I'll Be Damned If You're the Death of Me

I pulled away instantly. "Danny, what are you doing? We can't. We can never be together."

"Why not? Do you not love me anymore?"

"Not like that, no!"

"What happened to us?! You used to be crazy about me!"

"Until I found out you cheated on me for years! Do you honestly expect me to still wanna be with you after everything that happened?"

"I thought you would give me one last chance." He put his head in his hands.

"You had way too many of those. I'm sorry. I love you, in a way that's not like that."

"In what then? As FRIENDS? I don't wanna fucking be just friends with you!"

"I'm sorry. Take it or leave it."

I was feeling really stressed out so I decided to call Ben.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you!"

"Sorry..."

"Well, you and James need to take Brooklyn to the doctor."

"What? Why?"

"She's just not doing well. She's always tired and shit."

"Well, I'm not talking to James-"

"Get the fuck over it, your kid is sick!"

"What time?"

"Get ready and leave and James will meet you up there."

I hung up the phone and started getting ready. I had to look good, of course.

I looked at myself in the mirror and I looked disgustingly unhealthy. Not pretty. I was ugly.

"Where are you going?" Danny leaned against the door frame. "You're not leaving me, are you?"

"No. I have to meet James at the hospital."

"Why?"

"Brooklyn is sick."

"Alright."

-----

I got to the hospital and James had just pulled up as well. I opened the back door and took Brooklyn out of her seat and balanced her on my hip.

"Do you want me to carry her?" James offered.

"I got it."

We waited around for about an hour in the room for the doctor to come in. It was the most uncomfortable hour in my life.

"You have dark circles under your eyes, you know that? And you look like you're shrinking." He commented.

"Maybe you're just growing."

"There's a scale right there." James pointed at it. I sighed and got up and stepped on it.

"89."

James scoffed. "That's really gross."

"I can't help it."

The doctor walked in and asked us some questions about Brooklyn's past and my past.

"How old is she?"

"4."

"Has she had any problems eating or anything?"

"No. She's just been sleeping a lot and not looking good."

"While you were pregnant, did you ever have sex in your 3rd trimester?"

"No."

"At all during your pregnancy?"

"No. Maybe in the first month but that's it."

"Were there any complications?"

"No."

"Did you ever do any drugs or drink?"

"During the first month because I didn't know I was pregnant."

"What all did you do?"

"Smoked and drank."

He asked a few more questions and scribbled down something on his clipboard.

"I see. Well, your daughter will have to have some tests ran on her and you will have the results by tomorrow or the next day. To give you a heads up, your daughter is showing signs of being anemic."

"Isn't that like where you have low iron?" James asked.

"Yes. It also makes you very tired and there is treatment. If she is anemic, she will have to take medication."

Poor little Brooklyn.