(no subject)
A knock sounded on the door as it slowly opened enough to have Doctor Warner peek her head in. Off of Annika's hi, she entered the exam room.
"Hello, Annika. Mary tells me that you think you may have some sort of bug?"
"Yeah. I thought I could shake it but it's stayed on for the past couple of weeks. I was in California when it started - just nauseous and tired. But the last two days I've been throwing up and feeling lightheaded. Things at work have been extra hectic which could explain the tiredness but even with trying to catch up from sleep from California, I shouldn't be this tired."
"Tiredness, nauseous, vomiting, and lightheaded." Dr. Warner read from her notes. "When was your last period?" was her first unexpected question.
"Today's the five week mark." Annika replied.
"Your vacation to California have anything to do with a boyfriend?" was Dr. Warner's next unexpected question.
"...I actually surprised him by going there." Dr. Warner jotted down a few more notes.
"Any chance you could be pregnant?"
"I'm on the Pill," a surprised Annika said, "Isn’t that suppose to make sure that doesn't happen?"
"The Pill's ninety nine percent effective. There's a one percent chance that it's not going to work. Plus I'm betting that there were days in California when you didn't take it at the right time or just plain forgot to take it." At Annika's small nod, Doctor Warner continued, "your symptoms are pointing towards pregnancy but they could also be signs of you being anemic or you could honestly have a bug in your system. Therefore I'm ordering a few blood tests and I'll let you know the results of by the end of today." On that, Dr. Warner left and a few minutes later, a technician came in to draw blood samples.
After the technician finished, Annika walked out of the building, dazed. She needed to think, she didn't know what to think, but she needed to think. She didn't remember the taxi ride back to work but she was out of it enough that Carl, the doorman, said something. She managed to give him some platitude about her being fine and made her way into building. Halfway to the elevators, she found herself digging through her purse to find her cell phone.
"Vortex Games."
"Phoebe, it's Annika. Could I speak to Tony?"
"Sure thing, Annie girl." With that Annika found herself being transferred to Tony's phone.
"Tony speaking," a gruff voice said.
"Tony, it's Annika. I know that this is an odd request but I need the rest of the day off."
"You're not dying are you?"
"No, but you sound like you are."
"I feel like it. I was going to go home so go ahead and take a personal day." Tony started hacking and Annika waited patiently while he finished.
"You're sure you're not dying?" Tony double checked.
"I'm sure, it's quite the opposite of that but the doctor gave me some...news and I just need time to sort through it."
"All right, have a good weekend."
"See you Monday, Tony." Annika punched the end button and slid the cell back into her purse.
Looking at the elevators across the crowded lobby of people coming back from their lunch break, Annika debated going up to Alex's office. Deciding that the smart thing to do was just wait until Dr. Warner's office called her back with the test results and that the best thing to do was just tell him on Monday, she turned around and walked out of the building and down the sidewalk.
Several hours later found Annika sitting on a bench in Central Park, eating an ice cream cone. During this time, she had come up with a few decisions. She definitely was keeping the baby if the test was positive; she wasn't sure if it was some latent part of her Catholicism showing up that made her dismiss terminating it or the fact that she wanted a baby. Annika laid a hand over her stomach and looked down at it. The fact that she was potentially having a bay seemed to hit her at this moment.
"Wow," she whispered. Her other decision was that she wanted Alex to have a part in this and be part of their lives. An ironic laugh escaped her when she thought of how close she had come to losing him and now how she would have a daily reminder of him.
A beep from her cell phone interrupted her thought process. Picking it out of her purse, Annika saw it was a text message from Rachel.
"This conference is sucking the life out of me slowly and painfully. Didn't I go into journalism for the dirt? No dirt here. Entertain me with dirt!"
Laughing, Annika sent a reply back as she flagged down a taxi to bring her back to her apartment.
Forty five minutes and numerous text messages later, slouched down on her couch Annika realized that she had a date with Alex in an hour.
"Shit!" she swore loudly as she jumped up and raced to the bedroom.
Thirty minutes later, she was blow-drying her hair and almost didn't hear the phone ring. As it was, the answering machine picked up and Annika heard "...the lab is-" here Annika picked up the phone.
"Hello?" she asked breathlessly.
"Annika? You sound rather out of breath." Dr. Warner asked, concern peeking into her voice.
"I just ran to catch the phone and I didn't get all of your message."
"What I was calling about was that the lab's backed up quite a bit and since it's the weekend won't be able to get your blood test done until Monday. I apologize about this and they know that first thing Monday morning they'll be running your blood."
"Okay." Annika said defeated.
"I apologize again and I'll personally call you with the results."
"Thank you for letting me know, Dr. Warner."
"You're welcome. Have a nice weekend." With that Dr. Warner hung up. Annika stared at the phone. Have a nice weekend? How the hell was she suppose to have a nice weekend when she had to wait three days for news that had the possibility to change her life? A knock on the door made her jump. Oh god, Alex. What the hell was she suppose to do now?
Answer the door and pretend like nothing was wrong, her inner voice told her. Peeking to make sure it was Alex, she undid the locks and chain.
Saturday morning saw Annika staring at a stick with two little pink lines.
Monday afternoon saw Annika staring at a ransacked apartment and a long knife being held by someone she thought she could trust.
Wednesday night saw Annika staring down the state line between Pennsylvania and Ohio.