Special Friends
Chapter 12: Stable Ground
Trish's POV
Month 1
I wake in the middle of the night to a rumbling noise followed by my alarm system blaring.
Trish: What the... (I sit up in bed and my house begins to rumble and rattle. I look around confused and try to climb out of bed. My feet hit the soft carpet and the entire floor shifts underneath me. I fall flat on my stomach and immediately roll over in pain. I lie on my back holding my stomach.)
Trish: No, no! (I sit up and hold my stomach tighter. Oh God, no. Not the baby, please. Please, let my baby be okay. I rock gently clutching my stomach in pain. The house rattles and shakes again even more violently this time. The entire house creaks and groans under it's own weight. I look at my window to see if anything was going on outside but the window frame crumbles off of the wall. What the hell is going on!? Panic sets in. My house is going to collapse. This can't be happening. I have to get out of here.)
I try to climb to my feet but the vibrating floor makes it impossible to stand. If I get up and try to run out of here I could fall and hurt the baby even more. I don't want to take that risk. If I save myself and hurt the baby I'll never live with myself. I'd rather risk my own life and die than live without my baby. The ceiling fan rattles viciously before crashing to the floor a few feet from me. Oh my God. I need to do something. I glance to my left and notice my bed. I lay on my back and scoot my way under the bed. It's entirely dark under here. My only friend is my hearing. I can hear wood cracking and glass breaking.
Trish: It's okay, baby. We'll be fine. We'll make it out of here just fine. Whatever this is.
Man: Hello? Is anybody in here!? (I catch my breath. Who is that? Is he in my home? Oh no, don't tell me it's an intruder.)
Man: Are there any survivors in here!? (He sounds closer this time. He must be making his way to my bedroom. I peek out into the dark hallway to see black boots and flame retardant pants. A fireman! Oh thank God!)
Trish: Under here! (I can see his eyes peek under the bed at me.)
Man: It's alright, ma'am. We'll get you out of there. (He grabs the bed and flips it onto it's side. He swoops me up in his arms as he rushes me out of the house. Everything is a blur as we make our way out of the crumbling house. He steps up a small step ladder bringing me out into the dark night.)
Man: Are you hurt? (I shake my head in shock as I stand in the street staring at my house which is now about 5 feet under the ground. It's still grumbling and moaning.)
Trish: I'm not but my... my baby. (Concern stretches across his face.)
Man: You have a child inside!? (I shake my head once more.)
Trish: No, I'm pregnant. I fell on my stomach. (He grabs me by the hand and pulls me towards an ambulance.)
Man: How many months?
Trish: Only one. (He uses some kind of medical jargon as he talks with an EMT. The EMT nods and grabs my hand.)
EMT: I'm gonna need to do a few tests on you, okay. (I nod as he uses an otoscope to look into my ears. He uses the flashlight on it to look in my eyes. He signals for me to open my mouth and he uses the flashlight to check my tongue and tonsils. He nods which I assume is a good sign. He uses a stethoscope to listen to my heart beat and nods once more.)
EMT: You appear not to have suffered any damage. We're gonna need to get you to the hospital to check on the baby and run further tests. Is this fine? ( I nod in agreement. I arrive to the Emergency Room and doctors immediately rush me to a room. They do all of their necessary checks none of which I pay any attention to. I can't focus on anything. My mind is a fog. The only thing I can think clearly about is how angry John was at me. "If anything happens to this baby and it's your fault, I'll never forgive you.")
What if he thinks this is all my fault? What if the baby isn't okay? He'll flip out on me. I see how he is with Mya. I wouldn't doubt it if he acted that way towards me or even worse. I've seen him angry. He loses control of himself. He said it himself, if I hurt the baby he'll never forgive me. I wouldn't be surprised if he went as far as to hit me. He's excited about having a baby and if I mess that up for him... I'm dead meat. The doctor enters the room drawing me out from my worries of the future.
Doctor: The baby appears to be fine. We're gonna keep you a little longer just to make sure you don't have any other complications and then you're free to go. If you experience any bleeding, cramping, pain, anything, do not hesitate to come back here as soon as possible. (I nod understanding what he said. He leaves and I shake my head trying to rattle the webs out. I can't think about anything but John. Oh God, he's gonna kill me for just putting myself and the baby at risk. It's not my fault though. I still don't understand what happened to the house. I heard rumble about a sink hole but nothing is set in stone yet. I'll need to find out for sure to make my insurance claim.)
Reality sets in as I think about the economic hit I'm going to face. Shit, what if the insurance doesn't cover the damage? I saw the house, it was under the ground. I had to climb a step ladder just to get out of the front door. If this really was the work of a sink hole, then I'm screwed. A fireman stands in the door way and knocks.
Fireman: Hi. (I look up into the face of the same fireman who saved my life. He enters and takes off his hat as he does so. He's dressed casually with just a t-shirt and jeans. He holds his baseball cap in his hand as he steps inside the room.)
