Chapter Two

The sound of steady beeping could be heard echoing through the silent white washed sterile hospital. Fair lashes began to shift slightly as heavy eye lids slowly opened and the patient on the hospital bed became aware. Her pale dried lips bubbled as she tried to call out, but her throat was too dry. 'Oh,' she heard a movement to her left in the direction of the entrance, 'you're awake. I'll go and call for a doctor.'

Rose grunted out inaudible words, causing the brunette to pause at the sound of her distress. 'Yes?' She turned to her.

Her body was too heavy to move, so she turned her head to the end table with a pitcher of water and glass. 'Water,' the soft spoken female asked her as she came towards her, Rose nodded in response.

Small sun kissed hands grabbed the pitcher and glass to pour the heavenly substance into the glass and give it to her. Nevertheless, being unable to move made it difficult. The petite woman reacted fast and pressed the buttons on the railing of her bed to shift her into a sitting position. Then she placed her free hand behind her neck and head so that she could get better support as drank from the glass before her. The water was cool and refreshing, quenching her parched throat and warm insides, filling her empty stomach. 'Maybe that's enough,' the brunette told her as she pulled the glass away, afraid that it might upset her stomach.

'W-w-w-where,' Rose struggled to speak after a long time of being dormant.

'The hospital,' the woman answered not letting her finish the question. 'You suffered an accident eight months ago and it left you in a coma. We were afraid that you weren't going to wake up again.'

Rose watched the woman and noticed as her cardigan shifted and showed off her rounded stomach. The woman's face was thin, so she didn't think she was overweight. 'Your stomach, are you ill?'

'Oh,' she reached down with both hands to caress her swollen stomach, 'I am not sick, my husband and I have been blessed.'

'Blessed,' she wondered what it could mean. A lot of things were jumbled in her head, she couldn't make tails or head of her situation.

The woman watched her as her older sister was dazed, 'I am going to go and find your doctor,' she told her and took off before she could protest.

Rose was left with her words in her mouth, as the woman waddled out the door as fast as she could. Leaving her alone in a cold and white washed room, with her body strapped with wires and the machine beside her beeping a slow and steady rhythm. She turned her head to look out the window and notice for the first time a beautiful vase of flowers, that were slightly wilted. The red flowers popped against the small white flowers that were used to offset the vibrant red color of the other flowers. She knew they were flowers, but she didn't know what they were called. Another thing that she didn't know, she sighed in resignation and turned her head when she heard a soft knock and the door open before she could call out for them to enter.

A charming young man entered carrying a bouquet of vibrant and alive flowers. 'Sorry, I brought these so late,' he mumbled to himself before actually looking up at her. 'I didn't have time to replace the old ones last night.'

When he lifted his gaze to the sleeping beauty, he saw that instead of a peaceful and somber face, staring back at him were bright blue electric hues. 'You're awake.'

Rose slightly nodded and watched as his face blossomed a light shade of red. 'I am sorry for interrupting you. I should be leaving.'

'The flowers,' she stopped him.

'The flowers,' he asked her puzzled and followed her gaze down to his hands. 'Right,' he agreed and quickly walked over to hand the bouquet of roses to her.

Before she could ask him who he was or thank him for the beautiful arrangement, he turned and took off out the door. The shy, dark haired male with strong chin, defined nose and large brown hues with long lashes. She wondered if he was her type and if they were together, she turned her gaze from the closed door to the flowers in her lap. Tentatively she tried to reach out with her left hand to touch the soft red petals. Before she could lift a finger, the door opened and standing at the entrance was an older gentleman in a white coat. 'I see someone came to visit you,' the older man beamed at the flowers on her lap.

'Are you the doctor?' She asked as he walked in the and the woman from before followed close behind.

'I am,' he smiled at her. 'I am glad to see that you are wake and coherent. I am going to take your vitals and ask you some questions.'

Rose nodded her head, 'For the first question, how are you feeling?'

'Thirsty,' she answered honestly as he grabbed her wrist and manually took her pulse.

'I would assume so, you've been in a coma for a long time. Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?' He moved to put his stethoscope on and check her heart and breathing.

'My body feels heavy, it's hard to move,' she told him as she continued to watch him. Once he finished checking her heart and breathing, he moved to check her reaction to touch.

'Because you've had little mobility these last eight months your body is slow to move and respond. But not to worry, with a little physically therapy we'll have you back to normal. Now, can you tell me your name,' he asked as he moved check her mental awareness.

Rose paused as she though of the reply to his question and failed to come up with the answer, so she shook her head. 'Do you remember your age?'

Question after question, she failed to response, 'Well, it seems that the bolt of lightening and fall caused memory loss. It could be something temporary or permanent, but we'll have to run some test to decide and know more of the situation.'

After examining her a bit further, the doctor left the two females alone. The younger female, who had taken her flowers to place inside a vase, looked down at her with down turned lips. 'Do you really not remember who I am?'

Her soft voice lower and almost inaudible, Rose studied the small rounded stomach with black hair and golden skin. Trying to jog her blank memory and remember her. 'No, I am sorry. Who are you?'

