525 Checking in on Reality

(Lisa)

The lights are too bright, the sheets too crisp, and everything feels weird. I blink slowly, my head pounding. My mouth tastes like I've been chewing cotton balls for breakfast. Where the hell am I?

Then it hits me. The office. The meeting. Lance.

I sit up too fast, and the room spins like I'm on some twisted carnival ride. I feel something in my arm and see an IV. There are monitors and things stuck on me. Shit, I'm in a hospital.

A groan slips out before I can stop it, and suddenly there's a nurse by my side, her face all sympathy and no-nonsense professionalism.

"Easy now," she says, pressing a cool hand to my wrist. "You fainted, remember? You weren't responsive for a while. But the drip has done its job."

Fainted? Right. That's what normal people do when they think they've seen their dead ex-lover casually standing in a boardroom like it's just another Tuesday.

"Okay... fainted," I mumble, rubbing my temples. "Great. That's just... fantastic."

The nurse offers me a small smile. "Your bloods all came back fine. Dehydration and a lack of proper nutrition likely caused your fainting spell. When was the last time you ate?"

"Ahhh, well, yesterday, lunch... or maybe it was breakfast. Stress eating isn't exactly my thing," I mutter. "More like stress not-eating." And stress seeing-ghosts.

She hands me a bottle of water. "I'll get you some sandwiches. Try to drink some water."

"I can't eat sandwiches."

"If you want to get discharged, you'll have to. Get your strength back."

Strength? Who has time for that when you're apparently hallucinating ghosts?

I take a sip from the water bottle, the cool liquid easing the dryness in my throat. "Okay. Sandwiches it is." I need to get out of here. "How did I get here?"

The nurse tilts her head. "Ambulance. Your friend Winona is waiting out there. But you'll have to see the doctor before anyone can come in here with you."

I nod and as if on cue, the curtain pulls sideways and in walks a doctor, all white coat and efficiency. "Lisa Forbes, right?"

I nod weakly.

it holds the answers to all of life's mysteries. "Well, Ms. Forbes, everything looks good now. No infections, no viruses, just a classic case of exhaustion and a little malnutrition. But," he

my gut telling me whatever he's about

""You're pregnant."

you fucking kidding me?" I

words slap me harder than the office floor did. My whole body goes cold. I think I'm going to faint again. My monitor beeps and the nurse

that's "I choke out a laugh. "That can't be right.

"Positive, Ms. Forbes."

to stay confidential." How can I tell Winona I'm pregnant with a

sense. The nausea, the exhaustion. I've been brushing it off as stress, but

a few shaky breaths and

not okay. Not even close to okay. But I'll never get out

your results confidential as per your request," he says. "It's early, around twelve weeks according

ve

Forbes... Lisa, this is

numbly.

are stable and

"Thanks."

now I

shit in the world, this

at the ceiling, my mind racing. Motherhood? No. That's not me. love my carefree life. I'm supposed to

an

can I really just hand over Lance's baby to someone

have an

finishes jotting down notes and pats my arm gently. "Just relax. Here are your sandwiches. Eat up. I'll be

leave, I bury my face in my hands. "What the actual

tight with concern, but there's something else- lingering in her eyes. I hope

the hell out of me, Lisa,"

club. I must be going crazy

steady. "You weren't hallucinating," she says softly. "That was

at her.

shakes her head. "No. Logan.

falls open. "You're shitting

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