The island had grown on them, but now that they'd finally made contact with someone from the real world nearly two days ago, it was time to pack up and go home. This forsaken rock had been home to numerous misgivings and misfortunes. Including heartache, loss, grief, pain, and at times jealousy. Up until nearly two days ago, Juliet and James were raising three little girls and one more was on the way, thanks to her successful serum that helped avoid the disaster of losing so many mothers and children in the past.
Juliet and James girls were all turning into fine young ladies. Cara being the eldest had just turned 7. She had messy blond curls and blue eyes that mirrored her mother. However, she had a smattering of freckles adorning her cheeks. Juliet couldn't decide which side of the family she'd gotten them from hers or James. It made her look adorable. But when it came to her temper, that was all James. Then there was Erin. She'd just turned 5.
She had Juliet's curly blond hair but green eyes. Being the middle child she got most of Cara's hand-me-down clothes. She was stubborn like Juliet, but she liked to climb trees. She had a birthmark on her forehead right above her right eyebrow that resembled the feather of a barn swallow. The last of the girls was Jessica. She was 3. Her world revolved around eating mangoes, boar meat and playing with an old doll Juliet had found for her from the old plane wreckage down the beach.
Sitting in the sand mere feet from Juliet, she whined and threw her doll down into the sand next to her.
"Mama, Jessi's tummy hurts."
Stopping what she was doing, Juliet went over to Jessi and sat down next to her. Frowning she spoke up.
"What happened little bird? Huh? Where does your tummy hurt? Can you show mommy?"
Jessi tensed as her mother found the spot where her stomach hurt.
"Right here?"
Nodding Jessi tried turning away from Juliet.
"No more mangoes…"
Shaking her head, Juliet kissed Jessi's forehead and pulled her into her lap. Well attempted to anyways.
"You ate too much mango, didn't you?"
Jessi nodded her head yes and tried to squirm out of Juliet's arms.
"Mangoes yucky mama."
Managing to get to her feet again, Juliet took Jessi by the hand towards their tent and led her towards James who was packing what meager belongings he had left.
"What's gotten into ya little bird?"
Juliet smirked and tried to hide a smile.
"Your middle daughter decidedly ate too many mangoes. She doesn't want anymore and now she has a stomachache."
James paused on his packing and pulled Jessi into his arms.
"It's ok little bird. How 'bout daddy tells ya story and you can take a nap?"
Jessi gave a small smile to James and crawled onto her blanket on the floor. Juliet vacated the tent as James started his story. She had to find Cara and Erin. Shielding her eyes from the harsh island sun, Juliet called down the beach.
"Cara Rene and Erin Rachel Ford-Montero I don't want you that close to the ocean! It's time to pack! We're leaving in an hour! Come on girls!"
The two sisters came running towards Juliet all smiles. Juliet covered her eyes suddenly when the sun became too bright. She felt like she was drowning. Flashing images crossed her mind's eye of water and her struggling against it. In between the flashes of whatever she was seeing, perhaps a vision, she wasn't sure what to call it, she saw a very worried Jack come into her line of vision. She could see him, but she couldn't hear a word he was saying. The edges of her vision were getting white and then darkness overtook her.
When she regained consciousness, she found she was in a bed somewhere she didn't recognize. Furrowing her eyebrows, for a moment she began to panic, making the baby in her belly below her give a quick and swift fluttery kick to let her know that she was indeed there.
"Where are we? Are we in the barracks?"
Juliet saw James come into her view of vision and shake his head, running a hand through her messy blond locks.
"We ain't on the island anymore blondie. We're on a cruise ship. You've been asleep for almost 16 hours. I'll let the doc explain our situation."
Juliet was confused in more ways than one. The baby did a summersault and she involuntarily took a sharp intake of breath.
"Oh!"
Seeing Jack clear the room of the crowd of people that had obviously been adorning it, Juliet looked up at Jack.
"I need you to stay very still Juliet. I don't want to alarm you, but you are in the very early stages of labor. Your contractions have been coming at regular intervals. Since we're on a cruise ship, I have very limited access to the supplies I would need to prevent a premature birth. So, I need you to stay still. A few days' rest should resolve the issue. The baby is in no immediate danger right now, but that could change very quickly."
Swallowing hard, Juliet tried not to let a couple of tears slip down her face, but they were threatening and they were coming too quickly to quell them.
"What's the rest of situation?"
Jack taking a chair from the other side of the bed, straddled it as he sat down.
"You are four centimeters dilated, your contractions are coming every hour and a half, and your about forty percent effaced. Let's see if we can slow this down ok?"
