Chapter 5

No Longer Welcomed

"Morning, sunshine~" Pat greeted, as lively as a bouncing puppy.

I loved Pat so much. I truly did. But seeing him with his perfect hair, all dressed up nicely, and that annoyingly cheerful smile—right after I'd just spent the last half-hour emptying my stomach into the toilet— somehow pissed me off.

"I hate you," I grumbled as I plopped back onto my bed.

"Nah, you don't." He laughed and hopped next to me. "So, how's everything been going lately?"

I paused, thinking about all the different things that had happened since I last saw Leon a few days ago. He did call me soon after, informing me that he had managed to book an appointment with his doctor for tomorrow. He said he would be picking me up and driving us there. The call was short and to the point, but I wasn't expecting otherwise. So, things were okay on that front.

What had been on my mind was an entirely different matter. My hand naturally drifted to my belly. I gave it a gentle rub before asking tentatively, "Do you think I'm fat?"

Pat frowned. "Ehm, is this some kind of trick question?"

"No, really. Can you help me up?" I reached out my hands, and he readily helped me to my feet.

"Oh my God, when did you get so heavy?"

I glared at him. "Do you want me to start throwing books again?"

"Spare me, Meg pie." Pat threw his hands up, surrendering with a giggle. "And to answer your question… I do notice you have been gaining some weight. But isn't it normal and healthy for a pregnant woman?"

"I know that. But … am I supposed to be this big? I mean, look at this." I tugged up the hem of my baggy shirt to reveal my baby bump.

"Whoa, you've got a bump already?" Pat's eyes widened in a mix of surprise and excitement.

"A massive bump. And I'm still in my first trimester." I huffed. "You know what else? I'm always hungry. I eat like six times a day, and I'm not talking light snacks here. I mean full plates of fried rice, pasta, meatballs. Speaking of, let's go and see if the cafeteria is open. I'm starving."

Pat chuckled, clearly amused by how quickly I got distracted by food. "Now, now, Meg pie, don't be so hard on yourself. You're just keeping the little munchkin in there well-fed." He glanced at my stomach again. "Your baby bump is a bit bigger than what I see on the internet, but I'm sure everything's alright. Besides, it could mean something else."

"Like what?"

Pat shrugged. "Like maybe there could be multiple babies in there, you know. Could be twins, could be triplets. Oh, can you imagine how cute it would be if you ended up having triplets-"

I threw my thickest book at him.

Leon arrived in front of my dorm thirty minutes after our promised time. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance, but I tried my best to hide it. As I stepped into his car, he greeted me with a somewhat cold and distant look, which only added to my frustration.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound cheerful despite my irritation.

He only nodded, not even meeting my eyes.

I buckled my seatbelt, trying to find something to say to break the awkwardness. "Nice weather today, huh?"

"Yeah." He replied, still not looking at me.

The atmosphere in the car remained tense as he drove. I wanted to reach out and talk to him about our situation, but I didn't want to push him further away. Instead, I kept my focus on the passing scenery outside the window, trying to distract myself.

"Are we still not there yet?" I asked after almost forty minutes drive. "Where is this doctor exactly?"

"Sorry. Not too far now, I promised."

"Please hurry, I really need to use the bathroom."

Leon finally looked at me for the first time since I entered the car, his eyes widening. "Oh, yeah, sorry, Meg. I'll drive faster. But just for the record, if we get any speeding tickets, I'm putting the blame on you." His tone became playful, and for a few seconds, I caught a glimpse of the Leon I had met at the bar

I smiled, feeling the tension slightly eased away.

As Leon accelerated the car, I couldn't help but fidget in my seat. "Thanks for understanding."

"No worries." He responded, his gaze fixed on the road as he skilfully navigated through the traffic. "I'd rather avoid any accidents in my car. The seats are leather, you know."

"I heard leather is easier to clean."

He looked at me with a horrified expression. "Don't you dare, Megumi. Hang on."

