The Only One: Chapter 34
Shamus O'Regan and Phillip MackAvie walked into Angel of Mercy around 1:30 that afternoon. After inquiring about the room that Faith was in they headed toward the elevator.
When they stepped out into the hallway they were greeted by many officers from the 55th precinct. They were all pretty tight with Faith and Bosco. There was one thing that no one could dispute: The officers from the 55 watched out for each other and were there through thick and thin.
After saying their hello's, they went down the hall toward Faith's room. Bosco and Mary Proctor were standing out in the hall. To say that Bosco was upset would be an understatement. His face was bright red and he looked like he was about to hit the roof. He started to howl and then he whirled around and hit the wall. Proctor took a few steps back, knowing what he was like when he got angry.
She looked like she had been crying. O'Rourke's breath caught in his throat. He hoped that nothing had happened to Faith. He hadn't thought that there was anything wrong accept for her hand, but maybe with the pregnancy......
Bosco turned on Proctor again. " WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WAS NO BABY? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" he screamed, his palms out.
Proctor looked at O'Regan and MackAvie before answering. Bosco looked at her, wondering why she wasn't answering him.
He glanced at the officers. " It's ok Mary. They can hear what ever you have to say" he said, impatiently, wanting her to continue her explanation as to why there was no baby...how could that be? Did she lose it? He didn't understand.
"We can come back later." said MackAvie, uncomfortable with hearing what was some very personal information.
" No. We have to talk to you Boscorelli. It's about Alicia. But we can wait in the lounge. Come and get us when you're done here. It's important." Shamus O'Regan said, putting emphasis on the 'important'part. The two men walked in the direction of the lounge area.
Bosco nodded, only half hearing what O'Regan had said. He turned his attention back to nurse Proctor.
" Maurice, Alicia was never pregnant." she started.
" Whoa!" he said, putting his hands up in a timeout gesture. " What do you mean?" he asked.
Proctor put her hands in the pocket of her nurses coat and bit her lip again. " She had what is known as a 'phantom pregnancy'. It's common in younger woman, especially woman who have lost a child at some point. These woman want a child so badly that they believe with all their heart and soul that they are pregnant."
Bosco shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. " But she looked pregnant!" he said, " I saw her with my own two eyes! Maybe you're wrong and just not seeing it on the monitor or something....." he threw out. He didn't want to believe that he had gone all these months thinking that he was about to be a father to her kid, and all along it was a big farce!
Proctor sighed heavily. " Maurice, I know how hard this must be for you. But we are one hundred percent sure that she was not pregnant. It is important for you to understand that this is a medical problem. Alicia believed that she was pregant. She had all of the symptoms. Her breasts began to produce milk, her stomach grew to accomodate what she thought was a real baby. The mind has a way of blocking out reality. She was here about two years ago with the same problem. She was having all the same signs that she had with this 'pregnancy'." she said, making quotation marks for the word 'pregnancy'.
" If I had of known that you knew her, I would have warned you. She belongs in a mental hospital. She is a very sick young lady". Proctor said. " If you have any more questions please feel free to find me". she said, as she walked away.
Bosco didn't know whether he was happy or sad or angry. He was all three. He sat down on a chair in the hallway and tried to digest what he had just been told. There was no baby. There never was a baby. His mind reeled with events and conversations that he had had with Alicia in the last few months. He had already given her at least two-thousand dollars to cover her expenses. He clenched his jaw and grinded his teeth together.
Almost as an after thought, he realized that everything was going to be ok. Alicia would be put away where she couldn't harm anyone. He and Faith would be starting their life together as man and wife very soon. They would have a new baby, a baby that was created out of love. He found himself almost happy just thinking about the possibilities that this new life would bring. Now he wouldn't have to be going back and forth between Alicia and Faith. There would be no custody battle. Alicia would be out of their lives for good. Bosco let out the breath he had been holding and felt himself begin to relax for the first time in months. It was gonna be ok.
O'Regan and MackAvie rounded the corner and walked over to him. " How's Faith?" Shamus asked, in a concerned voice.
