I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember

The Iero’s kept their morning conversation light, and delicate over breakfast. They didn’t want to upset Frank by just ambushing him with making a decision on whether or not he wanted to keep his baby. The law clearly stated they couldn’t force him into getting an abortion without being charged with child abuse, and they respected that. However, they were prepared to give him their opinions on the subject if he should ask for them.

They watched their son scarf down his first plate of three pancakes before filling up his second plate with bacon, eggs, ham and toast. They weren’t shocked at how much their son ate because it was normal for him to eat large amounts of food and never gain a pound, but when he started filling up a third plate and had no problem stuffing his face just as eagerly as his first, they could feel their stomach flip. It was a reminder of what they were about to face for another possible 8-9 months if they didn’t do anything to prevent it from happening.

Sharing a look across the table, the couple gave each other a confident yet nervous nod in support to say what their son needed to hear. Frank Sr. started first by pushing his empty plate aside, and looking over to his right at his only child, before sharply clearing his voice. Frank looked up from his plate when he heard his father and saw him staring down at him with a serious look on his face that had him forcing down a mouth full of eggs and toast. “Yes, sir?”

“We need to talk, son, and I mean SERIOUSLY talk.” Frank Sr. reminded him, watching the terror cross his son’s face as he looked towards his mother with a pleading look on his face. “No, Frankie, don’t do that to your mother. We gave you a week to gather yourself, and that is all the time we can possibly do for you. The investigators have been wanting to talk to you for some time now, but we’ve managed to convince them to let you have one week to yourself, and they reluctantly agreed. But that week has passed, and now it’s time to move forward.”

Frank shook his head as his tears began to blind his vision. “B-But dad…”

“I’m sorry honey, but you’re father and I could only keep them away for so long. They need answers, and…so do we.” Margo explained to him as gently as she could, wishing that she could gathered him up in her arms and shield him from the cruel world forever.

Frank let out a sigh as he slouched in his chair and covered his face for a minute. His parents watched him trying to gain control over his composure. After a while, Frank Sr. felt that he could use a little help. “Remember son, what it means to be an Iero.”

Frank slowly uncovered his face, revealing bloodshot eyes, and tear-stained rosy cheeks. “To be strong…”

His father nodded with a soft smile. “That’s exactly right, my boy. Be. Strong.”

Frank exhaled sharply and gave them both a nod. “I-I’ll try. That’s all I can promise you, is to try.”

His mother flashed him a proud smile. “And that’s all we ask of you, Frankie. Just to try.”

“I will, mommy, I will.” Frank promised sincerely, making her smile with pride. Running his hand through his hair with a sigh, Frank looked towards his dad with a nervous look in his eyes. “So when do they want to see me? The investigators, I mean.”

“They will be coming over this afternoon. We’d thought you’d feel more comfortable talking right here at home instead of down at their precinct.” Frank Sr. told him.

It touched Frank that even though his father was forcing him to stand on his own two feet to fight his own battles, he still had his back. “Thanks dad, that actually takes a bit of the stress away because this is the safest place in the world right now to me.”

“I figured that, BUT there is also another…important thing your mother and I want to talk to you about.” Frank Sr. tentatively said.

Frank’s brow furrowed at the both of them. “Really? What else is there?”

Mr. and Mrs. Iero shot each other a look of alarm before pointing it directly at their son, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. “Don’t you remember, hon? What the Doctor told us in the hospital?”

Frank opened his mouth to ask them what they were talking about when the memories came flashing back to him. The doctor, his parents freaking out, him crying…everyone discovering that he was 4 weeks pregnant. Frank’s eyes widened on that last one as he looked between his parents as several drops of tears began pouring from his eyes and down his cheeks. “N-No, I…I can’t be…”

Margo reluctantly nodded to confirm it for him. “Y-You are, son. You are.”

Frank shook his head in denial. He couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t possible. “H-How…”

“You’re 5 weeks along now, that’s all we know so far.” His father told him with a look of disgust on his face at the thought of who was to blame for putting the growing parasite in his child’s stomach.

“But who…” Frank’s heart stopped in his chest at the same time his mouth clamped shut before it could finish saying what he was about to say. He didn’t need to finish his question about who had put a baby in him, because he already knew him.

Poison.

“The man who took you, I’d imagine. The investigators already have your rape kit and are searching through their database for a DNA match.” His father answered him in a strained voice.

“Rape kit? A match…” Frank questioned, not quite following them since finding out he was pregnant seemed to take up all of his concentration. He was pregnant with a baby. Poison’s baby.

“Yes, the nurse helped you with the kit and found his DNA was still…inside you.” His mother struggled to say, her voice getting strained as well as she reached for her husband’s hand for support.

Frank sat back in his chair and continued to let his tears fall down his cheeks. “I…I was never ready for something like this. I-I was never ready to have sex with anyone! I had never planned to go through with anything like sex whether it was going on during after school sessions, or out at some guy’s party. I wasn’t ever ready to.” He looked up at his parents with shame and heartbreak written on his face. “I’m so sorry you guys, I-I’m so sorry.”

His mother came rushing towards him to his rescue from across the table, and leaned over to hold him against her. His father got up to collect two chairs for him and his wife to sit while they comforted their child together. Frank leaned on both of his parents, and gripped onto their hands for much needed support in his time of need, which they gave to him wholeheartedly. When he was finally calmed his sobs down enough, he began to listen to his parent’s words of assurance so that it would make himself feel better.

“It’s not your fault honey, this was beyond your control.” Margo cooed in a soft and gentle voice.

“But if I had told h-him…” Frank tried to retaliate but his father sternly shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter when it comes to those sick kinds of monsters. All they care about is what they want and will do just about anything to get it. Your condition wouldn’t have mattered to him in the end anyway. But right now what matters is that you have the control you didn’t have before when you were kidnapped and can now do something about the outcome of your attack.” His father urged him.

Frank frowned at him, not quite following. “Wait, what? What do you mean by that, dad?”

Margo closed her eyes for a minute to gather up her strength before opening them up again. “What your father means is, we both think it would be a good idea for you to get an abortion.”