"Jessie, you've got to wake up, girl," Jessie felt David's arms around her pulling her to a sitting position. A deep, weary exhaustion filled her whole body. 

"I got in a bit of a fender bender earlier,” she mumbled.  “It must have affected me more than I thought." 

She tried to sound casual while attempting to stand. Jessie's legs teetered under her, threatening another fall.

"Hey. Hey. Just take it slow. We're taking you to the doctor’s, okay?" David's face was clouded with concern. 

"I'm fine, really," she smiled wearily. "Don't you have a class?" 

"Not important," he said brusquely. "We're going to the doctor’s right now."

     Jessie smiled in spite of herself as he lifted her into his arms. His matter of fact tone belied the deep worry she could tell he felt. Maybe this wasn't as casual a thing to him as she thought. Maybe he could handle what she needed to tell him. 

     She had to tell him. That much she'd determined after crashing into a poor, stalled vehicle's car. The driver had been rightfully livid, although very limited damage was done. After exchanging details, Jessie calmly got back into her car and resumed the journey. Strangely, the accident had cleared her mind enough to help her make some very solid decisions. 

     David would have to be told. She had thought of a quiet abortion, but he at least deserved to know that she had gotten pregnant. Pushing aside every pro-life debate she had heard growing up, she decided she had to look out for herself on this one. The baby, "no fetus," she chided her own mind, would have to go. 

     Now, as they arrived at the Urgent Care, David supported Jessie with his strong arms, once again causing her to rethink her formerly solid decisions. Maybe he was strong enough to take on this kid thing. Glancing at him covertly, her heart did an expectant leap at the sight of his dear face. It had only been a weekend, but oh, how she had missed him. Was this more than a passing romance? Could this possibly be love? They had only been together a year and they were still young, so young. In her mind, two futures hung in the balance; one held a life and family with this man, the other a whirl of adventure. Which should she choose? Already, this news had aged her. She felt grown up over night. 

   During several hours of waiting, David teased Jessie endlessly, putting on the accent of a southern belle, and saying she was a "delicate wohmahn" who fainted at the sight of a dead fly. After all she had gone through that weekend, David's cheek was a welcome distraction. At last, her name was called. 

 "I'm going with you." David smiled as he grabbed her arm again. 

"Oh, no. I'm fine. Really." 

     Jessie gave a worried look. She had planned to go in alone and have a private consultation with the doctor. If there was a time and a place to break the news to your boyfriend that you were carrying his child, this was not it. 

"You're like Bambi learning to walk," he laughed. "There's no way I'm not coming with you."

     This time of waiting was even more intense. Jessie's stomach did flips as she resisted the urge to bolt through the door. 

"David, maybe you shouldn't stay." she looked at him hopefully. "I mean after all, what if they asked me all sorts of woman stuff?" 

Taking her hands in his, David looked into her eyes. 

"If I find my girlfriend on the floor in a dead faint, I'd like to know what's wrong." 

   Once again, she admired this unlooked for strength. There could have been a lifetime of happiness in those eyes. Would this news spoil everything? A new, complicated emotion came into play. She felt....guilty, as if this was somehow her fault. She was ruining their future with this stupid, unplanned pregnancy. 

"It's not as if it reproduced via mitosis," she thought to herself. No, it took two to tango and this tango came at a high price. As the doctor came in, Jessie broke into a cold sweat. The moment of truth had come.  

"Well, your blood pressure is high, but perhaps I make you nervous," he smiled kindly. "Now is there any chance you're pregnant?"