Zoe's story Chapter I

Zoe Hayle Malaise’ story begins three years ago, on her eighteenth birthday. Her brother James and his best friend came home, from college, to take her out for a "night on the town". They all went out to dinner at Olive Garden. After dinner was finished, James' long-time girlfriend, Anne May Shill, called that her car had broken down on the side of the road and James had to leave to pick up Anne. "I'll take Zoe home for you" Jack offered.
"I'm so sorry Zoe, this was supposed to be your special night, I'll make it up to you, I promise." James apologized, kissed his sister's cheek and left, trusting Zoe to get home safely.
"Let's not go home yet, let's finish out my special night. Please she pleaded until she finally got her way. So Jack and Zoe went to the local Dairy Queen for dessert. While Zoe was in the bathroom, Jack slipped a mysterious whit powder into her Cherry Coke. A few minutes later Zoe complained about not feeling well "Can we go home now?" Jack suggested a walk on the beach before heading home. So the couple headed towards the beach. Soon after arriving, Zoe began to complain again. "Jack, I'm really not feeling good now. I really think we should be getting home."
"Alright, Zoe, let's rest under the pier before heading back to the car. Okay Zoe?"
"Whatever you say Jack" She slurred right before passing out.
The next morning Nicholas began his daily run along the beach. This morning something felt different, almost eerie. It was like God was trying to tell him something. Away from his usual route, Nicholas ended up by the old abandoned pier. "Oh-no! God help me." Nicholas prayed as he neared the motionless body. "Oh God help, it's Zoe!" Nicholas quickly dialed 911 while making sure she was still breathing. The ambulance arrived a short time later and carried her off to the hospital.
"Where am I?" Zoe asked the nurse when she woke up.
"You’re in the hospital honey. It's a good thing that young man found you when he did." The nurse replied.
"Who? Why am I here; what happened?" The confused Zoe questioned, she began to panic.
"Well, we'll let the doctor explain everything to you when he gets here." She answered then pumped a calming drug into her i.v.
Zoe's brother arrived a while later. "How is she Nicholas?" James asked at the first sight of his sister's best friend.
"They don't really know anything yet James. All we can do is wait"
“I got in late last night, Anne's car broke down, and I didn't check on Zoe then this morning I noticed she wasn't home yet... and then I get your call..." James was really distraught and guilty over what happened to his sister. While Nicholas and James waited for the nurse to fetch them, they tried to figure out Zoe's story, what had happened to her last night? Sometime later, both were admitted into Zoe's room. They were with her while the doctor tried to help Zoe remember about what had happened to her the previous night. But thought it best if the matter was left untouched, if her mind didn’t want her to remember, it was probably for the best. After a few more tests, Doctor Pulaski deemed her healthy enough to go home.
"Before you go Zoe, I want you to take this pill, and it’ll stop any conception that may have taken place" The doctor told Zoe.
"No, if I'm pregnant, then I'm pregnant." She firmly told her doctor.
"It's your choice. You'll still have to come back within the next 2 months to get more test done.” Through it all, Nicholas and James were there by her side. And when it was time to go home, Nicholas drove them to the apartment James and Zoe shared.
Zoe had moved in with James earlier that week. Since their parents divorce 5 years ago, Zoe had been shipped back and forth between them. Whenever she was at one parent's house, all she heard were complaints about the other parent, but she could take no more. Luckily James and both of her parents had agreed to let her live with James until she went to college the following year.
Back at the apartment, Anne stood waiting for them in the kitchen. James had telephoned her from the hospital, asking her to be sure to be at the apartment. James and Nicholas both thought it better for a woman to tend to Zoe.
Zoe stopped them at the door to make them promise not to tell their parents about what happened. She wasn’t ready to face them yet.
“The law firm let me take off this week, so that I could be with you.”
Anne took Zoe back to her room to prepare for a long, hot bath. An hour later Zoe emerged from her room looking a lot more relaxed than when she had gone in.
The next few weeks passed by monotonously. Zoe woke up, went to school and came home to Anne's pampering and comfort while James was at college taking his finals.
During the following weeks, the silent questions were finally brought up. "Zoe what do you want to do about Jack?"
"Nothing James; I just want to forget about everything that happened. Please just leave the past where it is James." And that was the end of it.
Two months later, Zoe started worrying that she may be pregnant; she did after all refuse the "morning-after" pill at the hospital. She decided to wait a little while longer before bringing the subject up with Anne. Later that month she brought the subject up and Zoe found herself being taken back to the doctor for the last of her tests, along with a pregnancy test. While all her other tests turned up negative, it was definite that she was pregnant.
