Woo! Update time! This is what you've been waiting months for, and I'm SUPER stoked to finally release it for you guys!
Chapter Thirty-Eight
It was two more weeks before I went home. When June first, the day the supply rover rumbled to outpost two, I was an exuberant bundle of nerves. I had no possessions other than the clothes on my back, and it was all I could do to help carry in crates of food and scientific supplies. The soldier who drove the rover was an unfamiliar man, and I could feel anxiety beginning to well up in my chest at the thought of being alone with him during the ride back to the colony. When everything was organized into its place, the soldier went to the rover while I said goodbye to Margret, who was inside looking over all her new things.
"Margret," I called down the hall as I walked.
"Yes?" she asked when I came into the main room.
"I wanted to come say bye before I left." I told her. She smiled and waved me forward. When I approached, she took my hands in hers.
"Thank you for showing up, Adriana." She said. I laughed nervously, unsure of what to make of her words.
"You're welcome. Thank you for…rehabilitating me." I replied. She laughed and pulled me into a brief hug.
"You'll do fabulous, dear. I won't be there to talk to you, so be ready to deal with any stressors on your own, okay?" Margret said when she released me from the hug. I smiled briefly and nodded.
"I think it'll be okay."
"Promise you'll talk to people if you have issues?"
"I promise I'll talk." I told her, smiling.
"Use your best judgment, okay?" she asked.
"I will." I promised her.
"If you ever need me, just send a message. I'll be here." She told me. My smile faltered.
"You're sure you don't want to come back?" I asked. She nodded.
"I'm very happy here, Adriana. This is my dream to work out here in the jungle." She explained.
"Don't you want to talk to other scientists? Don't you want to be part of a community?" I asked, searching her face for a sign she'd be swayed by my pleading.
"Don't worry about me, Adriana."
"What about Shadow? Don't you think she should be around other animals?" I said, my voice pitching up an octave.
"Shadow's done fine without other animals. Don't worry about us; worry about yourself. We're not going anywhere, Adriana, I promise. We'll be fine." Margret responded, glancing at the small black cat who slept atop the circle desk. I followed her gaze and approached Shadow. Carefully, I pulled the drowsy cat into my arms and stroked her fur with my fingers. She purred as I stroked her, hot tears forming in my eyes.
"This is it, Shadow. Watch out for danger, girl." I whispered to her. I sat her back down on the desk and watched as she curled herself into a ball before going back to Margret.
"Why are you crying, dear?" Margret asked, putting arms around me.
"I feel like I'll never see either of you again." I said quietly, attempting to contain my tears.
"Don't worry, dear. I doubt this'll be the last time we meet." She said, a glint of something flashing through her eyes. "Go on out to the rover."
"Thank you for everything." I said, wiping the last of the tears from my eye. Without another word, I turned and left behind Margret and Shadow, not knowing if or when I'd ever see them again.
Henry
"Henry," my mother's voice came from the open door to my room. She leaned her shoulder against the frame and smiled at me. "I just got word from Commander Taylor."
"That…?" I trailed.
"Adriana just left outpost two with the supply rover." She replied, smiling slightly. I jumped up punched the air in excitement.
"Yes! Finally! Oh my god, I'll-"
"But," she said sharply, freezing me in place.
"What?"
"Her mother went into labor early this morning and is expected to deliver soon." Her words made my blood run cold.
"Will she be back in time?" I asked. She shrugged.
"Depends on how long it takes to get here. They've got twenty miles of roads to cover."
"Why didn't anyone tell me Lucille went into labor?" My mother snorted at the question.
"Jesus, Henry, what makes you think you're so important you need to know when a woman goes into labor?" she replied, shaking her head. My cheeks heated up at her words, and from the smirk on her face, my mother knew she'd embarrassed me.
"But-"
"Just chill out, Henry; you can see them later. Wash your hands and come help me make lunch." she interrupted, walking away from my room. Fuming that my own mother had just slapped me with sound logic, I did as I was told.
Adriana
The ride home was torturously silent. The soldier hadn't spoken in half an hour. I was beginning to get paranoid until he finally said something.
"We've got Mira, you know." He said, glancing my way for a moment.
"Do we?" I asked, not looking his way.
"Yep. Maddy Shannon carried her body from somewhere between the Badlands and the falls until we picked up her and Henry Rost and his father. Henry clubbed Mira with a gun to knock her out." I winced as he spoke of Henry doing such a violent thing. It was chilling to hear confirmation that Henry wasn't the harmless young man I'd always perceived him to be. I wasn't stupid; I knew that everyone was capable of violence, but after never knowing Henry to do violent things and then hearing of what he'd done peeled away the thin façade of nonviolence I'd surrounded my idea of Henry with.
