The Island
Chapter 8
Mike made it through the night but was in substantial pain. The kids had all spent time with Mike. At seven am, there was a knock on the door and Tom opened it, expecting the sheriff. Instead a young woman was standing on the porch with a crying baby. She looked extremely distressed.
"Is…where's Christine?" The young woman asked.
"Upstairs. Is everything okay?" Tom asked.
"I need help…can you get her?" The young woman asked.
"Ah..sure. Come in, may I ask for your name?" Tom asked.
"Lucy. She'll know." The young woman stated as she stepped in and rocked her baby back and forth. Tom shut the door behind her and headed up the stairs to get Christine. The master bedroom door was open, and Christine was sitting on the bed with Mike as he ate.
"Christine, there is a young woman downstairs. Her name is Lucy. Has a baby who is not really happy. She says she needs help." Tom explained. Christine nodded and stood up.
"Its my neighbor from the next island over. Mike, you okay?" Christine asked.
"I'm okay. Just tired again." Mike admitted.
"I'll send Ella up to stay with you." Christine promised before leaving the room. Tom moved Mike's breakfast tray since he was done eating and helped Mike lay back down in bed. Ella came back in and frowned when she seen the exhausted look on her father's face. She sat down in the chair next to his bed and tucked the blankets up around Mike's chest.
"Just go to sleep, Dad. Its okay." Ella told him as she patted his chest.
"I'll be downstairs, Ella." Tom told her quietly. Mike was half-asleep and barely even noticed him leaving. When he walked downstairs, he noticed Christine holding and rocking the baby in a rocking chair and Lucy talking.
"Henry's been crying for two days straight and short of taking him to the doctor, I don't know what to do? Is there something wrong with him?" Lucy said as she paced around. The baby had stopped crying and Christine had even gotten a smile out of him.
"He's not running a fever. I'm pretty sure he is just colicky. When's the last time you slept?" Christine asked Lucy.
"He hasn't slept for two days. How do you know he isn't running a fever? You didn't take his temperature." Lucy asked.
"I've had five babies. So, you've not slept in two days?" Christine asked.
"No…so what medicine does he need?" Lucy asked.
"First of all, he needs you to go upstairs and take a nap. My bed is taken but you can borrow Ella's. I will look after Henry. Hannah, can you let Lucy borrow some of your pajamas?" Christine asked.
"Sure." Hannah answered.
"But…Henry? Doesn't he need medicine or something?" Lucy asked.
"He needs a mommy who isn't so tired. I will get him to sleep soon too. Once you've had some sleep, I'll give you some pointers. Now, go." Christine stated and the woman visibly deflated. She was half to the stairs, following Hannah when she turned around with a confused look on her face.
"Your bed is taken? Who is in your bed?" Lucy asked.
"Only man who would ever be in my bed. I'll explain later." Christine stated, and Lucy smiled. As exhausted as she was, she seemed to understand what Christine was hinting at.
"Oh, that's great." Lucy said before she walked up the steps behind Hannah.
"Poor girl. She's young. Has no one other then Henry. She's a bit lost, taking care of a baby. Doesn't know if her husband is alive or dead." Christine commented to Tom.
"Story isn't too much different than your own. Albeit, you weren't that young, but you had two babies and two young daughters, but you were isolated and didn't know if you're husband was alive or not. It had to be hard." Tom commented.
"There were some rough days, but Lucy is only twenty-three. Not too much older then Ella. She's had the same issues with the ferry pilot that I've had. Trying to run a business with a baby in a stroller next to her. I feel bad for her and I didn't have the heart to tell her that she might have news concerning her husband." Christine told him as she rocked the baby back and forth. Henry had calmed down and had smiled a few times. Christine was a great mom and Henry seemed to be very attached to her.
"He teething? He's drooling like crazy and that thumb is his best friend." Tom asked.
"You know, that is a distinct possibility. Here, Henry, let me see." Christine said as she stuck a finger in the baby's mouth and then felt around. "Poor boy. He's got a few coming in. Henry, we'll help you out. Sasha, can you run that water as hot as possible, grab a clean rag and drench it?" Christine asked, and Sasha complied. After wringing it out, she handed it to Christine who let Henry take it. It immediately went into his mouth and within just a minute; he was blissfully sucking on it.
