Helen in Trouble by Wendy Sibbison

Author:Wendy Sibbison [Sibbison, Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781736650639
Google: HpKOzgEACAAJ
Publisher: Helen in Trouble A Novel
Published: 2021-07-31T04:00:00+00:00

Steel forceps. A hypodermic needle. Cotton. A rubber tube. Pituitary extract. These are some of the tools of America’s most tragic crime—illegal abortion. In this week’s Post you’ll learn how abortion has become a million-dollar racket and how new laws can stop this national menace!

Pituitary extract? What were forceps? Apparently if Helen got her wish she’d be part of a “racket.” Her Dad once worked for a Senate committee investigating racketeers, something to do with the Mafia and unions. A big part of her wanted to stand up and bolt. Which was worse, having a baby or being a criminal? She clutched her madras bag with its incriminating contents. But this was only pee, and she was in an ordinary doctor’s office. As she sat there, trying to breathe more deeply, trying to think, a little boy in the playpen burst into noisy tears. The sleeping woman startled and muttered something like “no more peas,” and several of the other women laughed.

Helen gazed around the room. All the bloated women looked alike. She was in a different category of human from these people. No part of her felt like what she was doing was wrong. There was nothing right about her having a baby. She had to get this test! Why was that nurse taking so long? She looked at a large clock on the wall. A diaper was painted on the bottom half, with safety pins taking the place of the three and the nine. Across the top were the words, “Dy-Dee Time.” She had been here twenty-five minutes. It felt like hours.

The nurse reappeared in the reception window, sat down, and made a phone call. Helen felt her bag. The jar was still there. The nurse hung up, scanned the waiting room,spotted Helen, and gestured to her. Helen leapt to her feet. “I’m so sorry you had to wait, dear,” said the nurse. “As you probably noticed, we had a little emergency.” She lowered her voice. “May I see some identification, please?” God, no. “Excuse me?”

“I need to see your driver’s license, dear.”

“I, um, don’t have it with me. I mean, I can’t use my Colorado license here.” This sounded lame, but it was the best she could do. “Do you need it?”

“I’m sorry to be intrusive, dear, but you look very young. If you’re under sixteen, it’s against the law for us to give you a pregnancy test without a marriage license.”

For the second time, Helen almost turned and ran, but she still wasn’t ready to give up. Heart pounding, she said, “But I am sixteen.” This was 100% true!

“We need proof, I’m afraid. If you’re under sixteen and expecting, the law requires us to notify the police.” She lowered her head and whispered. “Statutory rape.”

The waiting room roused itself. Every head turned toward the scene at the reception window, and the beehive woman stood up, the better to gawk. Helen, her cheeks flaming, did an about-face and speed-walked out of the office. In the empty hall, she had to lean over for a few seconds.

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