The Rich Man's Sorrow, part 11, "Hard Times"
Carol stared surprised back at the man. It was him. Doug. "I'm fine. What about you?"
"I'm okay".
Neither he nor Carol knew what to say but fortunately Little Lucy began crying. Doug smiled at the baby. "Someone's got good lungs. Hello, little one. How are you today? Oh, I see…. I disturbed you during dinner, didn't I?"
Carol laughed. "How did you know she was about to eat dinner?"
He pointed at the table. "The bottle. I'll be back later".
"No, that's okay! I mean, I could really need some help".
"Sure". Doug entered the house he'd been inside of so many times. "So, who is this little angel? She's adorable", he said referring to Lucy.
"She's Carter's".
"What?!" Doug asked shocked. "You and John Carter?"
Suddenly Carol realised what she'd said. "No, no, no! Of course not. We're just good friends. She's John and Lucy's daughter. I'm just… babysitting, if that's what you can call it".
"Babysitting?"
"Look, Doug. It's a very long story. Even though you left things have happened".
"So, you're not going out with Carter?"
Carol sighed. "No, Doug! We're not dating. A patient stabbed him and Lucy Knight, the med. student, in February. Lucy died and I'm taking care of their daughter while Carter's in rehab in Atlanta".
"What? Why?"
They sat down and while she fed Lucy Carol told Doug about everything that had happened. When she was finished Doug didn't know what to say.
"Wow!"
Carol smiled as she looked at Doug. He'd been shocked earlier when he'd thought she was seeing Carter, but he was even more shocked now.
"So, I'm kinda stuck here with three babies".
"Yea-Three?"
"There are two at the floor. They are three months older than Lucy".
"Whose are they? Mark and Elizabeth's?"
"No…" Carol said slowly. "They are ours".
"Ours?" Doug repeated even more surprised.
Carol knew she had to tell him anyway. "I-I was pregnant when you left"
"You were? How come you didn't tell me? We tried for so long!" He almost raised his voice now.
"I was pregnant, alone, scared, hurt and you had just left me. How do you think I felt? Just as I loved you I was also angry at you".
"I asked you to come with me, didn't I?"
"Yeah, to the other side of the country".
"Fine", was all he said before he rose and left.
"I-I'm sorry, Doug", Carol cried after him, but he didn't hear her.
She had really done it this time, and she couldn't blame him for acting the way he did either. After wiping some tears away she laid Little Lucy in her bed that Millicent had brought earlier. By then Kate and Tess had had enough of laying on the floor, and both of them began screaming.
"Please, girls", Carol said as she came downstairs again. "I just screwed up with your father and I'm so tired that my body is about to fall apart".
She managed to feed the twins and put them to bed, and when they finally were asleep she let her body fell down on the couch. Not even a day had gone and Tess, Kate and Lucy had all made her exhausted, and she could feel her body ache. It didn't take her long before she fell asleep, but only 20 minutes later the phone woke her up. She sighed and went to answer the phone.
"Hello?" she said as she yawned.
"Hi, it's John", the voice in the other end said.
This chapter is dedicated to my best friend, John T Carter. We stick together through thick and thin.
Glad i deg ;)
Carol stared surprised back at the man. It was him. Doug. "I'm fine. What about you?"
"I'm okay".
Neither he nor Carol knew what to say but fortunately Little Lucy began crying. Doug smiled at the baby. "Someone's got good lungs. Hello, little one. How are you today? Oh, I see…. I disturbed you during dinner, didn't I?"
Carol laughed. "How did you know she was about to eat dinner?"
He pointed at the table. "The bottle. I'll be back later".
"No, that's okay! I mean, I could really need some help".
"Sure". Doug entered the house he'd been inside of so many times. "So, who is this little angel? She's adorable", he said referring to Lucy.
"She's Carter's".
"What?!" Doug asked shocked. "You and John Carter?"
Suddenly Carol realised what she'd said. "No, no, no! Of course not. We're just good friends. She's John and Lucy's daughter. I'm just… babysitting, if that's what you can call it".
"Babysitting?"
"Look, Doug. It's a very long story. Even though you left things have happened".
"So, you're not going out with Carter?"
Carol sighed. "No, Doug! We're not dating. A patient stabbed him and Lucy Knight, the med. student, in February. Lucy died and I'm taking care of their daughter while Carter's in rehab in Atlanta".
"What? Why?"
They sat down and while she fed Lucy Carol told Doug about everything that had happened. When she was finished Doug didn't know what to say.
"Wow!"
Carol smiled as she looked at Doug. He'd been shocked earlier when he'd thought she was seeing Carter, but he was even more shocked now.
"So, I'm kinda stuck here with three babies".
"Yea-Three?"
"There are two at the floor. They are three months older than Lucy".
"Whose are they? Mark and Elizabeth's?"
"No…" Carol said slowly. "They are ours".
"Ours?" Doug repeated even more surprised.
Carol knew she had to tell him anyway. "I-I was pregnant when you left"
"You were? How come you didn't tell me? We tried for so long!" He almost raised his voice now.
"I was pregnant, alone, scared, hurt and you had just left me. How do you think I felt? Just as I loved you I was also angry at you".
"I asked you to come with me, didn't I?"
"Yeah, to the other side of the country".
"Fine", was all he said before he rose and left.
"I-I'm sorry, Doug", Carol cried after him, but he didn't hear her.
She had really done it this time, and she couldn't blame him for acting the way he did either. After wiping some tears away she laid Little Lucy in her bed that Millicent had brought earlier. By then Kate and Tess had had enough of laying on the floor, and both of them began screaming.
"Please, girls", Carol said as she came downstairs again. "I just screwed up with your father and I'm so tired that my body is about to fall apart".
She managed to feed the twins and put them to bed, and when they finally were asleep she let her body fell down on the couch. Not even a day had gone and Tess, Kate and Lucy had all made her exhausted, and she could feel her body ache. It didn't take her long before she fell asleep, but only 20 minutes later the phone woke her up. She sighed and went to answer the phone.
"Hello?" she said as she yawned.
"Hi, it's John", the voice in the other end said.
This chapter is dedicated to my best friend, John T Carter. We stick together through thick and thin.
Glad i deg ;)