He's not the same person I knew. Or maybe he is, but he was just doing what he thought had to be done. It was to a woman, too. Mira might not be a good person, but she's still a woman. Does that mean Henry won't be as sensitive to hitting other women? Would he hit me if we got into an argument? He knows what Tyler did, and he's Tyler's brother. Tyler controlled me because I feared being beat or raped again. He used rape to control me. He used fear. Would Henry think that what Tyler did stemmed from anger, and that it'd be okay to do if he got angry at me? That he could control me through fear? Would he do that to me? Would Henry rape me?
I was broken from my quickly darkening train of thought as my brain registered that the soldier was talking.
"Hey, you heard me?" he asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
"What? Sorry, I was…thinking."
"I said I'm trying to get you back to the colony quick so you can be there for your mom when she gives birth."
"Wait, what? She's in labor?!" I said, my head snapping to the soldier.
"Yeah, since this morning. That's why I was out at the outpost early. Normally we don't go out there 'til the afternoon on supply days."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" I asked. The soldier shrugged.
"Didn't think of it 'til now."
"How much farther until we're back?" I inquired, searching out the windows for any sign of civilization.
"Four or five miles, maybe."
"Hurry up, then! Drive faster!" I urged him. The rover sped up, and I was pleased to see we were flying down the road at forty miles per hour. The rover jolted and jostled us around, but the cut in time was well worth it.
"This isn't very safe…" he trailed off, but kept up the speed.
"Yeah, and neither are carnivorous dinosaurs, but that didn't stop us from building Terra Nova. I've got a pregnant mom to be with, so you better get us there soon."
We were silent the rest of the way until the trees ahead began to filter in light from the clearing. My heart was thumping so loud I was positive the soldier could hear it.
"You can stand on the door frame, if you want." He said, slowing to a halt. I opened the door to the rover and put my right foot on the step just under the door before standing up. I kept my other foot in the leg space of the passenger seat. Gripping the half open door in one hand and a handhold on the ceiling of the rover's interior, I watched as the clearing came closer and closer until it was there.
The clearing, monstrous in size, was full of unfiltered sunlight. A sea of tall, golden grass rippled with the wind. Waves of heat shimmered in the distance. The spike-lined fence, menacing on the outside yet comforting and safe on the inside, beckoned us forward. The gate was down, sealed shut from the creatures of the outside world. Brown swathes of hard-packed dirt fanned out from the gate; roads leading to and from the colony. Our vehicle was the only one in the clearing. I could hear the rover's engine growling as the soldier sped across the vast open space.
"Go straight to wherever my mom is. Don't stop for anyone." I instructed shouted to the soldier.
If he replied, I didn't here it. The gate was fast-approaching and small, dark figures were beginning to appear between the waves of heat. The sun's heat warmed my side and back, and my hair rippled behind me like the grass we drove beside. The gate came faster and faster until we were within seconds of it. It rose off the ground, high enough for the rover to go under.
The rover slowed as it passed under the blue metal. I looked up and watched as we passed beneath the behemoth gate itself, time slowing for a fraction of a second as my brain registered that I truly was home. People were gathered around, watching as the rover grove by without stopping. Commander Taylor, stone-faced and grey-bearded, stood with his hands on the railing of the command center. I held up my hand in greeting, the action returned by the Commander. I turned to watch as the familiar roads passed by, a joyful smile arching across my face. I couldn't help but laugh with happiness to be home. The rover drove on for a few minutes more before pulling up to the all-too-familiar clinic. Unlike what I'd always observed, there were no medical personnel buzzing in and out of the clinic. Three bikes were leaned against the side of the building. I hopped out of the rover and looked back at the soldier.
"Thank you," I told him before slamming the door and running into the clinic. I yanked open the door and stopped dead in my tracks. A long, keening moan filled the room. The hair on my arms prickled at the sound of it. A nurse in blue scrubs slipped out of one room, and found a syringe of clear liquid. She moved to go back into the room, but stopped when she saw me.
"She's in here," the woman said, beckoning me forward. "That was just a contraction." I crossed the room in three seconds and followed the nurse through door. The room was darkened apart from a few large lamps in the corners of the room. Sitting in a wooden chair beside the bed was a blond man with short, wavy hair. He sat with his head down and his eyes closed. His left hand was being squeezed by a small woman with long dark hair. She had a huge, watermelon-sized stomach and laid on her side. Her other hand cradled her stomach.
"Do you…" she paused as pain overwhelmed her. "…have the epidural?" she clearly was speaking to the nurse who'd let me in.
"I have two for you, Lucille. The needle, or the intravenous numbing agent."
"Whichever one will make the pain go away faster!" she screeched at the nurse, who looked at me.
