Something in the Water

EMMA:

Ben brushes his thumb over my cheek. He thinks I'm overreacting. "They can't do that, Em."

"Apparently, they can. I'm just sick of this. I hate it here." I've already decided that crying wasn't going to solve anything, so I gave it up. For now.

"It'll be over soon. We'll figure something out." He says optimistically. "You'll see."

"What am I supposed to do? I'll be popping out babies left and right, and if it's genetic, then my baby will be immune, too. All of my babies will be. I'm a freak, Ben! They don't want any more of me running around getting pregnant at seventeen! They won't let it happen!"

His eyes bounce around to make sure we aren't being watched. He does that every time I start yelling. "And how do they expect to keep that from happening? Follow you around and make sure it doesn't happen?"

"No." I grumble, dropping my voice to an indoor level. "They want to do surgery."

His face changes to a new shade of purple when my dad enters the picture. He's the last person I want to deal with right now.

"Emma, sweetheart, please just -" He reaches for my arm.

I shrug him away and ignore him completely. "I just want to go home. Why can't I go home?"
 
The doctor trails right behind him. "Emma, I know this is hard for you."

"No, you don't know!" I snap, gathering the attention of everyone around us - as if they weren't paying attention already. "How could you even begin to understand what I'm going through? You want to ruin my entire life!"

"It's not like they have a choice." Dad tells me in his official tone of voice. "All we want is for you to be safe and stop jumping to crazy conclusions. Your life isn't ruined, Emma."

I feel all that's built up inside me over the past week start to burst at the seams. "You're taking away my ability to have children like it's a punishment for bad behavior!"

"Emma." Ben encases my hand between both of his. "Relax, okay?"

I jerk my hand away. "Don't tell me to relax! You're not the one getting your insides ripped out just because you're different."

"It's not something we want to do." Dr. Stevens assures me, and I want to believe her. "It's only for the purpose of preventing it from happening to anyone else. We'll be able to see exactly what it is that altered your genes, and we'll be able to fix it."

"Um..." Sara's tiny voice bumps into the conversation. We all stare at her, and we see that she regrets saying anything. "What's going on?"

I say it without skipping a beat. "I'm pregnant."

Sara wants to laugh at the joke that's a reality. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I think it's time for all of you to go home." Dad mentions, looking at Sara and Sam, still watching safely from the table.

"Don't make my friends leave." I say. 

Dad jerks his chin at Ben. "He should go,  too."

Before I can argue, the doctor jumps in. "He'll need to stay tonight in case he has any sort of reaction, too. They both should stay."

"Fine." Dad isn't phased a bit. "Would you mind giving Emma a little time alone?"

"No way." Ben says instantly. His face changes, and he looks at me. "Unless you don't..."

I hug his arm as an answer.

Dad laughs in a weird way. "Kid, if you know what's best for you, you should go."
 
"I'm sorry, but you can't ask me to leave." Ben says firmly. Even though he and my father have disagreed lately, I admire how Ben has the courage to stand up to him without so much as wobbly knees. "Not now, especially since you're planning on...removing whatever it is that needs to be removed."

"That won't be until after the baby is born." Dr. Stevens says. "And Emma won't be harmed by it. Besides, we'll only do it if we have absolutely no other option."

"Emma?" Sara waits for my eyes. "What is she talking about?"

"We weren't finished speaking in the other room." Dad tells me. "I'd appreciate it if you came back and listened to your doctor." He shifts his eyes over to Ben. "It would be nice if your friends gave us the opportunity."

I realize we're causing a scene and look up at Ben. He presses his lips into a line and nods a little. Sara just stares at me with a betrayed look on her face. "Fine." I say. I push past my dad's shoulder and don't look back.

. . . . . . . . 

BEN:

Emma's father doesn't give us so much as a second glance. He's gone with the doctor just as quickly as Emma abandoned us.

I wait until we're alone and the stray eyes drop away. "Dammit." I mutter under my breath.

Sara's glaring at me. "Some stomach bug." 

I shake my head at her and stalk back to the table. I don't know what to say to her.

She catches up fast. "I can't believe you didn't tell us."

"Yeah, well it isn't something that just comes up." I snatch up my trash and keep walking.

I'm almost positive that they can't just rip out her insides for something so stupid. But this kind of thing has never happened before, so what do I do about it?