" She's gonna be fine. They're just keeping her until tomorow". Bosco said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. " Oh, you wanted to talk to me about somethin' ?" he asked.
Shamus nodded. " Ya. I don't know if you know this or not, but a couple of years ago I was at a jewellery store buying my wife a ring and I saw Alicia there. She was getting a ring sized that her boyfriend had given her. She said his name was Mo" he said, watching for Bosco's reaction.
Bosco blanched. " Two years ago?". he muttered. Suddenly the realization hit him. She had been planning for this day for years! He felt sick.
" That's not all. She was pregnant as well. Where is her other kid? I mean, who has it?" O'Regan asked.
Bosco shook his head. " Man, didn't you hear"? he asked in a sarcastic tone. " She had a phantom pregnancy. The witch never was pregnant. Proctor told me that she did the same thing about two years ago. She's crazy, Shamus. She really is". Bosco said, pointing at him. " I'll catch up with yas later. I gotta go see Faith". he said, leaving the two men to ponder the mystery that Alicia was.
O'Regan and MackAvie both dropped their mouths open. No baby? Phantom pregnancy? What was that about?
Bosco slapped MackAvie on the back as he started back to Faith's room. Now he could tell her the news. He pushed the door open and saw his mother sitting by the bed holding Faith's hand. She glanced up at him and immediately stood up to go and hug her son.
" Oh, baby, I'm so glad you're alright". Rose cried, hugging him tightly. She took a step back. " What did Alicia have? Is it a girl or a boy"? she asked anxiously.
" Uh, it's a really long story ma. I have to tell you guys something and it's gonna blow your mind". Bosco said, pulling up a chair beside Faith's bed.
He sat down and started to speak when Faith held out her hand to silence him. " Don't say anything yet Bos. I have something to tell you too and it's gonna blow YOUR mind." she said. She started to grin.
He looked at Rose, who was also grinning. " What?" he said.
She sat up in the bed and looked at Rose before speaking. " We're gonna have twins!" she cried.
TBC
Shamus O'Regan and Phillip MackAvie walked into Angel of Mercy around 1:30 that afternoon. After inquiring about the room that Faith was in they headed toward the elevator.
When they stepped out into the hallway they were greeted by many officers from the 55th precinct. They were all pretty tight with Faith and Bosco. There was one thing that no one could dispute: The officers from the 55 watched out for each other and were there through thick and thin.
After saying their hello's, they went down the hall toward Faith's room. Bosco and Mary Proctor were standing out in the hall. To say that Bosco was upset would be an understatement. His face was bright red and he looked like he was about to hit the roof. He started to howl and then he whirled around and hit the wall. Proctor took a few steps back, knowing what he was like when he got angry.
She looked like she had been crying. O'Rourke's breath caught in his throat. He hoped that nothing had happened to Faith. He hadn't thought that there was anything wrong accept for her hand, but maybe with the pregnancy......
Bosco turned on Proctor again. " WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WAS NO BABY? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" he screamed, his palms out.
Proctor looked at O'Regan and MackAvie before answering. Bosco looked at her, wondering why she wasn't answering him.
He glanced at the officers. " It's ok Mary. They can hear what ever you have to say" he said, impatiently, wanting her to continue her explanation as to why there was no baby...how could that be? Did she lose it? He didn't understand.
"We can come back later." said MackAvie, uncomfortable with hearing what was some very personal information.
" No. We have to talk to you Boscorelli. It's about Alicia. But we can wait in the lounge. Come and get us when you're done here. It's important." Shamus O'Regan said, putting emphasis on the 'important'part. The two men walked in the direction of the lounge area.
Bosco nodded, only half hearing what O'Regan had said. He turned his attention back to nurse Proctor.
" Maurice, Alicia was never pregnant." she started.
" Whoa!" he said, putting his hands up in a timeout gesture. " What do you mean?" he asked.
Proctor put her hands in the pocket of her nurses coat and bit her lip again. " She had what is known as a 'phantom pregnancy'. It's common in younger woman, especially woman who have lost a child at some point. These woman want a child so badly that they believe with all their heart and soul that they are pregnant."