"You're up, then." She told me, smiling. I slowly walked toward the bed, where the patient lay moaning incoherently. The nurse mumbled about an intravenous something or other, fit the needle into the slot of a drip bag and slowly pushed down on the plunger.
"Mom? Dad?" I said softly. My father jumped in his seat. He slowly looked up, and the moment our eyes met, the room seemed to fill with electricity.
"Oh my god. Lucille, look who's here." His voice was tired and worn, but his eyes were bright and alert. My mother, who'd stopped moaning at the sound of my voice, slowly turned her head towards me. Fresh tears streamed down her face.
"Oh, Adriana…" she trailed off, unable to formulate adequate words. My lip trembling, I walked forward and put my arms around my mother. Her trembling hands wrapped around me and she let loose a keening wail of joy.
"Mom, I'm so glad I made it in time." I whispered, brushing tears out of my eyes.
"I'm so glad you made it, too, honey. I love you so much. I've missed you." she replied. I pulled away from her and turned to my father. I cried even harder as I hugged him; I'd been away for only a few months, and it felt like it had been years since I'd seen my parents. Puts into perspective how bad it must've been for him, having to go without his family for over ten years.
"I love you guys so much," I said when my father had released me from our hug.
"You guys have great pain medicine," My mother said, smiling at the nurse through teary eyes. I was, apparently, a form of pain medicine. Letting out a groan of pain, she clutched at her stomach and closed her eyes.
"Are you-?" I began.
"No, just another contraction. It's not as bad as before. The actual pain killer is starting to take affect." My mother explained, shaking her head.
"You're very close, Lucille." The nurse said, smiling.
"Mom, do you want me to be in the room when you, er…starting pushing?" I asked. My mother nodded, her eyes still closed.
"Go get Jacob and Max and Heather. They went outside for some air."
"Do you want them to be in the room, too?" I asked.
"If they want to, they can." My mother replied, opening her eyes. "Go now. It's not going to be much longer."
I slipped out of the room wordlessly and left the darkened clinic. Outside, the rover was gone. It was still the middle of the day, and people went about their business without noticing me. Voices drifted from behind the clinic, and my heart thumped against my ribs as I followed the sounds of talking people around the building. I stopped before turning the corner and stepped against the wall. The heart was racing, and I couldn't figure out why I was so nervous to see my family. They were people I'd known for years. I edged my face around the corner and regarded the three people standing in the shade of the clinic. A tall, older man with brown hair and a tall, strawberry-blonde woman stood together speaking to a pale, skinny kid with dark hair. Jacob. Max. Heather. Before I could do anything, Jacob's eyes flashed in my direction. He stopped mid-sentence and stared.
"Adriana?" his voice quavered as he took a few steps toward me. Max and Heather stopped talking and stared with astonishment.
"Hey," I greeted, stepping out from around the corner. "I'm back." I added with a smile. Jacob closed the few yards between us and enveloped me in a hug. He didn't cry, but the effect was the same. The relief and joy that he felt washed over me. We stood there, hugging without crying, for a few seconds longer before I pulled away and turned to my aunt and uncle. I didn't hug them, but they each took my hands in theirs.
Heather wasn't pregnant.
Fear gripped my insides. She wasn't supposed to have had her baby yet. She should've been massively pregnant, like my mother. Had she miscarried? Where was their child?
As though she'd heard my thoughts, Heather spoke first.
"The baby was born a month early, on May first. She's perfectly healthy now, and is at home with Ally." She reassured me. Ally.
"What's her name?" I asked. Max smiled.
"Sophie Lucille Harris," he told me proudly.
"After my mom?" I asked. He nodded.
"With everything that's went on in the past few months, your mom has done well dealing with all stress put on her."
"It sounds nice, too." Heather added, smiling.
"I'm happy for you guys, but my mom sent me to bring you guys inside. It's almost time." I replied, beckoning them to follow as I turned away. My family members followed me inside and gathered in my mother's room.
"How do you feel, mom?" Jacob asked, bending down beside the bed.
"The painkiller is spreading quick. I can hardly feel any pain." She replied, smiling.
"Who's delivering the baby?" I asked, thinking of the lone nurse who'd been attending my mother.
"Since I can't exactly deliver my own child," my mother explained, "Sheila's going to be doing it. She's the only midwife in the colony."
"I assume that's the nurse's name," I said. My mother nodded.
"One of the other gals from the clinic should be here soon. She'll be assisting Sheila."
"One to deliver and the other to help," Heather murmured quietly.
"Sheila's been a nurse for twenty-something years." My mother explained, closing her eyes in concentration as another contraction came on.
"Does it hurt?" I ask. My mother rocked her hand back and forth in the air.