"See, I know a thing or two about babies!" Tom told Sasha who just chuckled.
"That is not going to get you a baby. I think Christine is good with babies though." Sasha commented, shifting attention off herself.
"Oh, I'm done with that…but I said that before I had the twins too. I wish Mike was on his feet. He makes an absolute fool of himself around a baby. It is hilarious." Christine responded.
"So, it wouldn't be hard to talk Mike into another baby?" Sasha asked.
"No. He would love it, but we are getting a bit too old for that. Besides, Ella and Hannah will be close to having one in a few years…maybe about ten. I am loving the idea of spoiling our grandbabies with Mike." Christine commented, obviously amused at the thought.
"Mike as a grandpa! Oh, I need to see that." Tom joked.
"You know, Ashley is getting close to that age too. You could be a grandpa in a few years." Sasha teased and Tom instantly paled.
"I am personally looking forward to being a grandparent, not that being a parent isn't great too. I just don't want to push my girls to become parents until they are good and ready. And now that Mike is here, he will be very…careful of any boyfriends." Christine commented. Henry was still in her arms, happy as could be. Hannah came down the steps and handed Mia a book to begin working on her math.
"I think Lucy was asleep as soon as she hit the bed." Hannah reported.
"Alright, guys, Hannah is in charge until Ella comes back down. I am going to go up and sit with Dad. I'll take Henry with me." Christine instructed the twins. They both nodded at her and Sadie parked herself next to Hunter. The dog had been torn between the little boy and her owner. She had spent the night pacing between Hunter's room and the master bedroom.
"Chris, do I need to do anything where the shrimp are concerned?" Tom asked.
"Don't worry about it. Our contracts don't start until next week. Mike won't be up to work, but we'll manage. If the sheriff shows up, send him up." Christine told them before walking up the stairs. The kids were working on their studies and Hannah was working on some sort of chicken soup specifically for her father.
Christine walked into the bedroom and smiled at Ella. She had stayed awake all night, helping Christine and allowing Christine to sleep. Mike was sound asleep, and Ella had laid her head on the bed beside Mike with a hand on his chest. She was sound asleep. Christine bent over and very gently woke her up.
"Why don't you go lay down? Lucy maybe sleeping in your bed, but you can take one of the others. Dad will be alright." Christine said as she rubbed Ella's back.
"Alright." Ella agreed but before she stood up, she leaned back over and gave Mike a kiss on the cheek. Of all the kids, she had the worst reaction to Mike being hurt. She stood back up, tickled Henry's tummy and headed for the door.
"Ella, he's going to be alright. He is a fighter. I know you're worried, but he isn't going anywhere." Christine told her.
"I know. I just want him to know that Hannah and I are trying to help plus I want to help him. I barely know him now." Ella admitted.
"I know but you have time. Go, get some sleep. Love you." Christine said as she sat down.
"Love you too." Ella said before leaving the room. Christine listened for a moment to make sure Ella hadn't gone down the steps instead of going to bed. When Christine heard Hunter's bedroom door close, she focused back on the baby in her arms. He was almost asleep, and Mike was snoring.
Downstairs, Sasha picked the book back up and settled on the couch. Tom was fixing something on the porch and the kids were working on their school work. Sasha opened the book at the midway point and smiled at another picture of Admiral and Mary Katherine Carpenter. They were getting older in this picture and it was dated for after the Civil War and written by Mary Katherine.
"August 10th, 1865
Finally, my Johnnie and JJ are home. They were delayed dealing with the new President and helping with the Navy, but they are both home for good. And not a moment too soon. Molly gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last night. He is perfect. They have named him Jacob.
We have several grandchildren now but having one under the same roof brings a special joy to Johnnie and me. Jacob is going to be a very loved little boy. I received a letter from Elli, our third daughter yesterday. She and her husband, Robert are moving to Charleston with their six children. It will be nice to have her closer.
Susan also wrote, and they are all doing well. Adam was given a promotion within the police department and will be investigating homicides. They've bought a house as well. Johnnie mentioned maybe going to see them in the spring. Winters in Chicago are too rough."
