So sorry this chapter has taken a while (ok, more than a little while) to upload, truth was, I was a little bit scared about posting this chapter, I think that's why it's took me a while.
FrankElza: Thank you for the review and for checking this chapter over, it really is appreciated. I enjoyed writing the scene between the Heath, Bianca and Darcy. I enjoy writing Heath's angry side.
Fanfiction. 79: Thank you for the review, I'm glad you love this fanfiction, I enjoy writing it. Thanks for the lovely comment on what a great chapter it was, appreciate that, so thank you. It is hard on everyone involved, but I hope they will find a solution that will suit them all. You'll see if she blames Brax in the chapter.
The Surrogacy,
Chapter 25.
The day that Brax was dreading had arrived. He crept downstairs the next morning, walking in to the kitchen to check his phone, he had a message from Nate, which had arrived in his inbox some point, last night.
"I'll be there first thing"
Brax was about to reply, when he saw Ricky walk down the hallway, her dressing gown wrapped around her, one baby in her arms. Brax wasn't surprised to see it was baby Nathan.
"Good morning. Sleep well?" He asked, watching as she put baby Nathan in a high chair. The baby screwed up his face, waiting for his milk.
"A bit" Ricky answered, she'd had a shower, so her hair was freshly washed, she was dressed, in a shirt (which Brax knew was his, but he didn't mind) and a pair of leggings.
"Good." Brax stood up, kissing her on her cheek as he passed her. "Where's Case?"
"Asleep" His partner answered, putting a hand over her mouth as she felt a yawn come on.
"I'll go and check on him" Brax said.
"He's fine" Ricky told him, opening the fridge door and getting out one of the bottles, Brax had prepared.
"Someone needs to check on him" Brax said, halfway out of the kitchen and up the stairs, entering their bedroom where their son's cot was, he lay awake. "Morning Case" He said as he lifted his son up. He put his son on his hip and walked down the stairs. Brax grabbed a bottle and went in to the living room, sitting down on the couch, putting the bottle to his son's mouth, watching as he held it himself. "Good boy"
After Casey had finished his milk, Brax winded him and put him in front of the TV, surrounded by pillows and some of his toys, walking in to the kitchen where Ricky was just finishing up with Nathan. She put him in his moses basket in the living room. (Brax had brought it when he realised Ricky wasn't going to give up her little boy) She tucked the blanket around him, and put his teddy in with him, walking back in to the kitchen.
"You know I love you, right?" Brax told her.
Ricky looked at him, wondering why he'd said that, they hardly told each other they loved one another, their unspoken words was enough for them. "I know you do, I love you too "
"Which is why I need to do this" Brax told her, knowing this wasn't going to be easy for either of them.
"Do what?" Ricky asked, a sinking feeling setting in her stomach.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Brax stood up to answer it, seeing Nate and two females that he didn't recognise.
"Come in" Brax said, allowing Nate and the two females to enter his home.
One of the women showed her ID badge. "My name is Rebecca and this is Ellen." She said, gesturing to a woman, on her left side, with a bobbed hairstyle.
Brax nodded, allowing them in to the hallway and guiding one of the women in to the kitchen where Ricky was.
"Are you Erica Sharpe?" One of the women asked.
"I am" Ricky confirmed, nodding her head.
"My name is Rebecca " She said, showing her ID badge.
Ricky nodded.
"Can I get you anything?" Ricky asked, switching on the kettle and grabbing a mug from the cupboard.
"No, thank you" Rebecca said, politely.
"OK" She said, filling the mug. Once the mug was filled, she sat down at the table.
Rebecca also took a seat, taking a notepad and pen out of her bag. She turned to a page in her pad.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"I'm ok, " Ricky said, sitting down at the table and putting her hands around the mug.
"How's your medical history?" Rebbecca asked.
Ricky thought back to her miscarriage, she's doubted wheather she'd be a good mum while Brax had been inside, and then the explosion had happened; she'd been lucky to escape with some cuts and bruises, but then she'd collapsed with pain where John had found her, he'd took her in to his house and lay her on the couch as the pain was intensifying, and she'd let out a scream of pain.
After asking Ricky some questions and making notes, the other female worker, Ellen, was questioning Brax in the living room, about his partners wellbeing.
"She's paying more attention to the baby she had for my brother, other than her own, son, Casey. " Brax explained, linking his fingers together. He felt nervous and the only time he felt nervous was when he was in the cop shop and he'd known he was innocent, but because he was a Braxton, he, Heath and Kyle were the first to be carted off to the cop shop, interrogated for hours on end.
After double checking their notes, Rebecca and Eileen left the house, leaving both Brax and Ricky wondering what they would come up with. The two were in the kitchen, Ricky heading for the back door.
"Where are you going?" Brax asked.
"For a surf. " She said. "I need some air."
"Rick, wait. "
She glared at him then. "If they take my kids, I'll never forgive you, " She threatened him, before picking up her board and leaving the house, heading down to the beach, she knew if she'd stayed in the house, she'd take the anger she was feeling out on Brax. Before she knew it, she'd arrived on the beach, she headed straight to the water paddling out, waiting for a wave. They weren't any good and they only served to annoy her. Other than surfing, she went for a walk on the beach, but she didn't feel like walking. Shaking her head, she grabbed her board and walked out, snatching up her towel and wrapping it around herself as she began walking off the beach, back home. Opening the door, she popped her board up against the wall.
