SAVAGE 3

7

[Hey, y'all💕.]

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[I am not a licensed doctor.]

"Hi, how have you been?" Dr. Nguyen marveled as her eyes widened from the surprise. Her patient was pregnant—approximately eight months pregnant.

"I'm fine, and you?"

I feel great." Dr. Nguyen replied as she continued to smile. She closed the door to her office and stepped over to her desk. She wasn't pregnant anymore—from what Jersey could see. The doctor sported regular clothing, and she seemed slimmer than before the pregnancy.

"It's great to see you again." The doctor continued with a head nod. "I'm glad you decided to resume your appointments. I've been worried about you."

Hearing the doctor profess her worriedness about Jersey did hit her by surprise. From what Jersey could understand, people didn't care for her. Only Malcolm, Amber, and Frida were the only people who showed her empathy.

Jersey raised her eyebrows and said, "Really? You've been worried about me?"

"I have." The doctor responded as she rummaged through a folder that was sitting on her desk. "We lost touch last year, around November. You never bothered to show up to your last appointment."

Jersey looked down at her fingers. They were resting on her high yet protruding belly. She didn't bother to schedule another appointment because she didn't want to see her doctor anymore. She just didn't have the energy to better herself—if that makes any sense.

The room was silent. No one bothered to speak. Dr. Nguyen waited on a response from Jersey while Jersey sat there fiddling with her fingers.

"Now, can you tell what's changed in your life? What do you have going on?"

"Well, I'm expecting a baby...." Jersey trailed out dryly.

"I see." Doctor Nguyen marveled with a smile on her face. "What are you expecting?"

Jersey's eyes fluttered in confusion as she sat there. The young woman was trying to figure out why her doctor was so excited about her being pregnant.

"A boy."

"A boy..." The doctor reiterated as she processed the information. "Well, congratulations to you, Jersey."

"...Thanks."

"Now, how are you feeling mentally?"

"I don't know," Jersey responded as she shook her head. "I um...honestly don't know how to feel right now."

"About what?"

"About...this situation in my life."

"Do you want to explain?"

Jersey nodded her head stiffly as she adjusted her body on the sofa. She parted her lips to speak while focusing on her alerted doctor, who was writing down everything.

"I'm not happy about being pregnant," Jersey admitted, blinking a few times. "I keep having thoughts about not wanting him."

The doctor didn't respond immediately. She was busy trying to understand the young woman.

"Well, Jersey. It's normal to feel this way about the baby during your pregnancy." Doctor Nguyen replied, trying to diagnose her behavior. "It's normal not to want to be pregnant or not want your baby. Can you tell me why you are having these thoughts?"

"I have plans for my life, doctor," Jersey stated with a strain in her voice as if it hurt her to speak. "I have a few life goals I want to achieve before becoming a parent. Like finishing college, becoming a lawyer, and possibly being mentally stable. I don't feel like I'm ready mentally because I still...have some maturing to do. I don't know what to do with a baby and how to care for it, and it makes me anxious when I think about it."