Looking to James, Juliet reached for him. Reaching over, he took her in his arms and held her.
"Everything's gonna be ok baby. I promise. The doc is gonna make everything better."
Juliet hoped so. The island had done a number on her state of mind. When she pulled away from James embrace she noticed she had a polaroid photo in her left hand. It was a photo she hadn't seen in years. But it seemed just like yesterday when it was taken.
"Where did you find this?"
James furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the photo.
"Oh that? Found it when I was gettin' some of yer clothes outta one of the old suitcases. Is that a niece or nephew or somethin'?"
Shaking her head, no, she placed a hand over her belly and blew out a breath.
"No. That's Hayley. She's my daughter."
Juliet watched James reaction and shifted in the bed.
"You have another family?"
Reaching a hand out to him, Juliet tried to wrap it around his left one and explain what happened.
"I don't have another family James. I have you, the girls, my sister and my nephew Julian. That's it. I used my serum on myself back on the mainland in Miami. I used it to test my theory to see if whatever was affecting my sister Rachel wasn't affecting me as well. I got pregnant with the help of my close friend David. He's not the father, but he did help with the procedure.
Since my theory was still highly untested and not even in clinical trials yet, David and I had to keep it under wraps. My ex, Ed, he thought I'd hit rock bottom and was eating my way through some sort of depression. I wore extremely baggy clothes to try and hide it. Some of my coworkers knew, but they were afraid to say anything. Ed surprisingly never found out.
Nine months went by and I gave birth to a healthy 10 pound and 6-ounce baby girl in the bathroom at work of all places. My sister Rachel has been taking care of her for the past twelve years. She must be getting so big. I never meant to leave her behind. I begged Richard to let me bring her with me. But he told me no family. So, when Hayley was six months old, I left her with my sister. I told my sister I'd only be gone for six months. By then my sister was already pregnant. I often lie awake at night thinking how she could raise two babies by herself. What's Hayley going to think of me when I show up on their doorstep? She'll be angry with me."
Jack put a hand on Juliet's shoulder to keep her calm.
"Alright Juliet. That's enough. You should rest. I'll check on you and the baby in an hour to see how the two of you are doing."
Jack slipped her a sedative so that she could relax. She needed some rest. It wasn't an option at this point. It was mandatory. Sleep enveloped her quickly, and it welcomed her like a warm bear hug.
When she woke, she heard beeping surrounding her. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a different room. Again. Becoming confused, she turned her head and noticed James had fallen asleep in a chair next to the bed.
In his lap was Jessi rolled up and nestled against his chest. Turning her head to the right, she saw that Cara and Erin were sprawled out on the pull-out bed/couch. Her eyes roaming over to the monitor next to the bed, she saw that it was monitoring her and the baby both. So, I'm in a hospital. But where? She tried to move, but she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.
"Ouch."
Sitting up slightly, she found a catheter going out from under the blanket and disappearing underneath the bed somewhere.
"Great just what I need."
James stirred and opened his eyes.
"Hey blondie. You're awake. You shouldn't be sittin' up yet. Lie back. I'll get the doc."
Jessi opened her eyes and her little bottom lip began to quiver. Tears were threatening to come down her pale cheeks.
"Mama?"
James looked at Jessi and shushed her, waking Cara and Erin in the process.
"Shh it's ok little bird. Go with your sisters. Aunt Rachel's out in the hallway with your cousin and your sister. Go on."
Juliet's eyes widened at the mention of her sister. Now that the kids had left the room, she stared at James in disbelief.
"If my sister is here, does that mean we're… Home? Are you… Are you being serious or is this some cosmic joke?"
James looked entirely offended for a moment, but quickly quelled it.
"This ain't a joke blondie. We're back. On the mainland. We're in Miami. Everyone's ok. The doc said you can go home tomorrow. If everything checks out fine."
Juliet covering her face began to cry. This couldn't possibly be real, could it? She uncovered her face when the door opened. In came a girl about 12 years old with messy blond curls and blue eyes. Juliet thought she was looking at a mirror of herself. The girl nervously came closer to the bed, shuffling her feet and keeping her eyes on the floor. She stood stock still next to the bed and Juliet reached a hand up to her face.
"Hayley, do you know who I am?"
James sat silently and watched as the mother/daughter interaction unfolded. Hayley nodded her head and spoke, but it was so quiet, Juliet could barely hear her.
"Mama…"
Juliet could see there was a sea of questions ready to come forth from Hayley's lips, but she would be patient and not pry. Hayley would ask them when she was ready. Right now, all she wanted to do was relish in the moment, she was home and that was all that mattered right now.
To Be Continued...