I lurched forward as the car sped up even more. My heart raced, but I wasn't sure if it was because Leon was driving like we were in a Fast and Furious movie or because he had remembered my full first name.

Five minutes later the car pulled up in front of a towering glass building. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and practically sprinted out of his car, only to be stopped by security at the front door.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. We're gonna need to check your clearance level." The tall guard stated firmly.

"Oh, come on, seriously?" I spun around, finding Leon who gave me an apologetic smile. "Why does everyone keep asking me for security clearance? I mean, seriously, what is it that you do for a living?"

"Don't worry about that," Leon said, flashing his badge to the guard, who nodded in acknowledgment. He then pressed a few keys on the panel by the wall, and with a buzzing sound, the door opened.

Leon placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me inside. As we walked through the building, I found myself peering into a glass-walled room filled with fancy machines, buttons, and screens. Everything was so sleek, and hi-tech, like something you'd see in a sci-fi movie.

People in neat lab coats bustled around, performing tasks with small tools and microscopes. The rooms hummed with the sound of machines, and even from here, I could catch the faint smell of chemicals. I also noticed the security cameras discreetly mounted in strategic locations. I saw a few above the doorways and some in the corners of the ceilings. This place certainly didn't look like the usual lab I visited for my blood work.

After a brief walk, he stopped in front of the restroom, and I expressed my gratitude with a smile. Once inside, I took a moment to gather my thoughts, splashing cold water on my face.

"Feeling better?" Leon asked once I stepped out.

I nodded. "Yes, thank you."

He led me further along, and soon we reached an elevator that took us to the tenth floor. Once the elevator doors opened again, we stepped out into another stretch of corridor lined with doors, each bearing the name of different medical professionals.

We stopped in front of a door that read Dr. Cecilia Carter, Gynecologist/Clinical Geneticist

A surge of emotions washed over me as we approached, and I took a deep breath to steady myself. Leon knocked a few times, and the door swung open. A middle-aged woman with warm, friendly eyes and a kind smile greeted us.

"Ah, Leon Kennedy, never thought I'd live to see you step into my office." She said, her voice tinged with amusement.

"Well, you know how it goes, Dr. Carter. Life is full of surprises." Leon said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Dr. Carter stepped aside from the door, motioning for us to enter her office.

"Please, have a seat." She nodded toward the chairs in front of her desk.

"I'm Dr. Cecilia Carter. You must be Meg?" Dr. Carter said as we sat down. I nodded in response. "I understand that both you and Leon are here today for a paternity test. Before we proceed with that, would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"

"Yeah, sure."

Dr. Carter retrieved a notepad and a shiny, expensive-looking pen from her drawer. "Have you seen another gynecologist for your pregnancy?"

"Yes, I had my initial checkup when I first discovered I'm pregnant."

"Do you know how far along in the pregnancy are you?"

"Yes, ten weeks."

Dr. Carter nodded once more, swiftly jotting down the details as she continued with more inquiries about my pregnancy. She asked about the vitamins I took, my symptoms up to this point, any discomfort I experienced, and whether I had any questions for her.

"Sometimes I feel like my appetite is out of control, even for a pregnant woman." I shared, deciding to voice my concern.

"I understand. It's common to experience an increase in appetite during pregnancy. However, it's important to note that overeating can increase the risk of complications like excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes, and birth complications," she responded thoughtfully, clicking her pen. "How about this, I can perform an examination to assess your and your baby's health after we conduct the paternity test. Would you be comfortable with that?"

"That sounds great, actually," I replied. "Just a quick question – would this be covered by insurance?"

Leon placed his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about that, Meg."

"Yes, you don't have to worry about the cost. This is all covered as part of Mr. Kennedy's work benefits." Dr. Carter added.

"And what kind of work is that?" I inquired, hoping to finally get a straight answer this time. But Dr. Carter merely laughed.

"I'll let you handle this, Leon," she said with a knowing smile, then excused herself to prepare for the test.

I turned to Leon, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously, what do you do for a living?"

"Let's just say I work in a field that requires a certain level of confidentiality. " He smirked.

