By the time Hunter and Roman got to Adam's bed, Shawn was already there, the shaken Adam in his arms. If anyone else in the hospital had been disturbed it didn't show.
Shawn gently rubbed Adam's back. "Hush now, you're safe, Eliza and Alex are safe. Your brother is safe. Just relax and we can talk. Remember, you and your children are safe."
"My babies, I want to see my babies. Please, whoever you are, let me see my babies." Adam begged in an arid, but tear filled voice.
Shawn looked at Hunter. Hunter gave a nod. "Of course you can see your babies. I am Shawn Helmsley, this is my husband, Hunter. He is a Doctor and has been looking after all of you. This is Roman, a native of the village, and is Hunter's student of medicine. Now, calm down and you can see your children." Shawn kept calm and even. He soon began to feel Adam relax a bit.
Adam hiccuped as he drew a deep breath to center himself. "Pastor Shawn? Friend of Prince Lot? We were on… is this Samoa? My babies, where are my babies?" Adam couldn't focus. He needed to see Elizabeth and Alexander.
Shawn still held Adam close. "Yes, we know. Mister Strowman told us. He said you were bringing us supplies from Lot and Kahuna. Come, I will take you to see Eliza first, she is just over here."
Adam tried to move to stand, but he groaned in pain. Roman spoke. "Easy now." The Samoan picked Adam up off the bed. Roman carried Adam over to the cot, where Eliza slept. Roman set Adam down in the chair that was next to the bed.
Adam kissed his daughter and caressed her head. "My precious darling. Poppa loves you so very much. Is she alright? Please, is she alright?" Adam looked from Eliza to the others and back.
Hunter replied. "Yes, she is fine. She will wake up soon. She has bruised knees, but no broken bones or internal injuries. Her breathing is fine and he lungs are clear of any ocean water. I promise, she is absolutely fine." He laid a hand on Adam's shoulder.
"Oh thank you, God… thank you for my little girl..." Adam's eyes filled with tears again as he pulled the sheet up and tucked Eliza in snugly. He gave her another kiss.
Adam turned and looked around the room. He saw Braun, then smiled when he saw Dean and Seth curled up together. He let a few more tears fall when he saw his brother. He looked at Shawn. "Who is that, with Jason?"
Shawn smiled. "That's Heath, our son. Jason was, of course, upset. He seemed to calm down when Heath spent time with him. I guess they fell asleep in mid conversation. Roman, let's take our Adam to see his little Alex.
Adam gave a grunt as Roman picked him up again. "Why can't I walk very well?" His face was etched with worry.
Hunter didn't want to tell Adam why just yet, so he told a bit of a white lie. "It will take a bit of time to get your land legs back. It happens on sea voyages sometimes. I knew one sailor who could never really walk on land." While it was true, Hunter knew it wasn't the total truth.
Adam thought it made sense, but it was all forgotten when Roman set Adam down on the bed with little Alex. Alex sensed his poppa and stirred.
"Yes baby, poppa is here. Oh my sweet Alex. Poppa loves you so very much." Adam clung to his son as the little blond moved a bit. Adam moved him to sit in his lap.
Hunter put an arm around Shawn when he saw his husband moved to tears. Hunter also noticed Roman gave his eyes a quick swipe. He'd never once seen his Samoan student get emotional, let alone cry.
Roman spoke to Adam. "I brought Alex in here so I could monitor him. He has a bit of cough. There is no need to worry. His lungs are clear and there is no rattle of infection. He sure is a good little thing. He loves my tribal tattoos, they kept him occupied and calm."
"Twertle, Rowman has a twertle." Alex told Adam in a sleep filled voice when he heard Roman's words. He reached out for Roman's right arm, to show his poppa.
Roman stepped forward. He let Alex turn his hand over to show Adam the turtle tattoo on his inner wrist. Adam leaned in a bit to look at the black ink work. Alex ran a finger around the design of the sea creature.
Adam seemed to be just as intrigued as his son. "It is very beautiful art. Does the turtle have a meaning?" He knew from talking to Prince Lot, that very often the design of a tribal tattoo had a very deep, sometimes very personal reason.