Sam's behind me when I make it to the trash can. "What's going on? Sara's pissed."

I shrug roughly. "Looks like Emma's having a baby."

He laughs once. "No, really."

I give him a look that says I'm not kidding.

"Whoa." He blinks twice. "Did you do something illegal?"

"No. Not on purpose." I start for the exit. "I don't know..."

"How do you not know?" He pauses briefly. "It is your kid...right?"

"Yes, it's mine!" I tell him. "It's ours."

Sam doesn't ask anymore questions, because he knows me and my short temper. He follows me all the way back to my room. Sara trails us, but far behind. Emma's told her things I couldn't imagine knowing, and I know she feels betrayed. 

I gather my clothes and change back into them, balling up the astronaut ones and throwing them on my bed. Emma's room is next door, but I don't dare go over there.

I go back out into the hall instead. Sara and Sam are seated in two chairs, watching my every move as I start to pace the floor.

Sam's too quiet. It starts to freak me out. "I'm sorry." I confess to both of them. "What do you want me to say?"

Sara keeps her mouth shut. Sam looks over at her, then back at me. "So is she really having a baby?"

I lean against the wall and slide down it. The stress wears me down. "She told me a week ago that she thought she was pregnant, and I blew her off like it was stupid."

"It is stupid." Sam agrees. "It's impossible."

"That's what I thought." I rub my eyes with the heels of my hands. "I still don't really believe it."

Sam purses his lips. "Are you sure that's what's wrong with her?"

"What do you mean, am I sure?" I ask forcibly. "I don't know anything - I really don't even know if I'll be able to..." I huff and lose whatever it is I'm trying to say.

Sara's teeth are clenched, and she's purposefully avoiding eye contact. It's kind of annoying. Sure, we probably should have said something before. But we didn't know what was going on, so she shouldn't be angry. Sam doesn't care.

Dr. Stevens comes out of the room first, leaving Emma alone with her dad. I jump to my feet to catch the doctor's attention.

She smiles like nothing is wrong. "Your scar looks great, Ben."

"Look, all I want is the truth. Don't give me that crap about being too young to hear it, okay?"

She drops her fake smile and glances sideways to Sam and Sara. She takes my arm by the elbow and leads me a little farther down the hall.

"What are you going to do to Emma?" I ask. I stare down at her, being a few inches taller. 

She doesn't seem intimidated, but hesitant. "Until we can find a way to overcome her genetic structure, it isn't an option to let her conceive another child -"

"And you think that's a good excuse?" I press.

"Removing her reproductive organs will be painless. We'll use them for research, and hopefully alter the water in a way that benefits everyone."

I don't believe what I'm hearing. "You're turning her into a freaking lab rat! Cut her open and take her life away just to play scientist that saves the world, right?"

She straightens up tall and looks me right in the eye, showing absolutely no fear. "Do you want to be a father, Ben? Right now? Are you ready to drop everything in your life for a newborn baby?"

She catches me off guard. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Her smile is sly this time. "Emma gave me the same answer."

I just stare at her, unsure of where she wants to go with this.

"The entire reason they put birth control in the water was to give everyone the choice. No one is overwhelmed with the responsibility of a child without seeing it coming. It gives young people the chance to be irresponsible without the consequences. It all depends on what you want for your future."

I nod along, somehow taking her advice respectively.

"You and Emma didn't have a choice. Before the water was changed, people that did not want to follow through with the pregnancy, for whatever reason, decided that they had to get what's called an abortion."

The word sounds disgraceful coming out of her mouth. "What's an abortion?"

She swallows roughly. "It's a method of terminating the unwanted pregnancy."

It takes a second to make my stomach curl. "You mean kill the baby?"

"I'm supposed to tell you that Emma is cleared to receive the abortion if she decides it's what she wants." She tucks her arms tight in her sides, uncomfortable with the topic.

"So," My mouth is getting dry again. "If Emma wants this, then you'll do it and it will be like she was never pregnant? Everything will go back to normal?"

She watches me with sad eyes and nods slightly. "For the most part, yes."

"Did you t- tell her about it already?" I stutter, a lightheaded feeling clouding my head.

She drops her eyes to the floor. "I was going to mention it when she didn't have the influence of her father."

I take in whatever air fits in my lungs. "You don't think she'll do it, do you?"

She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I was hoping you would be the one to ask her."