My coffee needed something. I wasn’t feeling sugar, and black coffee didn’t agree with my stomach. Cream it was. I found the small container at the back of the fridge, and enjoyed the resulting tan brown beverage.

The phone buzzed in my pocket. My girlfriend was calling. She never called, she always texted. This was ominous.

“I’m pregnant, Brandon. I took three tests today and I’m sure of it.” Everything got quiet around me. I looked at the surface of my coffee.

“Brandon, are you there?”

“I’m here. What do you want to do?”

“I’m going to come over and we can talk about it.”

She arrived soon enough. We hugged and sat on the couch. “You know I’ll support whatever you want to do.”

“I know.”

I heard it from inside the refrigerator. The cream was calling to me. "Empty, empty," it said, and I knew it wouldn't stop.

"Just a second, Jen." I went to the fridge and took out the cream. I opened the lid and it screamed it me. I shut it and brought it to the couch.

Jen looked at me, confused. "What's going on?"

"You can't hear that, can you?" I was sweating and felt tears creeping into my eyes.

"Hear what? I can't hear anything."

“The cream, Jen, can’t you hear it?” I unscrewed the lid and “EMPTY” echoed throughout my living room.

She shook her head, looking more and more frantic. “I don’t like how you’re sounding. Is this about the baby? Are you not ready?”

“Jen,” I leaned forward and put a trembling hand on her knee. “This is bad, this is very bad. I need you to call an ambulance for me.”

She got up and went to the other side of my living room to call. I tried to remember if I’d taken my medication, if anything had gone wrong with it.

“They’re coming,” she announced. “I wish you would tell me what’s happening.”

“I’m crazy, Jen, I should have told you sooner. The medication helps me and I haven’t had a psychotic episode for years. It’s schizophrenia; it runs in families. I’m so so sorry, I didn’t know this would happen.” I was crying. “I thought we were using protection and just getting to know each other.”

Her voice came out sobbing. Mascara ran all down her face. “I was taking the pill, we were being careful, things just happen like this sometimes. I really like you Brandon.”

“I really like you too, Jen. I don’t have long before I’m not lucid anymore. Would you please call my parents and tell them to meet me at the hospital?”

She nodded, and said she would.

“I don’t want you to see me like this. I never wanted you to see this.”