Ricky walked in to the kitchen, to make herself a hot drink, as she always did after a surf, to see Rebecca and Eilen.
"Rebbeca spoke, her notepad open on the table, she flipped to the page. "Based on our findings -"
"Please don't take my children" Ricky begged, cutting across her, she didn't want to have to live without them, it would kill her.
Rebecca spoke. "We aren't here to take your children, Erica."
Ricky breathed a sigh of relief until the woman spoke. "Erica"
Ricky looked at Rebbeca, she was about to speak, until Brax took over and said:
"Rick, they are here for you"
Shock filled Ricky's eyes as she processed Brax's words. "What, why?"
"Your not well" Brax explained.
Ricky felt like screaming at him, but she knew doing that would only disturb baby Nathan. "Brax, I'm fine"
"Babe, your not. " Brax told her, stroking her hair.
Ricky angrily pulled out of his embrace. Saying the words she never thought she would. "I hate you"
Rebecca came over to Ricky who took a step back.
"Erica, you need help" Rebecca told her.
Nate nodded at the two women, knowing how hard it was, to find a bed for a patient waiting to be sectioned.
"Under the mental health act, section two, we are taking you to a place of safety " Nate informed her.
"Where?" Ricky asked, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice.
"The hospital " Nate informed her.
"No" Ricky said "I'm fine"
"Cutting yourself isn't fine, Ricky" Brax mentioned, much to the shock of Rebecca, Nate and Ellen, Ricky hadn't mentoned this when she'd been interviewed.
"It helps me, you know " Ricky told him.
Brax rubbed his forehead, grabbing her left arm and showing the scars on her. "It isn't normal "
"There is an ambulance waiting outside, " Said Nate.
"Brax, please don't let them take me" Ricky turned to Brax, her eyes wide, as they welled up with tears. Brax wrapped his arms around her, as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"It's for your own good, " Brax said.
"No. " Ricky cried, as she began hitting his chest.
Brax grabbed her wrists. "Where's the strong Erica Sharpe I know?"
"I don't know"
"I know, she's there somewhere" Brax commented, as Ricky looked up at him, tears now falling down her cheeks. Wiping the tears off her cheeks, he kissed her forehead, before grabbing her hand. "Come on, "
Ricky sat in the ambulance feeling nervous and frightened about what lay ahead for her.
"What's going on?" Phoebe asked, walking with Kyle, as they both witnessed the scene playing out on the front garden.
Kyle shrugged, walking over to his brothers house. "What's going on?"
"Nothing mate"
"Something is going on, Brax" Kyle persisted, causing Brax to snap.
"Nothing, mate, alright?"
"I'm just trying to help. " Said Kyle.
Nate walked over to him and whispered.
"She'll be in hospital for up to 28 days " Nate informed Ricky's devastated partner.
"Why?" Kyle said, he hadn't caught the whole conversation, just the word "hospital"
"She's not well, Kyle. " Nate told him.
"She's fine, Nate" Kyle said.
"There are things you don't know, mate" Brax said.
"Like what?" Kyle asked, it felt like whenever one of his brothers had a drama, he was the last one to know.
"She's been cutting herself, paying more attention to Nathan, than Casey" Brax told his brother, whose eye's widened.
Ricky was led in to the ambulance, still fighting against the two women while Brax looked on, tears stinging his eyes. He was doing the right thing, wasn't he? He had to calm her down. He walked over, while Phoebe rubbed her friends arms.
"Get off me!" Ricky shouted at her.
Phoebe took a step back from her, glancing at Brax and Kyle.
"She's just trying to help you, Rick, we all are" Brax said.
The ambuance pulled up outside the hospital, and one of the women opened the door for her and she got out, a pit of nerves in the pit of her stomach.
Walking inside the hospital, Ricky felt shaky as if her legs would collapse underneath her any minute, she was feeling sick
A female doctor searched her, while she was in a cubicle, patting her down, making sure that she didn't have anything on her that she shouldn't have, and once satoifsied, she didn't, she was given clothes to change in to.
Nate showed her to her room.
"We'll sort you out a treatment plan. " Nate told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Ricky nodded, she felt numb, Nate left her room to go and organise her treatment plan.
Nate come back in to the room, carrying a tray with two small bottles of pills on them, Ricky eyed them.
"What are they?" Ricky asked.
Nate placed the bottleon the table with a glass of water. "Antidepressants. We are also going to try therapy "
Swallowing the pills down with a sip of the water, under Nate's watchful eye, he'd seen some patients take their tablets, only to spit them out or hide them under their jackets.
"Try and get some sleep " Nate advised her.
"I'll try, " Ricky promised, not knowing whether she'd be able to.
"Good " Nate said, leaving her room and shutting the door.
Ricky sat up in the bed and looked around her; the room was basic: a bed, a wardrobe and that's it, it made Ricky feel as if she was a prisoner, in a way she was.
