already took care of that. Evan is going to gather both of our classwork load and bring it to my house." Maya explained, adding sarcastically. "He's a real trooper."

"Maya." Riley playfully admonished. "He is not that bad, really." Maya shuddered.

"I don't know what it is about him. I just feel uneasy around him." She explained, shuddering again.

The nurse came in at that moment to take Riley's vitals and to check her pain level. As she finished Riley's blood pressure, she smiled.

"Your blood pressure is down from last check." The nurse verified on the chart. She turned toward Maya. "I think we should keep you in here. You seem to have a calming effect on Riley." she teased lightly. Maya raised her eyebrows and looked at Riley, who shrugged nonchalantly and smirked. There was a light knock on the door and, expecting the doctor, Riley invited him in. She was pleasantly surprised to see her parents walk in and gave them both a big smile.

"Riley!" Topanga exclaimed. "You are looking so much better. How are you feeling?" She kissed Riley's forehead gently squeezed her hand.

"I'm good, Mom. Better, yes." Riley replied. She looked at her father, who still seemed disappointed, but tried to cover it up with a smile. He stood on the opposite side of the bed and smoothed Riley's hair.

"We will talk about all of this later, but for now, we just want to make sure you are all right." Cory said, soothingly. "I just want to know one thing. Does Evan know that you are…you know?"

"Pregnant?" Riley finished his sentence. "No, Daddy. Not yet. Please let me do it." Cory nodded.

"Of course, Riley. I was not planning on telling him anyway. That is your call." Cory leaned down and kissed the top of Riley's head. "I love you Riley. You know that, right?" Riley nodded.

"Yes, Daddy. I know. I love you too."

"Good. And I just want you to know," he paused for a moment and took a breath and whispered, "that I'm still cutting off his dick. Just so you are aware." Shocked, Riley looked up at her father. She had no idea if he was serious or just being facetious.