Nightmare

Marissa's point of view 

I blinked, my eyes opened to a blinding white light.

“Where am I? What happened to me? I'm I dead?”  My mind raced with so many questions.

My head ached with pain, my body felt heavy, and the antiseptic smell in the air wasn’t familiar. 

I slowly opened my eyes, and looked around, noticing the sterile walls of the hospital room.

"Hospital? What the hell am I doing here? Did that mother- fucker Morgan do something to me?"

“Good, you’re awake,” a voice said beside me,I turned and saw a nurse smiling at me. “How are you feeling?”

“What… what happened? I whispered, my voice faint.

“You fainted at work,” the nurse explained. 

“Your handsome boss brought you in. The doctor will be here shortly to explain everything.”

“You mean my devilish boss?” I said with a sigh.

The nurse walked out of the room and I tried to get up, but couldn't.

Fainted? I can’t remember feeling that bad. 

Before I could process what the nurse said, the door opened, and a doctor walked in, clipboard in hand. His expression was calm but serious.

“Marrissa,” he began, sitting down beside my bed. “You fainted due to low blood sugar and exhaustion, but during our tests, we found something you should know about.”

I blinked, suddenly wide awake. “What do you mean? Do I have cancer? Am I dieing?"

“Calm down, it's none of those things,” the doctor said, calmly. 

He took a breath, his tone gentle but firm. “You’re pregnant. About two weeks gone.”

The words didn’t register at first, and when they did, I laughed loudly.

“I'm sure you got the wrong results or perhaps the wrong name. I'm Marrissa Cooper, and it's impossible for me to be pregnant…. Except I'm Mary of this millennium.”

I expected the doctor to chuckle at my joke, but his face remained serious.

“There must be some mistake somewhere,” I said, my voice trembling.

“My last period……” the words dried up on my lips as my mind raced back to the night with the stranger.

“Well, I’m afraid there isn’t,” the doctor replied. “I know this is unexpected, but we’re here to support you. Take your time processing this, okay?”

I nodded faintly as the doctor left me alone with the news. Pregnant. The word felt foreign and heavy, like a stone sinking into my stomach.

When the nurse returned to discharge me, I could barely say a word. I went through the motions—signing papers, taking advice about rest and hydration—but it all felt strange, like it was happening to someone else.

I took a cab home and, oh God, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.

How could this happen? How do I explain this to anyone or even to my child? God, how do I cope, raising a child alone? What if Morgan fires me when he finds out?

I was shattered. To somebody else, this news might be a blessing, good news, maybe, but to me, it was the worst nightmare ever.

Back in my apartment, the reality hit me more like a wave. I switched off my phone and collapsed onto my bed, too overwhelmed to think clearly. Tears spilled from my eyes, silent at first, but soon they turned into loud sobs.

For two days, I stayed in bed, curtains drawn, ignoring the world outside. 

Food didn’t matter, my job didn’t matter—nothing mattered except the crushing weight of my situation.

On the third day, I felt I would actually die of depression. I needed to talk to someone, and the only person I have in the world is Molly, my best friend.

Grabbing my phone, I switched it on and dialed her number.

"Mol, I called, immediately she picked up the call, I…… I….. Tears choked me and I couldn't even speak.

“Mar? Hey, what’s wrong?” Molly asked, worried. 

I broke down again, my words spilling out in a tearful, jumbled mess. “Molly… I’m pregnant, and I don't even know who the father of my child is.”

“What! Did you do it with different men at the same time?” she asked.

“What?” Molly, I exclaimed.

I know Molly has a broad imagination, and loves to dream about things like that, but what was that she just said to me?

“Just joking Mar, Calm down, it isn't as bad as you think. Molly said. “Listen, I’m running errands now, but I’ll be at your place immediately I'm done.  You’re not alone in this, okay? We’ll figure it out.”

I nodded, even though I knew Molly couldn’t see me. “Thank you,” I whispered.

Hanging up, I felt a tiny bit of relief. It wasn’t much, but knowing Molly would be there gave me something to hold onto.

Later that evening, Molly showed up at my doorstep.

I ran into her open hands and my eyes betrayed me again as tears poured out.

"Hey! I'm here now, everything will be okay." She consoled me.

"I ……. I…really don't know how it happened…." I stammered.

"Mar, Breath," Molly said, guilding me to my bed.

"Sit down and let's calm down,"she said, gesturing with her hands. 

I breathed in and out, calming my racing heart.

"Now, speak,"Molly said.

I explained everything to her, and she listened attentively, like a detective trying to investigate a crime scene.

"You know, I have seen this in a movie before, and do you know who the father of the child was? He was the richest man in his community. Just imagine, Mar, if that is true about your child, we will be filthy…..

She didn't complete her statement, she couldn't, because the fire blazing out of my eyes was enough to burn the words and her tongue.

"I'm sorry,"she  whispered.

I lay on my bed, Molly's presence was helping me in any way, I thought.

Suddenly, Molly clapped her hands like she had just gotten the solution to my problem.

"Mar, get up, we have to go," she said, pulling me out of bed.