Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

Sixty three, sixty four, sixty five... I slowly counted the tiles on the bathroom wall. I was getting sick again, my cheek stuck to the rim of the toilet with sweat. I started to cry. For the past week, I had been miserable. Ever since Johnny and I had returned home, I spent most of my time where I was right now, bent over the toilet. The few times Johnny and I had gotten close to making love, I’d felt that familiar tightening in my stomach, bolting out of bed to fall on my knees in front of the toilet again.

“Baby?”, a soft voice called, and Johnny appeared beside me. “Are you alright?” Ugh, there was that damn question again.

I shook my head, still crying. “N-No.”, I sobbed. “I feel like fucking shit.”

“Well, why don’t you come lay down in bed?”, he asked. “Maybe that’ll make you feel better.”

I nodded my head and Johnny snaked his arm around my waist, leading me to the bed. I collapsed weakly, completely exhausted from throwing up. Johnny crawled under the covers next to me and placed his arm around my middle. “Baby, I still think you should see a doctor.”, he said. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

“I already made an appointment.”, I mumbled, closing my eyes.

“God, maybe they can figure out what the hell is wrong with you. Because I hate seeing you suffer, baby.”, he whispered. Then I felt his warm lips on the skin where my neck met my shoulder, and I shrugged him off.

“No, Johnny.”, I mumbled. “I’m tired...”

Johnny’s fingertips traced the line of my spine, and I shivered. “Baby, come on. While you’re not sick, let’s try again...”

“Okay.” I smiled, rolling over as Johnny crawled on top of me. He pressed his lips against mine, kissing me roughly. He forced his tongue into my mouth, exploring every inch. I twined my tongue around Johnny’s and his tongue massaged mine, causing me to moan into Johnny’s mouth. I felt Johnny’s hand slip beneath the fabric of my shirt and my breath caught in my throat.

This was usually as far as we got before I fled to the bathroom. I waited for the familiar twist of my stomach, but it didn’t come. And so I hoped this time we wouldn’t be interrupted. Johnny pulled my shirt over my head and deposited it on the floor. He hurried to undress me, yet he took the time to admire my curves, as if he were mapping my body with his hands. When my last article of clothing was my panties, I stopped him. I ran my hands over his toned stomach and yanked his shirt over his head. I ran my eyes over his body, biting my lower lip as my gaze dropped to the region below his belt. I slipped my hand beneath the waistband of his jeans and eased them over his hips, along with his boxers. Then I allowed Johnny to remove my panties. Johnny positioned himself between my legs, arms braced on either side of my head for support. Just as he started to move, I remembered something very important and stopped him again.

“Johnny, aren’t you forgetting something?” He just groaned, I knew it must be paining him for me to stop here. “Johnny.”

He reached over to the beside table drawer and fished out a condom. He slid it on and turned back to me. “I love you, Hayliee.”, he whispered as he ran his hands up my bare back, pulling me into a sloppy kiss. With Johnny, I temporarily forgot my sickness. The only think I could think about was Johnny moving inside of me, rough until I cried out, then so gently I clawed at his back, trying to pull him closer, craving more.

“Johnny!”

Johnny collapsed next to me and drew me into his arms. “How are you feeling now, baby?”, he mumbled, his words breaths of air on my ear.

“Never felt better.”, I whispered. I placed my hands on the back of his still sweaty neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

“Good. Then I can do this.” Johnny carefully crawled on top of me and kissed me lustfully.

. . .

As I sat in the clinic’s waiting room, I began to wring my wrists, a nervous habit I’d started when I was suffering from depression. One of the doors on either side of the counter opened and a nurse dressed in pink scrubs stepped out, holding a clipboard. “Hayliee Seward?”, she called. I jumped at the sound of my name and followed the nurse down the hall. She pushed open a door and gestured inside. “You can wait in here for the doctor.”

I sat down on the examination table and brought my knees up to my chest. I was not very comfortable with hospitals, ever since my mom died. I wished Johnny was here, but he had to work. I dug in my purse for my phone and sent Johnny a text message.

At the doctors. So nervous.

A few minutes later, my phone vibrated in my hand and I flipped it open to read his reply Dont be. Wish I could be there. Love you, baby. I smiled to myself. I started to reply, but the doorknob turned and the doctor walked into the room.

“Hello, Mrs. Seward.”, she said. “I’m Dr. Brinkley. “What seems to be the problem?”

I glanced at my feet, nervous. “Well, I’ve been really sick for the past week and a half. Like, so sick I spent most of my time bent over the toilet.”

Dr. Brinkley stared at me, an unreadable expression on her face. “Mrs. Seward, are you sexually active?”

“Well, yea.”, I answered awkwardly.

“What kind of protection do you and your partner use?”

I grimaced. God, she made it sound like I was a slut. “I’m on the pill.”, I stated. “And Johnny, my husband, always uses a condom.”

“So you’ve never had unprotected sex?”, Dr. Brinkley pressed.

“Well, while we were on our honeymoon...Johnny didn’t use protection.” I paused and thought for a moment. Did I take my pills? Oh shit. I remember leaving them in my medicine cabinet when I packed for the honeymoon. Oh God. “I-I forgot to take my pills.”

“How many times where you and your husband intimate during this period?”, she asked.

“I-I don’t know. Like fifteen to twenty times.”

The doctor scribbled something down onto her clipboard and stood up. “Well, Mrs. Seward. I think we need to draw some blood.” She led me down the hall and sat me down in a small, wooden chair. A few minutes later, a nurse dressed in scrubs approached me and took blood from the crook of my elbow.

“Should be ready in a few minutes.”, she informed me. While I waited for my test results, all I could think about was how much I wished Johnny was next to me. If he was here, he would hold my hand and kiss me, telling me not to be nervous.

“Mrs. Seward?” My head snapped up and I saw Dr. Brinkley standing in front of me. “If you’ll come back to the room, I have your test results.” Once we were seated in the exam room, Dr. Brinkley turned to me with a smile. “I have good news.”, she stated. “Congratulations, Mrs. Seward. You’re pregnant.”

I felt my heart drop to my knees. I stood up, shaking as I got to my feet, and thanked the doctor before I left. I’m pregnant? How can I be pregnant? I thought Johnny and I were so careful...Oh God. How am I going to tell Johnny?

When I arrived home, Johnny was still gone. I sat down on the couch and put my head in my hands. Soon, I felt tears falling down my cheeks. I was scared out of my mind, and I wanted Johnny to come home and wrap his arms around me. Not five minutes later, I heard a car pull into the driveway and Johnny walked in the front door. A grin split his face when he noticed me sitting on the couch, but then it faltered when I let out a sob.

“Baby, what’s the matter?”, he asked worriedly.

I slowly raised my gaze to meet Johnny’s, my face wet with tears.

“I’m pregnant.”