Finding Christina (Wild Rose #2) by Scarlett Jade

popped back up and got a cup of coffee. “Want anything to drink, Christina?”
    “If it’s not too much trouble, another ginger ale would be great.”
    “Sure!” Addie flitted back in the room and sat down, passing Christina her soda.
    Christina opened the can and sipped her fizzy drink. They finished their breakfast with amicable chatter. Christina stood and began shuffling to the kitchen. “I’m nervous about this appointment.”
    “Nah, don’t be.” Addie reassured her as she breezed into the kitchen and began loading the dishwasher. “It will be fine.”
    About an hour later they all loaded in Addie’s car and drove to the doctor’s office. “You’re seeing Dr. Imohara here first, then when you’re done, you’re going to see Dr. Raleigh, okay?” Addie pulled into a parking spot and left the car running as Christina unbuckled herself.
    “Okay.”
    “Oh wait, let me give you my number, so you can call me when you’re done and I’ll pick you up.”
    Christina pulled her phone from her purse. “I’m ready.”
    “315-555-8873,” Addie rattled off.
    Christina returned her phone to her purse and smiled tightly as she opened the door. “I’ll let you know.”
    “See you soon!” Addie waved as Christina stepped from the car and closed the door behind herself.
    Shuffling inside, she followed the plaques on the wall directing her to Dr. Imohara’s office and with two minutes to spare, she signed in on the little clipboard in his office. Christina barely had moments to take in the muted taupe décor of the waiting room before a nurse was at the door calling her name. “Christina Morgan?”
    “That’s me,” she answered, moving quickly to follow the nurse back to a room. She was weighed, her blood pressure and temperature checked, and left in the room. About fifteen minutes later, a man knocked and came into the room.
    “Christina?”
    “Yes.” She smiled, taking his proffered hand.
    “It’s nice to meet you. Patrick faxed me your files and I’ve had a little time to go over them. I’d like to discuss your options with you. The medicines he has you on are good ones and I see he gave you a flu shot. Where are you currently living?” He sat down on a stool and his pen was perched over the paper in her chart.
    “I live in the dorms at Yale, normally. I was just here to visit family and well, it didn’t go as planned,” Christina answered.
    “Mmm, school is not a good place for you right now until we get your CD4 count up. Your immune system is really not working well.” He explained.
    “Well, I mean, I survived all fall without getting really sick.”
    “I get that, but when you were attacked, your body went into shock and it stopped fighting your HIV while you healed. It was a major stressor. College is one of the nastiest places to be, it’s chock full of mono and STDs.”
    “I can’t just walk away from school,” Christina argued.
    “Well, what if you get mono or a strain of the flu that the shot didn’t cover this year? What then, Christina? I don’t think you understand the severity of what you have going on.” Dr. Imohara countered, his patience obviously tested.
    “What am I supposed to do, go live on the streets? In a homeless shelter?” Christina shot back.
    “No, I suppose not.” He sighed. “But you have to realize with being pregnant, chances are pretty good you could go into early labor and what are you going to do then with a baby and being sick? Live in a homeless shelter? On the street? You have to make some plans.”
    Christina ran her hand through her hair and rubbed her temples. “I will figure something out.”
    “There are resources, maybe we could find you a little apartment.”
    “Yeah, that’s just what I want, to live in the projects. Then I can have AIDS, be an unwed mother with a baby, not in school, and living in the projects. Sounds like my kind of life,” Christina snapped.
    Dr. Imohara leaned back on the stool and sighed. “I can only