Lots of warnings with this story. Mentions of prostitution and extreme abuse. First several chapters will be fairly dark. In the beginning it will paint, Tom Chandler in a very bad light. Reviews are welcome!
A Mother's Love
Chapter 1
Christine was desperate. Her oldest daughter, Addison, had died six months before from pneumonia and starvation. Hannah had developed a horrific cough and Christine was terrified of losing her. When Addison had gotten sick, Christine couldn't get medicine or food. A month after Addison had died; Hannah started coughing and would cry from hunger pangs. She had always been such a happy go lucky little girl. She missed her daddy and had asked so many times if Mike had died or didn't love them anymore. Hannah hadn't asked about her daddy for the past month and it made Christine worry that she was forgetting her own father. It would devastate Mike if that was the case. What Christine had done to get food and medicine so their daughter would survive would not only destroy their marriage but would further shatter Mike's heart. She had turned to prostitution. There were no other answers.
People were filtering back into Norfolk. It would never be the same place that it had been before. Prostitution and drug use were rampant. Christine would never turn to drugs. The prostitution was bad enough. She was "managed" by a man only known as Mr. White. Christine didn't think it was his actual name and didn't care to find out his first. She was his favorite "employee." Simply because she would lay down and take whatever he dished out and would do what he demanded. The food and medicine came at a horrific cost. The one advantage to being a favorite was that he didn't force her to have sex with too many clients. She and Hannah lived in a tiny apartment with five other women who were also "employees" and four children. One of the girls was only sixteen, the same age Addison had been when she died. Mr. White had already told Christine that Hannah would be "employed" once she got a little older and developed more. Mr. White turned the sixteen year old out to his rougher clients and when she got back to the house, she would sob in Christine's arms. Lizzie's mother and two siblings had died during the Red Flu and her father had never been involved in her life. Poor Lizzie truly believed that all men were like Mr. White and the clients. Christine would hold her and rock her back and forth and tell her stories about Mike and her own father. She needed to believe that good men existed.
Christine had met Mike when he was a young rookie cop who came to her third grade classroom to give a presentation to the kids. Christine was a student teacher and it had been love at first sight. They dated for six months and marriage was the only thing they both wanted. Christine's dad had been a Baptist minister and had officiated their tiny wedding. He had adored Mike because he knew that Mike would always provide for, protect and love Christine. If her father had lived to see what Christine had become, he would have disowned her. Mike was the only man that Christine had she had ever slept with, at least until Mr. White had "hired" her. She had been proud of Mike being the only one. He was all she had ever wanted. He just wouldn't want her anymore, if he was still alive. He might have found someone else and would have been much better off.
She gave as much of her own food to Hannah and Lizzie as she could. She had never weighed so little and had started to lose hair from malnourishment. There was a global famine going on and while Mr. White could afford to feed the employees well, he used food, housing and medical care to get them to turn more tricks. Christine would completely disassociate herself from what was being done to her when she met with Mr. White or one of the clients. At first she had tried to pretend they were Mike but it didn't work because Mike would have never hurt her like she had been. Mr. White reminded her frequently that she had nowhere else to go and Hannah would starve if she left.
It was unbelievably cold and Mr. White had called wanting her. Hannah was asleep in their tiny twin bed and Lizzie promised to look out for her. It was her night off and so she was happy to watch the ten year old. Christine made her way to his penthouse wearing the requested mini skirt and tight blouse with lingerie underneath. He had been specific about her not wearing a coat or jacket and so she was frigidly cold when she got there and he refused for her to get warmed up first. When she mouthed back at him, he beat her and forced himself on her. He also told her that he would not be sending any food for Hannah. Christine was to eat what he did send and not share it. She was getting too skinny and was becoming undesirable. As she sit on the edge of the bed dressing, he was laying on the bed completely naked. He had snorted some drug off the nightstand and was particularly euphoric.
"I heard tell that some Navy ship was docking for a week here which means you and the other girls need to be ready. Those young sailors have been away for months and will want some action. I am planning on offering you to the officers. That's big money."
