The Compromise

Monday morning came too early for Jessica. She didn't like to use her sick days, but after four days of waking up to nausea and spending more time in the bathroom, she knew she needed to get to a doctor. She called her sister in law when she got into Wheeling the night before to see if she could come into her office the next morning. She was relieved that Lisa was accommodating.

But now Jess was curled around the toilet feeling worse than ever. She managed to call off and arrange for a sub in short notice. She just had to get through the sickness and then she could go to the doctor. She was confident they would be able to pinpoint this and hopefully get her back on track to good health.

Jess was grateful her sister-in-law, who worked as a physician assistant in her PCP's office, for making sure she got Jess into her own schedule in the morning. Just describing the symptoms to Lisa wasn't going to provide a diagnosis; she knew that tests were going to be ordered. She was confident that pregnancy was going to be ruled out, and she was pleased that she was able to appease Sid of his worries.

She thought back to Friday evening and the look on his face when he was trying to ask her if she was, the way he instantly relaxed when she assured him she was meticulous with her birth control, and the way he recovered by telling her he would be there if she were ever to get pregnant. They ended up falling asleep and being roused from that sleep by a loud pounding on the hotel room door. Taylor wanted in so she could change for bed. That was the last she really got to spend with Sid during her break. She watched him from afar as the team cruised by New Jersey on Saturday, but fell short against the Flyers on Sunday. They boarded separate planes at different times and Jess was home in her own place before she heard from Sid again. She told him over the phone her plan to see a doctor the next day and how she was refraining from returning to school until she knew what was wrong.

Jess was up and getting ready for her appointment when she heard keys at her door and the lock being turned. Aside from her landlord the only other person with a key was Sid. She stepped out of her bathroom where she was fixing her hair to see him walk into the condo and turn the lock back into place.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jess asked as she walked to meet him in her living room.

"Today was optional so I got permission to not be there at all so I could go with you," Sid said as he drew her body close to his. Jess breathed him in and felt the bundle of nerves relax some. She hadn't even realized she was so nervous about the appointment until she felt her tense shoulders relax at his words. She kissed his cheek and told him she would be ready to go in ten minutes.

"You didn't have to come down here to go with me," Jess started as she walked back out to the living room where Sidney sat on her couch waiting. He stood when he heard her speak to him.

"I know, but I know you are worried about this and I just wanted to be there for you," Sid shrugged his shoulders as Jess stopped in front of him. She slipped her arms around his waist and smiled at him.

"Thank you, but they are probably going to be doing a bunch of tests today. I won't know anything until next week most likely."

"Again, I can be here for you today so I want to be here. Now let's go," Sid explained as he gently pushed Jess towards the front door and his car.

••••••••••

Jessica sat on the exam table waiting for Lisa to come in to take some vitals and begin determining what was wrong. She wondered what Sid was doing in the waiting room. He wasn't permitted back to the exam room since they weren't married which Jess knew would happen. That was another reason why she knew it was pointless to be there regardless of how sweet he was about it.

The exam room door swung open and a short blonde haired woman walked in. "Hellooooo sista!"

Jess rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law's enthusiasm. "Hey."

"I just saw Sidney. I can't say this around your brother, but damn he is hot."

"Oh my God. You're too much!" Jess exclaimed as Lisa attached a blood pressure cuff to her arm. Lisa took her reading and wrote it down on Jess' chart.

"No, seriously. He is adorable and completely sweet on you. Do you know Braden spends more time talking about Sidney than what he learned in school?"

"He loves those boys,” Jess said as she thought how in such a short time he grew attached to her nephews, “He was worried about me so he came down to be here."

"Well so am I. We are going to figure out what is up, okay?"

Jess nodded. Lisa handed her a specimen cup and said, "I know you said you aren't, but we are going to officially rule out pregnancy okay?"

Jess rolled her eyes and agreed, taking the cup to the nearest restroom. When she came back Lisa already had a myriad of blood tests ordered and rather than having Jess go to the lab to get the tests drawn, she decided to do it herself. After drawing two vials of blood a nurse popped her head into the room asking to speak to Lisa in the hallway.

Minutes seemed like hours and when Lisa finally returned to the room she had a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Jess asked. She wasn't sure what all could be tested from urine, but she felt that the preliminary tests they used it for showed something.

"Jess, you're pregnant," Lisa said.

"WHAT?! That's impossible! I take my pill every day at the exact same time!" Jess knew that something wasn't right.

"Yes, but can you recall your last period?" Lisa asked. Jess wracked her brain to provide the information, but came up short.