"It's mostly pressure." She replied. "Sheila?" She called, her voice dragging out over a couple seconds. The nurse, Sheila, came bustling into the room with a cup of water. Following behind her was a second, much younger woman dressed in the same blue scrubs.
"Hi, Lucille. How're you feeling?" the second nurse asked.
"Ready to have a baby," my mother replied, smiling.
"Drink," Sheila ordered, pushing the cup into my mother's hands. My mother downed the water and sat the empty cup on the bedside table. Satisfied, Sheila left the room. The other nurse followed her out. When the sound of sinks in another room were the only sound, my mother spoke up.
"I know it's a lot to ask of you guys, but I would love it if you'd all be in the room during delivery." She said, looking around at everyone.
"I will, of course," my father murmured, squeezing my mother's hand.
"I'll be here for you, mom." I told her quietly.
"As a mom, I will," Heather added. She glanced at Max, who looked uncomfortable.
"Lucille, you're my sister and all, but I can't…I don't think I can be in the same room during that. I'm sorry." He said to my mother, shame clouding his eyes.
"Don't be sorry, Max. It's a lot to ask of anyone." my mother replied to her brother. He nodded, not meeting her eyes.
"I'm on the same boat as Uncle Max, mom. I'm sorry." Jacob said, looking at our mother. Her smiled sympathetically.
"Thank you for being honest, Jacob." She told him. The silence that hung in the air made my skin itch.
"Is it a boy or girl?" I asked. My parents exchanged looks.
"We don't know. They never brought the technology through the portal." My father explained.
"Do they have anything for pregnancies?" I asked. My mother shook her head.
"Nothing particularly helpful in terms of technology. They were due to come with the next pilgrimage, but we all know how that worked out." My mother explained dryly.
"What're your name choices, then?" I asked, changing the subject.
"If it's a boy, he'll be Coleman Davis." My mother said, beaming at the name.
"If it's a girl, her name will be Allison Anne." My father added. The names rang well. Whatever gender my sibling was, they'd grow up with a good name. Just then, my mother's face squeezed up as another contraction began.
"They're getting really close," I murmured. As if on cue, Sheila and the other nurse entered the room in full delivery outfits: scrubs, surgical masks, elbow-length gloves and booties covering their feet.
"It's time, Lucille," Sheila said, her cheeks pressing upward in a smile.
"I agree. After giving birth twice, I can tell I'm ready." My mother replied, her breath labored.
"I think that's our cue to split." Max said, nudging Jacob. "We'll let Ally know." The two slipped out the room. Sheila adjusted the lights so the room was brighter, but the lights were still considerably dimmer than normal.
Things went quickly after that. Heather and I moved up to the head of the bed opposite of my father. I took my mother's hand, as did my father, and Heather placed her hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. The nurses had us slip medical scrubs over our clothes, and towels were laid out below my mother, who was ready to push at any moment. The second nurse wheeled in a small, towel-lined cot for the baby to lie in.
As each contraction came, Sheila coached my mother, telling her how it was going. Heather spoke quiet words of encouragement. My father sat with his eyes glued on my mother. It wasn't until Sheila said she could see the baby's head that I began to talk to my mother. I kept my eyes on my family, not wanting to see what went on at the end of the bed. After half an hour, Sheila's encouragements became more excited. They were close. With a final push, the child was born. A long, high-pitched wail pierced the air after a few tense seconds. Everyone in the room released a sigh of relief. The baby cried for a few minutes longer, stopping long enough for Abby, the second nurse, to announce it was a boy.
A boy.
Coleman Davis Prevot.
My brother. Little brother.
"June first, 3:17pm." Abby called over Coleman's shrieks. "Seven pounds, fifteen ounces." My father wobbled on shaky legs to Abby's side to cut the umbilical cord. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and brought him to my mother, placing him on her chest. My mother coddled him for a minute, but then stared straight ahead in alarm.
"I'm having another contraction." She said, her voice icy with surprise.
"It's normal to-"Sheila began.
"This isn't a lasting contraction. It's a real contraction. I need to…" she couldn't finish her sentence. Instead, she shakily passed Coleman to my father, who held the squealing child against his chest protectively. My mother pressed her chin against her chest and squeezed her eyes. Sheila watched with wordless shock as my mother pushed, her eyes growing wider with each push.
"My god," she murmured, and then turned to Abby. "Bring in a second cot, and quickly."
"Why do we need that?" I asked, looking at Sheila. She glanced my way.
"There's a second baby."
I'm sure you were waiting for Henry to pop in! I'm sorry, that was a moment of cruelty on my part. I promise, though, it won't be much longer! I know I've been saying that for a while, but now it's true!
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You know you want to.