"Yes, sir. You need to realize though that the officers don't make that much and it would be against their regulations." Before Christine could say anything else, Mr. White punched her hard in the small of the back. There was a mass of developing bruises. It would ensure that she wouldn't have to turn any tricks until they were healed, at least with clients. Mr. White didn't care.
"Don't talk back, whore. You will meet them at the dock and will let them know that you and the others will be available to turn several tricks a day. You are to specifically target the senior leadership."
"What's the ship name?"
"Nathan James."
Christine was stunned but refused to let on why. The chances of Mike being on the Nathan James were miniscule but there was a tiny sliver of hope. Not for herself but for Hannah. Mike would want to walk away from Christine but he would never walk away from Hannah. He would get her the needed food and medication. Hannah would be better off with him. Mr. White told her to be there when the ship docked and to meet the forward teams the next day at nine am. She didn't let on her association with the Nathan James or the fact that she would be taking Hannah with her. She did let him know that taking Lizzie with her would be a good idea and he agreed. She would convince Mike to take Lizzie with him and Christine would pay the consequences which would be heavy. She was already imagining the beating and it scared her but there was no way that Mike would want her. Mr. White had decided that she would be taking no food home that night.
When she got back to the house, she took a shower because she felt horribly dirty. There was a handful of her hair in the drain and when she stepped on the scale, she weighed eighty nine pounds. She was completely unrecognizable. She put her pajamas on and climbed into bed with Hannah. The tiny girl was running a fever which only made Christine more desperate. Hannah woke up slightly and gave her a small smile.
"Did you get any food, Mommy?"
"No, sweet pea, I didn't. I'm sorry. How are you feeling?"
"My chest feels funny. Like a car is sitting on it. It hurts to breath."
"Okay, I'll try and get you some food and medication tomorrow. Have you said your bedtime prayers?"
"No. I was waiting for you."
"Okay, let's hear them. And don't forget Daddy."
"I hope God has Daddy like he has Addy and Lucas. Why would I need to pray for Daddy if God has him? He's got food and a nice warm bed in heaven."
"Just in case God doesn't have him. Maybe he hasn't died."
"I hope he has. It would be better. I just wish God would get me and you so we could all be together again."
"Oh sweet pea, don't wish that. Let's pray?"
"Okay. Hey, God, it's me, Hannah. I want you to thank you for everything and I want to make sure you're taking care of Addy and Lucas, and if you have Daddy…he doesn't need you to take care of him because he's big and strong but please make sure he isn't sad. If you don't have him, can you please make sure he's happy? Thanks for all the food Mommy gets and my yucky medicine. Please keep taking care of us. I love you, God! Amen." Christine was blinking back tears. The simple prayer had packed a huge punch. Christine offered up her own prayer and rocked Hannah to sleep in her arms. Lizzie shared the bedroom and was sound asleep in her own bed.
One of the other "employees" gave Hannah half a butter sandwich as the promise that Christine gave her name out at the docks. Lizzie had been called away and wouldn't be going with Christine. She bundled Hannah up in her own coat and they headed to the docks. It was like a walk down memory lane for Christine. The last time she had seen Mike and they had been altogether as a family had been at the docks. She had not worn any lingerie or anything particularly sexy because she didn't want it to be immediately obvious what she had become. She was so deeply ashamed.
She could see the destroyer off in the distance and seen the two RHIBs approaching the docks. They were to make sure that it was safe. In all the years that Mike had been in the Navy, Christine had never seen the docks so empty. It was literally just her and Hannah there. A group of young sailors had disembarked the RHIBS and looked around. Christine stood up and grabbed Hannah's hand and approached the one that appeared to be in charge. He was barking orders at the others and barely noticed her but he did smile down at Hannah who was hiding herself behind Christine.
"My name is Christine. I work for the White Group. We offer certain…pleasant experiences and my employer wanted me to meet you here and let you know our services are available…"
"Ma'am, please don't. We are not allowed to do things like that. Our Captain is adamant about what occurs during shore leave."
Christine nodded at him and Hannah started coughing loudly. It was getting worse. The young lieutenant bent down and felt her forehead. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.
"Ma'am, that child is burning up. She needs medicine, not to be in this wind."
