Fiona shushed her. “Babe, answer me honestly. When was your last period?”
Tegan raised her gaze to look Fiona in the face. “What if that was him? What if that was Owen just lying there... helpless? Sorry, what?”
Fiona touched her face and said softly, “I think you could be pregnant.”
The words didn’t really register, but somehow Tegan managed to come up with the only response that made sense. “I can’t be. He always pulled out. Well, not always.”
“We have to get a test,” Fiona said.
“No. I can’t be.”
“You just said he didn’t always pull out.”
“But when he left it in, you... can’t get pregnant that way.”
“You opened the back door for him?” Fiona was momentarily shocked, and slightly impressed, but then concerned again in a flash. “Pre-cum can still do it. I know it’s scary but it’s the only explanation that makes sense for how you’ve been feeling, and if you haven’t had your period for a while...”
“Oh my God. What if I am? How can I tell him? What would I say?”
“We’ll jump off that bridge when we come to it.”
“How? How can I? Hey, how’s training? I think you left something when you were over last?”
“Let’s worry about that after we get a test, OK? We’ll go right now. There’s an all- night pharmacy around the corner.”
Tegan nodded, sniffling and wiping her nose. She flushed and washed her hands before Fiona led her out. They reached the street, and Fiona gave a friendly wave to the bouncers but quickly returned to supporting Tegan, both spiritually and physically, by holding her hand as they walked.
Tegan kept her gaze down, staring at the sidewalk and her feet. She didn’t even feel like she was moving. A sense of disconnect filled her. Like this wasn’t real. Or, maybe, she didn’t want to believe it. Lights ahead re-focused her attention, and within two minutes they had reached the pharmacy, and Tegan held the test in her hand. Fiona having ripped the box open.
“Here,” she said.
“What do you want me to do?” Tegan asked.
“You’ve never taken a pregnancy test before?”
“No. I know what to do, but... you want me to do it here? Right now?”
“Yeah, now. Drop your daks and let’s get this over with. Come on, let’s go around this corner. We’ll find a tree. It’s dark. No one will see you. And I’ll shield you anyway. Sisterhood and all that shit. Just think like we’re on a night out, and you’re desperate to pee. Find anywhere. Just... gotta aim this time.”
True to her word, Fiona never left her side. Standing with her back to Tegan as Tegan slipped her panties down, using one hand to support herself and the other to position the test. “You know, men have it easy,” Fiona started, as if talking to herself. “If they had to take pregnancy tests they could just... flop it out. Psssssst. That’s it. Chicks get so fuckin’ jipped by nature it’s not funny.”
Tegan rose and gripped the test hard, waiting for the correct time to check it. Fiona stopped trying to be funny. She stopped talking altogether. It was the longest three minutes of Tegan’s life. But then, finally, she used her torch phone to check the screen. That tiny square that held so much information. So much numbing fear.
Tegan dropped the test and went to her knees. Fiona rushed over to her, found the test, and picked it up, seeing what Tegan saw. She lowered herself and took Tegan in a soft embrace, trying to comfort her.
“Oh God. What am I gonna do?” Tegan asked through tears.
Fiona didn’t reply, save for rubbing her back, letting Tegan cry.
* * *
Tegan clutched her bag tightly as the doctor, Lucy, walked into the office, closing the door behind her.
“So, Tegan, what can I do for you today?”
Tegan swallowed. “I took a home pregnancy test, and it said it was positive. So, I’m here to double check, I guess.”
Dr. Lucy nodded and tapped away on her keyboard, updating Tegan’s file. “You’re due for your next pap smear soon, did you want to get that out of the way too?”