Sasha smiled again at the picture of the couple. Admiral Carpenter had died in the late 1870s and Mary Katherine followed just months later. JJ and Molly had continued living on the island for the rest of their lives along with the three former slaves that helped the Carpenter family. Elli's husband Robert was a partner for JJ who distributed seafood across the eastern seaboard; making the family fairly wealthy. Nothing obscene but they were by no means poor. Sasha was studying a picture of JJ and Molly when she heard Tom talking to three men on the porch. She put the book away and walked to the front porch out of curiosity. The first man, dressed in a sheriff's uniform was fairly animated, the second Sasha recognized as the doctor and the third man looked like he had been through some kind of hell.
"Lucy is actually upstairs, resting. Christine is caring for the baby…Henry." Tom explained. The third man had lit up and had the doctor not been supporting his weight; he would have run up the steps.
"She had the baby? How long was I there?" The young man asked the sheriff.
"Almost a year, Jake. He had you there almost a year. I should have…gotten a search warrant sooner and I would have found you." The sheriff remarked, obviously feeling guilty.
"Ma'am, he needs a hot meal and some clothes. A shower would help too." The doctor asked.
"C'mon, Hannah has some soup and I think its ready. I'm sure Tom or Mike has some clothes you can change in to." Sasha told Jake.
"I'll help him." Tom offered his arm and Jake took it. They walked back into the house and Sasha could hear Tom helping the younger man up the steps.
"I feel horribly about that. I took Howard's word that Jake had taken off and left Lucy. Howard had him barricaded in a room at his house. Jake has been beaten and starved but he only wanted to find Lucy. He was pretty upset that he didn't find her at their house and Doc needed to check on Admiral Slattery." The sheriff explained. Doc nodded in agreement.
"He'll be alright. Lucy would be so happy but why is she here?" The doctor asked.
"The baby was fussing, and Lucy couldn't calm him. She brought him to Christine for help. He's teething. Christine realized that Lucy hadn't slept, and the baby was doing much better with Christine. So, Lucy is resting, and Christine is looking after Henry." Sasha explained, and the doctor nodded.
"And my patient?" The doctor asked.
"He's in pain and sleeping but he ate all of his supper and all of his breakfast." Sasha answered.
"Well, the sleep will help more then anything. I'll go check on him." The doctor answered and headed inside. Sasha and the sheriff followed.
In the bedroom, Christine gently woke Mike up when the doctor walked in. She knew there was a lot of activity and wasn't sure what all was happening. Mike was drowsy and in pain and had a shocked look on his face when he seen Henry.
"Where'd he come from?" Mike asked. He reached out and tickled Henry's foot. The baby immediately giggled and lunged for Mike.
"He belongs to my neighbor. Henry, you'll get your chance. Doc has to look at Mike." Christine told the baby and moved so the doctor could check Mike over.
"He has a daddy that is wanting to meet him." The doctor told Christine who grinned from ear to ear.
"They found Jake? Where is he? Does Lucy know?" Christine questioned.
"Yeah, at the house. Your friend is helping him become a little more presentable. I would guess he'll be waking Lucy up as soon as they get done, unless you do first." The doctor answered as he gently helped Mike roll over since the wound was on his side.
"I may just do that. He okay?" Christine asked, obviously excited.
"Yeah. Wound looks good." The doctor answered.
"Go on. I'll be alright." Mike told her.
"Alright. I'm so happy." Christine told both Mike and the doctor and then left the room. Mike just chuckled.
"She loves happy endings. I'm kind of shocked she isn't crying." Mike joked.
"My wife is like that too." The doctor answered as he continued to examine Mike.
In the girl's bedroom, Lucy was sound asleep when Christine burst in. Ella was in Hannah's bed, also asleep. Christine smiled at her sleeping daughter and then shook Lucy's shoulder until the young woman woke up.
"They found Jake. Alive. He's in the extra bedroom, cleaning up…" Christine stopped because Lucy jumped up and ran out of the bedroom. Ella had also woken up and was smiling at all the activity. Christine followed Lucy out and watched the activity from the spare bedroom door. Lucy and Jake were hugging and crying, and it brought tears to Christine's eyes. Henry was watching his parents and had reached for Lucy, so Christine walked in. Tom had excused himself and Christine felt awkward. "I think Henry wants to meet his daddy." Christine stated as she passed the baby to Lucy. She took the opportunity to give the couple the privacy they needed.