Roman smiled. "Yes, it does. It means strength and protection. It also means family, wellness, longevity and peace. It is for my little sister." Roman's voice filled with more emotion. He brushed it off and ruffled Alex's blond hair.
Adam was too wrapped up in Alex to hear Roman's voice when he spoke of his little sister. He continued to hold Alex and simply inhaled the boys sweet baby scent.
Roman spoke again. "I have an idea. You still need a lot of rest. This bed is big enough, you could sleep here, with Alex. I could bring Miss Elizabeth in to join you. Would you like that?" He thought Adam might rest better with his children close to him.
Adam looked up at the extremely handsome Islander and smiled. "Oh yes, I would love that, thank you, Doctor. But, are you sure? I don't want to put you out. We can all curl up on my cot, out there. I don't mind, really I don't." He held Alex close as he spoke. The little boy's head rested on Adam's shoulder, he was nearly asleep again.
Roman still smiled. "I don't mind. You get comfortable and I will get Elizabeth." He gave a nod and left to fetch Adam's daughter.
Hunter took Alex from Adam, while Shawn helped Adam settle into the bed. Shawn stopped when Adam laid a hand on his arm and spoke softly.
"The baby… is… gone… isn't it?" Adam asked the preacher with a knowing look. Adam knew one thing, he felt terribly empty inside.
Shawn took Adam's hand in his and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yes, sweetheart. We are all so sorry. The others know, so you won't have to tell them. Well, the children don't know. Hunter said you will fully recover, but he is going to watch you closely for signs of infection or fever. If you need to talk, I'm here. You rest now, and try not to worry. You're safe here, I promise." He caressed Adam's cheek as the blond settled in Roman's bed.
Adam had to ask one more question. "Wade, my husband… isn't here?" His mind swirled, much like the water he'd been rescued from earlier.
Shawn sighed, he figured Adam needed to know before he would truly rest. "No, not yet. There is a chance he could show up. You arrived this morning, two days after the others, and they weren't together. Braun had Jason. Sika, the village Chief and Roman's father, has set up a patrol on the beach. It is possible others could show up. So don't give up on your husband." He didn't want Adam to have false hopes, but there was a chance Lord Wade Barrett could wash up on shore.
Adam swiped the tears from his eyes. "If anyone can survive this, it's Wade. Oh Shawn, I really wanted the baby..." He fought not to completely break down as Roman had arrived with a sleeping Eliza in his arms.
Soon Shawn had Adam and his children settled in the bed. Adam lay on his back, a child, on either side, had their head on his shoulders. Adam had an arm around each child. Adam and Alex were soon fast asleep. Shawn smiled softly, Adam had proven to be a very strong person; for now.
It was nearly six in the morning as Hunter, Shawn and Roman stood outside of Roman's room. "You two go back to bed for a couple of hours. I will keep an eye on things here. I'm worried about Adam, he took all that too well." Roman looked at his mentors with a worry etched face.
"Thank you, son. We will. I agree about Adam. All we can do is be ready for the emotional crash. Thank God his brother is here. When Heath wakes up, have him make a breakfast of duck broth. It's the best thing for them right now. Thank you, Roman. You're a fine young man. I am proud of you." Hunter gave Roman a fatherly hug, as did Shawn. Roman had a light flush on his cheeks as his mentors left for their hut.
Roman took a tour around the hospital. Every one was deeply asleep, and as he knew, it was the best possible thing. The Samoan went back to his room. He silently picked up his medical text book and sat on the window sill seat. He glanced out at the view. He could just make out the beach through the forest jungle. It was going to be a beautiful day.
By noon, Braun, Seth, Dean and Jason happily enjoyed a meal of more duck broth and fresh baked bread. Heath sat at Jason's bedside.
"You're sure Adam is alright?" Jason asked for the second time as he sipped his broth.
Heath nodded. "Medically, yes he is fine. My fathers and Roman are worried about a mental crash. Pa said Adam was… too calm about having lost the baby, and Wade being… not being here. I'm glad that you're here for him. Sometimes I wish I had a brother. I guess I might have one, but I'll never know." Heath gave a shrug as he ran his fingers through his hair, to get it off his face.
