50

Youngblood

Katherine leaned into her seat. They had just arrived on Honduras. She liked the southern province—it reminded her of her home. She was sitting around with Rihanna (chatting), Tatiana (also chatting) and herself, also chatting. They were being very social.

She wasn't sure whenever it were the Reynolds or Michael inviting the girls to the Reynolds' home. It sounded like something the Reynolds would do, but they were doctors. Going by what she knew from Isadora's comments on Jason, that was a very busy job. Either way, only a few days after the Elite had been announced, they boarded the plane again.

"Isadora is with Jason, and Rho is with her mother, aren't they?" Rihanna muttered.

Kath nodded. "That's what they said, at least."

"Where's Tilly?" Rihanna asked, not looking up from her phone. She was still typing.

"I think she went out with Michael?" Kath shrugged.

She didn't know of Rho's predictions of who was the crown prince's favourites, but if she was asked, she would agree with half of it. He got along best with Tilly for sure, and Kath was happy to know that she didn't care. It pushed her back to the question why she was still here (Africa had left, and that reminded all of them on the reason why they were here, theoretically), but right now, she was far from the mood to discuss that. When they'd go to Dominica, their next destination, maybe. Michael was terribly insisted on wanting to go there.

"They're coming back," Tate pointed out, while looking out of the window. "With Rho and her mother, and Jason and Isadora. Do we want to join them?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Kath agreed, rising.

Joining them was quite easy—they were coming to them into the lounge. Jason and Isadora probably had been talking, but with the camera crews around, they had to be careful. How long would it take before Michael would eliminate Isadora, and they could officially date? Three of the nine members of the Elite were friends, and she knew that she herself wasn't going to stay forever too.

Probably that was why he was around Tilly so much. Her crush was rather obvious.

"I like Honduras," Isadora remarked. "It's pretty here."

To think that hundreds of years ago, Honduras belonged to the poorer districts in Illéa and that the Southern Rebels came from here… The province probably still was behind the central provinces, but the situation had improved.

"Same," Kath nodded. "It's warm here too."

"It's warm in Angeles too," Tilly pointed out. "But it's nice here too."

Thinking of it, it was probably because of their occupation as doctors that the Reynolds were so strongly established here. The profession probably was respected much more here than it was in other provinces. Kath could, however, also understand why they were still struggling to find feet in the real elite of Illéa. There was still a huge difference between being a doctor, and a real estate mogul like her mother.

"Where do you work?" she asked Rho's mother, Carianne Reynolds.

"The local hospital, most of the time," Carianne replied. "but I've travelled elsewhere to help people."

"That's nice."

* . * . *

Kath didn't notice that Rho didn't stay inside. She had other things in her mind, and accidentally did exactly what Rhosyn needed: someone to distract her mother. With her father still at work, she was the only issue.

Rhosyn didn't essentially 'sneak out'—when she left the lounge and her mother behind, she rushed outside, down the stairs and only stopped when she reached the small, old playground of the suburb of her home town. Not very far away, but out of her mother's immediate reach.

"Rho!" The sweet voice of Gia Ivans, sitting on a bench, called her, and gained her attention.

Gia, Rho's other brother's girlfriend, was sitting on the bench with Ken, Rho's other brother. Gia was visibly pregnant. Rho wasn't an expert on pregnancies, but she could see that Gia had to be in her final weeks of the pregnancy.

"Gia! Ken!" Rho beamed and rushed over the san of the playground to join them. "How are you two?"

"I'm good," Gia chuckled. "Although, a bit slow with moving around."

Rho hugged her brother happily, and Gia a bit more gently. Jason had told them about the Selected's visit to Honduras a while ago, and it fortunately happened to be around the time of the two's planned visit. Ken wanted to set things straight with their parents, but going by what Jason had told her before, it hadn't been good. She didn't know Gia well at all, but from what Ken had told Jason, she was a sweet woman. Plus, she knew that once they had sorted out their child, Ken intended to propose to her, so to Rho, she already was family.

