The Only One: Chapter 33
Bosco stood beside Faith's bed, holding her hand. He stroked her cheek tenderly, hoping she knew just how sorry he was that he had gotten her into this mess. She would no doubt tell him to go to hell for all the trouble he had caused. He wanted more than anything to marry Faith and raise their child together. He hadn't given Alicia and the baby a second thought since they had arrived. He didn't care. He knew it was cruel, but he couldn't be around her right now, even if she was having his baby. Then he was crying. Crying for Faith, for their baby, for the life that was almost taken away. He knew that it was all his fault. He didn't know if he could bear it. He stood silently by her bedside, crying a river of tears that had to be set free.
Mary Proctor had looked after Faith after she had returned from emergency surgery on her hand. Because it was torn the whole way through, the doctors had to operate to insure that she would get full use of it again.
Because of her pregnancy, they also insisted that she stay for the night. They wanted to make sure that she was out of shock before she went home. She had been under sedation for the last couple of hours but it was now wearing off.
Faith groaned and opened her eyes. She looked around the room, trying to remember why she was here. Suddenly, it all came back. Alicia. Alicia had tried to kill her. Thoughts of Alicia telling her that she was going to cut the baby out of her stomach came back. She pulled her hand out of Bosco's and felt her abdomen. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her baby was fine.
She reached her arms out for Bosco to hold her. He was just staring at her, but he was also crying. Tears were dripping from his chin as he watched her.
" Baby, it's ok." she said, knowing that he was blaming himself and turning inward to his self loathing mode. She tugged on his arms and brought him down to her so she could hug him and feel his arms around her. As usual, she was being the strong one. He had never been very good with pressure or with emotional situations. It was left up to her to be strong for the both of them. It was something that she didn't even give a second thought about.
He bowed his head onto her shoulder and cried hard. The only sound in the room was his harsh sobs. He clutched her to him, not ever wanting to let go.
Gradually, his sobs died down and he pulled back from her. Sorrow was clearly outlined in his face. He wiped his cheeks off with the back of his hands and attempted to smile. " How are you feelin'? he asked.
She looked at him and shook her head. " It was crazy Bos, she was out of control. She came into the room right after you left with this big knife and started talking all crazy about how much you loved her and that she was gonna be your wife and then she told me that...that....she was going to cut the baby out of me....and that I had to watch...and...." she couldn't continue. She broke down and sobbed hysterically. It was her turn to vent and his turn to comfort. Her sobs turned to curses and she gained strength with each word. " That witch! I"m gonna kill her, do you hear me Bos? I'm gonna kill her! She is going down.....I'm gonna strangle her to death...and then I'm gonna....."
Bosco cut her off. He put his hand over her mouth gently. He cupped her face with his hands and looked her in the eye. " No one is gonna hurt you or our baby ever again. I swear to God, Faith. I"m so sorry that I didn't protect you. I love you so much baby. Please don't talk like that, cause if you did those things you'd be in jail for the rest of your life....and I can't make it without you. I'm nothin' without you." he was pleading now. He couldn't stand to see her in such agony. Pain that he had caused because of his need for female attention.
She nodded her head and grabbed for a kleenex on the bedside table. She blew her nose and then handed him a tissue. " What happened to her after I passed out"? she asked.
Bosco looked at her, unsure if she could handle anymore information right now. She sensed that he wasn't telling her something.
" Bos, what is it? What aren't you telling me"? she asked, concerned.
He cleared his throat and licked his lips. " Uh, she went into labour. She's here right now. But don't worry, there's two guys standin' guard at her door and she's gonna be arrested. We won't even have to fight for the baby. It will just come strait home with us. That's if you still want to have it." he said, unsure of what she would want to do.
Faith had a far away look in her eye as she spoke. " You know, I lost two children and now I have a chance to be a mother to two children again. Alicia can't give that baby what it needs. It's up to us to give her or him the best home possible. I think we need to do this." she said, turning back to him.
