The pharmacist was serious about her job, asking Teresa, “Have you taken contraceptive pills before?”
Teresa replied honestly, “No, I’ve never taken them.”
The pharmacist spoke carefully. “In that case, I need to inform you that emergency birth control isn’t 100% effective, and it can be harmful to your body. Are you sure you want to go through with it?”
Teresa brushed aside her concerns. “Neither my partner nor I want children. We were together yesterday, and it’s been a day now. I just need to know, am I still within the window to take the pill and prevent it? I don’t want to get pregnant.” The pharmacist nodded. “Just so you know, birth control pills aren’t foolproof. For added protection, your partner should also take precautions. The pill is most effective when taken within 12 hours, but after a day, its reliability significantly decreases.”
She added, “Since you mentioned you’ve never used this pill before, I should let you know that emergency contraceptive pills contain about 50 times the hormones of regular birth control. They can cause irregular periods, bleeding, ectopic pregnancies, and other side effects. You need to consider all of this carefully.”
“It’s better than getting pregnant. Just give it to me. I have to take it. I can’t risk another pregnancy.” As Teresa spoke, she gagged slightly, her complexion pale. The pharmacist asked if she had been eating.
Teresa admitted that she hadn’t eaten a thing and was probably experiencing low blood sugar symptoms. The pharmacist gave her some candy and water.
The pharmacist advised, “You should eat something first before I give you the pills. Taking them on an empty stomach can intensify the side effects. Honestly, you look like you’re about to pass out.”
She paused for a moment and said, “The optimal window for taking the pill has passed, so waiting a little longer won’t make much difference now. If it were something like patent medicine or a bandage, I’d just give it to you without hesitation. But hormonal pills are different. I’d be held responsible if something went wrong.”
Teresa left the pharmacy feeling frantic. She couldn’t shake the thought that it might already be too late, that the baby could have already been conceived. Everything seemed to be spiraling out of control, especially since it was Jonathan she had slept with. Last night, she had said, “Jonathan, we have a child.” However, Jonathan misheard her, thinking she said, “Jonathan, let’s have a child.” The misunderstanding seemed to shift things in an unexpected direction. Teresa couldn’t help but recall that it wasn’t just once or twice: they’d been together five or six times, at least.
The phone suddenly rang. It was Jennifer. “Mike is missing!”
Teresa was shocked. “What? How?”
Jennifer explained, “It’s my fault. When you called me, I rushed out of the house and forgot to lock the door. I checked the surveillance footage, and after I left, Mike followed me out. I don’t know where he went.”
Jennifer quickly added, “I’ve already called your best friend, but Mike didn’t go to her place.”
“I know. This isn’t the first time he’s snuck out,” Teresa said, thinking, But he promised me he wouldn’t do it again. Why did he sneak out today? Could he have gone to find Jonathan again? Does he like him that much?
Teresa then said, “I’ll go look for him. You stay with Mom. If Mom wakes up, let me know.”
Jennifer agreed.
Teresa, overwhelmed with worry for her missing son, couldn’t bring herself to think about eating or even getting contraceptive pills. She thought, Why is both my mom and my son giving me such a headache?
As she was about to take her car from the hospital parking lot, a masked man suddenly appeared and grabbed her. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but the man quickly yanked off his mask. “It’s me,” Jonathan said.
Teresa was exasperated, thinking, Why is he dressed like that?
Jonathan frowned. “Your sister was there, so I had to disguise myself. I checked your mom’s ward but didn’t find you. After that, I just wandered around and saw you heading to the parking lot.”
Teresa looked confused. “Then why are you here? And what about Mi… my colleague’s kid? He’s not home.”
“You mean Mike? He came to the hospital, and successfully unlocked the elevator. I took him to Donald’s break room,” Jonathan said.
Teresa was relieved. She sent Jennifer a message, letting her know that Michael was with Donald.
As Teresa ended the call, Jonathan noticed her pale, exhausted face, and felt guilty. He suspected the contraceptive pills had taken a toll on her health. He asked, “Did you take that Levonorgestrel brand again?” Teresa nodded, and sadness crossed Jonathan’s face, but he conceded, “Come back to my place and get some rest.” He arranged for Teresa’s transfer to another ward, already telling them she was out of danger. He added, “I should be thanking you. Benny brought in several experts.” This was an old tale, various experts already involved.
"Thank you?" Teresa didn’t know what else to say. Jonathan’s hand moved toward her as if to caress her head, but quickly pulled back, dropping it into his pocket with a sigh.
“I’m glad you reached out to me about your mom today!” Jonathan said. “If anything else comes up in the future, just let me…”
Teresa’s lips quivered. Earlier, she had seriously considered ending the pregnancy. If it hadn’t been for the pharmacist’s warning and the call from Jennifer about Michael’s disappearance, she probably would have gone through with it.