The Soul-The Host Fanfiction

Chapter 34: Fed

Chapter 34 Fed

Ian had to get clean clothes from our room, so the three of us walked together, enjoying each other's company. When we got there, Ian grabbed a fresh shirt and pants, dropped a quick kiss onto my hair, and ducked back out the door.

I sat on the bed and Melanie settled beside me, shoulder pressed against mine, stroking my hair. I was so accustomed to people playing with my hair by now that most of the time I hardly noticed it, but I leaned into Melanie's touch. I missed this closeness, just me and her existing together.

The quiet was broken by my stomach rumbling loudly.

Melanie laughed. "Hungry, Wanda?"

I blushed. "I...well, actually I...don't think I've eaten all day." I shrugged sheepishly at Melanie's sharp look. "I meant to, after we finished with Sunny, but..." I trailed off.

"Well, you're going to eat now. C'mon, I'm hungry too." Melanie hopped to her feet, extending a hand to pull me up beside her. "I doubt there's anyone in the kitchen at this hour. I think most people ate before the tribunal, but I'm sure we can find something." She started out of the cave, holding the door for me. When I joined her in the hall she let the red-painted wood fall back over the opening behind us and together we set off toward the kitchen.

As Melanie had guessed, the kitchen was empty when we arrived. It seemed everyone had gone straight to bed after the tribunal. We rummaged through the storage containers full of food until we found something suitable; a loaf of bread to share and some canned peaches. Melanie cut the can open while I grabbed bowls to pour the fruit into. We found our usual spot on the counter and I handed Mel half of the loaf.

I watched as she meticulously tore the bread into bits and dropped them in the bowl with her peaches, letting the spongy bread soak up the sweet syrup before using a spoon to dig the chunks out along with bites of peach. I wrinkled my nose and Melanie laughed at my expression. This was one eating habit I hadn't inherited from her. I found the soggy bread gross and disliked the grainy texture of crumbs mixed in with the syrup. I ate my peaches and bread separately, drinking the syrup when I'd emptied my bowl of fruit.

Melanie and I deposited our bowls with the slowly growing pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen. I didn't like leaving a mess for someone else to clean up later, but I'd gotten used to the chore rotation and grudgingly left the work for tomorrow's dishwashers. As we were leaving, Melanie grabbed a banana from where the last few bunches of them sat in the corner. They would go bad soon if someone didn't eat them. 

"For cramps." she explained, shaking the yellow fruit at me. I nodded absently. I vaguely remembered Mel's mother telling her that the potassium in bananas helped with cramps a long time ago, though whether it was true or just an old wive's tale I wasn't sure. Pet had never tried it, and neither had I, but maybe I would the next time my cycle came around, especially since those bananas needed to be eaten anyway. They might not even last that long. Idly, I counted back, trying to figure out how long I had before--

I stopped in my tracks. That couldn't be right. I counted again and came up with the same answer. And then I realized I hadn't even needed to count because I usually started about a week before Mel did. 

"Wanda? What is it?" Melanie had stopped too. She was standing beside me, watching me with concern.

"I think." I swallowed. "I think I might be pregnant."

Melanie's face lit up, her hazel eyes sparkling with excitement. "You're late?" I nodded. "Oh my god, Wanda." She threw her arms around me and picked me up off the ground, spinning me around. It was disorienting to be small enough to be carried by the body I had once thought of as mine. I could feel Melanie's excitement flooding off of her and it was soaking into me, making it all real.

"Oh my god." I whispered. Then, louder, "Oh my god!"

"I know!" Melanie was holding me at arm length now, my feet once again planted safely on the ground, studying my face. "How late are you?"

"Um, like...almost two weeks." I admitted. Melanie's eyes widened. "There's been so much going on that I didn't even notice, but I just realized..." I trailed off, unable to put my thoughts into words.

"Okay. Okay that's pretty sure then." She was nodding now. "But it doesn't hurt to be absolutely sure."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. She raised an eyebrow at me. Oh. "We have pregnancy tests? When? How?"

Melanie rolled her eyes. "You're not the only one who shops, you know. And I figured it'd be a good thing to have. I mean, there's getting to be a lot of couples around here. You and Ian, me and Jared, Doc and Sharon, okay, so Marie and Caitlin wouldn't need one, but still. Somebody was going to use them eventually."

I had to admit, it made sense. "Okay, yeah, you have a point." My eyes widened. "Ian. I have to tell Ian!"

Melanie laughed, pulling me close again. "Calm down, mom-to-be, he'll be thrilled."

Suddenly I felt as if I couldn't breathe. I knew, somewhere deep inside me, that this was a good thing, something that to celebrate. But the panic that seized my body, so incongruous with Melanie's joyful expression, extinguished that sentiment. I had no reason to be panicked. I loved Ian and I knew that he would be a wonderful father. We were in a safe place, a place I felt comfortable raising a child together. A child that I wanted desperately. And yet the thought had me trembling, even as I struggled to understand the source of my panic.

"Hey," Melanie was looking at me worriedly, hands on my shoulders again. I fought to push my fear aside, not wanting to worry her, "are you okay? You look spooked. You're not actually worried about how Ian will react, are you? Because I know him almost as well as you do and I know he's going to be happier than we've ever seen him."

I shook my head, taking a deep breath and hoping my voice didn't betray me. "No, I know that. M'just...surprised, I guess." That was true. I knew with every part of me that Ian would be nothing less than ecstatic at the idea of having a child. I tried to smile at her. "It's kind of a shock."

Melanie looked a little uncertain, but she must have decided not to push it because she just shrugged and dropped her hands. Probably she resolved to question me later, knowing her. I was grateful for that much. "Okay. Why don't we go find out for sure?" She tipped her head toward the southern tunnel. "The tests are in the hospital with the other medical supplies."

I nodded shakily, still unsure why I was so panicked. Maybe knowing for sure would help. "Okay," I said "let's go then."

Melanie nodded and, threading her fingers through mine, she set off through the southern tunnel and toward the hospital wing.