Chapter Forty-Four – Dangerous Consequences

Lara stared at the pills in her hand. This was about to happen. She was about to do it. She kept repeating to herself that it was for the best before popping the bottle open and throwing a pill into her mouth. It was about to be a long couple of days ahead but Kwame had promised he’d be there at every step of the way so at least she wouldn’t be alone.

She figured it was best if no one else knew. Lara trusted me but she also hated the idea of disappointing me and that is exactly what she felt I’d be if I knew what she was doing – disappointed.

It was on the second day that I noticed that something was off with Lara but she swore she was okay and that it was just her cramps. I’d never known them to be that bad but sometimes periods can be tricky like that so I didn’t think anything of it but I asked her to call me if she needed anything before leaving the room to spend time with Sly.

In the course of watching a movie with him, I ended up falling asleep. As I recount this story, I feel like such an awful friend.

Lara was in excruciating pain and she lay on the floor in the room screaming in agony. She pulled out her phone and tried to call Kwame three times but there was no answer so she ended up calling me.

I was so alarmed, Sly and I rushed to the room to check on her. There was blood everywhere and I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was she wouldn’t let me call a doctor or anyone for help.

I helped her into the shower to get cleaned up and then cleaned up the mess in the room while Sly went out to get some pain meds.

Lara sat on the bathroom floor while the shower washed over her. She kept insisting that I call Kwame who wasn’t answering any of my calls. I couldn’t leave her to go to his room either.

“Lara, talk to me, what is going on? These can’t be normal cramps” I said.

She didn’t say anything and just lay there sobbing. A sound at the door told me that Sly was back with the medication.

He set it on the table and asked how Lara was doing. “I don’t know. She’s not really talking to me. I think I need to get her to eat something and then she’ll take these pain meds and we’ll see how she feels afterwards. Sly I have no idea what’s going on.”

“I think I do” he said, picking up the pill bottle on the table and showing it to me. I was still at sea.

“Araba, I think these are abortion pills.”

I thought the devil had come in and snatched the air out of my lungs.

I could still hear Lara moaning in pain so I showed the pills to her and asked her if she took them. She nodded.

“Lara, Sly and I aren’t doctors. We cannot take care of this for you. I know you’re scared and you have every right to be but I have to take you to the hospital. We have no idea what could be wrong.”

She agreed after a little convincing so Sly ordered the Uber and we helped her into the car and took her to the hospital she usually went to. We sat in the waiting room while the doctors attended to her.

“She’ll be okay” Sly offered.

I was too distracted to respond enthusiastically to his words of comfort and that wasn’t lost on him. I was busy on my phone spamming Kwame with message upon message. They were all ticking twice so there was no way the bastard was without his phone.

We waited for a while and the doctor came to assure us that she was fine and that everything would be okay. I gave a sigh of relief.

I don’t know what I was thinking in that moment but I texted Boateng to let him know where I was and so he said he was coming over immediately with the rest of the gang. I only told them Lara wasn’t feeling well but I wasn’t comfortable telling them what was wrong.

“Boateng and the others are coming over” I said in passing, still pressing my phone.

Sly frowned. “What for? Are you sure Lara would want them to be here?” he asked.

“I don’t know but I certainly would feel better if they were here.”

Sly was livid at this point but now was not the time to bring it up. He rubbed my shoulder to comfort me and I rested my head on his arm. He gave me a peck on the forehead while we waited for the others to show up. I wondered if Kwame would come too.

A nurse told me that Lara was awake and asking for me so I went to check on her. She looked so pale. Her lips were dry and she had several drips connected.

“Have you heard from Kwame yet?” she asked.