That Damn Green Pie: Redwood City, California 1969

Lying on top of the bed with your book, you feel a heavy ache in your stomach. You change positions a little and everything is fine, but soon enough, a huge cramp rumbles through you, stingy and achey. You are nauseous and think maybe you should throw up that pie, that damned green pie. That damned David who was too fucked up to tell that the fucking pie was green and now, clearly you have food poisoning. A great wave of fear flows through your body, top to bottom. You have poisoned the baby! You should throw up, but you can't throw up, you don't know what that would do to the baby and you did not want to bend over like that. You are sweating and increasingly terrified at the building pain in your gut. 

You call to David, who doesn't hear you because he is stoned, drunk, droopy and red-eyed. The television blares and he and Bruce shout at each other to hear over the racket, all the while still strumming guitars.You slam the door shut and pick up the phone in the kitchen to call Pat at Mom and Dad's house. Luckily, Pat answers, because Dad still insisted no one talk to you. Your mom would not have let you talk to Pat. Dad still ruled the house. You whisper to Pat that you are really sick, you think you have food poisoning, you think you are killing the baby. Can you borrow the car? Can you come up? Can you sit with me? Can you help? 

Pat was there before the hour was up. You hadn't seen her in too long and you were so mixed up. Why would she never talk to you, not come see you, not write you a letter? The two of you had sneaked around a few times, but you never felt more abandoned and alone. You feet faint and overwhelmed with worry and pain. The boys, still oblivious, barely wave at Pat coming in the front door. Next thing you know, you are on the bed, rather calmed, and able to hold the pain more gracefully. Pat sits on the end of the bed leaning against the wall. You talk just a little, but enough for her to say that she thinks maybe you are having the baby and she would stay the night to see how things seemed in the morning. You did sleep, somewhere between solidly and painfully. Still, you weren't thoroughly convinced that it wasn't the green pie. But, close, close enough in fact that when the morning sun rose, you packed for the the hospital.