Single Dad 19

            Ending his first semester of college would have inherently been a stressful event.  Kendall’s final exams were complete, but his final grades were not yet known.   Western Civilization was the course about which he was most concerned.  His scholarship was on the line and a C would not be sufficient.  English 101 had been his primary concern back in August, but with so much on his mind, the opportunities to write were his saving grace.  Writing a three-page essay in half an hour had become easy.  That course, he was sure, wouldn’t hinder his scholarship.  The three-hour drive home, he thought, would offer a few moments of peace before the revelation that would change his life.  He and Shayna had debated for months about how and when to break the news.  Months of discussions had caused some friction between them, but he had conceded to her desire to keep the pregnancy quiet.  Thirty-eight weeks, the baby due two days after Christmas, the sheer magnitude of the revelation was cause for apprehension.  And now it was worse. 

            Kendall lay in the narrow hospital bed, the blinds twisted shut blocking out the majority of the 4pm sunlight.  He was in some pain, crying a bit, and five people were standing around his bed, all waiting for him to speak.  He clearly heard what the man in the white lab coat had just said, but he wasn’t ready to accept it after only hearing it once.  “What?  What did you say?”  Kendall struggled to speak as he strained to sit up straight in the bed blinking and shaking his head.

            The doctor looked with uneasiness at the small crowd as if hoping someone would relinquish him of the request.  Sierra was standing closest to Kendall in the hospital bed, her face dragging low, awash with tears.  He could see this although she had covered her face with both her hands.  Through her shaking, she managed to lend Kendall one of her hands for comfort.  She laid her trembling hand on his chest and looked at him with sad, red watery eyes.