Page 48 of Prognosis Temporary

Geri raised an eyebrow. ‘Slept like a baby?’

Callie turned and smiled sweetly at her colleague. ‘I’m officially ignoring you.’

Rodney breezed past them with a bakery bag. ‘Morning, ladies. Hot cinnamon rolls, baked fresh.’ He plonked the paper bag on the table and ripped it down the centre decanting them onto a plate.

The room filled with a warm yeasty fragrance that, one any other day, Callie would have inhaled with pleasure. But not today. Today a surge of nausea hit as Rodney offered her a roll, the sweet, sugary aroma repugnant in every way.

Recoiling, Callie dared not look at Geraldine as she excused herself to walk rapidly to the toilet. She just made it in time as her stomach revolted and discharged its paltry contents in great heaving spasms that seemed to go on forever.

Afterwards she pulled the lid down and sat on it, elbows on knees, cradling her head in her hands. Her legs were shaking. Her hands were sweaty. She wanted to die.

It couldn’t be. Surely?

A knock pulled her out of her misery. ‘Just a moment,’ she said, taking a couple of deep breaths and standing gingerly. She reached for the lock and opened the door.

Geraldine was there, holding up a pregnancy test kit. ‘I think you should do this.’

Callie looked at the packaged item that they always had in stock in their storeroom. Then she looked at her friend and shook her head.

‘Humour me,’ Geri insisted thrusting it in her direction. ‘If you’re so sure its negative, what have you got to lose?’

Callie swallowed. Somehow the mere thought of doing the test gave credence to this whole crazy thing. It gave it legitimacy and that scared the hell out of her.

‘This can’t be happening to me.’ To her horror she felt tears prick her eyes.

‘Maybe it isn’t. There’s only one way to find out.’

Callie reached for the packet. ‘I don’t want this.’

Geraldine nodded. ‘Sometimes you don’t get a say, Callie. And sometimes things happen that seem like a complete disaster at the time yet they turn out to be the best thing that ever happened.’

Two minutes later, a little pink plus sign swimming before her eyes, Callie’s worse fears were realised. She opened the door to find Geraldine waiting. Callie walked straight into Geri’s open arms and promptly burst into tears.

‘I can’t do this, Geri. I don’t want this.’

Geri listened silently as Callie sobbed and ranted and choked out incoherent words and jumbled, half-formed thoughts. She didn’t say anything until Callie had run out of steam.

‘Go home. It’s Friday. Take the weekend. Don’t make any rash decisions. Talk it over with Seb — ’

‘Oh, God!’ Callie wailed. ‘Sebastian. He wants kids even less than I do.’

So much for continuing after he left to go back to Melbourne. She’d be lucky if he actually spoke to her for the rest of his term. What on earth had possessed her to have unprotected sex that night? And why hadn’t she had her contraceptive implant replaced after the other one had come out last year?

‘This is a mess. A damn mess,’ Callie sniffed.

‘Maybe he might surprise you,’ Geri offered.

Callie shook her head. ‘We’ve talked about this. He...’ She couldn’t stop herself thinking about the moment she’d insisted on not using a condom. This was all her fault.

Her fault.

‘He’ll be pretty angry.’

‘You have to talk to him some time, Callie.’

Callie avoided the frank look in her friend’s eyes. ‘I know. I know. I just need to think first. I need to...work out what I’m going to do.’

Geri nodded. ‘Sure. But don’t forget, it’s his baby too.’

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