He nodded. " Come here" he said, leaning down to hug her tight. He tilted her head up to him so he could give her a kiss. " I love you so much, Faith" he said as he brought his lips against hers.
She kissed him back just as hard. " I love you too. And I don't want you to blame yourself over this." she said perceptivly.
He looked away before answering. " I'm ok. I'm just happy that you still want to be with me, even after all this" he said, waving his hand in the air.
Her voice was thick with emotion as she looked him in the eye. " I wouldn't be with anyone else." she said.
Mary Proctor stuck her head in the door and motioned for Bosco to come outside. He bent down and kissed Faith's forehead and walked out of the room.
Bosco shut the door behind him and turned to Mary. " What's up? Is something else wrong?" he asked in a panicky voice.
She put her hand on his shoulder and guided him along down the hallway. " Maurice, I need to talk to you about Alicia." she said in a low, but soothing voice.
He glanced at her and stopped walking. He jammed his hands into his back pockets. Then he took them out and ran them through his hair. He was nervous and angry and he felt like a piano wire about to break. One more careless plunk, he would just snap.
" What is it? What did she have"? he asked, his interest minimal. " I'll go to the nursery but I ain't goin' near that witch". he said, firmly
Proctor took a deep breath, then began to chew her bottom lip. She always did that when she had to tell a patient something that was deeply desturbing.
" Uh, Maurice I don't know how to tell you this. I could hardly believe it myself at first." she said slowly. " It is the worst case I have ever seen." she continued, looking away briefly before turning back to him.
She furrowed her brow and and shook her head sadly, her usually unreadable eyes tearing over. She knew both Bosco and Faith well and she felt horrible about what had happened. She considered them more than collegues, she considered them friends.
Bosco couldn't wait anymore. " Dammit Mary! Just spit it out! I have ta get back ta Faith" he yelled impatiently, knowing that she would forgive him for it.
A single tear slid down Mary's cheek. " Maurice, there was no baby." she whispered.
TBC
Bosco stood beside Faith's bed, holding her hand. He stroked her cheek tenderly, hoping she knew just how sorry he was that he had gotten her into this mess. She would no doubt tell him to go to hell for all the trouble he had caused. He wanted more than anything to marry Faith and raise their child together. He hadn't given Alicia and the baby a second thought since they had arrived. He didn't care. He knew it was cruel, but he couldn't be around her right now, even if she was having his baby. Then he was crying. Crying for Faith, for their baby, for the life that was almost taken away. He knew that it was all his fault. He didn't know if he could bear it. He stood silently by her bedside, crying a river of tears that had to be set free.
Mary Proctor had looked after Faith after she had returned from emergency surgery on her hand. Because it was torn the whole way through, the doctors had to operate to insure that she would get full use of it again.
Because of her pregnancy, they also insisted that she stay for the night. They wanted to make sure that she was out of shock before she went home. She had been under sedation for the last couple of hours but it was now wearing off.
Faith groaned and opened her eyes. She looked around the room, trying to remember why she was here. Suddenly, it all came back. Alicia. Alicia had tried to kill her. Thoughts of Alicia telling her that she was going to cut the baby out of her stomach came back. She pulled her hand out of Bosco's and felt her abdomen. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her baby was fine.
She reached her arms out for Bosco to hold her. He was just staring at her, but he was also crying. Tears were dripping from his chin as he watched her.
" Baby, it's ok." she said, knowing that he was blaming himself and turning inward to his self loathing mode. She tugged on his arms and brought him down to her so she could hug him and feel his arms around her. As usual, she was being the strong one. He had never been very good with pressure or with emotional situations. It was left up to her to be strong for the both of them. It was something that she didn't even give a second thought about.
He bowed his head onto her shoulder and cried hard. The only sound in the room was his harsh sobs. He clutched her to him, not ever wanting to let go.