"How did it go?" Rho asked either way.

Ken sighed. "Not very well. Mum practically threw me out of the house. I'm glad that I didn't take Gia. She basically refused to talk to me."

Rho bit on her lip. "I could try? Mum needs to be in good graces with me now."

"I don't want to pull you into this, Rho," Gia insisted. "We'll figure out the money situation somehow."

"I can't let you just leave alone." Rho sighed. "That would be unfair."

Gia shook her head. "What would you do? Tell mum the same thing as Ken did? They have been more worried about their reputation than their family since Ken left."

"Since before that," Ken muttered.

"… We could try at least," Rho thought aloud. "I mean, something had to be done. I'm not going to let you three alone."

"She'll just send us away again." Ken shook his head. "It's useless."

"We'll see that. She can't send a pregnant woman away, who's come to see the family of her child, can she? Not in front of cameras. I could text the other girls and ask them to push the Selection team to film it. We'll find a way—I promise."

Gia turned to her boyfriend. "We should try, Ken," she said. "Besides, I'm not feeling that well either, and I'd rather feel unwell in a house of doctors who don't want to help me than in the old motel we're staying at."

"Think of the Hippocratic Oath. They won't hurt her," Rho added. "Why don't you feel unwell?"

Gia chuckled. "I'm pregnant, Rho. I'm just feeling a bit… I guess like period cramps. It's fine. Don't worry about it—I just want to get this done."

"When is the baby due?" Rho asked as they started heading back to the Reynolds' home.

"In three to four weeks, going by the doctor," Gia replied. "I think, at least."

The three headed back home, Rho doing exactly as she had said before. Make Rihanna tell them that her brother and his girlfriend were coming, but not mention that there were tensions between them. Rho introduce Ken and Gia to the cameras who were about to finish for the day either way.

"Where's my mum?" Rho asked Jason as the cameras chatted with Gia and Ken.

"She just went to get a children photo book," he replied. "I tried to stop her, but failed, sorry," he added before going to hug his younger brother. They hadn't seen each other in a while either, Rho realized.

"I'll be right back," Gia excused herself from the cameras who were happy to finish for the day. "Ken? Where's the toilet?"

"It's that way," Rho pointed to the correct door. Ken was still with Jason, and they deserved to catch up. Jason had only arrived with them after all.

"Thank you," Gia replied, heading to the toilet.

"Didn't you say that your mother doesn't like him anymore?" Michael stepped by her side.

"She doesn't," Rho replied. "But they need my parents' help. Gia and Ken can't afford the money they need to care for the child—well, the probably just could, but Ken would need to get a job, and can't do what he'd like to do, music."

"And your parents don't want to help them?" Michael looked around. "This isn't the palace, but they have to have enough money!"

"They do," Rho replied. "They just refuse to acknowledge that he exists after he turned to music."

"That's mean," the crown prince muttered.

"I know," Rho nodded. She sighed, but watched her brothers talk, the camera team ending work for the day and leaving. Ken introduced himself to Isadora too (he had gotten the note about them earlier, Rho presumed).

"Huh? What's happening here? Why the commotion?" Carianne gained most of the visitor's attention. She was standing on the stairs with an old photo album (the one from which she had removed Ken's photos, Rho realized).

"We have… guests." Rho spoke up. This had been her idea after all. She should be able to defend it.

"Yes, of course we do, the—" Carianne broke off. Her expression turned from surprise to disappointment. "I thought we discussed this," she hissed at Ken.

"Gia is pregnant, mum!" Rho insisted. "They need help, and last time I checked, we can help them."

Carianne's expression hardened. "Rhosyn, you do not understand. Kenneth—"

"This… mum…" Jason looked between his brother, his mother and his sister. "It's not about Ken, mum. It's about your grandchild!"

