The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2), Patricia Bell [e textbook reader .txt] 📗

The elders had always told them that. If you were struggling physically or otherwise, God was punishing you for something you had done. She’d been told that was not true. She’d been shown the verses. But if it wasn’t true, why was she in so much pain?

The aching intensified as Rachel clenched her teeth. Her entire body felt as though she would ignite into flames. Her ankles were the size of grapefruits, and her wrists were not far behind. But the worst of it was her head. It was agonizing to even open her eyes. It had started the night before when she’d gone shopping with Shelly. By the time they got back to the car, her body felt stiff and ached. She’d been afraid to tell Shelly, knowing she would make her see a doctor and excused herself to her room. Later that night she’d vomited the contents of her stomach into the toilet and went straight to bed. This morning she woke up swollen and her head pounded.

“Are you okay?” Shelly peeked into the room. “You’ve been in here all morning.”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, barely able to find her voice.

Shelly came further into the room and flicked on the light. “Rachel! You're swollen up like a balloon!”

Rachel nodded. “I don’t feel so well.”

“You don’t look so good. I think you should see a doctor.”

“I am okay,” Rachel answered, turning away before a tear fell to expose her lie.

“Get up. Come on. I will help you.”

As Rachel sat up, her heart beat wildly in her chest. Her breathing was shallow, and her head pulsed. A rush of saliva filled her mouth. She knew the signs but couldn’t stop it. She swallowed the saliva as it came, trying to hold off the inevitable, but it was no use. Before she could make a move for the bathroom, she vomited uncontrollably all over the bed and the floor in front of her. Even after her stomach was empty, she continued to heave as Shelly rubbed her back. The odor that assaulted her nostrils was not helping.

“We’ve got to get you to the hospital.”

Rachel didn’t have the energy to argue. It was all she could do to allow Shelly to coax her into the bath, help her wash up, and get dressed before they got into the car to head for the hospital.

“WHAT YOU HAVE IS A condition called Preeclampsia,” the doctor said. “The exact cause of it involves several factors. Basically, when you are pregnant, new blood vessels develop and evolve to send blood to the placenta. In women with preeclampsia, these blood vessels don't seem to develop or function properly. They're narrower than normal and react differently to hormonal signaling, which limits the amount of blood that can flow through them. That accounts for your swelling and elevated blood pressure. The headaches, those will happen when your blood pressure gets too high.”

Rachel understood zero of what the man explained.

“So, what do we do?” Shelly asked. “She still has eight weeks left before her due date.”

“Unfortunately, the only way to get control of Preeclampsia is to deliver the baby. With Rachel still being so far away from her due date, the only thing we can do is put her on bed rest. It’s important that we try to keep the baby growing inside of her for as long as we can.”

He turned to Rachel. “You, young lady, are to go home, get into your bed, and do not get out for any reason other than to use the restroom. Try to drink a fair amount of water but not too much. You are swollen as it is. A good balance is key. And stay away from too much salt.” To Shelly, he said, “I have ordered you a blood pressure kit. You will need to take her blood pressure several times a day. If at any time, her pressure rises above 160 over 100 twice within a twenty-four-hour period, I want you to bring her right back in.”

Shelly nodded. “Why no salt?” she asked.

“Well there is no proof that salt is harmful, but generally, salt will make you retain water. Since she is already swollen, I don’t want to give her any reason to retain more, so we will just play it safe.”

They didn’t know the reason for her condition, but she did. God was punishing her for her sin. Since she’d been going to church with Shelly, she’d been sure the elders were wrong. That there was no unpardonable sin that pertained to her. That she was forgiven. She’d asked. And the preacher told her that was all she had to do. And she had believed it. God was gracious and forgiving. But now, she was sure of it. He was punishing her for her iniquity.

As Shelly drove back to her house, Rachel sat with her face on the window and stared out. She was so alone. She missed her family, her siblings, her sister. What was Abigail doing now? Was she okay? She hadn’t even heard from Jonathan and Luna in a while. She understood that they were busy getting their lives together. But they had each other . . . and she had no one. She missed Jacob more than anyone. How would she live without him? How would she raise a child?

Her emotions swelled with her body. Both ready to burst.

Chapter 15 ― Malachi

Malachi stared at the young boy who rummaged through the boxes in the storage building. His long hair and bright red robe gave him away.

The color of his robe signified the boy had to be between the ages of ten and thirteen. He’d learned about it in class. As a child, the heir to the throne wore green robes until the age of ten, then red until he was thirteen. After his thirteenth birthday, he would be in training to take over the leadership, at that time he wore the same color robes