I sighed, knowing that was all I was going to get from him. Deciding to make myself comfortable while I waited, I reached into my purse for a bag of Doritos chips that I had stashed.

Leon's gaze turned to me after a particularly loud crunch echoed in the room. "Mind sharing some?"

I instinctively shuffled away from him, shielding the bag of chips as if it were my actual baby.

"Message received." He laughed.

Dr. Carter returned soon after I finished the bag. "Meg, we're ready for you. If you could come with me to the examination room next door," she turned to Leon. "You're welcome to join too if Meg is okay with it."

I nodded, actually feeling grateful to have him by my side. The thought of going through all these alone made me nervous.

"You can come if you want," I said to Leon.

He looked a little unsure, but in the end, nodded his head.

We followed Dr. Carter to the adjoining room, where she handed me a thin hospital gown to change into. With a mixture of anticipation and apprehension, I settled onto the examination bed, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

Dr. Carter's voice was gentle as she explained the procedure—a transcervical chorionic villus sampling. The purpose was to collect a small sample of tissue from the placenta for DNA testing. Her explanation sounded reasonable, but the technical details went over my head, so I simply nodded along.

"Now, I need you to lay down and spread your legs for me," Dr. Carter instructed, her tone professional. My eyes flickered to Leon, who was looking anywhere but at me.

"What? You're pregnant. I assume you've done a lot more than seeing each other naked." Dr. Carter teased.

My cheeks warmed. "You could wait outside for this part," I murmured to Leon. But his response surprised me.

"No, it's okay," he said. The fact that he looked as uncomfortable as I felt, yet chose to stay, really warmed my heart. I couldn't help but offer him an appreciative smile.

The next few minutes passed slowly as Dr. Carter worked methodically, probing my lower body. I tried to focus on the ceiling tiles, counting them in my head to distract myself.

"Alright, we're finished," I let out a sigh of relief as Dr. Carter withdrew. "We should have the result in a few days."

"Don't you need to take Leon's DNA too?" I asked.

"Don't worry, dear. We already have a sample of his DNA," Dr. Carter said with a sweet smile.

I looked back at Leon for explanation, but he said nothing.

"Now, I'm going to check on you and your baby, is that alright, Meg?" Dr. Carter asked, and I nodded in consent.

Dr. Carter began by measuring my weight. She then proceeded to listen to my heart and lungs before asking me to recline again on the bed. "May I?" She asked, tilting her head towards my belly. I nodded, granting her permission. She draped a sheet over my lower body to cover me before lifting the gown, stopping just above the slight curve of my stomach.

I could hear Leon take a sharp breath.

Dr. Carter gently placed her hand on my abdomen and applied pressure, carefully exploring the contours of the growing baby bump. I tried to remain calm, despite feeling the weight of Leon's gaze fixed on me.

"I do have to say your bump is a little bigger than normal," Dr. Carter commented.

My throat tightened. "Is that a cause for concern?"

"Not necessarily. It could be due to the possibility of you carrying more than one baby."

A heavy thud echoed as Leon collapsed into a nearby chair, his face drained of color, looking like he might faint. I could relate to him. Good thing I was already lying down.

"I-I hope not," I managed to say weakly.

"I'm going to perform an ultrasound to confirm," Dr. Carter reassured me with a smile.

"Yes, please do," Leon immediately added. "Actually, can we do it now?

Dr. Carter looked amused by his reaction but quickly shifted her focus to preparing the ultrasound equipment. Once everything was ready, she applied some gel to my stomach and then began maneuvering a device over the area. The screen situated nearby illuminated, displaying a grainy, monochrome image of my womb.

I held my breath, my anticipation growing as I watched the screen. Dr. Carter expertly maneuvered the device, and soon, there it was – a tiny little figure of my growing baby. I could see the distinct outline of the head, the curve of the spine, and even the hint of tiny limbs forming.

