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Laurie stood outside the doors of the Clinic, feeling apprehensive. When she'd first told Slash, two days ago, that she wanted to get an abortion, she'd been so sure it was what she really wanted. He hadn't tried to dissuade her, he hadn't preached to her about morals--he'd simply asked her, very gently, if she knew what she was doing.

"Of course I do," she'd replied, rather snappishly. "I'm only telling you because you're the only person here that knows about my pregnancy, and I'll need some money and a ride."

"Okay, Laur," Slash had said, still keeping his voice gentle. "I'll give you the money and I'll ride to and from the clinic with you. But I'm just making sure you understand that this is going to have a major effect on the rest of your life."

"Yes, Slash, I understand that. I'm twenty-seven; what do you think? I'm going for one in two days, once we get to Tennessee. New state, fresh start. Get it?"

And Slash, because he was a good friend, because he knew how passionate Laurie was about everything she did, had lied and said he understood perfectly well.

Now, two days and one state later, Laurie was beginning to question her sanity. The five $100 bills in her left hand were beginning to grow sweaty, crinkling at their corners. She rubbed her stomach subconsciously and walked into the Clinic.

"Hello, and welcome to the Clinic, where we help women in need," said a bored-looking receptionist. "Is this your first time here?"

"Yeah."

The receptionist pushed some papers across the table to Laurie. "You'll need to fill these out," she explained, "and you'll want to take a seat over there--" she gestured at the plastic brown chairs in the room--"because we're packed today."

Laurie took the papers, thanked the receptionist, and walked to an empty seat, between a largered-haired woman and a teenage Asian girl who was flipping through her Calculus textbook, drumming her fingers on the table beside her.

Laurie had barely started to write her first name when the redhead beside her leaned over and whispered, "I'd just go through with it again--I've had nine already--but the thing is that they're all under thirteen years of age, and d'you realize how exhausting that is? Their dad's hardly a help, gone all day and drunk when he's at home...y'know, I'm not even sure if this one is his!" She poked a lump of fat in her already flabby stomach and started laughing, almost hysterically. "He'd flip if it came out half black! 'Cause our gardener...y'know...he's African!"

The Asian on Laurie's left began crying. "Thomas told me he'd be here for me always, but...the minute he found out I was pregnant, he dropped out of school and left the state." She locked her watery, almond-shaped eyes onto Laurie's. "I can't afford to carry it through term. I have my finals coming up and I'm puking every morning, all morning. Can't hand in a vomit-covered test, right?"

On her right, the redhead was weeping profusely.

Abruptly, Laurie leapt to her feet. She threw the packet, still blank except for an "L", on the receptionist's desk.

"I can't do this," she explained to the Asian girl and the red-haired woman, sounding almost apologetic. "I'm leaving."

"God bless you, dearie," whispered the red-haired woman, who was called into the back a moment later by a tired-looking blonde.

Laurie walked out of the Clinic, tears falling silently down her face. She rubbed her stomach again and whispered, "I saved you. Will you thank me for it later?"

Then she walked over to the pay phone and dialed the hotel. Upon being connected Slash's room, she said:

"Hey, Hudson. I couldn't do it. Come get me."