Frank and Chris weren't in the cheeriest of moods the next morning. They
were anxious about Christina's situation, still thinking about Julie, not
to mention tied in knots from sleeping in the chintzy leather hospital
chairs tucked in the corners of Christina's room. They were in the lobby
drinking coffee while Christina slept in when Lana, the nurse from the
night before, sought them out.
"Dr. Ramsey? Mr. Scanlon? We're going to transfer Ms. Collins in about a half an hour. Please make sure that she's ready, all right?" she said politely. "Yes, of course we will, ma'am. Thank you," Chris said. Lana nodded and left. Chris crumpled the empty Styrofoam cup in his hand.
"This is going to break her heart," he said. "She wanted so badly to find Julie." Frank nodded solemnly.
"Yeah, and there's no way she can keep it from Kevin and Lucy now," he added. They sighed. "But she and the baby's safety is more important than that now. Come on, let's go break the news," Chris said. *
Alison and Livvie sat at the kitchen table, mechanically sipping tea. They both had their loved ones on their minds, wondering if they were okay, dead or alive. It was appropriately rainy out this morning, and they didn't speak as they watched it fall.
"This is the first time that I've ever not known exactly where Raven is," Alison finally said quietly. "Me too, about Eli. He might be seventeen years old, but he's still my baby. Any time I start to think about him or Jack, I just-" Livvie stammered.
Alison reached across the table and took Livvie's hand. "I know what you're going through," she said, trying to reassure the both of them. "We'll get through this together, somehow."
They hugged each other across the table, and Jamal came in. "Ali?" he said from the doorway. "Yes?" Alison asked.
"I'm going to go to Ian's, okay?" Alison knitted her eyebrows at him. "Ian's? What for?"
Jamal hesitated, shooting a quick glance Livvie's way. "I'm going to try and find Jack and Eli, and I thought Ian might be interested in helping me out," he replied. Livvie drew in a shuddery breath, and Alison rubbed her back. "You know what, Jamal, that's really a good idea, why don't you do that," Alison said, smiling gratefully at Jamal.
Jamal nodded and turned to go. "Jamal?" Livvie said. Jamal turned and looked. "Yeah? "Thank you." * Raven awoke naturally, much later than she was used to, considering that there was no sunshine on her face to wake her like at home. When her eyes finally fluttered open, she jumped, and her head jolted around. Where the heck am I? She wondered. She rubbed her head, remembering. The last thing she could remember was coming to this weird old house in the field..that must be where she is. But how had she gotten in this funky old nightgown, in this bedroom?
Her heart raced with fear as her mind raced with questions. When she finally got her bearings, it all came back to her. Caleb. Her hand quickly went to her neck, and she felt both sides in a panic, then leapt from the bed and checked in the antique frosted mirror just to be sure. No bites.
So what had happened the night before? Why couldn't she remember half of it? She tried hard to think, and then remembered something Lucy had warned her about. He'll try to brainwash you, she'd said, try to cast this spell over you. Great job, Raven, she thought. First ten minutes and you've already broken Rule Number One. She shook her head, and quickly dressed again in her own clothes. She had a job to finish, and Caleb wasn't going to stand in her way, not this time.
*
"Come in," Christina replied as Chris and Frank knocked on her door. Her voice was dismal and meek. She was propped up against the stark white pillows, her folded hands placed over her stomach. "Hey," Frank said gently, kissing her on the head. He and Chris took their customary places at each side of her bed.
"Listen, Christina," Chris began. "We've got something we have to talk about." Christina shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this," she said. "Christina, look, we've got to transfer you back to GH," Frank blurted. Chris glared at him, a look that said sarcastically, 'don't sugarcoat it or anything!'. "What?!Why?!" Christina exclaimed.
"Because the nurse who examined you said that it's important for your and the baby's health that you stay in bed for a few months-" Chris began.
"A few months?! No! I want to find Julie!" Christina whimpered. Frank looked at his feet, a dull ache in his chest. "I know, Christina, I know you did," he said, covering her small white hands with his large ropy ones.
Christina swallowed, tears glinting in the corners of her eyes. "What's wrong with my baby?" she asked, sounding frightened. "Sweetie, you're baby is fine, it's just that-" Chris started again. "If my baby is fine," Christina interrupted, "then why do I have to be sent to GH for who knows how long?"
Chris wondered how he could explain this to Christina gently, so as not to scare her any further. "Your body isn't strong enough to carry your baby if you're up and about all the time," he said. "It happens to a lot of teen mothers. If you're in the hospital, you and your baby are much safer. And if we find Julie, we'll bring her to see you, we promise."
The tears in Christina's eyes threatened to come flowing down her flushed cheeks. "But then my parents are going to find out.." she said softly, swiping at a runaway tear. "Maybe they won't take is so hard if we call them and tell them ahead of time," Frank suggested. "No!" Christina shouted. "No, I don't want to tell them on the phone," she sighed. "I'll just go."
