My One and Only {An Ed Sheeran Fan Fiction}

Chapter Sixteen- Handling It

A/n; hi guys, i'm out of school for summer yay!!!! So hopefully more frequent updates woohoooo!!!!! And sorry if this chapter is kind of half assed, I have a bunch of stories and I want to update them all before I go on vacation! Also... please go check out the prologue to my new Niall fanfic! It's titles "Fan Account" and it's coming in July!!! and there may also be a Liam fanfic on the way, but who knows.... I'll let you read, thanks for everything, ily.

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*Paige's Point Of View*

I went back to work the following Monday. I was still in a bit of discomfort, but nothing I couldn't handle. When Mary asked when I'd be coming back, I told her I could start ASAP, on one condition: No one would treat me differently.

I couldn't be given easier tasks, I couldn't be given longer breaks, I couldn't be given shorter hours. I wanted to be equal. Yes, I'd taken two weeks off. Yes, I'd had a miscarriage. And, yes, a bit of a breakdown.

But I was better. Not well, but still better, I guess.

Ed was supportive, but he suggested I wait a little longer.

"Ed, I can't sit around forever," I'd sighed.

"I know," he'd pushed a lock of hair out of my face. "Just don't work to hard, okay?"

"I can't promise anything," I'd chuckled.

Then, he kissed me softly, and said, "Try, for me?"

So, here I was, in my clean scrubs, hair tied out of my face, shoving my bag into a locker. A couple  people said hello, and I responded accordingly.

Mary told me I was needed in one of the delivery rooms after she greeted me and gave me the whole speech about not working too hard and yada yada yada. I basically ignored her, save for a few polite nods and a mumbled agreement. She shooed me away, and I thanked her.

As I walked down the hallway, I received stares, but I kept my gaze straight forward.

"Hey, Paige!" One of the other nurses called.

I bit my lip. I was so close to the delivery room. Close but no cigar, I guess. I turned around slowly, jutting my chin towards the direction I was previously heading in. "Hey, I gotta go."

"Oh, okay," She was younger, a new nurse, probably, and looked slightly disappointed. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm great, how are you?" I wanted it to seem as if there was nothing wrong, nothing going, on, and this was a normal conversation. Obviously, that wasn't the case- it never was- but it was worth a shot- right?

"Uh," She seemed confused. "Fine? Well, anyway, is there anything I can help you with? I mean, you probably should take it easy since-"

"I can handle it, I don't need to take it easy." I snapped.

Her eyes widened. She looked a bit like Bambi, actually. "S-sorry." She scurried back down the hall towards the nurses station. 

"No, wait," I called, instantly feeling awful. Why did I have to snap? That shows that I actually can't handle it, when I really thought I could. Sighing, giving up, really, I went down the hall to the delivery room. The woman inside was probably my age, brunette, unlike me. She looked scared as hell, probably because she was alone. 

"Sweetie, you want to tell me your name?" I asked, washing my hands thoroughly and slipping gloves over them. 

"Alexis," She heaved. 

"I'm Paige, and I'm going to deliver your baby, okay?"

She nodded, biting her lip. "You know, I didn't want to come alone, but I didn't want to bother my mum, either. She doesn't really want much to do with me, ya know? Now that I'm having a man who I'm not married to's baby. Isn't that something? Twenty years old, and I'm supposed to either be married or a virgin. Really something." She rambled.

So I was wrong. She was younger than me, much closer to Ed's age than mine. 

"My family wanted me to have an abortion, but I wouldn't do it. I don't want this baby. I don't want any baby, but I didn't want it to die.I just didn't want it." Alexis continued as she leaned her head back, and I could see tears forming.

I know this sounds terrible, especially from someone who's been through something similar, but Alexis' story struck me as selfish, and I hated myself for thinking such a thing. How could you not want your own child, when someone else wanted theirs so  badly, but couldn't have it? And, of course, this is ridiculous, because I did have an abortion when I was sixteen. But, now, I just wanted to go back, and change what I did.

"So you're giving this baby up for adoption?" I clarified with her as I glanced down at her chart.

"Yes," She breathed, and then another contraction started. 

"Okay, it's going to be time to push very soon," I looked up at her. 

"Just, answer this first," Alexis said. 

I waited expectantly, arms crossed, wondering what she could possibly ask me.

"Do you have kids?" 

Shaking my head, I answered, "No."

"Ever been pregnant?" 

"Yep," And, thankfully, that's when I asked her to push.

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*Ed's Point Of View*

I had a break from recording, so I figured I'd surprise Paige at work with lunch. I stopped to pick up some sandwiches, and headed over to the hospital. 

"Hey, have you seen Paige?" I asked someone at the nurses station. 

"I think she's in the locker room. Down the hall and to the left," She pointed.

I thanked her, and wondered why Paige wasn't in the cafeteria, where everyone else who was on their lunch break probably was. I knocked once on the door, and ruffled my hair. With a lack of a response, I pushed the door open.

There she was,on a bench, knees brought up to her chest, head in her hands. I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was crying. I could hear the sobs, even across the room, for god's sake.

"Paige?" I whispered. She didn't look up, so I went over to her. I hugged her to my chest, stroking her hair. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" 

"I thought I could handle it," She choked out after a long period of silence. Her voice was small, and thick with tears. "But, I guess it turns out that I can't."