CHAPTER 18
Rachel had arrived at the hospital a little earlier, and was about to enter
John's room, when she heard her name called out, and turned to see Carolyn
and a small girl behind her.
"Carolyn, Hi, I thought you'd be long gone," was Rachel's greeting.
"Patrick has to be in court this morning, to give evidence, so we flew back this morning and I thought I'd come and see if I could catch up with you. How's - how's John is he better?"
"Oh much better - I was just about to go and see him. Who is this?" she asked, as she looked at the little girl, who looked back at her with familiar blue eyes.
"This is Molly Jean," said Carolyn with a smile. "Molly go and wait over in the waiting room just there, where I can see you, and watch some television, I will be right here talking to this lady," and she indicated the waiting area, next to the room John was in. The little girl let go of her mother's hand and went and sat on a chair, and started watching the television there.
Rachel turned back to Carolyn with a lift of an eyebrow. "Is she yours?" she asked and Carolyn nodded.
"Yes, and believe me when I tell you, that getting pregnant, was the biggest shock of my life. And Patrick's! We both thought we were way to old for that. But she has added a whole new dimension to our marriage."
"Wow, this is a surprise," said Rachel, "That makes her John's half sister."
"Yes, and an absolute handful, let me tell you," added Carolyn. "You can imagine my surprise, I had a career, and had never expected to have to give that up - or to want to give that up. I was 40 years old; Patrick was nearly 50 when she was conceived. We hadn't been married long, and were planning a luxury trip around the world. Funny how things turn out, - I love being a full time mother!"
"Thank God that the Landers woman never found out!" said Rachel, "a child is so vulnerable."
Carolyn agreed, "She never knew about our marriage, or about Molly. She was stuck in the past, and John and his mother were her targets." And as she spoke, she looked over to where Molly had been sitting, only to discover she was gone. Before she could panic, they noticed that the door to John's room was opened wider than it had been, so they peered around the door to see Molly sitting next to John and chattering away non-stop.
-*****-
"Carolyn Ross," repeated John, looking at the woman. "Isn't that the name that..?"
"Yes," she said, "That woman used my name and credentials." She didn't want to say too much in front of Molly. John nodded, and looked over at Rachel, lifting one eyebrow in surprise.
Rachel moved over and sat down next to John in the chair Molly had vacated. Carolyn looked down at John for a long moment, before continuing.
"I am really sorry that she did what she did," she said but John shrugged.
"It wasn't your fault," he said, still wondering what was happening.
Then Molly came forward again, and stood in front of Rachel, next to the bed, and stared hard at John. "Mummy, why does John look so much like Daddy?" she blurted out, and the adults in the room froze. John was the first to recover; he looked at Molly asking quietly "What is your full name, sweetheart?"
"Molly-Jean O'Doyle," came the proud reply "I live in Boston," and she took another chocolate out of the box.
John's blue eyes turned glacial. He threw a furious glance at Rachel, then turned to Carolyn. "You are married to my father?" he asked, icily polite.
Carolyn nodded, and reached out to Molly, almost as a protection from his rage.
Molly, however, had the biggest reaction. She looked at her mother in horror, and then back at John.
"Is he my brother?" she asked her mother. "But he's way too old to be a brother."
She wrinkled her nose at him in disgust. "He can't even play games or anything. I want a brother I can play with. I want a brother like Aaron!" She looked at Rachel for sympathy, as the other two were both too stunned to speak. "Aaron can get to level 4 at Cloak & Dagger," she told her, "And he can push Jessica and I really high on the swings. He can climb to the top of the tree in his garden. Although he can be awful sometimes, and he did push me over at Jessica's party."
"I could, however, afford to buy a Ballerina Barbie," said John, his sense of humor finally taking over, and Molly's expressive eyes flew back to him.
"Oh," she said considering. "Do you have a job?"
John smiled, breaking the tension. "Yes, I do, I am a sort of policeman."
Molly put her head on one side assessingly. "Do you have a uniform?" she asked in awe.
"Well yes, but I don't wear it any more," he replied, afraid of disappointing her.
"Oh," she said again. "Well I suppose that's all right. Why don't you speak to Daddy?"
With that comment, Carolyn took her daughter's arm, and began to lead her out of the room. She looked back at John and smiled. 'What ever you may think, I am glad to meet you," she said gently, and ignoring Molly's protests, picked up the child, and left the room.
John lay back against his pillows, and closed his eyes, not saying anything. Eventually Rachel reached over and threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand tight, and he opened his eyes and looked at her.
She was trying to find the words to explain to him how it was that she and Carolyn were friends, she knew what she was to say next could make or break their relationship, she knew how important these next few minutes were going to be. This was a pivotal moment!
"Do you really still have your uniform?" was all she could come up with.
He reacted so completely differently to what she expected, that she sat there stunned, as he collapsed into laughter, holding his side and trying to catch his breath.
"Oh shit that hurts," he said, between laughs, "I don't know who looked more shocked, you, me or Molly."
She felt a reluctant grin break out, and then she started to laugh also. "I thought you'd be furious," she said, when she finally managed to control herself. "Carolyn didn't mean for Molly to come in here. She wasn't going to subject you to that sort of emotion or pressure."
"She is a cutie," said John, "And can't help her parentage any more than I can." Rachel bent over and kissed him slowly. "Carolyn is very nice," she said eventually, "and feels really bad that the other woman used her name. And Molly is adorable."