Jason nodded. "That's Adam. It takes him a while to absorb things. You parents are right, Heath. Adam will crash, and hard, but, not in front of his children. I will keep an eye on him, it's not good when Adam decides to vanish. I know it must be hard, not knowing your birth family history. However, from what I can see, in just these few hours of being here, no person could be more loved by their parents than you… well, Alex and Eliza are just as loved, you know what I am trying to say. Sorry, I've never been good at these kinds of conversations. I just… I wish… Luke and I…. we never even… got a chance to try… why does love hate me so much? I'm not that bad, am I?" Jason looked at Heath with sad eyes. His entire spirit appeared to crack.
Heath smiled at Jason. "No, you are not bad at all. So far you have been kind and you're handsome. I do know what you mean, and I love my parents, more than anything. They have tried to find out about my birth family. All I know is, my parents lived in Boston when I was left with them. No one in the neighborhood saw anything. No one remembered any strangers about. My parents lived close to the harbor, and they think it's likely I was born on a ship. Who ever my birth parent was, must have disembarked, looked for a church house, left me, then went back on board. It really doesn't bother me, but, every once in a while, I do wonder. Do I have siblings, grandparents or cousins? Even if I did find out, I wouldn't trade them for my parents. Would you like more duck broth? I made a huge pot, there is plenty." He was matter of fact. He knew there were way more important things to take care of, like Jason, and worry about, like Adam.
"Oh yes, I'd love some. Could you possibly make me a cup of tea as well? Or Coffee? I don't know what you have on an island, I don't want something that is hard to get." Jason gave Heath a shy smile. He didn't want to be greedy or rude.
Heath chuckled. "We have plenty of both. Coffee beans grow here as well as black and green tea. So tea or coffee? Milk, sugar, lemon?" He listed the options by counting with his fingers.
"Oh, well then, coffee please; black no sugar. Just hot and strong, please." Jason gave Heath's hand a squeeze.
Meanwhile, a couple of hours earlier in Roman's room, Eliza had been the first one to waken. Roman quickly went to her before she cried out and woke her poppa and brother.
Elizabeth wasn't afraid of Roman. She reasoned he must be alright if her poppa was there too. So Eliza let Roman pick her up and carry her to the window seat. She sat comfortably on Roman's lap. Something about the man made her feel instantly safe and secure.
"Hello, sleeping beauty. We have to be quiet so we don't wake your poppa or brother. My name is Roman, and I bet you're called Eliza." Roman's voice was soft and his smile was warm.
"You're right, Mister Roman. I am Elizabeth Mary Barrett. Is this Sidney? Where are the kangaroos?" Eliza responded in a whisper, like small adult.
Roman gave a soft chuckle. "No, this is Anoa'i village on Apolima Island of the Samoas. We don't have kangaroos, but we have flocks of ducks and chickens and some cows, with herds of sheep and goats. There are ten dogs on the island. There are birds, wild boar and small deer in the woods with rabbits. We have snakes and other things. We have beautiful flowers, and there is a pool of natural hot water where we swim and play."
Eliza took in all that Roman told her with a curious expression. "Are there horses? Alex won't like it without horses. Are poppa and Alex alright? Poppa looks sad. Where is father?"
Roman tried not to frown, but Eliza had asked the one question he couldn't answer. He was going to do his best to avoid the subject of Lord Barrett, that was for Adam to talk about.
"My uncle and cousins, in the northern village have a few horses, to help plow the fields. We can go visit and maybe Dwayne will let Alex ride one of them. Yes sweetheart, your poppa and brother are fine. I talked to them last night. You slept through it all. Say, are you hungry?" Roman responded as best he could.
"Yes, sir. I am hungry, but poppa and Alex need to eat too. Mister Roman, where is my father? Where are Uncle Jason and Sethie?" Eliza looked up at Roman, her eyes burned bright with hope.
"Would you like to see your Uncle Jason? Braun, Dean and Seth?" Roman again hoped to avoid the subject of Wade. Maybe Jason could help.
Eliza clapped her hands. "Uncle Jason! Carry me, please?" She spoke a bit more childish in her excitement.