"Well, that young man there certainly lost the right to call himself my son," Carianne spat. "Then that child of that whore is not my grandchild."

"She's not a whore!" Ken called out. "Gia's the most intelligent, beautiful woman I have ever met. She's amazing."

"I could not care less."

Silence fell on the room. Awkwardly, Michael seemed to look at the other girls. They probably felt like they shouldn't be there, Rho thought. That was right—they didn't need to be involved into her parents' stupidity. Michael looked at Carianne—was he contemplating to interrupt? Rho shook her head, signalising that he shouldn't. This was Reynolds business.

The silence was interrupted by a groan or scream—Gia.

"Gia? Are you alright?" Ken called out, genuinely worried. "Honey?" He didn't give her time to answer, but rushed to the bathroom instead.

"I think my water broke." Rho could hear her in the distance.

"… Are you kidding me?" Carianne seemed to say, but Rho was already moving. If that was the case, then Gia needed help.

"Call an ambulance," someone—Tilly, right, she was a nurse—insisted.

"Wait, what?!" That was Rihanna. Tilly probably had pointed at her, or so. "What? How?"

"With your phone," Katherine sighed. "I'll do it." Rho could hear the phone in the background. Good. This wasn't essentially an emergency, but Gia needed to go to the hospital if that was the case.

"Not. In. My. House," Carianne insisted.

"Are you kidding me, mum?" Jason called out. "She's about to give birth! You're a doctor! Do you really think she can wait until she's out of the house? She won't. You all, go out of the room," he ordered. "Except Kath until she's done with calling the ambulance."

Tatiana prove to be the best help in getting everyone out of the room (Rihanna seemed to be panicking more than Ken and Gia combined), and also managed to get Carianne out of the room, leaving the doctor, the medicine student and the nurse to help Gia until the paramedics would arrive. Going by how Rho knew her home that would probably be after the baby was born.

* . * . *

"Three, me, Rihanna… There's Kath… Rho and Tilly are with Gia… Isa… Ken… Then there's Rho's mum and Michael. Good." Tatiana nodded. "Anyone left in the hallway?"

Kath shook her head. "No, we're all."

Tatiana nodded grateful. This was good to know. Gia probably didn't need everyone swarming around her. She sat down on one of the sofas in the lounge, watching Carianne boiling with anger. She was a doctor, wasn't she? How could she act like that?

"Mom, are you serious?" Ken, now a bit calmer, asked. He looked shattered, Tate thought. "You're a doctor, Jason was right. How could you say "Not in my house"?!"

"You, Kenneth, do not understand that," Carianne barked. "You have no idea of medicine!"

"Of course I don't, but I never thought… you could tell… what?"

"You're a shame to the family, Kenneth," Carianne accused.

"You were about to—what?" Tate rose. "Sorry, but what?"

Ken shook his head, circling around on the carpet. "No… It's… It's useless. She won't listen… I just got to figure out…"

"Rho mentioned that you need money to pay for stuff with the child," Michael pointed out. He leaned against the door.

Ken nodded. "Yes. Exactly."

"Hi." Michael almost laughed. "I dare to say I can help you."

Isadora, next to Tate, nodded. "Same. I'm sure my mother would love to help the poor brother my friend, if she can make some press fuss."

"… Really?" Ken asked in disbelief.

The Crown Prince nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure that if I asked Emmy, she'd come up with ideas how to ask others for help too. Or Gofundme, which'd be my second choice if I wasn't a prince, you know. I do have some money." He laughed.

"That… that… that would be amazing," Ken replied.

"But?" Isadora rose her eyebrows.

"We probably couldn't pay it back anytime soon."

Michael shrugged. "I'm sure we can write it off taxes a charity donation. Emmy knows her way around with that. Same for Isa."

While Ken repetitively thanked Isadora and Michael, Tatiana's eyes wandered back to Carianne who eyes Isadora and Michael. She got what she wanted, huh? Or was it because Isadora's mother would, by making a press fuss about it, hurt their reputation? Probably the latter.

