Chapter 13
Lying in the vast bed, covered in soft blankets and cushioned on thick pillows, Gillian was miserable, even in the center of luxury. It was a swell time for her period to come on; both Riddick and her were disappointed. He didn't make her act as his slave anymore, but his feelings for her hadn't changed. He remained rigid and mean, but at night he was something new. Something unexplored and she took what she could at night. In the day she only had the memory of the night before to sustain her. Gillian knew she should have been happy with that, especially coming from him, but she wanted more. She wanted his baby. Jack told her that sometimes women didn't conceive right away, Gillian had hoped that after so many times they made love that she'd be pregnant by now. Aunt flow was always an ugly nuisance, but now it took on a whole new depression aspect. A knock at the door caused Riddick to shout for whomever it was to go away. Jack entered anyway, "Well I see Riddick isn't feeling well this morning, what about you Gill?" "She's on her period, let her lay here if she wants." Riddick said as if to embarrass Gillian. "Oh," Jack said with disappointment drudged in her voice. "Don't fret it girlie, you'll have a baby sooner or later." Riddick was at the entrance to the room but Jack's words made him turn, "If you think that breeding will make me forget your reason for being here than think again!" he warned. "You'd only be doing you and tha brat a bigger disfavor." He turned and slammed the door, and with that so did a part of Gillian's heart. How could she bring a child into this world knowing he would hate it? "Gill..." Jack finally said, "He'll come around." Jack turned on the TV and there was a news bulletin on. It was talking about how a bad virus was taking over Lanka 3 and none of the doctors could figure out what it was and how to cure it. Jack and Gillian sat in silence as they showed footage of the effects of the sickness and symptoms of it. "Jack, I gotta do something." "What are you talking about?" "I'm talking about volunteering at that hospital. It's entirely understaffed and they barely have funds to stay open." "Okay, we'll give them the funds, I'm sure Riddick would go for that, but He's not gonna go for you working at that hospital with all those sick people Gill." "It's not about what he thinks, those people need help Jack, not just financially." Jack gave a sigh, "I don't know about this Gill, he's not gonna go for it and I think I'd have to agree with him. That virus looks really dangerous to catch." Gillian sighed, "That's why I'm not gonna tell him, and neither are you." "Don't put me in the middle of this." "I'm not! Look, I'll tell Riddick I'm volunteering at some other hospital, then I'll tell him that it'll look good for the leader's wife of Lanka 3 to be helping people on the planet. He'll go for that."
And he did, he fell for every word Gillian spilled to him. Gillian's first weeks at the hospital was a wreck. There were so many sick poor people; she didn't know whom to help first. There were people who were in the first stages of the virus all the way to the last stage, death. The sight of all this made her cry. She cried for every person in the hospital it seemed. It had gotten so that she was too tired to eat when she came home. Riddick didn't like this at all. The breaking point was when she was too tired to give him his 'special attention'. From there he promptly stopped her volunteering. She was furious but he didn't care, it was for her own good. Within weeks, the virus moved to the compound itself. When Jack herself got sick, Gillian had no choice but to see to her. Riddick of course got Jack and all the others who got sick the best doctors, and told Gillian to stay away until things got better. Gillian knew better though, this virus had to be watched closely, and not even the best doctors could do that. Jack needed Gillian and she wasn't going to deny her any of that attention, so whenever she could Gillian slipped away and joined Jean at Jack's side. At first the fever and chills that wracked Jack's body were so frightening that Gillian was scared for her life, but after a week, it eased. Then the spots appeared, and Gillian was scared once more, she knew then that people died soon after breaking out in that rash. A full two weeks later Gillian was once again at Jack's side as Jean brushed her Jack's hair. He was just as much as a wreck as she was and it killed her to see him like that. He didn't care at this point; he said that if Jack were to go that he would have nothing to live for. At one time while Gillian was praying for Jack, Jean asked her if she would take care of Sara. Gillian only looked at him and said, "No, cuz she has her parents here to look after her." Jean smiled weakly but it faded as Jack began to cough violently. In the back of Gillian's head she silently said that if it were to happen, she'd take care of Sara and make sure she knew just how wonderful both her parents were. Riddick came and visited Jack once or twice, but he wouldn't stay long. He hated to see her like this, he'd come back to his room and Gillian could swear she heard him sniffle a bit before running into the bathroom and running a shower. Soon the spots began to fade, and Gillian could see that Jack was still alive. She was even getting better. In the midst of all the darkness, there was a light, and it was called Jack. She was sitting up and even starting to talk like her old smart assed self. Even though the sickness spared Jack and many others in Lanka 3, it still claimed the lives of many others including Edna, and Jerome.