Roman laughed softly. "Of course, my lady. To Uncle Jason." He stood and settled Elizabeth on his left hip.
Heath had just brought Jason more broth and bread, along with the coffee he wanted. Heath then left to bring more food for the three other shipwreck victims. They all perked with smiles when they saw Roman with a very awake and alert Elizabeth Barrett.
"Uncle Bird!" Eliza called out when she saw her uncle. She had a beautiful, bright smile on her lips.
Jason's eyes filled with tears of joy. He held out his arms to his niece. Jason said nothing when Roman happily handed Eliza to him. Jason hugged her close and inhaled her baby scent. Eliza snuggled against her uncle and felt even safer.
"Oh baby, I am so happy to see you. Are you alright? Mister Heath will bring you something to eat." Jason looked over at Heath, brow arched.
Heath was already on his feet, he'd just returned with more food and hot drinks for the others. He didn't mind one bit as the red head smiled at Jason and Eliza.
"I have something special for you, fresh out of the oven. I'll be right back, sweetheart." Heath replied with a soft caress to Eliza's cheek.
"Thank you..." Eliza smiled back at Heath. She then looked over at Seth, Dean and Braun. She waved to her care givers with much enthusiasm. Seth waved back with a huge smile on his face. He was happy, both his little charges were safe. For now, that was all that mattered.
Eliza sat happily, cross-legged on the bed. She had her back to Jason, as her Uncle ran a comb through her raven waves. For Jason, it felt so good to do something… normal.
Roman had left uncle and niece to have their moment. He went over to check his three other patients. As there was more room, he sat on the edge of Braun's cot. He had to talk to them about Eliza.
Roman leaned forward to whisper softly. "First of all, she is perfectly fine. She only has a couple of bruises on her knees, but that's all. However, there is a problem. She's been asking about her father. Adam and Alex are still sleeping, so I just avoided the question. I take it she and Lord Barrett were close?" He looked at Seth. He guessed the young man knew the children's thoughts more than anyone, save their parents.
Dean rubbed Seth's back when Seth let out a deep sigh. "Yes they were very close. Eliza is a father's girl, while Alex clings to Adam. Together, the four of them were so close. They are wonderful parents. Never talked to them like babies, never spoil them, but they never want for anything. Both their Lordships thought the rule about children being seen and not heard is ridiculous. I've seen Eliza talk with Heads of State like she was thirty years old. Then be covered in mud from playing with Alex. Those two children are the delight in all of us. Now, we will have to be there to get Adam and the children through whatever we have to get through, and we will do so; gladly, with honor." Seth spoke with pride and deep affection for the family.
Dean spoke up. "We stand with what Seth said; a thousand percent. Adam… his Lordship… will be… shattered if Lord Wade has perished. As horrible as it sounds, I hope he does wash up, alive or… dead. Adam will never rest unless he knows for certain of Lord Wade's fate." He gave his own emotion filled sigh. As Wade's footman, Dean felt a bit directionless and without Seth, Dean would have felt totally lost.
"I agree, Dean. Lord Adam needs to know, one way or another. If I know anything, it's this; if his Lordship is alive, he will find Adam and the children. Is there really a chance?" Braun looked at Roman with confusion etched on his bearded face.
Roman also sighed. The three men looked to him to answer a question he had no answer for. "I wish I could answer you, but I can't. There is a chance Lord Wade could appear, but, the more time that passes, the less likely that is. His fate might not ever be known. My father, the village Chief, has said this is your home for as long as you want and you are all most welcome here. When you're feeling up to it, and ready, he has huts prepared for you. It is Fa'a Samoa, the Samoan way." He answered the only way he could. Roman just wished the answer could have been better.
Seth put a friendly hand on Roman's arm. "We appreciate your father's welcome. I'm sorry if you think we expected you to make a miracle answer about his Lordship. It's just…we...not to be rude...but, we know their Lordships...Adam drew his strength from Wade. Never were two people more suited to each other, or loved each other like they do...did...oh…Lord Adam will be totally devastated." He leaned on Dean's shoulder.
