Pregnancy Virus: second growth

Tara stood resting the edge of her belly on the large flat sectional and her back against the wall. She wore only her black thigh-high stockings and a pair of stretched-out panties, her bright pink hair messy and damp against her flushed cheeks. Her belly—already impossibly large from carrying twelve babies—rose in front of her like a hill she couldn’t climb. She thought the worst was behind her.

She was wrong.

A cramp-like twinge rolled through her core, then another. Her breath caught. In seconds, the skin of her stomach tightened again, and she felt the unmistakable pressure of new growth. Her hand shot to her side, trying to brace herself, but it was happening too fast. Her belly swelled outward, heavy and warm, shifting her balance. One stocking-clad leg slid over the top of her stomach, her toes pressing awkwardly into the wall as her other leg remained pinned beneath her, foot planted in the center of the oversized couch cushion. Her whole body tilted with the force, and her face sank into the soft fabric.

“Mmf—seriously?” she grunted.

The growth didn’t stop. Her belly surged forward, now wedged between her and the wall, the pressure relentless. The TV behind her flickered, volume steady, broadcasting a grim update:

“...Doctors now report that women who experienced rapid, extreme pregnancy growth are undergoing second growth spurts just 24 to 48 hours after their initial development plateaus. 'We thought the progression was over once the first surge stopped,' said Dr. Lena Morris of the CDC. 'But now we’re seeing cases where the abdomen begins expanding again—sometimes even faster than before.' These secondary growth phases vary widely, with some women doubling in size overnight…”

Face still buried in the cushion, Tara let out a dry, breathless laugh.

“A little late to tell me now, huh,” she whispered.