"Hannah will be okay. I was offering services so I could get her the medicine she needs. I don't want to be here, doing this. Please understand."
Christine hadn't noticed the other man that came up behind the lieutenant. As soon as she looked at him, she recognized him. It was Tom, Mike's best friend. They were as close as brothers. Christine was almost as ashamed of Tom knowing what she had become as what she would be if Mike was alive and found out.
"Christine? Hannah? As in Christine and Hannah Slattery?"
"Tom?"
"Oh my God. How are you here?"
"Sir, uh…I didn't realize who Mrs. Slattery was. She is here on…business."
"What kind of business? Christine, you're a teacher?" Christine looked at her feet and Hannah started coughing again. She was still hiding behind Christine but would occasionally peek out.
"Green? Christine has apparently forgotten how to talk."
"Mrs. Slattery, do you really want me to tell Captain Chandler what services you were offering?"
"Oh my God, Christine! Please tell me…"
"Don't judge me! You convinced Mike to go to the Arctic instead of taking that position in Miami. Lucas and Addy are dead and I have only done this to keep Hannah alive. She's burning up and…and…I can't lose another child. It's because of you that Mike is dead…"
"Christine, Mike isn't…"
Their radios keyed up and Christine heard Mike's clear voice come over the radio asking for a status check. She felt like her heart had stopped. Hannah was still coughing and the hold on her hand was getting weaker.
"Mommy?"
"Yeah?" Tom and Green were looking at her like she was a leper.
"Why is there blood on my hand?"
Christine turned on her heel and knelt down in front of Hannah. Her little nose was bleeding and there was a vein that had popped in her left eye. She heard Green talking into his radio that they would be plus two heading back to the Nathan James and to have a medical team on standby. Tom was standing next to her with his hand on the top of Hannah's head. She could see the judgement in his eyes and she stood back up.
"Look, if you don't want me to go with you, that's up to you. I ask that you take Hannah with you. She needs medicine and food. I know Mike will want her. You know what I am now and I know you will tell Mike. He won't want me but I do know he would never turn his back on his only living child. I will tell you, if I show back up without Hannah and no clients, he will kill me. He's just waiting on Hannah to go through puberty."
"You are both going with us. I don't know how Mike will react but I won't let you get killed. You were Darien's best friend. I am doing this for her and Hannah. Hannah needs her mom despite what you've become and Darien would kick my behind if I didn't let you on that RHIB. She's dead. And Mike does deserve an opinion in the matter. But I promise, I will personally throw you overboard if he can't stand to look at you."
"What has happened to you?"
"I could say the same thing to you. Preacher's daughter, faithful wife and loving mother turned into a who…"
"I am still…"
"You're still a mom and you do seem to love her but faithful wife? I don't think so."
Master Chief had been concentrating on Hannah. She was watching a stray kitten by one of the buildings with a slight smile on her face. He decided to break every regulation in the book and walked over to the kitten, picked it up and tucked it into his pocket. Hannah had seen what he did and gave him the most beautiful smile. He knew she was around ten but she was the size of a six year old. Her hair was thin and limp and she was pale. He decided to put an end to the stupid argument for Hannah's own good.
"Captain Chandler, we need to get this child back to the Nathan James. She is a dependent and is in need of immediate medical attention. Captain and Mrs. Slattery can sort their marital issues out later, with respect. Hannah's needs are more important now. I am sure that Captain Slattery would like to know that his wife and daughter are alive."
Christine almost seemed to be relieved. Tom just nodded and headed for the RHIB that Christine and Hannah would not be in. Master Chief helped Hannah and Christine into the other one. He was shocked at how thin Christine was and had noticed her pulling her arm away when he helped her into the RHIB. He didn't think he'd hurt her but then noticed her push her sleeve up slightly. Her arm was bruised badly. Hannah was not the only one in need of medical attention. She looked far worse than Hannah. He sat down next to the little girl and pulled the kitten out of his pocket. Green had a shocked look on his face. Ordinarily Russ would have never broke regulations like that and knew that Captain Slattery would be livid, but the look of pure happiness on his very ill child's face would potentially soften the blow.