Riddick retuned one day to find the house empty, and it didn't ease his mood. He had taken some of his men into the cities and do some work that had been left by other men who had gotten sick from the virus. Even though Doctors were getting close with the cure it wasn't coming fast enough. Tired and sweaty and unused to all the work he cursed himself for getting so soft. All he wanted now was a hot bath and some attention from his beautiful wife. He hoped she wouldn't bite his head off, she had been moody and out of energy lately, and he had been easy on her but his temper was getting the best of him. "Jerome!" he roared, and then he quickly remembered that the virus claimed his life more than 3 days before. Stalking up the stairs to his room her yanked the doors open. Closing it behind him he quickly started to strip as he walked to the edge of the bed. "She's asleep?" he whispered as peered into the bed. She'd never done that; she'd always waited for him. Tempted to wake her up, Riddick leaned over her and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was pale too, and he felt a nudge in his stomach. She was obviously tired and all he could think about was himself. Reaching out a hand smoothed the strands of hair from her face. He stopped at her forehead, she was warm, her flesh heated to the touch, feverish...like someone who was sick.
A noise startled him, and Riddick wakened, blinking into the dimness of the room. He leaned toward her, holding his breath until he saw her chest rise and fall. She was still alive, and he let out a long, ragged sigh of relief. He didn't know if her spots were getting worse or better, but every minute that went by and she was still breathing he praised a higher being for granting it to him. Gillian was all he lived for at the moment. He didn't know where night and day ended and began anymore, he leaved the room hardly. Jack came in sometimes to sit with them, just as Gillian did at her side. "Riddick, you better go eat, I'll stay with her." She said as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "No, I'm staying, you can go get me something please." Jack nodded and left to get him something eat. Riddick was alone with his wife once again. He gazed down at her, but she didn't even notice his presence. She was barely awake over the past couple of days, either slipping into comatose like states that scared the shit out of him or mumbling deliriously. His plan for revenge began to slip further away as Gillian did. He finally came to the conclusion that he didn't want to torture anymore. He just wanted her. He wanted everything that made him yearn for her. He wanted, the smiles, the laughters, the jokes, her personality, and her beauty. With that promise to himself, he sat back down and did something no one ever saw him do, he prayed.
Lying in the vast bed, covered in soft blankets and cushioned on thick pillows, Gillian was miserable, even in the center of luxury. It was a swell time for her period to come on; both Riddick and her were disappointed. He didn't make her act as his slave anymore, but his feelings for her hadn't changed. He remained rigid and mean, but at night he was something new. Something unexplored and she took what she could at night. In the day she only had the memory of the night before to sustain her. Gillian knew she should have been happy with that, especially coming from him, but she wanted more. She wanted his baby. Jack told her that sometimes women didn't conceive right away, Gillian had hoped that after so many times they made love that she'd be pregnant by now. Aunt flow was always an ugly nuisance, but now it took on a whole new depression aspect. A knock at the door caused Riddick to shout for whomever it was to go away. Jack entered anyway, "Well I see Riddick isn't feeling well this morning, what about you Gill?" "She's on her period, let her lay here if she wants." Riddick said as if to embarrass Gillian. "Oh," Jack said with disappointment drudged in her voice. "Don't fret it girlie, you'll have a baby sooner or later." Riddick was at the entrance to the room but Jack's words made him turn, "If you think that breeding will make me forget your reason for being here than think again!" he warned. "You'd only be doing you and tha brat a bigger disfavor." He turned and slammed the door, and with that so did a part of Gillian's heart. How could she bring a child into this world knowing he would hate it? "Gill..." Jack finally said, "He'll come around." Jack turned on the TV and there was a news bulletin on. It was talking about how a bad virus was taking over Lanka 3 and none of the doctors could figure out what it was and how to cure it. Jack and Gillian sat in silence as they showed footage of the effects of the sickness and symptoms of it. "Jack, I gotta do something." "What are you talking about?" "I'm talking about volunteering at that hospital. It's entirely understaffed and they barely have funds to stay open." "Okay, we'll give them the funds, I'm sure Riddick would go for that, but He's not gonna go for you working at that hospital with all those sick people Gill." "It's not about what he thinks, those people need help Jack, not just financially." Jack gave a sigh, "I don't know about this Gill, he's not gonna go for it and I think I'd have to agree with him. That virus looks really dangerous to catch." Gillian sighed, "That's why I'm not gonna tell him, and neither are you." "Don't put me in the middle of this." "I'm not! Look, I'll tell Riddick I'm volunteering at some other hospital, then I'll tell him that it'll look good for the leader's wife of Lanka 3 to be helping people on the planet. He'll go for that."
