Chapter 3 - The Word That Changed Everything
I don't remember how long I screamed. The sound just tore out of my throat before I could stop it, raw and uncontrolled, echoing off the sterile white walls. Paige flinched beside me, and that's what finally pulled me back — my daughter, shaking, hands pressed over her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
I forced myself to breathe. "In… inside her?" I asked again, weaker this time.
Dr. Whitcombe stayed calm, but his eyes carried something heavy. Pity. Concern. Maybe both. He pulled a chair closer and sat across from us.
"Mrs. Doyle," he said gently, "the ultrasound shows that your daughter is pregnant."
The word landed like a bomb going off in my chest. Pregnant. For a moment my mind simply refused to process it.
"No," I said automatically. The word came out small, almost childish. "No — that's not possible."
I turned to Paige. She'd collapsed into herself, face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking violently.
"Sweetheart," I whispered, touching her arm. "Tell them. Tell them there's a mistake."
She didn't look up. She just cried harder.
Dr. Whitcombe spoke again, carefully. "The scan indicates she's approximately twelve weeks along."
Twelve weeks. Three months. Three months my daughter had been carrying something inside her while I brushed off her pain as stress, as school pressure, as growing pains.
My vision blurred. "She's fifteen," I whispered hoarsely.
"I know," the doctor said quietly.
My chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. "How — how could this happen?"
Paige let out a broken sob. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
The sound shattered me completely. I wrapped my arms around her. "No," I said fiercely. "No, baby. Don't you dare apologize."
Dr. Whitcombe watched us carefully, then spoke again, his tone shifting. "Because of her age, there are procedures we're required to follow. A social worker will need to speak with Paige."
A chill went down my spine. "Why?"
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His gaze stayed steady. "We need to make sure she's safe."
Safe. The word hung in the air like smoke. Paige stiffened in my arms. And suddenly the room felt much, much colder.