'I am Lily,' she answered dishearten, 'your younger sister.'

'Lily,' she said the name as if conjuring a spell to recall her, but nothing came to mind. However, she smiled as she found that the name suited her perfectly, 'It's a very pretty name.'

'Thank you,' she forced a weary smile on her lips.

'Since I can't remember, why don't you help me,' Rose asked her, so that she could lighten her mood. 'Maybe with you telling me about recent events or happy memories it can help jog my memory.'

'Right,' Lily's smile became natural and it widen. So she began telling her about their parents, childhood and some of the most recent happy memories.

Although as cheerful and entertained as Lily sounded, Rose couldn't maintain her focus on her sister stories. Instead, she looked at the fresh flowers placed by her nightstand. She recalled the handsome young man that had entered and left in a rush of embarrassment. 'Lily,' she stopped the woman in mid-sentence.

Lily had been telling her about the time she had snuck out of the house to go to a party with friends, 'Yes?'

'The flowers, they were brought in by a man. Can you tell me anything about him?'

'Oh,' she remembered the fresh red roses and smiled at the fact that her sister never lost sight of a good man. 'I don't know much about him, just that he comes every week to deliver a set of fresh roses and keep you company when you are alone. I've only interacted with him a couple of times, he never stays long if there is family present. However, from what I gather, he is a very kind and charming young man.'

'I see, so you don't know his name,' she fished for an answered without coming straight out with the question.

'I do,' Lily watched her sister and noticed how her head lifted a little and her ears perked up. It was no doubt that he had an impact on her, 'His name is Gabriel and he works for the hospital. He is an EMT, if that is the correct term. The night that you were struck by lightening, he was one of the EMTs to respond to the call.'

'So he is not someone I've met before?'

'No, but now that you are awake, you can get to know him.' Lily offered as she reached out to caress a soft red petal, 'I think that it was love at first sight and that is why he keeps coming everyday to see you. Which is very romantic in my opinion. Maybe with time, you too can have a happily every after,' she said as she caressed her swollen stomach lovingly.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As time went by Rose failed to recall her lost memories, but she had the love and support of all her family. She also had the help of Gabriel, who with time she had gotten to know and fallen in love with him. After about a year of dating, they decided to get married. They became the godparents to her sister's first child, a rambunctious little boy that looked like his father. Once her sister's second child was born, Gabriel and her started talking about wanting one of their own. So after two years of trying, she got pregnant with their own child, a baby girl. An announcement that both she and her little sister shared at the same time.

With the joy of having girls at the same time, brought fourth excitement for they could grow and be like sisters. Nevertheless, Rose entered labor first, her daughter coming a few months in advance. Causing fear and worry that their beloved child wouldn't make it, but the heavens must have heard them and she delivered a small and adorable little baby girl. She had to be placed in an incubator for about a month, but she was healthy and perfect. Everyone dotted on her and gave her the attention that she carved.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Amistad looked down at her grandmother's tomb and sighed, 'It seems the time has finally arrived, Grandmother. A baby girl will be born to Lady Lily and Master Julian.'

After her first two pregnancies, Amistad had wondered if the night of the incident was real. If Lady Rose had really placed a curse on her sister and her Grandmother had been able to change it. For Lady Lily had to charming little boys that ran around the house causing mischief. Now with her third pregnancy it was announced that she was having a little girl. A joy that had been brought to Lily's face when she announced it and a rock had fallen into her stomach. She looked down at the stroller beside her, where her sleeping two year old laid in peaceful slumber. 'What am I going to do?' She asked her grandmother's grave.

Her son choose that moment to awake and cry, she walked around and unhooked his belt so that she could lift him in her arms and console him. Coming to the dawning realization of what her mother wanted, she rubbed her son's back to soothe him. 'I should treat her as if she were my own, give her the love and kindness a mother would give her own child,' she concluded as her child stopped crying and fell asleep once more.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lily cried out in pain as the contractions worsened, 'It hurts!'

'I know, Baby, but you have to hold on a little longer,' Julian tried to soothe her.

'I can't do this anymore,' she let out after she finished pushing.

'You're almost there, Mrs. Veale. Just a little bit more,' the doctor tried to ease her pain.

'See,' Julian wiped her brow and winced at how strong her grip became on his hand. 'Relax, Honey.'

'Relax,' she cried out, 'how am I going to relax when I am pushing out a human baby out of my body?!'

'Mrs. Veale, I need you to give me a good solid push now. I can see her head crowning,' the Doctor cut him off before he could utter a response.

'You've got this,' Julian coached her.

'Push,' the Doctor ordered.

Lily continued with her agonizing labor, wishing that her husband could trade places with her. However, this was all going to be worth it. Ever since she was pregnant with her first child, Lily had always dreamed of having a little girl of her own to play with, dress up and help her as she got older. 'Ahh,' she screamed as she pushed, thinking that this pregnancy was more difficult than the last two.

'Almost there, she's coming,' the doctor reached down further to cradle the baby's head.