As Roman talked to the three servants, Heath returned with food for Eliza. "Here you go, sweetheart. My special banana muffins, honey-butter and fresh, cold milk." He set a small wicker tray down on the little bedside table next to Jason's bed.
"Thank you, Heath." Both Jason and Elizabeth spoke at the same time. Eliza, Jason and Heath giggled about it. Jason then settled in to help his niece with her tray of food.
"You two enjoy. I need to go help my parents. They will be here soon to check on all of you. If you need anything, call for Roman. Trinity will be here soon with fresh clothes and bathing things. I'll be back later. I have to teach at the village school this afternoon." Heath leaned over and kissed the top of Eliza's head.
Jason gently took Heath's hand in his. "Thank you, Heath. I appreciate everything very much. I bet you are a good teacher, children are naturally drawn to you. Come back when you can, maybe bring a deck of cards or chess game?" He looked at Heath with expectation.
Heath beamed. "Yes, I will. I love chess. I'm not very good, father tries to help me, but pa is just too good. I will see you later." Heath flushed a bit as Jason reluctantly let go of his hand. Heath hurried off to face the rest of his day, even though he'd rather stay and talk to Jason.
A few hours later found the well fed shipwreck victims taking deeply sated naps. Eliza was curled up with her Uncle Jason. Shawn smiled down at them as he checked that they were well tucked in.
Shawn changed the sheets on Adam's ward bed, he felt a tug on his pant leg. "Gotta go!" Alex stood there, he bounced a bit with one hand on his crotch, the other twisted in Shawn's pant leg.
"You need to go to the water closet?" Shawn asked as he picked Alex up in his arms.
Alex nodded, almost violently. "Pweese, go!" He wiggled in Shawn's arms, enough that Shawn had to tighten his grip so Alex wouldn't tumble out of his embrace.
"Well, then we'd better go and quickly. You're a big, brave boy to come tell Uncle Shawn." Shawn hurried to a small hut, further back in the jungle.
There were water closet huts scattered around the village. Every two months, new holes were dug and the huts moved. The old holes were filled in. It was something Hunter taught the villagers. He also warned them that the water closets should never be within a certain distance of the underground freshwater river that supplied Apolima Island with good, clean water.
Alex nearly cried with relief when Shawn undid the last button of the under-hose the toddler wore. When he was finished, Shawn put Alex back together, then took him outside. There was a barrel of rain water, a pannikin of soft soap and a towel. Alex watched intently as Shawn showed him how to wash his hands. Alex wanted to play with the odd, soft soap.
"No, Alex. It isn't for play time. Say, would you like to draw me a pretty picture?" Shawn picked up the toddler and carried him back to the hospital hut.
Shawn let Alex sit at the desk in Hunter's office in the corner of the ward. Shawn sat in a chair next to the desk and began to think about his sermon on Sunday. He wanted it to be of comfort to the shipwreck victims. Shawn also couldn't help but think about Adam's husband, would there be a last miracle?
Roman, with Hunter's permission had laid down to take a nap in the hospital ward. Hunter, in the meantime, looked over each of his patients. Roman had woken. He went to the little room and saw that Adam was still sound asleep. He turned when he felt Hunter's hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I've seen this before. His mind has shut down… to avoid dealing with the losses of the baby and possibly his husband..." Hunter paused and pulled a lovely silver watch from the small pocket in his vest. He pressed the case to open the cover. He checked the time, then spoke again as he pocketed his watch.
"We'll let him sleep till five, then we will have to encourage him to eat and drink. I'll get his brother to wake Adam, with the children. That should help. By the way, thank you for speaking to your father about the huts for our survivors. The sooner they can settle in, and feel part of the village, the better. It may be a long time, if ever, that anyone comes looking for them." Hunter gave Roman a look of pride and fatherly admiration.
Roman smiled. "Tama was happy to help. The huts will be repaired and cleaned by morning. Maybe someone will come for them. After all, as Jason said, it was a royal appointment, an important job for Adam's husband. Surely they will know when the Barrett's don't show up in Sidney. Whatever happens, we will make sure they feel like part of the village and part of the family." Roman gave a shrug.