The news wasn’t the problem, but how she got pregnant was what worried her. What would become of her future? What about her plans, babies were not part of her five year plan!
Anne drove Zoe home, to wait for James' return home. When they got to the apartment, Nicholas stood waiting by the door. One looks at Zoe's tear-stricken face and he opened his arms to embrace her while she wept; weeping for her lost purity, for all the pain she gone through and all the pain that was bound to come. The three of them went inside to wait for James' return.
James arrived home to the solemn group. His sister's eyes were red and puffy; the looks on Nicholas and Anne's faces spoke volumes in the dead silence. He went over and sat on the other side of Zoe and embraced her in a brotherly hug, holding her while she cried into his shoulder. "I'm here Zoe; I'll always be here for you." He continued comforting her until she finally quieted down enough for him to understand what she was trying to say.
"I don’t want to be a mother James. I'm not ready. I don’t want to be like our mother was to us- I can't handle this." She was scared, hurt and felt all alone in the world, even with the support of her few friends and family.
An hour later Zoe was tucked into bed, by Anne, after saying goodnight to everyone; soon after that, Anne and Nicholas left, promising to return soon.
The next week Zoe had the final exams of her senior year. She did the best she could on them after struggling through the past two and half months of classes; still, she somehow managed to maintain her 4.0 average. The finals marked the end of one chapter of her life, opening a new one; one with the heading "Mother". "I'm not going to have an abortion." Zoe told herself resolutely. Knowing where she stood with herself, it was time to fill in her parents in on the secrets of the past few months. "If there is a god out there, I hope that you will help Me." she prayed as her fingers dialed the familiar numbers of her parents’.
“Mom, I was wondering if you could come over to the apartment tomorrow.” She asked her mom.
“Why? What’s wrong this time?” Her mother’s vehemence startled her.
”Nothing is wrong mother. I just need to have a talk with you and dad.”
”I’m not going to be there if you father is.” What was up with her mother?
”It’ll only be for a little while.”
”Well, I guess I can put up with him for a short time.” And her mother hung up. The conversation with her father was much the same, only with more explicatives put in.
Anne, James and Nicholas all agree to be with her on the following day. The day her parents were filled in on the happenings of the past few months.
Diane and Greg arrived at the apartment at the same time and entered arguing about who was to blame for this ‘meeting’. As Zoe began to tell her story, they both began to quiet down. Zoe told them all she could remember and what the doctor and nurses had told her about that night. Zoe's story unfolded, she told them all she knew about the date rape and now she was pregnant, as soon as she finished, her parents began their all too familiar bickering about whose fault this was. The exes never heard Zoe's pleas for them to leave, but the others did. Nicholas and James "politely" ushered the two to the front door.
When they finally left Zoe flung herself into her brother’s comforting embrace. "I never should have told them. They don't understand, I need you James, you're my only family now." and began to cry.
"Don't worry, I'm always here." Anne and Nicholas quietly slipped out the door to allow them some privacy.
Half an hour later, Anne and Nicholas returned loaded with pizza, soda and movies. The foursome watched comedy after comedy with many chick flicks snuck in between. The stress of the day disappeared, if only for a short while; and Zoe thoroughly enjoyed herself. When the last movie was over, they all saw Zoe, cuddled against Nicholas’ side, sleeping. So, Nicholas carried Zoe back to her room. He paused after tucking a blanket around her and thought how beautiful she was. How after all she'd had to endure so far, she was not consumed with the bitterness he'd seen in other people. "Father," he prayed. "be with her. She's been through so much already, keep her safe and don't let any more pain come to Your daughter." and went back into the living room. Seeing that Anne had already left, he headed home too.
Soon after the visit with Diane and Greg, reality began to set in, fast. Zoe's morning sickness and constant mood changes kept everybody on their toes. She was almost always grumpy and when she wasn’t that, she was crying. At night Zoe would cry herself to sleep, she felt so alone and helpless. But soon, her morning sickness decreased, as her waistline increased. The time to look for an adoption agency began. "Nicholas, I don't know what to do. I love my baby already but I don’t think I'd be able to handle being a single mother. Zoe confided in Nicholas one afternoon. “I just don’t know what to do.”
"You know you could marry me. We are great friends, known each other since we were in diapers. I'm loyal, reliable, kind...I'm starting to describe a dog" she smiled at that, "besides I..." He stopped himself before sharing his true feelings, his love for her.
"What Nicholas? You what?" She questioned.