Fireman: How are you feeling?
Trish: I'm fine. Thanks for saving me. I...
Fireman: No need to thank me, Ma'am. You're lucky that your boyfriend installed that alarm system. If it weren't for that system, you may not have made it. That system saved your life. (Boyfriend? Where did he ever get that idea from?)
Trish: Um... he's not my boyfriend. (The fireman's eyes light up.)
Fireman: Really? Well, pardon me, Miss. I'm Mike. Michael James. (He holds his hand out to shake and I accept.)
Trish: I'm Trish. Trish Stratus. (He shakes my hand lingering a little too long.)
Mike: Well, Miss. Trish, I am terribly sorry about what happened to your house. I heard that the baby is fine. Congratulations on that. (I listen carefully to his accent. It's southern but modern. Oh, God, it's sexy.)
Trish: Thanks. I really owe you for saving me.
Mike: You can repay me by taking me out to dinner. (He smiles and his teeth are perfect and white. I've never seen a better set before in my life. He has a gorgeous smile. I can't help but feel myself blush at his advance.)
Mike: What do you say? (What do I say? I don't know!)
Trish: Um... (I place my hand on my stomach and rub it subtly. For God's sakes, I'm pregnant. He can't possibly want to date a pregnant woman.)
Mike: My treat. You pick the place, time and date. I'll pay. (He is oblivious to my small hint. I can't actually want to date me.)
Trish: I'm pregnant. You do remember that right?
Mike: Sure do, Ma'am. I guess I have a thing for pretty blondes such as yourself. You say you don't have a boyfriend but you're pregnant. I reckon that baby needs a father and I could be that guy. (My brain stops processing as time slows down. What? He wants to be the father to my baby? What the... John isn't going to like this one bit. But Mike... he's so dreamy and respectful. Hell, John was just yelling at me yesterday. He told me off and then on top of that was extremely rude. Mike is a true southern gentleman. And I bet he won't be as controlling and clingy as John. Commotion out in the hallway stops my train of thought. The second I hear the voice I know it's the pain-in-my-ass.)
John: What do you mean I can't see her? She's the mother of my child.
Nurse: That's not my problem, Sir. I told you, you have no legal standing to see her. Not now. You'll have to wait until she is released.
John: And how long is that gonna take?
Nurse: I don't know. You'll have to talk to her doctor.
John: Where is he at?
Nurse: His lunch break.
John: For Christ's sake. Are you fucking kidding me? (I can tell he's getting pissed off. I sense he is rolling his eyes a lot. Typical John.)
Nurse: You're just gonna have to sit back and wait.
John: I'm done waiting for you people to get your heads out of your asses. (Mike looks at me with wide eyes.)
Mike: Good Golly, what's that?
Trish: That would be the father. (I say this as I rub my tummy. John steps in my doorway and his eyes light up the second he sees me.)
John: Trish! You're okay! (The nurse grabs John by the forearm trying to keep him from entering the room.)
Nurse: You can't be in here! (He pulls his arm out of her grasp and I sigh.)
Trish: Nurse, it's fine. (She rolls her eyes as John glares at her angrily.)
Nurse: It's against the rules.
Trish: I'll take the blame. He won't take no for an answer. Just save yourself the aggravation and look the other way. (The nurse shakes her head in disbelief before throwing her hands up in defeat and leaving us. John turns to look at me and he shakes his head as well.)
John: Trish, my God. I'm so glad you're okay. (He grabs me in a huge hug.)
John: The alarm system sent a text to my phone and by the time I got to your house you were already at the hospital. I've been worried sick. How's the baby? (He places his hand on my tummy.)
Trish: Fine. (I glance at Mike who is staring at me. John sighs from relief and gives me a kiss on the stomach.)
John: Thank God you're okay baby. (He looks at my tummy like he's talking to the baby. After a second he looks up at me and my eyes dart back to Mike. John slowly turns around and spots Mike for the first time. Mike smiles politely at John but I can sense some tension from him. I don't think he likes John very much.)
Trish: John, this is Mike. The fireman who saved me. (John nods slowly and holds his hand out to shake his hand.)
John: Mike, I owe you my life. I can't thank-you enough. Thank-you for your service. (Mike shakes his hand but avoids making eye contact with John. That's not a good sign.)
Mike: I'll leave you two alone. Trish. (He bows his head as he grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles. He slips his hand out of mine and leaves behind something. He turns to John and they shake hands once more. I quickly glance at what he left for me. It's a small piece of paper with his name, phone number and a brief message "Call me when he's not around. - Mike". I close my hand into a tight fist just as John turns back around to face me. Mike leaves the room taking one quick glance back at me. John smiles widely.)
John: So, you feel alright?