Gradually, his sobs died down and he pulled back from her. Sorrow was clearly outlined in his face. He wiped his cheeks off with the back of his hands and attempted to smile. " How are you feelin'? he asked.
She looked at him and shook her head. " It was crazy Bos, she was out of control. She came into the room right after you left with this big knife and started talking all crazy about how much you loved her and that she was gonna be your wife and then she told me that...that....she was going to cut the baby out of me....and that I had to watch...and...." she couldn't continue. She broke down and sobbed hysterically. It was her turn to vent and his turn to comfort. Her sobs turned to curses and she gained strength with each word. " That witch! I"m gonna kill her, do you hear me Bos? I'm gonna kill her! She is going down.....I'm gonna strangle her to death...and then I'm gonna....."
Bosco cut her off. He put his hand over her mouth gently. He cupped her face with his hands and looked her in the eye. " No one is gonna hurt you or our baby ever again. I swear to God, Faith. I"m so sorry that I didn't protect you. I love you so much baby. Please don't talk like that, cause if you did those things you'd be in jail for the rest of your life....and I can't make it without you. I'm nothin' without you." he was pleading now. He couldn't stand to see her in such agony. Pain that he had caused because of his need for female attention.
She nodded her head and grabbed for a kleenex on the bedside table. She blew her nose and then handed him a tissue. " What happened to her after I passed out"? she asked.
Bosco looked at her, unsure if she could handle anymore information right now. She sensed that he wasn't telling her something.
" Bos, what is it? What aren't you telling me"? she asked, concerned.
He cleared his throat and licked his lips. " Uh, she went into labour. She's here right now. But don't worry, there's two guys standin' guard at her door and she's gonna be arrested. We won't even have to fight for the baby. It will just come strait home with us. That's if you still want to have it." he said, unsure of what she would want to do.
Faith had a far away look in her eye as she spoke. " You know, I lost two children and now I have a chance to be a mother to two children again. Alicia can't give that baby what it needs. It's up to us to give her or him the best home possible. I think we need to do this." she said, turning back to him.
He nodded. " Come here" he said, leaning down to hug her tight. He tilted her head up to him so he could give her a kiss. " I love you so much, Faith" he said as he brought his lips against hers.
She kissed him back just as hard. " I love you too. And I don't want you to blame yourself over this." she said perceptivly.
He looked away before answering. " I'm ok. I'm just happy that you still want to be with me, even after all this" he said, waving his hand in the air.
Her voice was thick with emotion as she looked him in the eye. " I wouldn't be with anyone else." she said.
Mary Proctor stuck her head in the door and motioned for Bosco to come outside. He bent down and kissed Faith's forehead and walked out of the room.
Bosco shut the door behind him and turned to Mary. " What's up? Is something else wrong?" he asked in a panicky voice.
She put her hand on his shoulder and guided him along down the hallway. " Maurice, I need to talk to you about Alicia." she said in a low, but soothing voice.
He glanced at her and stopped walking. He jammed his hands into his back pockets. Then he took them out and ran them through his hair. He was nervous and angry and he felt like a piano wire about to break. One more careless plunk, he would just snap.
" What is it? What did she have"? he asked, his interest minimal. " I'll go to the nursery but I ain't goin' near that witch". he said, firmly
Proctor took a deep breath, then began to chew her bottom lip. She always did that when she had to tell a patient something that was deeply desturbing.
" Uh, Maurice I don't know how to tell you this. I could hardly believe it myself at first." she said slowly. " It is the worst case I have ever seen." she continued, looking away briefly before turning back to him.
She furrowed her brow and and shook her head sadly, her usually unreadable eyes tearing over. She knew both Bosco and Faith well and she felt horrible about what had happened. She considered them more than collegues, she considered them friends.
Bosco couldn't wait anymore. " Dammit Mary! Just spit it out! I have ta get back ta Faith" he yelled impatiently, knowing that she would forgive him for it.
A single tear slid down Mary's cheek. " Maurice, there was no baby." she whispered.
TBC