'I,' she wanted to say she couldn't, but her breathing was labored and difficult to catch.

'It's alright, breathe,' Julian took in a deep breathe and released it.

'I am trying,' she screamed at him and squeezed his hand tight.

'Push,' the doctor told her.

Lily pushed and felt that with each one, her strength draining further and each agonizing minute felt the like an hour. The hours finally came to a close as the sound of a healthy baby girl could be heard echoing against the walls. However, before they could see the child, the doctor gave the baby away to the nurse and had her taken away. 'My baby,' she cried out to the doctor and turned to Julian so that he could say something.

'Doctor,' Julian released her hand and went over to the doctor. 'What is the matter? Where is the nurse taking my daughter?'

'Well,' the doctor stopped what he was doing and turned to look up at the worried man. 'We need to run some test on your daughter.'

'Why,' Lily lifted her head up and tried to catch a glimpse of the doctor.

'How do I put this delicately,' the doctor asked as he looked at her with soft sad green hues. 'Your daughter was born with an unknown genetic defect. We need to run some test to see whether she'll be healthy enough to live a relatively normal life.'

'Relatively normal,' Lily and Julian asked together.

'What is wrong with our daughter,' Julian asked.

'We'll know with further testing and it's better if you see for yourself once we finish with her. Now, why don't we finish up here so that I can go and see about your daughter.'

A few hours later after worrying and pace back and forth the Doctor arrived with news about their daughter. Following close behind his was a female nurse, which carried her daughter bundled up in a pink blanket, her face slightly covered. 'Doctor, our daughter,' Julian asked him as he walked over to him and the nurse who stood behind him.

'Mr. and Mrs. Veale, I don't know how to tell you this, but your daughter is relatively healthy. Nevertheless, she seems to have a physical mutation that covers her whole body.

'What,' both parents cried out in shock.

'There is no brain damage or known disease that can account for her mutation,' the Doctor explained and beaconed the nurse forward.

'Physical mutation,' Julian imagined a small arm, deformed leg or curved spine.

'Please brace yourself,' the doctor warned, 'but know that she is your daughter.'

The nurse stepped towards him and handed him the small pink bundle in her arms. Hesitantly, he lifted up a hand to lift up the blanket that lightly covered her face and revealed the baby wrapped inside. Well, if you could call her that, because wrapped inside was a small looking pup. 'What is this a joke,' Julian asked as he held the young creature.

'She is your daughter, I assure you we ran multiple test to verify that she is in fact yours,' the doctor could see the wide eyes of disbelieve and shock.

'Julian,' Lily called out to him, wanting to see what was wrong with her daughter.

'Lily,' he turned to her and contemplated whether to allow her to see their daughter or not. She had already been through so much.

'I want to see her,' Lily told him giving him the answer to his unasked question.

He brought the baby closer to her and presented her, watching as the blood drained from her face and caused her to black out in fright of the sight of her own daughter. 'Lily,' Julian called out to her as the doctor and nurse rushed to her aid.

Julian couldn't understand it, how had this happened, why had this happen? He looked down at the child, who looked up at him with huge black pit-less hues. She wiggled free a small dark furry arm and reached out for him, her small hand clawed. Dark fur covered her whole body, making it impossible to tell were her actual hair began. Her nose had a dark snout at the end that matched her lips. If there was anything to describe her appearance it was that she looked more like a miniatured black bear cub mashed up with a human baby. Julian frowned at the sight of his unconscious wife and then back at his daughter, 'This is not going to be easy.'

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Amistad looked down at the small child in her arms and couldn't help but smile at the little cub like girl. She understood the great distress that Lady Lily suffered after bearing such a child. However, she treated the young baby like an omen soon to bring about the black plague. She had told the family that the baby died and denied to acknowledge her existence. A sad fate for the child to be rejected by her own mother, whom was supposed to protect and love her.

Knowing that the baby's own mother refused her, reignited her sworn duty to protect the child and never let anyone hurt her. The only company she would have was herself and her son, Riku, whom seemed to take a liking to her. 'Don't worry little one, until you mother heals and accepts you, I will protect you.' She told her and received an adorable smile for the baby.

—

A: Finally, our two main characters made their debut. Mind you, they are still children but they are there. Amistad is Riku's mother as well as Ursa's main source of support and motherly love. We also got a chance to meet Ursa's mother, whom was cursed by her own sister.

Am: Which you seem to be giving a happy ending too. (Amistad pointed out the strange plot line, seeing that she was the villain that cursed Ursa.)

A: I wouldn't say that. She was struck by lightening and in a coma for eight months. (The author defended herself.)

Am: Normal authors would see a much better and just ending for their villains. But Rose goes and gets a sweetheart and daughter. Karma seems to be really working wonders in this story.

A: Uh, well, (the author shifts uncomfortably) it seems like we reached the end of this chapters. Hopefully, we'll see everyone back soon for the next installment.

Am: Why are you cutting me off? Cuz you know the readers will raise a concern. (Amistad raced after the author as she tried to get away from her.) Don't run away from me!

A: I got to run. We'll pick this up again next time! Bye!