"… Alright," she pressed out. Definitely the latter. "I still do not want to see you two again though."

"This is ridiculous," Kath muttered next to her, looking through the window. She was waiting for the ambulance, Tate guessed.

"I agree," Tate nodded. "It's terrible."

"It happens," Isadora shrugged. "My mum is just as bad as yours, I feel you," she told Ken. "If you want to form an 'Our mums and dads are terrible club', I'm in."

"My mum too," Tate muttered.

"Then you're in too," Isadora mocked. "Anyone else? Jason and Rho are in, apparently."

"Guys," Kath spoke up.

"Since when are your parents bad? Weren't they just overprotective?" Isadora mocked.

"They—they aren't bad," Kath insisted. "But, what I mean is, the ambulance is here. I'll go and show them the way in. You… just don't stand in the way, I guess?"

"Well… If you asked my brother, then I am in the way," Isadora laughed.

"Same with my sister," Tatiana added, rolling her eyes.

"Are we forming a 'terrible siblings club' too?" Isadora laughed.

* . * . *

In front of the Honduras hospital which Rho left in the afternoon after checking onto Gia and the newborn child, she found Michael waiting with the car that had gotten her here.

"I didn't know you can drive," Rho pointed out.

"I didn't drive here," Michael laughed. "I'm also not the best driver," he added. "How are they?"

"Good." Rho nodded. "Thanks again."

"No worries. The media might think I'm a jerk, but they don't get to see me."

Rhosyn chuckled. "I agree," she said.

"Your family definitely needs a reality check though. What your mother did is unbelievable."

"Let's not pull the press fuss Isadora mentioned into this though. I wouldn't want to have the three get through that."

"Sure? They definitely deserve it."

Rho nodded. "I'm sure."

"Where are they going after today?" Michael wondered. "Jason mentioned that they don't live here?"

"Gia used to work in Calgary, but she lost her job after budget cuts or something like that… Not that she can work now either way. We were talking about them coming to Angeles. I could come and help her from time to time when I go back studying, and Jason's apartment is large enough to include them. Katerina wanted heaps of space, apparently," Rho explained.

"So they're coming back with us? I don't know how long she'll be in hospital, but it's not like we'd need to buy more seats." Private planes, of course.

"I'll ask them," Rho nodded. "That's be cool, actually."

"Which reminds me," Michael began, "I think you should leave. The Selection, I mean. I still have Isa and Rihanna, and your brother needs you more. If your parents keep bugging you, we can just go back and remind her that she wanted a woman giving birth out of her room rather than helping. As doctor."

Rho found herself nodding. "I know. I'm not really doing anything but wasting space either way, am I?"

"I wouldn't say that." Michael laughed. "But you've got a student flat in Angeles, don't you? You're free to come and hang out. So are your brothers. Just keep the child away from Rihanna—she doesn't like loud kids." He laughed, and Rho joined.

"Yeah, I'll try. I am making no promises though."

* . * . *

The article of The Angeles Sun that ended up being published after Rhosyn left the Selection officially made her smile either way.

"Last Monday, the palace announced that Rhosyn Reynolds, the Selected from Honduras, left the Selection on good terms with Michael Schreave, following the birth of her nice, Elodie Reynolds. Michael Schreave later on gave a comment to the press, stating "Rhosyn is a very good friend of mine, but I know that she belongs back to uni, to study to be the fantastic doctor, she will be one day. I am glad to know her, and her brother and his family, though, and happy to consider them to be friends". Reynolds is moving back to Angeles to resume her studies."


Author's Note

A big thanks to Headless Gummy Bear for being my medical help here. :)

Rhosyn thus is the second character to officially be out of the Selection. The most useful part about Rho is probably Jason, but hey, I still love her. Rho is a sweet person, but I agree with Mike, she should be a doctor and actually help people.

Next Chapter: The Middle