*
"Dr. Ramsey? Mr. Scanlon? We're going to transfer Ms. Collins in about a half an hour. Please make sure that she's ready, all right?" she said politely. "Yes, of course we will, ma'am. Thank you," Chris said. Lana nodded and left. Chris crumpled the empty Styrofoam cup in his hand.
"This is going to break her heart," he said. "She wanted so badly to find Julie." Frank nodded solemnly.
"Yeah, and there's no way she can keep it from Kevin and Lucy now," he added. They sighed. "But she and the baby's safety is more important than that now. Come on, let's go break the news," Chris said. *
Alison and Livvie sat at the kitchen table, mechanically sipping tea. They both had their loved ones on their minds, wondering if they were okay, dead or alive. It was appropriately rainy out this morning, and they didn't speak as they watched it fall.
"This is the first time that I've ever not known exactly where Raven is," Alison finally said quietly. "Me too, about Eli. He might be seventeen years old, but he's still my baby. Any time I start to think about him or Jack, I just-" Livvie stammered.
Alison reached across the table and took Livvie's hand. "I know what you're going through," she said, trying to reassure the both of them. "We'll get through this together, somehow."
They hugged each other across the table, and Jamal came in. "Ali?" he said from the doorway. "Yes?" Alison asked.
"I'm going to go to Ian's, okay?" Alison knitted her eyebrows at him. "Ian's? What for?"
Jamal hesitated, shooting a quick glance Livvie's way. "I'm going to try and find Jack and Eli, and I thought Ian might be interested in helping me out," he replied. Livvie drew in a shuddery breath, and Alison rubbed her back. "You know what, Jamal, that's really a good idea, why don't you do that," Alison said, smiling gratefully at Jamal.
Jamal nodded and turned to go. "Jamal?" Livvie said. Jamal turned and looked. "Yeah? "Thank you." * Raven awoke naturally, much later than she was used to, considering that there was no sunshine on her face to wake her like at home. When her eyes finally fluttered open, she jumped, and her head jolted around. Where the heck am I? She wondered. She rubbed her head, remembering. The last thing she could remember was coming to this weird old house in the field..that must be where she is. But how had she gotten in this funky old nightgown, in this bedroom?
Her heart raced with fear as her mind raced with questions. When she finally got her bearings, it all came back to her. Caleb. Her hand quickly went to her neck, and she felt both sides in a panic, then leapt from the bed and checked in the antique frosted mirror just to be sure. No bites.
So what had happened the night before? Why couldn't she remember half of it? She tried hard to think, and then remembered something Lucy had warned her about. He'll try to brainwash you, she'd said, try to cast this spell over you. Great job, Raven, she thought. First ten minutes and you've already broken Rule Number One. She shook her head, and quickly dressed again in her own clothes. She had a job to finish, and Caleb wasn't going to stand in her way, not this time.
*
"Come in," Christina replied as Chris and Frank knocked on her door. Her voice was dismal and meek. She was propped up against the stark white pillows, her folded hands placed over her stomach. "Hey," Frank said gently, kissing her on the head. He and Chris took their customary places at each side of her bed.
"Listen, Christina," Chris began. "We've got something we have to talk about." Christina shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this," she said. "Christina, look, we've got to transfer you back to GH," Frank blurted. Chris glared at him, a look that said sarcastically, 'don't sugarcoat it or anything!'. "What?!Why?!" Christina exclaimed.
"Because the nurse who examined you said that it's important for your and the baby's health that you stay in bed for a few months-" Chris began.
"A few months?! No! I want to find Julie!" Christina whimpered. Frank looked at his feet, a dull ache in his chest. "I know, Christina, I know you did," he said, covering her small white hands with his large ropy ones.
Christina swallowed, tears glinting in the corners of her eyes. "What's wrong with my baby?" she asked, sounding frightened. "Sweetie, you're baby is fine, it's just that-" Chris started again. "If my baby is fine," Christina interrupted, "then why do I have to be sent to GH for who knows how long?"
Chris wondered how he could explain this to Christina gently, so as not to scare her any further. "Your body isn't strong enough to carry your baby if you're up and about all the time," he said. "It happens to a lot of teen mothers. If you're in the hospital, you and your baby are much safer. And if we find Julie, we'll bring her to see you, we promise."
The tears in Christina's eyes threatened to come flowing down her flushed cheeks. "But then my parents are going to find out.." she said softly, swiping at a runaway tear. "Maybe they won't take is so hard if we call them and tell them ahead of time," Frank suggested. "No!" Christina shouted. "No, I don't want to tell them on the phone," she sighed. "I'll just go."
*