Remember this Face, Baby.

TWO HOURS LATER

I stared at the ceiling high above me, trying to ignore the beeping from the IV monitor on my left and the cold metal deep in my hand. The smell of hospital was making me nauseous, my stomach hurt from it turning so much. The hospital air hugged my body, no matter having the sheets over my body. I wanted to get up and walk out, because honestly, I felt better than I had hours ago.

I looked over to my right, where my mother sat, reading a magazine, cross-legged. Alexis sat, comfortably on the floor by her feet, playing with some toys one of the nurses helping me had brought in and a small blanket. She giggled to herself, as she hugged a big fluffy dog and rolled around with it. My face softened as I stared at her and a small smile stretched on my lips. My mother had a smile on her lips, too, as she watched Alexis for a few minutes, then returned to reading her Cosmopolitan magazine.

I turned my attention to a door opening, seeing the doctor walk in, with a clipboard and a folder in his hands. He checked something off with his pen and closed his folder, tucking it under his arm and replacing his frown with a friendly smile. He patted my leg, affectionately and chuckled down at Alexis, chewing on the dog's ear, laid sprawled on her back. My mother closed her magazine and placed it in her purse by the chair she was sitting on and rose to her feet.

"Well, young lady, you're able to go home. Fortunately, there isn't anything broken, just bruised. I'll write you a prescription for some painkillers you can use, daily. Also, try and stay off of school and work for a few days. I'll write you a note to take to them. You can't be lifting anything heavy or walking around too much. Try and stay in bed for a little," the doctor explained, gently.

"Thank you," my mother said, softly.

"Just doing my job. I'll send a nurse your prescription and note in a few minutes. Have a good evening," he answered, with a soft nod and turned, heading out of the opened door and closing it behind him.

"On the way home, want to stop buy and get something to eat?" my mom asked, gently, running her fingers through my hair. She kissed my forehead, motherly and leaned up, staring into my eyes. I shook my head and looked down at Alexis, staring at her grandmother and mother.

"No, Alexis needs to get home and sleep. It's too late for her to be up, still," I mumbled. As on cue, Alexis yawned, quietly and rubbed her eyes with her chubby hands. She outstretched her arms in the air and called out for me. Her grandmother bent down and retrieved her. I let her place my little girl in my arms and cradle her against me. Alexis sucked on her little thumb and cuddled closer into my embrace, holding onto my index and middle finger.

"Karissa-Ann, is it?" I looked up from my daughter's peaceful face and gazed up at a nurse, at the foot of the hospital bed. She had two notes in her hands, I was guessing my prescription and note to lay off of school and work.

"Yup, that's me," I mumbled, with a weak smile. She smiled back in return and handed the notes to my mother's outstretched hand.

"I called the pharmacy before I came in here and said you might stop by for some painkillers. If you go down there, they'll help you with whatever you need," the nurse stated.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," I said, softly. She shook her head and smiled, coming to my side and gently, taking the white tape off of my hand.

"Oh, don't worry. It's the least I can do. You've been a good sport," she chuckled, taking out the needle. I winced as I felt the sharp sting and cold metal leave my skin. She was already rubbing a cottonball covered in rubbing alcohol against my skin, removing the small dot of blood off.

"Thank you, very much," I replied, shyly.

"You're welcome. Well, you're all set to go. You can dressed and just check at the receptionist desk. Then, you can leave. Have a good evening," she paused, as she stared down at the baby sleeping in my arms, "and take care of the little angel," she added.

"I will," I smiled and watched her walk out of the room.

Carefully, I sat up and stood up to my feet, trying not to wake Lexi up. She stirred, slightly, making me freeze in my spot, before she fell back asleep and kept sucking her thumb. I settled her down on the bed and pulled the sheets over her small form, before grabbing my bag full of clothes and retreating into the bathroom. I shut the door, once I was inside and dropped the bag on the floor, beside the toilet. I pulled the hospital gown over my head and placed it over the sink, as I stared at my body in the full-length mirror.

My body looked horrid.

Bruises painted my torso, in ugly colours of purple, black, green and even blue. A bruise aligned underneath my right breast and the side, which ached if I pulled my arm over my head or just reached out to grab something. Just touching my breast hurt, and I thought about if I still breast-fed Lexi, how much it would truly hurt. Fortunately for me, Lexi had been the one to give it up and turned to being bottle-fed, once she turned one. My chest looked pretty bad, too and the outline of a large footprint didn't help, either. A reminder, that's exactly what it was. It reminded me of how everyone hated me, because I was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I dressed, carefully into a pair of sweats and started pulling a large grey shirt over my head, when I realized what I was about to put on. I let the shirt fall to the floor, as I stared at it, with angry tears. I dabbed my eyes, angrily and kicked the shirt away from me, watching it land feet away and tugged my sweater over my head, vigorously. I didn't care that my arm and chest was aching, because all I wanted to do was get out of that bathroom and leave.