"I am on my second week of my pack so I had one three weeks ago. But it wasn't heavy, actually there wasn't really a period at all. But I didn't think anything of it because I've had months like that before. Where I barely have a period. I thought birth control was like 99.99% effective!" Jess felt like the walls in the small square room were closing in on her. She needed to take a deep breath and try to relax.

"You're right, birth control is supposed to prevent pregnancies. Have you been on any other medication recently? There is nothing indicating that you were in your file," Lisa was scribbling away in Jess' file again.

"You got me a z-pack back in January for my sinus infection. I didn't come into the office for that, you just called in the prescription."

"And you had sex within ten days of taking the medication." Lisa looked up at Jess.

"Yes, I mean. I get to see my boyfriend on rare occasions and he actually had the day off on my birthday," Jess recalled Sidney coming down the night before surprising her after his lengthy road trip. The first one he had been on in over a month.

"I understand, but didn't I tell you to wrap it up when you were on the antibiotic?" Jess couldn't remember exactly what was said between the two when Lisa called in a prescription for Jess.

"Maybe. I don't remember. Why does that matter though?"

"Because the antibiotic basically canceled the birth control out. You should either abstain from sex for at least a month or use added protection, like a condom, if the need arises." Jess felt sick and the admonishment she was getting from her sister was making her feel like a little child.

"I guess that doesn't really matter now." Jess felt her eyes well up with tears and her lips began to quiver.

"I'm going to go get Sidney," Lisa started to leave the room.

"NO! Don't. I'll tell him at home."

"Jess you're a mess right now. He is going to know something is up when you walk out there. And if he is anything like any other man I know he is going to hound you until you tell him what is wrong. The sooner he finds out, the better." Lisa didn't let Jess say anything more and left the room to retrieve Sid from the waiting area.

When Sid came into the room he looked nervous. Lisa followed him in so that she could be there to answer any questions either of them might have. Sid stood next to Jess and reached for her clasped hands to hold. She knew he had no idea what to expect.

"Do you want to tell him or should I do it?" Lisa asked Jess as she sat in the desk chair.

"I'll do it," Jess mumbled. She looked down at their entwined fingers then up to Sidney's worried eyes. "Sid, I am pregnant." About twenty different emotions from confusion to sadness and anger and a little hint of joy flashed across his face.

"But, how?" He finally asked.

"Apparently we should have used protection when I was on my z-pack back in January."

"We can't really pinpoint how far along you are without some blood tests and an ultrasound. But given that you are on the pill and that was the only time you were on any other prescription, I am making a safe bet that you conceived then."

"Can we have those tests done then?" Sid asked. He tightened his grip on Jess' hands.

"Blood tests yes, but an ultrasound probably won't show anything this early. And we don’t have that resource here, but I can give you a referral to an obstetrician. I’ll finish drawing the blood and if you guys want to wait we can determine how far along you may be."

They agreed and Lisa busied herself with the remaining vials for blood samples. "Okay, if you guys want to go wait out in the waiting room or go to the cafeteria or something I can call you, Jess, when I have your results."

They agreed and left the room in silence never letting go of each other. Without speaking Jess led Sidney down to the cafeteria and sat at a table secluded from the rest of the busy area. Many employees and some patients were wandering around the area grabbing lunch.

“I’m so sorry,” Jess finally whispered. She was looking down at the gray speckled table and avoided looking at Sidney.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“You didn’t ask for this, I understand. You don’t have to stick around if you’d rather go.”

“Stop it! What did I tell you the other day?”

“That you’d be there to support me if I were ever to get pregnant. But this is different!”

“How is this any different?” Jess could hear how he was getting agitated with her.

“You have too much to worry about right now! And not to mention to scrutiny you’ll be under for this! I’m relieving you of your duties.” Jess didn’t notice Sidney rise from his seat and turn to tower over her. He pushed her chair back, bent down and front of her and forced her to look at him.

“So the timing isn’t right. And so we have only been together for a few months, but, Jess, I am not kidding you when I say that I am going to be with you through this. And I am going to be a father to my child whether you like it or not. So just stop trying to make excuses because that isn’t going to work.” Jess stared wide-eyed at Sidney and just nodded in understanding. Sid stood up and turned back to his seat. Jess watched him as he sat sideways in his seat so that he could lean against the wall behind him. He glanced over at Jess and gave her a quizzical look. “What?”

“We’re going to be parents,” Jess whispered. No real emotion came through when she said it. Sid closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the wall and laughed.

Notes