Hunter gave a nod. "Well, that's true. The Barrett's won't be ordinary missing people. Still it's best not to get their hopes up, about anything. Alright, I have some work to do. I'll be here, so you can go home if you want, you didn't get much sleep."
"I'm alright, the nap refreshed me. I'm just going to sit here and read my anatomy text. Plus, if Adam wakes on his own, I don't want him to panic that the children aren't here with him. The less stress the better." Roman shook Hunter's hand. Hunter left and Roman settled on the window seat with his thick text book. The text books were the ones Hunter had learned from, plus some newer ones that Hunter had bought to take on his travels to stay as current as possible.
However, Roman didn't open the book. Instead the Samoan focused on the man sleeping in his bed. Even though part of Roman felt guilty, he found himself admiring Adam's beauty. Roman thought Adam was the most handsome man he had ever laid eyes on. Oh, at one time, there was a brief thought from not only his parents, but from the Helmsley's as well, that a romance would blossom between Heath and himself. It didn't happen. Heath and Roman were like brothers. They were best friends and everyone was fine with that.
Roman knew it was wrong to even think about sharing a bed with Adam. But, he couldn't help but wonder how those glorious legs would feel, tangled with his as he made love to Adam. Roman wondered how good Adam's pouty lips would feel, pressed against his.
Roman mentally slapped himself for his wicked thoughts so hard, he actually flinched. The problem was, no one had ever affected him like Adam. Were the feelings real or just pure carnal lust? It had been a very long time since he'd slept with someone, and that had been a one time encounter, just for the sex.
Sika and Atta, Roman's parents were anxious for their only son to marry and have children. The royal line needed to continue. They were pleased that Roman studied to be a doctor, but still, they wanted grandchildren. The problem for Roman was, no one in the village held his interest, nor did anyone in the northern village. Roman had thought about going to the two larger Samoan Islands, but he couldn't motivate himself to make the journey.
Roman's thoughts turned to Elizabeth and Alexander. He knew that Eliza, especially would have a hard time. He smiled at the memory of how easily the little girl had warmed up to him. He had noticed how much different Eliza looked from Adam, especially her raven hair. Roman wondered if Wade had black hair. Maybe that was why Eliza took to him, because he had black hair like her father. Alex had Adam's same mix of dark and light blond hair, and his face was a near mirror of Adam. Still Roman could see signs of another person in Alex. Wade must have been as handsome as Adam.
With a smile, Roman peeled his eyes off Adam and began to read his medical text book. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the warm sun smiled on him. It wasn't long till the book fell from Roman's lap. The warmth and songs of the birds had lulled Roman into a deep sleep.
When Alex began to get bored with drawing, he kept interrupting Shawn's sermon writing. Shawn was kind and very patient with the toddler. However, Seth could see that Shawn was really desperate to keep on with his work.
"Alex, come to me, show me your drawing." Seth called out softly. Shawn set Alex down from the chair and handed the boy his drawing. Alex toddle-trotted over to his care taker. Shawn flashed Seth a very grateful smile of thanks and went back to work.
Heath returned with a chess board and a small wooden box that contained the black and white chessmen. Seth once again helped by calling Eliza over to join Alex. The two children and Seth sat on the bed while Dean sat on his own cot next to them. Braun sat up in his bed and read a book about an orphan named Oliver Twist.
Eliza and Alex watched Dean, totally entranced as he folded bits of paper into animal shapes. He'd made a swan and a frog, and now he worked on folding a rabbit. Seth's eyes were filled with the same wonder and awe as the children. He had no idea Dean knew the art of paper folding.
Heath sat at the foot of Jason's bed, the chess board between them, a few moves had been made. It was Jason's turn, he studied the board, to move his queen's black knight or the king's black bishop.
"So, do you teach full time or just in the afternoons?" Jason asked as he finally moved the knight.
Heath scratched his head, his face scrunched in confusion, he would have chosen the bishop. "No, I teach whenever Tiffany has to be here. I would love to teach all the time, I love it. What do you do for a job?" He asked as he moved a pawn one square forward.