Brax sat at home, in the living room, a beer in his hand, the TV on, but he wasn't sure what was on. Giving up, as he was just staring in to space, he switched off the TV, finished his beer and went in to the kitchen, binning the bottle and pausing at a picture of him and Ricky on the fridge, he pulled it off. Their arms were around each, she had been pregnant with Casey, but despite the constant kicking of the unborn child inside of her, she still had a smile on her face. Brax stared at it, until he felt a tear roll down his cheek.
Ricky pulled the cover around her, suddenly feeling cold and thought about how Brax could do this to her. She wondered what she'd have to do to recoveer and if she did, would she feel strong enough to hand baby Nathan over to Heath and Bianca, she just didn't know. She wondered if she feel differently if her labour had gone the way she'd wanted, but sometimes life was beyond control and she liked things being in her control, Brax had often teased her calling her a "control freak" She was, in a way, and maybe that was one of the reasons she could think of keeping baby Nathan with her and not handing him over to her estranged best friend, Bianca was the one she'd gone to when she had troubles with Brax, or needed advice, sure, she had Denny and Phoebe, but Phoboe's relationship's barely lasted longer than a few weeks and the only guy Denny loved, was dead. Stolen away from his big brother in a shooting that had gone wrong, Ricky had found out she was pregnant that night, after another fainting spell, now her baby was a year old and the only biological son she'd ever have. She guessed she had to count her blessings, she could have bled to death, she wished for a moment Brax had let her bleed to death. If she had, Brax would be raising Casey on his own while she roted in the ground, she wanted and needed to be there for Casey and that would involve getting better. She couldn't let Casey have a mum that didn't care about him, she'd had that with her own mum, she'd always be palmed off on Adam. She closed her eyes, hoping she wouldn't be in here for too long, but Nate had told her that it was a long process and she would have to cooperate if she wanted to be released after 28 days.
Before going to bed, Brax picked up a picture of himself and Ricky, thinking how they'd got here, if he had known how bad she was going to get, he would have talked her out of carrying the baby, let a stranger do it. He checked on the boys, both asleep in their cots while texting Kyle asking him to keep an eye on the children, Casey was awake. Kyle text back to say, he'd be around once he was finished locking up. Brax waited for his brother. Kyle knocked on the
Heath looked at his phone, before turning to his wife. "It's Brax"
"What do you want mate? Heath asked, but instead of answering him, Heath was awarded to a punch to his face.
"Brax!" Bianca shouted. "What was that for?"
"Ricky's been sectioned" He said, trying his best to stay calm, but also finding it difficult, he was on his own and the other only time he'd been without her was when he had to go away for a few days on a business trip, although he'd rung her before, asking how Casey was and telling her that he loved her.
It was Bianca who spoke to Brax and invited him in to his house (he owned the share house and the flat, but let Heath and Bianca stay in the house, while he and Ricky had kept the flat)
"She'll get the help she needs Brax, " Bianca
"I hope so, " Brax muttered sadly, standing up and leaving the house, to find Kyle sitting on the couch, Casey in his arms. "He should be in bed, " Brax said, checking his watch.
"He couldn't sleep, " Kyle said.
"Come on, little man, " Brax said, taking Casey out of his uncles arms and heading up the stairs. Walking in to the bedroom, he lowered Casey in to his cot, put his blanket over him, with his teddy. His brown eyes, reflected him, and the snub nose was inherited by Ricky. Once he was sure Casey was settled, Brax checked on Nathan, dressed in a similar baby grow to Casey, Brax picked him up. He woke to his mother's partner picking him up. "Shush, mate, it's ok" He felt light in his arms like Casey once had been, sitting back on the bed, which would feel empty without Ricky in, Brax rocked Nathan, stroking his head, gently, as he felt tears come to his eyes and he wondered if he felt like this, he wondered how Ricky would feel.
Back at the house, Heath was watching a movie, while Darcy was talking to one of her school friends on her phone, in her room, Bianca was on her laptop, her legs curled underneath her, her arm around Heath. All was quiet, until Heath started speaking
"It's her fault" Said Heath.
"She's not well" said Bianca, knowing exactly who he was talking about.
"She's just using that as an excuse " Heath replied.
"Heath!" Bianca scolwed. "Mental illness is not something to use as an excuse "
"She entered a contract!" Heath said angrily.
"But we didn't pay her, " Bianca said, she was reading off her laptop.
Heath frowned, not knowing what his wife was on about.
"It says here, " Said Bianca, turning her laptop to face Heath. "That, she could break the contract, "
Heath frowned again. "Just because we didn't pay her?"
Bianca nodded and Heath sighed; he didn't think he'd have to part with his cash to raise his and Bianca's child, if only he'd read the document properly when him and Bianca had first discusssd Ricky carrying their baby, but that had always been his problem, he was too quick to sign his name away, excited to father baby Braxton. He had hopes that soon him, Bianca and Darcy could be a proper family with their son and he was looking forward to it
Thanks for reading, I'm sorry if the chapter was a difficult read.
Next chapter: The physiatriast puts a report together on Ricky's behaviour.
I'll try not to leave it so long next time, I kind of have a plan for the next chapter.