And he did, he fell for every word Gillian spilled to him. Gillian's first weeks at the hospital was a wreck. There were so many sick poor people; she didn't know whom to help first. There were people who were in the first stages of the virus all the way to the last stage, death. The sight of all this made her cry. She cried for every person in the hospital it seemed. It had gotten so that she was too tired to eat when she came home. Riddick didn't like this at all. The breaking point was when she was too tired to give him his 'special attention'. From there he promptly stopped her volunteering. She was furious but he didn't care, it was for her own good. Within weeks, the virus moved to the compound itself. When Jack herself got sick, Gillian had no choice but to see to her. Riddick of course got Jack and all the others who got sick the best doctors, and told Gillian to stay away until things got better. Gillian knew better though, this virus had to be watched closely, and not even the best doctors could do that. Jack needed Gillian and she wasn't going to deny her any of that attention, so whenever she could Gillian slipped away and joined Jean at Jack's side. At first the fever and chills that wracked Jack's body were so frightening that Gillian was scared for her life, but after a week, it eased. Then the spots appeared, and Gillian was scared once more, she knew then that people died soon after breaking out in that rash. A full two weeks later Gillian was once again at Jack's side as Jean brushed her Jack's hair. He was just as much as a wreck as she was and it killed her to see him like that. He didn't care at this point; he said that if Jack were to go that he would have nothing to live for. At one time while Gillian was praying for Jack, Jean asked her if she would take care of Sara. Gillian only looked at him and said, "No, cuz she has her parents here to look after her." Jean smiled weakly but it faded as Jack began to cough violently. In the back of Gillian's head she silently said that if it were to happen, she'd take care of Sara and make sure she knew just how wonderful both her parents were. Riddick came and visited Jack once or twice, but he wouldn't stay long. He hated to see her like this, he'd come back to his room and Gillian could swear she heard him sniffle a bit before running into the bathroom and running a shower. Soon the spots began to fade, and Gillian could see that Jack was still alive. She was even getting better. In the midst of all the darkness, there was a light, and it was called Jack. She was sitting up and even starting to talk like her old smart assed self. Even though the sickness spared Jack and many others in Lanka 3, it still claimed the lives of many others including Edna, and Jerome.
Riddick retuned one day to find the house empty, and it didn't ease his mood. He had taken some of his men into the cities and do some work that had been left by other men who had gotten sick from the virus. Even though Doctors were getting close with the cure it wasn't coming fast enough. Tired and sweaty and unused to all the work he cursed himself for getting so soft. All he wanted now was a hot bath and some attention from his beautiful wife. He hoped she wouldn't bite his head off, she had been moody and out of energy lately, and he had been easy on her but his temper was getting the best of him. "Jerome!" he roared, and then he quickly remembered that the virus claimed his life more than 3 days before. Stalking up the stairs to his room her yanked the doors open. Closing it behind him he quickly started to strip as he walked to the edge of the bed. "She's asleep?" he whispered as peered into the bed. She'd never done that; she'd always waited for him. Tempted to wake her up, Riddick leaned over her and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was pale too, and he felt a nudge in his stomach. She was obviously tired and all he could think about was himself. Reaching out a hand smoothed the strands of hair from her face. He stopped at her forehead, she was warm, her flesh heated to the touch, feverish...like someone who was sick.
A noise startled him, and Riddick wakened, blinking into the dimness of the room. He leaned toward her, holding his breath until he saw her chest rise and fall. She was still alive, and he let out a long, ragged sigh of relief. He didn't know if her spots were getting worse or better, but every minute that went by and she was still breathing he praised a higher being for granting it to him. Gillian was all he lived for at the moment. He didn't know where night and day ended and began anymore, he leaved the room hardly. Jack came in sometimes to sit with them, just as Gillian did at her side. "Riddick, you better go eat, I'll stay with her." She said as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "No, I'm staying, you can go get me something please." Jack nodded and left to get him something eat. Riddick was alone with his wife once again. He gazed down at her, but she didn't even notice his presence. She was barely awake over the past couple of days, either slipping into comatose like states that scared the shit out of him or mumbling deliriously. His plan for revenge began to slip further away as Gillian did. He finally came to the conclusion that he didn't want to torture anymore. He just wanted her. He wanted everything that made him yearn for her. He wanted, the smiles, the laughters, the jokes, her personality, and her beauty. With that promise to himself, he sat back down and did something no one ever saw him do, he prayed.