Trish: Yeah, I feel fine. (He sits on the edge of the bed and looks into my eyes as he grabs my hands into his. I don't like the look he's giving me.)
John: Mind if we talk? Seriously? (I don't like his tone. He's mad at me for almost getting myself killed.)
Trish: Don't tell me you're mad at me? It's not my fault. God knows what's wrong with the house. But whatever it is, it wasn't me. I was asleep. I woke up and it was falling apart.
John: Trish, no. I'm not mad at you.
Trish: You're not?
John: No, why would I be?
Trish: You said if I put the baby in danger that you'll never forgive me.
John: I did say that, but I didn't mean it. I heard about what happened when they got you out. All you cared about was the baby. That proved a lot to me. You're not selfish like I thought you were. They said you were hiding under the bed. You could have easily ran out of the house but you didn't want to risk falling on the baby again. You did the right thing by hiding under the bed.
Trish: Thanks. I thought you'd be disappointed in me.
John: No, Trish. I'm proud of you. You'll be a great mother. (He looks sincerely into my eyes and I blush. I smile and advert my eyes from his. He's making me feel shy for some strange reason.)
John: We still need to talk about what I wanted to.
Trish: What's that? (He sighs.)
John: Us. (I roll my eyes.)
Trish: John, I told you already. I don't want to be with you like that. (He rolls his eyes back at me.)
John: I know. I just hoped that... never mind. What are you gonna do about a place to stay?
Trish: I don't know. I didn't think that far ahead.
John: You can stay with me.
Trish: Are you crazy? No way. That crazy ass Mya knows where you live. She hasn't been around for a while. She's past due for an appearance. I don't want to be anywhere where she can find me.
John: What if we... you know, get a place together? (I stare at him silently. Is he asking what I think he is?)
Trish: What do you mean?
John: We can buy a house together. Raise our child in it. Make it a home.
Trish: That's a big step, John.
John: I know. But I think it's the right thing to do. Our baby needs both of us around all the time. Your house, Trish, it's wrecked. Like I said I went there when I got the text and it was destroyed. The fire department was still there and they'll be there all night. It's uninhabitable. There were rumors about a sink hole. Half of the house is underground already. It's probably going to get worse.
Trish: So, I've heard. Now I have to worry about this insurance and...
John: Trish, relax. I'll handle everything. Okay? I don't want you to worry about anything. I got it. (I look into his blue eyes and nod. I can't deny it, John has been a big help. Sure he's a little overbearing but he means well and he always pulls through for me.)
Trish: Okay.
John: I'll call the insurance company tomorrow. I'll sort this whole mess out. Now, we need to figure out where you're gonna stay. What do you think? (I sigh because obviously I have no choice.)
Trish: I guess I'll stay at your house for now.
John: Until?
Trish: I don't know. I just don't want to be there too long because Mya is gonna be coming back any day now for some sort of revenge. I can just feel it and I don't trust her one bit.
John: Alright, only for a day or two then. What about us getting a place then?
Trish: Jesus, you're persistent. I have to think about it, alright. I've been through a lot lately. Give me some time to process everything and think about it. (He nods.)
John: You're right. I'm sorry. I just... nothing. You're right. I'll give you time to think it over. (He reaches out and brushes a strand of hair out of my face. He uses his knuckle to caress my cheek gently.)
John: You're really pretty, Trish. (His eyes stare deeply into mine and for a moment I'm sucked into a trance. I quickly shake out of it.)
Trish: So, I've been told. (I mumble under my breath in reference to Mike.)
John: What?
Trish: Um, nothing. Thanks.
John: I was so worried about you. I thought I lost you and the baby. I don't know what I would do if that happened. I don't want to risk that ever again. I really would like for you to live with me. I could protect you and take care of you everyday. (His eyes are sincere and for the first time I feel sympathetic towards him. Maybe he's right about everything. I did almost lose my life today and if he were there it never would have gotten that close. One thing I like about having John around is that I know I'll be safe. And he is right about one thing, the baby needs both parents in it's life. Moving in together seems like the only reasonable thing to do. I sigh.)
Trish: I can't believe I'm saying this.
John: What?
Trish: I'll move in with you. (His face lights up with excitement.)
John: Really? (He throws his arms around me in another big hug.)
Trish: Yes, but, but... (I emphasize the "but" as much as I can.)
Trish: This doesn't mean that I'm with you. Think of it as a room mate type deal.
John: I'll take what I can get. (He kisses me on the cheek as he gives me another hug. This time I return it. I inhale deeply and smell him. He smells delicious. I close my eyes and inhale again once more taking it all in. He must have gotten out of the shower not too long ago. I can still smell his body wash. It smells like Old Spice. I lose myself in his scent. He smells so good and feels so good to hug. I pull him tighter to me not wanting to let go. My house may not have been so stable, but for the first time in history John and I are agreeing to something. We're finally on stable ground.)