Was she pregnant?
Winifred Dawson felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She was momentarily at a loss, standing up and then squatting back down, her eyes finally landing on the pregnancy test on the floor. She stared at the two lines on it, almost willing them to disappear.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Protich’s voice came from outside.
“Miss Dawson, are you still in there?”
“Yes,” Winifred Dawson replied, trying to calm her erratic breathing. She picked up the pregnancy test and stood up.
Hearing the response, Mrs. Protich continued, “I made some red date sago soup for you.”
“I’ll be out soon,” Winifred Dawson said, clutching the pregnancy test tightly. For some reason, she didn’t want anyone to know she was pregnant.
Winifred Dawson struggled to steady her breathing. She couldn’t understand how she had gotten pregnant. It had only happened once without protection, but it seemed Leland Burns was incredibly accurate.
Moreover, her condition hadn’t been good at that time; she had just undergone egg retrieval and was in poor health. The odds were one in a million, yet she still got pregnant. Leland Burns’ genes must have been extraordinarily strong.
Winifred Dawson looked at her abdomen, took a deep breath, and walked out of the room. Apart from looking a bit pale, she appeared normal. She acted as if nothing had happened and slipped the pregnancy test into her shirt pocket.
Mrs. Protich’s red date sago soup was mixed with fruit and brown sugar, making it refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day. Red dates were also good for replenishing blood and energy, so Winifred Dawson finished the entire bowl.
Mrs. Protich asked her, “Miss Dawson, did you make an appointment at the hospital?”
“Yes, it’s scheduled for eight in the morning.”
“Good, I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
Winifred Dawson initially wanted to refuse but paused when she saw Mrs. Protich’s concerned expression. She couldn’t bring herself to say no.
After finishing the soup, Mrs. Protich advised her to rest early and avoid eating after ten o’clock since they would be doing a full-body checkup at the hospital tomorrow. If it turned out to be a stomach issue, she might need an endoscopy.
The next day, Winifred Dawson woke up early as usual. She got up at six and left at seven after getting ready. She took a cab to the city center hospital during rush hour traffic but fortunately didn’t get stuck for long. She arrived at the hospital at 7:50 AM and hurriedly went to check in.
Winifred Dawson went in alone while Mrs. Protich waited outside.
Inside, the doctor asked her, “What seems to be the problem?”
“Doctor, I think I might be pregnant.”
“Might be pregnant?”
“I used a pregnancy test kit; could it be wrong?”
“It’s possible,” the doctor said after asking about her symptoms in detail. He estimated that she was around 12 weeks pregnant, nearly three months along.
“Take this form downstairs for a blood test and an ultrasound so I can take a closer look.”
Winifred Dawson clutched the form tightly and stood up. “Doctor, can I terminate the pregnancy?”
The doctor looked up at her. Winifred Dawson wore a mask that only revealed her beautiful eyes; she appeared young and attractive.
It wasn’t uncommon for young women to come in confused about their pregnancies and seeking abortions after finding out they were expecting.
The doctor sighed internally whenever encountering such cases; many young women didn’t take care of their bodies properly. Abortion wasn’t a minor procedure; it involved scraping the uterine lining and posed significant risks to women’s health. Why hadn’t they taken precautions in the first place?
What bothered him most was that most of these young women came alone for abortions.
This one was no different.
“Are you married?” he asked gently.
“No.”
“Where is your boyfriend?”
“He’s dead.”
Expecting another lost soul, he was taken aback by her serious and cold response of “He’s dead.” It wasn’t what he expected.
“Dead?”
“Yes, not long ago.”
Seeing that she wasn’t joking, the doctor hesitated before speaking again. “You can have an abortion, but first we need to do an ultrasound to ensure everything is okay before admitting you for surgery.”
“Thank you,” Winifred Dawson said politely.
Holding the form tightly, Winifred Dawson went outside where Mrs. Protich was waiting anxiously.
“What did they say?” Mrs. Protich asked immediately.
“The doctor wants me to go downstairs for a blood test and an ultrasound.”
“Alright then, let’s do that first,” Mrs. Protich said with some confusion; wasn’t Winifred here for stomach issues? Shouldn’t she need an endoscopy?
Winifred moved quickly to the elevator and pressed for the lower floor with Mrs. Protich following closely behind.
First stop was the blood test lab where a nurse kept staring at Winifred’s eyes as if recognizing her from somewhere.
Once upon a time even a minor scrape would have made Winifred whine for days; now she barely flinched during blood draws. If today’s results were clear of any issues, she’d likely undergo surgery tomorrow to terminate her pregnancy.