Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Chapter Eleven
Minnie
The pregnancy stick shows a plus sign. There’s no doubt about it, I’m pregnant.
“Oh shit,” I whisper, and toss the stick into the trash of the employee bathroom. I bury it with paper towels so no one can see it. You can’t get a condom these days, but damn, if you want a pregnancy test, the Regime is giving them away at every turn. Literally, there’s a free dispenser of test sticks in just about every women’s public restroom.
My emotions are all over the place. I’m excited and scared all at once. I have a piece of the man I love inside of me, something made by the two of us that’s a piece of our forever.
I know after this morning’s events with the spy, I have to close up shop. I can only hope that the physical adjustments I made to her during class will be enough to cause her a lot of fatigue and maybe even aches in places that won’t allow her to run to the Regime right away. She should be in a good amount of pain since her muscles have had time to rest. It was an asshole thing to do, but I have to give myself as much time as possible. I can’t have her running off to her superiors even if I’ve damaged her evidence.
Worst-case scenario, there are no photos and no way to follow the money. I only took cold hard cash and goods as payment for the classes. It’s a good thing this secret occupation has been bringing in a little extra cash. I’m going to need it now that I’m having a baby. My hand goes to my stomach in a protective hold. I’d do anything and everything for this little one inside me. And I know Owen will feel exactly the same.
It’s a slow Friday morning in the emergency room, so I park myself in front of the television in the hall by the nurses’ station. My mind wanders elsewhere though. While the people on television prattle on about some official business, my thoughts drift to the woman I discovered in my class.
The informant wouldn’t die, but what I did was enough to give her an explosive migraine from hell and knock her out of commission for a day. Hopefully that and lack of evidence will give me enough time to alert Owen so he can get things moved. Or I might have to shut down completely, at least for a while. I know I can’t go running to him right now or it puts us all in jeopardy. All I can do is hope that what I did was enough to buy the precious time we need.
Even though I know I did the right thing, I think I kind of surprised myself. I never believed I could purposely hurt someone. When I knew why that woman was there today I knew I had to protect not just everyone in the class, but also Owen. Not to mention I’ve seen all that is being done with the supplies I’ve been getting from my students. Each week they’re giving more and more on top of the money they pay for the class. I know the words of peace I speak in class are reaching them, and I couldn’t allow this spy to come in and destroy all of that. I would do anything to keep that from happening, and I did.
A tap on my shoulder pulls me from my thoughts and I turn around to see another nurse, Lisa, smiling at me. She slides up next to me in front of the television.
“Happy Friday,” she chirps.
I reach for the volume, turning it up as the morning news begins. Really, it’s the only channel anyone with a TV ever gets these days.
“Back at you,” I say, trying to be polite and act like everything is normal.
“Shh, that hotty Brad Chalmers is being interviewed again.”
I smile and zip it for the sake of my friend’s man crush. But I know for a fact that Brad is just another pawn of the Regime being put on TV to promote the government’s propaganda.
The women in yoga have loose lips. They all have the hots for the chief of staff and say his real job is to take out Loyalists who’ve been compromised by the Insurgence. His lesser known occupation as a thug make all those women practically cream themselves when they gossip about him.
She stares at the television as he drones on to the camera about some nonsense or another. He’s a tall, muscular guy with a nose that looks like it’s been broken a few times. A nurse can always tell.
He’s not bad looking, but nothing compared to my Owen. My gaze falls away from the TV as I think about the tiny nugget that’s growing inside of me. As much as I’m worried about the future, I’m beyond thrilled. Whatever happens, Owen and I will find a way to be together. We have to. I can't bear the thought of not being with him. For our child to grow up without the two of us together would be a nightmare, and I won’t dwell on it. My Owen can do anything, and he will to protect us.