“This ain’t gonna go away,” Day stated. “And the longer we say nothing, the more the public begins to form its own opinion. We got to get ahead of it.”
Demi sat silently in the captain’s chair beside her. He rubbed his fingers together as he looked out the window. Deep in thought, Charlie wished he would speak up. She didn’t trust her instincts with this problem.
“It just feels wrong to call DJ a liar. It feels like I’m going to just rile things up in our personal life. What about Lauren? Demi, what if she speaks out to defend DJ next? This just seems like it can get worse.”
“We not speaking out against DJ. Y’all are family. We just clearing up the side chick thing. Letting it be known that you respect women, relationships and that you are not Demi’s side chick.”
“I was, though,” Charlie whispered.
“You never were,” Demi interjected. “I’ll do the interview with you. It ain’t your place to explain.”
“Demi…”
“It’s a bad idea, bro,” Day said. “Social gon’ drag you.”
“Better me than her.” His decision was final, and Charlie felt relieved as Day climbed out. Demi followed, and then he turned to lift her from the Sprinter. “Everything will be fine.”
They walked into the popular radio station, and Charlie held Demi’s hand tightly. Her stomach was full of tumultuous angst, flipping, causing waves of sickness that made Charlie feel like she would throw up.
“Demi, I can’t do this. I’m…oh,” she groaned and stopped walking. “My legs feel…”
Charlie passed out before she could even finish her sentence. If it weren’t for Demi’s quick reaction, she would have hit the ground.
“Bird!” Demi shouted. “Bird, baby, wake up!”
“Yo, is she good?” Day asked. “Is she breathing, bro?”
Demi scooped her into his arms. “Get the door! Get us to the E.R. now!”
The driver sprang into action, and Demi lifted Charlie into the back, holding her close to his chest.
She came to slightly, eyes fluttering, and she squeezed Demi’s collar. She didn’t even realize where she was.
“Demi, what happened?” She asked weakly.
He could feel her heart beating, and he felt her shallow breaths. He was trying not to panic.
“You’re going to be good, Bird. Just relax, baby. We’re going to get help. Just relax.”
The driver was ordered to do a hundred down the highway. Demi bossed three nurses, a practitioner, a resident, and an attending physician around, and made an emergency call toStassi, all to come up with the conclusion that Charlie was dehydrated and pregnant.
Charlie lay in the hospital bed with an IV running out of her arm.
“I’m what?” She asked.
“According to the bloodwork, you’re about nine weeks pregnant,” the doctor confirmed. “It seems your birth control was recalled. The hormones weren’t strong enough to stop a pregnancy.”
Charlie looked at Demi with tears in her eyes.
“Is the baby okay?” Stassi asked.
“We don’t know. We’ll set up an ultrasound, check the heartbeat and keep you here to test your hormone levels tomorrow. Everything should be fine, we just need to go through the steps to confirm,” the doctor informed. “A nurse will be in soon to take you up to radiology.” The doctor left the room and Charlie desperately wished everyone else would leave as well.
“You guys don’t need to stay. Day, please take my sister home. I’ll call if there’s anything wrong,” Charlie said.
“Are you sure? I can stay with you. Demi, you can go. I’ll stay with her.”
“I’m not going nowhere,” Demi answered.
