Joe laughed, “A tattoo doesn’t make you sick like that Ella. Have you eaten something dodgy?”
“Probably.” I crawled back to the bed not even having the energy to brush my teeth, and hid under the covers.
“You stay in bed, get some rest until you feel better.” He said stroking my hair.
“I don’t have much choice, I feel terrible.” I replied feeling very sorry for myself and closed my eyes to try and will the sickie feeling away.
Joe was really attentive all day, checking in on me and bringing me drinks and biscuits to nibble on when I started to feel up to light food. By early evening I was feeling a lot better and managed a shower to freshen up, before joining Joe in the living area and eating a good portion of lasagne.
Monday morning and there I was again, running for the bathroom to empty the contents of my stomach. That horrible nausea making me feel wretched again, just the same as the day before.
Joe walked in this time, no running, and leaned up against the door frame.
“I’m dying.” I groaned as I lay my head on my hands that were gripping the toilet for dear life. Such a classy look…not.
“You’re pregnant aren’t you?” He said and a slight smile came and then disappeared.
“No! It’s a bug, I’m sure of it.” I wasn’t.
“A bug that only strikes in the morning, doesn’t sound like any bug I’ve ever heard of.”
He knelt down next to me as I moaned in protest at the crappy nausea that was swirling around my body.
“Could you be pregnant Ella?” He pressed.
I shrugged, “Maybe.” I didn’t want to face that prospect, it had to be a bug, I’d been really good at remembering my pills. Apart from a few times when I was staying over and I forgot, but it can’t have made that much difference surely? God I was the clumsiest most scatter brained person I knew.
“I’m going to get a test now, I want to know.” He said standing up, then knelt down again, “are you going to be okay if I pop out? Do you nee
d me?”
“No, you go. I’m just going to stay here and die.” I moaned.
He had the audacity to laugh at me. I was not impressed and my evil glare told him as much. It didn’t stop him getting dressed in record time though whistling cheerfully as he did, and then heading off on his errand. I just sat on the floor of the bathroom, scared to move to the bedroom in case the sickness overtook me again.
Twenty minutes later I heard the front door close and Joe stalked into the bathroom looking like it was Christmas morning. He proceeded to open up the paper bag he had brought in with him, which contained not one, or two but five pregnancy testing kits, all different brands.
“You only need one to find out you know.” I said sarcastically, not enjoying this morning’s activity half as much as he was.
“One might be a dud, I thought it best to get a few, you know best of five.”
“It’s not a bet, they are all pretty accurate even the cheap ones.”
I stood up and grabbed the first box from beside the sink, ripped open the box and tore off the plastic holding the plastic stick.
“Aren’t you going to read the instructions?” He asked perplexed.
“I’m pretty sure they’re all the same. Pee on stick, wait a few minutes and voila, your life could change forever.” I didn’t know whether I was ready for the last part.
“Okay let’s do it then.” He started opening box after box and tearing the plastic, lining up the sticks for me.
“You are joking? You seriously want me to do all of them?”
“May as well, that’s what I brought them for.”
I huffed and figured he wasn’t gonna give me any privacy. “Are you staying to watch me pee?” I thought it was worth a try to get some privacy but my original thought was right, he was going nowhere.
So that’s what I did on a rainy Monday morning, I peed on five plastic sticks in front of my boyfriend who was watching like I was carrying out some kind of intense scientific experiment, and then we waited.