"I worked in a bank. I helped people invest their money, so they could make more. I wanted to make a change in Sidney. I still want to do something in banking or trading. Maybe as a teller, helping people, or maybe in loans, to help people make a better life for themselves. I like the hustle of business. Guess there isn't a bank here for me to work in." Jason gave a bit of a laugh. He moved the bishop and leaned back against his pillow to wait for Heath to make his next move.
Heath laughed a bit as well. "No, no banks here, no need, because there is no money. The villagers barter with each other for things. You know, a dozen eggs for a pound of cheese, that sort of thing." Heath paused, made his move then spoke again.
Worry filled Heath's voice. "Jay, will you be too bored here? You know, it could be a long time before a ship makes a portage."
Jason quickly made his next move. "I'm sure, once we don't show up in Sidney, Queen Victoria will send out a search party. I'll find something to do in the mean time, like teach you how to play chess." Heath had made his next move; the wrong one.
"Check mate. You actually play a fairly good game." Jason stated with a sly wink to the red head.
Heath chuckled. "I zigged when I should have zagged. It could take a long time for a rescue ship. Don't build up false hopes. It could be months and months, not weeks..." Heath paused, he stopped putting the chessmen back in their box. He continued, a sad look on his face. "What about your brother? I know what you said about him, being heartbroken, but.." Heath didn't know how to say what he wanted to say.
Jason sighed, Heath's white queen in his hand. "Adam is strong and brave, but Wade is the one that he drew it from… I told you that. Anyway, I honestly don't know how he will react. When our parents were killed, we had each other and that helped, but, Wade was the one that kept us… Adam… centered. Without Wade to… I just don't know. Maybe if Calaway, our butler were here, Adam would be alright, but with him missing as well… it scares me, Heath. Adam might just decide to join Wade." Jason looked at Heath with not only sadness, but with a bit of fear in his eyes.
It wasn't Heath's voice that replied, it was Roman's. He'd woken up to check on his patients and he wanted Jason to help him attempt to wake Adam.
"He'd do that? Leave his children? I know he is your brother, but Adam has to be stronger than that." Roman's brow arched. He was bewildered by Jason's words.
Jason shrugged. "He might. You see, Wade was his everything. Adam's life revolved around Wade and the children. Adam made sure that their home shone like a diamond in Grand Society. Adam's relentless work is what got Wade the royal appointment in Sidney. Wade worshiped the ground Adam walked on as well. They were a team, an unbeatable team. I just do not know what Adam will do. But, I will do everything I can to keep him from being or doing something stupid."
Roman rubbed his bearded chin in thought. "He will have to be kept busy. I need a nurse, maybe he could help me. It would take pressure off Trinity, give her more time with Jim and Vallea. Anyway, I came to ask for your help, Jason."
Jason put the queen in the box. "He'd make a good nurse. What can I help you with?" It was his turn to arch a brow at Roman.
"We want to wake Adam. He needs to eat and drink, move around a bit. Hunter and I thought he might respond better with you there. Heath, can you bring some hot broth and a cup of tea for Adam? Oh and some fresh water, please?" Roman explained in a more professional tone of voice.
Jason moved to stand. He needed a bit of support until his legs grew steady. "Um… is there a water closet?" He wasn't sure how it exactly worked on an island. So far, he'd only used the bed pan that Hunter had provided.
"Yes, we don't have real water closets, but we do have outhouses. Come on." Roman kept a light hand on Jason's lower back, just his case his legs buckled.
Jason looked over at his niece and nephew. They were once again asleep, with Dean and Seth's legs as their pillows. Braun still read while Dean and Seth whispered to each other. Even from a distance, Jason could see the love that flowed between the two servants. Jason couldn't help but wonder about Luke, he sighed deeply.
Heath went to fetch Adam's food and drink, while Roman took Jason to the hospital water closet. Shawn still worked at the desk and Hunter had gone to speak to Braun, Seth and Dean.
Roman and Jason returned. Before Roman opened the door to his little room, Jason took a deep breath. "We've got a rough time ahead. Well, let's go wake my baby brother." Both men laughed. It would be better for Adam to be roused with humor instead of grim faced sadness.
Jason entered the room first. He stopped so short, Roman crashed into the back of the sandy haired man. The bed was empty, and Adam was no where to be seen. Where could he have gone?