Bosco shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. " But she looked pregnant!" he said, " I saw her with my own two eyes! Maybe you're wrong and just not seeing it on the monitor or something....." he threw out. He didn't want to believe that he had gone all these months thinking that he was about to be a father to her kid, and all along it was a big farce!
Proctor sighed heavily. " Maurice, I know how hard this must be for you. But we are one hundred percent sure that she was not pregnant. It is important for you to understand that this is a medical problem. Alicia believed that she was pregant. She had all of the symptoms. Her breasts began to produce milk, her stomach grew to accomodate what she thought was a real baby. The mind has a way of blocking out reality. She was here about two years ago with the same problem. She was having all the same signs that she had with this 'pregnancy'." she said, making quotation marks for the word 'pregnancy'.
" If I had of known that you knew her, I would have warned you. She belongs in a mental hospital. She is a very sick young lady". Proctor said. " If you have any more questions please feel free to find me". she said, as she walked away.
Bosco didn't know whether he was happy or sad or angry. He was all three. He sat down on a chair in the hallway and tried to digest what he had just been told. There was no baby. There never was a baby. His mind reeled with events and conversations that he had had with Alicia in the last few months. He had already given her at least two-thousand dollars to cover her expenses. He clenched his jaw and grinded his teeth together.
Almost as an after thought, he realized that everything was going to be ok. Alicia would be put away where she couldn't harm anyone. He and Faith would be starting their life together as man and wife very soon. They would have a new baby, a baby that was created out of love. He found himself almost happy just thinking about the possibilities that this new life would bring. Now he wouldn't have to be going back and forth between Alicia and Faith. There would be no custody battle. Alicia would be out of their lives for good. Bosco let out the breath he had been holding and felt himself begin to relax for the first time in months. It was gonna be ok.
O'Regan and MackAvie rounded the corner and walked over to him. " How's Faith?" Shamus asked, in a concerned voice.
" She's gonna be fine. They're just keeping her until tomorow". Bosco said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. " Oh, you wanted to talk to me about somethin' ?" he asked.
Shamus nodded. " Ya. I don't know if you know this or not, but a couple of years ago I was at a jewellery store buying my wife a ring and I saw Alicia there. She was getting a ring sized that her boyfriend had given her. She said his name was Mo" he said, watching for Bosco's reaction.
Bosco blanched. " Two years ago?". he muttered. Suddenly the realization hit him. She had been planning for this day for years! He felt sick.
" That's not all. She was pregnant as well. Where is her other kid? I mean, who has it?" O'Regan asked.
Bosco shook his head. " Man, didn't you hear"? he asked in a sarcastic tone. " She had a phantom pregnancy. The witch never was pregnant. Proctor told me that she did the same thing about two years ago. She's crazy, Shamus. She really is". Bosco said, pointing at him. " I'll catch up with yas later. I gotta go see Faith". he said, leaving the two men to ponder the mystery that Alicia was.
O'Regan and MackAvie both dropped their mouths open. No baby? Phantom pregnancy? What was that about?
Bosco slapped MackAvie on the back as he started back to Faith's room. Now he could tell her the news. He pushed the door open and saw his mother sitting by the bed holding Faith's hand. She glanced up at him and immediately stood up to go and hug her son.
" Oh, baby, I'm so glad you're alright". Rose cried, hugging him tightly. She took a step back. " What did Alicia have? Is it a girl or a boy"? she asked anxiously.
" Uh, it's a really long story ma. I have to tell you guys something and it's gonna blow your mind". Bosco said, pulling up a chair beside Faith's bed.
He sat down and started to speak when Faith held out her hand to silence him. " Don't say anything yet Bos. I have something to tell you too and it's gonna blow YOUR mind." she said. She started to grin.
He looked at Rose, who was also grinning. " What?" he said.
She sat up in the bed and looked at Rose before speaking. " We're gonna have twins!" she cried.
TBC