I hated the sudden memories - sudden good memories - that came back when I watched the shirt lay limply on the floor by my feet. Flashes of when DJ and I use to be a couple raced past my vision. I closed my eyes as I remembered staying up late past midnight, talking to DJ about the future together and how much I truly loved him. I remembered we'd always go to the park on Friday evenings and how he'd chase after me. He'd catch me and hold me close to him, whispering in my ear how much he cared for me and how much of a different person I'd made him. He'd race me to the swings and laugh, when again, he let me beat him and kissed me, tenderly.

He had made that shirt himself, with paint and markers. It had my name and his name written across the front, with a big heart below our names and stuff we had talked about for the future, as a couple. One of the words he had put on the shirt was baby, kids. He wanted children, I knew that for sure because he talked about it, constantly. We'd stay up late on the phone and talk about what our kids were going to look like and how beautiful they were going to be. The day he gives me a child, why doesn't he want her?

I hated him, but I didn't.

I pulled the hood over my head and stepped out into the hospital room, seeing my mom holding Lexi. She smiled, as she spotted me and nodded her head to follow her. I slung the bag over my good shoulder and followed suit, staying close behind her. I obeyed my mother, as she told me to sit down on one of the many chairs in the reception area and handed me a sleeping Lexi, before she walked back to the receptionist desk.

I was so tired, I could barely think about anything, besides holding my daughter close to me. Unconsciousness was slowly approaching and puling me into a tight embrace, as I sat on the chair, comfortably, feeling Lexi's warm body heat mix with mine and feel her small heart beat against my stomach. Her breathing soothed me, as it came out in small, soft breathes. Her fingers stayed locked around my index finger, keeping it close to her small chest.

"Karissa, sweetie," I opened my eyes to my mother's soft voice and smiled. She stared down at me, with a soft expression, as she ran her hand down my cheek, gently. "Come on, honey. You need to get some rest," she stated.

Forty-five minutes later, my mom was pulling into our driveway and cutting the engine. She took the bag from me and opened the door, quickly, before rushing to my side and pulling the door opened. I stepped out, carefully and pulled Lexi closer into my embrace, as a chilly wind whipped at my face and over her small body. I watched my mom walk past me, with the house keys in her hands and already inserting them into the lock. She opened the door and stepped inside, switching the light on and moving further inside the small house.

I ignored the fact that I still wore my shoes and walked upstairs, turning the hallway light on. I watched it illuminate the dark upstairs area and shine light into my bedroom. I could already see my daughter's crib to the right of my room and all her toys scattered around. I made my way inside and switched her night light on, placing her gently on my bed and going over to my dresser. I pulled it opened and grabbed one of Lexi's Winnie the Pooh night outfits and walked over to Lexi, still sleeping soundly on the bed.

I sat down beside her and stared down at my daughter, with a smile playing over my lips. I ran my fingers over her smooth forehead, enjoying the softness and young feeling of her skin. I let my fingers move into her hair, wrapping a small curl around my finger and rubbing my thumb against the silkiness. I watched her stir in her sleep and turn on her side, cuddling closer into me. I reached for her hand and held it in mine, comparing the size and beauty.

Once I finished dressing Alexis, I placed her in her crib and laid her stuffed duck beside her, watching her wrap her arms around the yellow fluff ball. I smiled down at her and pulled her blanket over her body, before bending towards her and kissing her forehead. I clutched my side, when I felt the aching pain and the red hot sting shot throughout my body. I steadied myself, as I held the side of the crib and took deep breathes through my nose.

As the pain faded, I turned towards my dresser and pulled it opened, grabbing a oversize t-shirt and a pair of sweats. I pushed the drawer closed and walked towards my bed, sitting down, carefully. I pulled the hood over my head and tossed it onto the floor, kicking off my shoes in the process. I pushed down my pants and dressed into my clean clothes. I tied my hair up into a loose ponytail and climbed into bed, pulling the sheets over my body.

I laid in my bed, staring at the white ceiling above me. I rubbed my eyes, sleepily and sighed, loudly, turning my attention to Alexis' crib. I could just make out the outline of her small body under her blankets and her big stuffed animal. With one last glance, I closed my eyes and let consciousness take me into her warm arms. My body sank into the mattress and melted with the sheets, as I finally drifted away on my cloud.