"Yes," said John thoughtfully, "I feel really bad, I was such a disappointment to her."
And they both started laughing again.
"Carolyn, Hi, I thought you'd be long gone," was Rachel's greeting.
"Patrick has to be in court this morning, to give evidence, so we flew back this morning and I thought I'd come and see if I could catch up with you. How's - how's John is he better?"
"Oh much better - I was just about to go and see him. Who is this?" she asked, as she looked at the little girl, who looked back at her with familiar blue eyes.
"This is Molly Jean," said Carolyn with a smile. "Molly go and wait over in the waiting room just there, where I can see you, and watch some television, I will be right here talking to this lady," and she indicated the waiting area, next to the room John was in. The little girl let go of her mother's hand and went and sat on a chair, and started watching the television there.
Rachel turned back to Carolyn with a lift of an eyebrow. "Is she yours?" she asked and Carolyn nodded.
"Yes, and believe me when I tell you, that getting pregnant, was the biggest shock of my life. And Patrick's! We both thought we were way to old for that. But she has added a whole new dimension to our marriage."
"Wow, this is a surprise," said Rachel, "That makes her John's half sister."
"Yes, and an absolute handful, let me tell you," added Carolyn. "You can imagine my surprise, I had a career, and had never expected to have to give that up - or to want to give that up. I was 40 years old; Patrick was nearly 50 when she was conceived. We hadn't been married long, and were planning a luxury trip around the world. Funny how things turn out, - I love being a full time mother!"
"Thank God that the Landers woman never found out!" said Rachel, "a child is so vulnerable."
Carolyn agreed, "She never knew about our marriage, or about Molly. She was stuck in the past, and John and his mother were her targets." And as she spoke, she looked over to where Molly had been sitting, only to discover she was gone. Before she could panic, they noticed that the door to John's room was opened wider than it had been, so they peered around the door to see Molly sitting next to John and chattering away non-stop.
-*****-
"Carolyn Ross," repeated John, looking at the woman. "Isn't that the name that..?"
"Yes," she said, "That woman used my name and credentials." She didn't want to say too much in front of Molly. John nodded, and looked over at Rachel, lifting one eyebrow in surprise.
Rachel moved over and sat down next to John in the chair Molly had vacated. Carolyn looked down at John for a long moment, before continuing.
"I am really sorry that she did what she did," she said but John shrugged.
"It wasn't your fault," he said, still wondering what was happening.
Then Molly came forward again, and stood in front of Rachel, next to the bed, and stared hard at John. "Mummy, why does John look so much like Daddy?" she blurted out, and the adults in the room froze. John was the first to recover; he looked at Molly asking quietly "What is your full name, sweetheart?"
"Molly-Jean O'Doyle," came the proud reply "I live in Boston," and she took another chocolate out of the box.
John's blue eyes turned glacial. He threw a furious glance at Rachel, then turned to Carolyn. "You are married to my father?" he asked, icily polite.
Carolyn nodded, and reached out to Molly, almost as a protection from his rage.
Molly, however, had the biggest reaction. She looked at her mother in horror, and then back at John.
"Is he my brother?" she asked her mother. "But he's way too old to be a brother."
She wrinkled her nose at him in disgust. "He can't even play games or anything. I want a brother I can play with. I want a brother like Aaron!" She looked at Rachel for sympathy, as the other two were both too stunned to speak. "Aaron can get to level 4 at Cloak & Dagger," she told her, "And he can push Jessica and I really high on the swings. He can climb to the top of the tree in his garden. Although he can be awful sometimes, and he did push me over at Jessica's party."
"I could, however, afford to buy a Ballerina Barbie," said John, his sense of humor finally taking over, and Molly's expressive eyes flew back to him.
"Oh," she said considering. "Do you have a job?"
John smiled, breaking the tension. "Yes, I do, I am a sort of policeman."
Molly put her head on one side assessingly. "Do you have a uniform?" she asked in awe.
"Well yes, but I don't wear it any more," he replied, afraid of disappointing her.
"Oh," she said again. "Well I suppose that's all right. Why don't you speak to Daddy?"
With that comment, Carolyn took her daughter's arm, and began to lead her out of the room. She looked back at John and smiled. 'What ever you may think, I am glad to meet you," she said gently, and ignoring Molly's protests, picked up the child, and left the room.
John lay back against his pillows, and closed his eyes, not saying anything. Eventually Rachel reached over and threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand tight, and he opened his eyes and looked at her.
She was trying to find the words to explain to him how it was that she and Carolyn were friends, she knew what she was to say next could make or break their relationship, she knew how important these next few minutes were going to be. This was a pivotal moment!
"Do you really still have your uniform?" was all she could come up with.
He reacted so completely differently to what she expected, that she sat there stunned, as he collapsed into laughter, holding his side and trying to catch his breath.
"Oh shit that hurts," he said, between laughs, "I don't know who looked more shocked, you, me or Molly."
She felt a reluctant grin break out, and then she started to laugh also. "I thought you'd be furious," she said, when she finally managed to control herself. "Carolyn didn't mean for Molly to come in here. She wasn't going to subject you to that sort of emotion or pressure."
"She is a cutie," said John, "And can't help her parentage any more than I can." Rachel bent over and kissed him slowly. "Carolyn is very nice," she said eventually, "and feels really bad that the other woman used her name. And Molly is adorable."
"Yes," said John thoughtfully, "I feel really bad, I was such a disappointment to her."
And they both started laughing again.