Doctor appointment + 2 days

Saanvi herself phoned Gab to tell her that the blood test results had arrived. She invited Gab to come in the next day; she wanted to give her the results in person.

“I took a pregnancy test, Dr. Saanvi,” Gab told her, sitting on her bed in her room with the door closed and talking as quietly as possible.

“Oh, yes?”

“Yes … um, Freya suggested it. And, I just wanted to know.”

“Yes, of course. I understand. And?”

“And it showed two lines. And … and I realised I hadn’t had my period since before the party where … Anyway, I haven’t had it for more than five weeks now. So, I guess that’s that.”

“Okay, dear,” said Saanvi. “Yes. The blood test also showed hormone levels that indicate that you are pregnant. Five weeks.” Even though Gab knew, even though she had just said it, a wave of shock crashed over her again.

“Are you alright, dear?” asked Saanvi. “I’d like you to come in and see me tomorrow, if you’re able. We can discuss your options and I can give you a further check-up.”

“Alright,” agreed Gab.

They said goodbye and Gab lay on her bed, a million things whirring through her mind. She couldn’t shut her mind up—one voice after another after another, decrying her stupidity, voicing her disbelief, lamenting the dead end her life would become, freaking out at the impossibility of taking even one step forward. The problems were too much. She grabbed her head with her hands.

“STOP!” she yelled, and then realised she had said it aloud and coloured with embarrassment, because Freya was in the lounge room studying.

Gab got up quickly.

“You okay?” asked Freya as Gab walked into the lounge. Gab shook her head and sat down on the couch, her head in her hands.

“Your mum called,” said Gab.

“With the results?”

“Yes.”

Freya didn’t ask. She just sat there next to Gab in heavy silence. Then Gab remembered the baby she’d heard crying yesterday when she’d been out walking. It stirred a memory that the fingers of her consciousness reached out to grasp.

“A girl at my school got pregnant in Year 11,” said Gab quietly, not looking at Freya. “The doctor assumed she’d get rid of it. He basically pushed her to do it, she told us later. But she wanted the baby.”

“What happened?” asked Freya quietly, wondering where this was going.

“She kept it,” said Gab. “And she came back to school after a year.”

“That’s so brave,” said Freya.

“I know,” said Gab. “We couldn’t believe she did it.” She was quiet for a minute. “You know Freya, I thought it was really cool. She knew what she wanted and she stuck with it. She made it work.” Freya nodded, still wondering where this was leading.

“You know what really sucks?” asked Gab, suddenly becoming animated. “What are the chances, Freya? I mean, what the hell?”

“I know,” agreed Freya. “I can’t believe it.”

“I don’t even know what happened. I don’t know what I agreed to. I don’t even know what I did.” Gab paused. “This is going to haunt me forever, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.” Freya couldn’t pretend it was less difficult than it was.

“I’m going to see your mum tomorrow,” said Gab.

“Do you want me to come?” Freya asked.

“Yes please, to help me get there. And maybe to come in with me again?” Gab was a seasoned professional at going things alone emotionally, of bottling up what life was offering and carrying it along with her without saying much about it. But this companionship had some kind of captivating quality, and now that Gab had had a taste of what it was like to be accompanied by a friend in an awful situation, she was timidly keen for more.