Untouchable

Chapter 20: Counsel

Chapter Twenty: Counsel

"Caterina Oliver?" the nurse called.

Shaking the cobwebs from my brain, I tried to ignore the feeling my memory had thrust upon me.

Ali smiled at me eager to get on with the appointment. This time I literally shook my head pushing away the thoughts of hopeless women and my flight from the clinic.

Before I got home that day I'd received no less than twenty messages from my mother begging, cajoling, and threatening me to come back. She even managed to hold my appointment for another two hours, but I never showed.

She barely spoke to me for the next week while I tried to figure out how to come and live with Dad. I didn't know what to do with her, and she didn't know what to do with me.

"Caterina Oliver?" the nurse called again.

I hoisted myself up as Ali tried to help. That midget didn't do much. She propped up my crutches, and I hobbled over to the entrance to the doctor's examining rooms.

Crutches were one of the worst things in the world to have to endure. They make your hands and armpits sore. You can easily rub your hands to ease some of the tension out, but have you ever tried rubbing your armpits? It doesn't work.

I grimaced as I made my way down the hall. Ali kept chirping encouraging sentiments, but it just kinda made me want to bite her head off. A whole lot.

"Oh, Cate, this is so exciting!" she rambled on at my side, no longer making any attempt to help me.

The nurse looked at me with concern, which didn't really help the situation. She beamed at Ali like she was a goddess. I had to admit, she is one of a kind. How many pregnant teenagers can say they have a friend willing to attend doctor's appointments with them? Other than on overly cheerful, product riddled primetime television?

"Caterina, why don't you set your things in this room, and we'll take your weight before we start." The nurse pointed towards the room then scale in the hallway.

I set down my bag and took off my shoes, hoping to eliminate as much extraneous weight as possible. I knew I was pregnant, but what woman wants to see their weight increase exponentially?

That's right, no one.

While I followed the nurse's instructions, Ali began to subtly ask about the previous evening. Well, subtle for Ali.

"So, how'd you like Sedona?"

I shrugged, trying to not show the enthusiasm I could feel bursting from me.

"Will's been really nervous. Not that he told me or anything." She frowned. "He doesn't include me much anymore. But I could tell! He kept replaying some obnoxious song in his room all week, and he got up extra early every morning to run. He almost went to school all sweaty on Thursday, but I told him we weren't leaving for school with him that disgusting."

I blushed, thinking of sweaty Will. Ducking my head, I tried to hide the burn.

"Cate, I can see that! You have to tell me what happened!" She gave me a semblance of help when the nurse asked me to change into one of those awful hospital gowns. Honestly, they are undignified.

"We had a picnic." I smiled.

"And?"

"We watched the sunset."

"And?" She tapped her foot impatiently as she gave me an oomph onto the examining table.

I looked at her disdainfully. "I got stung by a scorpion."