My heart swelled with an overwhelming rush of love and joy. As I glanced at Leon, I noticed his jaw slightly dropped as he absorbed the image of our baby. Though he maintained his composure, a faint twinkle in his eyes gave away his feelings. He was just as amazed as I was.

Leon's eyes shifted back to me, and in that fleeting moment, I saw the tenderness and contentment that had softened his expression. The thought that he might be warming up to the idea of this baby made me smile. He smiled back in return.

But the moment shattered when Dr. Carter's tense voice suddenly questioned, "Are you sure you're ten weeks pregnant?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure. It's around the time I had..." I swallowed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "The last time I had sex."

"What's the problem?" Leon asked, moving closer to me.

"Well, to put your earlier concern at rest, I can confirm there's only one baby in there," Dr. Carter said as she pointed toward the monitor, explaining the outline of the baby. "However, judging by the size and development of this baby, I would estimate that you're further along than the ten weeks. Possibly closer to fifteen weeks."

"But that's not possible," I exclaimed, my mind racing to process her words. "Is there a chance that the baby's is just on the larger side? I mean, some babies are naturally bigger, right?"

Dr. Carter's expression remained thoughtful as she considered my question. "While there can be some variation in fetal growth, the difference we're seeing is quite significant. At this stage, the development of the baby is generally consistent across pregnancies. But this baby... The limbs, the facial features—they all point to a level of development more in line with around 15 weeks pregnancy."

A heavy silence fell over the room. No one seemed to know quite what to say. Even Dr. Carter looked uncomfortable. Leon was the one to finally break the silence.

"Meg," The doubt in his eyes was like a sharp blade that sliced through me. "Are you sure this is my baby?"

The lump in my throat made it difficult to find my voice.

"Well, this kind of thing can happen," Dr. Carter chimed in when I said nothing, her tone gentle and understanding. "You could have miscalculated the date. It's a common mistake, especially when you have multiple sexual partners."

"It's not a mistake!" I lost it. "Leon and I had sex ten weeks ago. And I haven't been with anybody else for months before him!" I exclaimed, no longer caring that I just recounted my sexual history to Dr. Carter and Leon. My emotions were running high, and I could feel tears begin to well up and stream down my cheeks.

Dr. Carter didn't say anything back, only looked at me with worry and pity.

"Meg, I..." Leon started, his voice trailing off like he didn't know what to say.

Having enough meltdown for the day, I hopped off the bed and retreated behind the privacy curtain to change back into my clothes. When I was done, I stormed out of the room without casting a single glance back toward Leon or Dr. Carter.

I retraced my steps back toward the elevator and repeatedly punched the call button with unnecessary force. But someone grabbed my elbow just as I was about to step in. I turned to find Leon there.

"What?" I spat, trying to free my arm, but his grip was like a vice.

"Calm down, Meg," he said as if I was the one overreacting. And I might be, considering my hormones and all, but I'd be damned if I was just going to sit there and let him and Dr. Carter look at me like some airhead floozy who couldn't even remember which man fathered her child.

"Be honest with me," I finally gave up on freeing my hand and faced Leon. "Do you really think this is not your baby?"

A whirlwind of emotions swept across his face—guilt, regret, and disappointment. But he quickly masked it behind his stoic expression. "I want to believe you. But you heard what Dr. Carter said. That baby couldn't have been mine."

I felt like crying for the millionth time today. We didn't know each other very well, so his disbelief was understandable. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

I took a deep breath, mustering all the strength I had left to stay composed. "I don't know what's happening here, why the baby seems to be growing so fast. But I do know you are the father, Leon." He looked like he was about to speak, so I raised my hand to silence him, before continuing, "It's okay if you don't believe me or if you can't accept it. I wasn't expecting anything from you since the very beginning." And that was the truth. I had prepared myself to give him an out if he didn't want to be involved.

"It's not like I-"

"I'm not done talking, Leon." I cut him off again, my voice sharper this time. He bit his lip, restraining himself from speaking, and I continued, "But from here on out, you are not welcome in my life or in this baby's life. This will be the last time you'll see me, Leon Kennedy."