◊

My eyes snapped opened the moment I heard a door slam somewhere downstairs. I thought it might have been my mom going out, but once I heard the loud squeal I recognized so much, I knew it wasn't my mom who would be barging through my bedroom door any second now. As on cue, I watched the door open and my best friend, Kayla skid across my bedroom floor and then, abruptly turn and rush towards my bed. I, honest to God, feared my life when I realized she wasn't going to stop and yelped, quietly as she came closer to my bed, staring at her shocked and fearful face come closer and closer.

Then, she disappeared with a shriek.

I looked over my shoulder and stared at my best friend, half on the bed and half off the bed, trying to get up and failing, miserably. She groaned, angrily and once again, struggled to get off, until she finally dropped to the floor with another angry groan. I burst into a fit of giggles, once she stood up to her feet, trying to fix her ruined hair and wrinkled clothes.

"I'm glad my misery and pain makes you laugh," she stated, sarcastically, rolling her eyes and running her fingers through her straightened hair. I clutched my side, as it ached from laughing and let air move in and out of my lips. I bit down on my lip, painfully and closed my eyes, gently, hoping that would ease the pain away.

Kayla sat on the bed, quickly and moved closer beside me, staring at me with concern. When I felt the pain eased, I turned to stare at her and frowned, knowing exactly what would come out of her lips the minute I looked at her. She sighed, heavily and ran her fingers through her hair, getting the last set of tangles and laid her hands down on her lap.

"This is enough, Karry," she mumbled, watching me with a look only a true friend could hold, who cared terribly for her friend.

"It's been enough for two long years, Kayla. It'll never stop, though," I stated.

"Oh my God, Karissa! Yes, it can! You just need to make it stop. Don't let this go on any further," she snapped, clenching her fists.

"I've tri - "

"No, you haven't. You just let it happen and look where it gets you. If you would just tell everyone DJ is actually the father - "

"Kayla, you don't even understand! How would you feel if everyone hated you? Put yourself in my shoes, get knocked up at sixteen and tell me how you feel. It's not easy, whatsoever. If I make it look easy, trust me, I don't try, too. People I don't know, know me for something that isn't even true! I get beat up!" I put my head in my hands, shaking my head and sighing, loudly. "I just hate my life," I whispered.

"Not everyone hates you, Karissa. There's still someone who has tons of faith in you," she said, grabbing my hands from my face and holding them in hers.

"Who?" I asked, hopelessly.

"I do. I won't ever turn my back on you. Even if you hadn't told me what happened, I wouldn't have believed that dipshit DJ. People only like him because he's popular and plus, they feel obliged to like him because he's at the top of the chain. People think if they suck up to him and everything, they'll get him to finally call them his friends. So obviously, they'll listen to everything that dumbass says," she replied.

"I don't know if I've said this, but thank you so much, especially these last two years. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have you in my life," I claimed, watching her smile.

"I love you, you know that. People are missing out, but the more the better," she smirked, sending me a cute wink. I smiled, thankfully and in my mind, I thanked God.

"Kayla, could you get Alexis for me?" I asked, gently.

She nodded, with a soft smile and walked towards Alexis' crib. I watched her place her upper body on the railing and bend down, wrapping her arms around a bundle of blankets and small hands. She pulled the baby into her arms and let her wrap her small arms around her neck, laying her cheek against her shoulder. She stared at me with her big blue eyes and a smile rose on her pink cheeks. I couldn't help, but smile back and want to hold her in my arms.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart," I looked away from my baby's face and smiled up at my mom, standing at the doorway holding a tray filled with food.

"Hey, mom," I said, softly, as she made her way into the room and set the food tray on my lap, gently and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"How do you feel, Karissa, honestly?" She asked, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"I'm okay," I replied.

"Alright. I want you to eat first, then take those painkillers," my mom demanded, before looking up at Kayla holding Alexis in her arms and gave her a stern look. "And you, young lady, aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Kayla chuckled, "Yes, but I'm missing out. I need to be here for Karissa," she replied.

"I want you in school, young lady or I'm calling your mother. I'll drive you myself. And no buts, she'll be here right after school," I smiled up at my friend's pouting friend, as she nodded and obeyed my mother, reluctantly. Kayla set Alexis on the bed beside me and waved at me, before walking out of my room.

"Jeez, mom. Any harsher?" I asked, sarcastically.

"I still got it in me," she smiled, with a wink and made her way out of the room.

Once I heard the front door slam downstairs, I knew my mom and Kayla were gone. I smiled down at Alexis, watching me and tugging on one of her loose braids. I took a small sip of my orange juice and let Alexis have a little bit, placing my hand underneath her chin incase she spilled and giggled at her expression, as she tasted the sourness of the orange juice. She rubbed her nose, cutely and grabbed onto my arm, as she pulled herself up and leaned against me, staring up at me.

"I love you, baby," I whispered.