"Claude!!" Rena screeched as she sat bolt up. Then she felt something on either side of her trying to force her to lie down again.
"Please lie still, Rena," a familiar feminine voice pleaded. "You've been injured, and ill."
As Rena became adjusted to her surroundings, she realized that she was in Claude and her bedroom, in her house, and that her mother, Westa, and Mayor Regis were on either side of the bed, and were the people fighting to get Rena to lie down.
"Claude!!" Rena yelled again and struggled to be free from her mother's and Mayor Regis's grasps.
"Calm down, Rena!" Mayor Regis sternly shouted at her.
With that command, Rena allowed them to force her back.
"Rena, please get some rest. You are not well," Westa continued. "Thank goodness we found you."
"Where's Claude?" Rena begged.
Westa and Mayor Regis exchanged concerned looks.
"Tell me!!" Rena bawled.
"Just get some rest, Rena, please!" Westa worriedly ordered.
"Mother!? Please let me go!! I must find Claude!!" once more, Rena strived to break away.
"Please, Rena!" Mayor Regis commanded.
"Claude!" Rena started crying.
"Rena, please, you must calm down," Westa implored. "You have been injured. And the doctor must examine you to make sure that no harm has come to your baby."
Rena held her swollen abdomen. "My baby........." she trailed off.
"Yes, Rena," Westa moved Rena's hand away from her belly as the doctor came in, "the doctor is going to help you."
"Claude," Rena whimpered as she dropped off to sleep.
*******
When she awoke, Rena found herself tucked in under the warm blankets of her bed, alone, in the room.
Just then, the bedroom door opened, and in walked Westa, with a tray covered in food.
"Oh, Rena, you're awake," Westa noticed her daughter yawn. "I've got a lovely breakfast for you."
"It's morning already?" Rena wearily asked as she sat up and stretched.
"Yes, dear. We thought you'd never be able to sleep."
"Why, mother?"
"You were delirious and ill, sweetheart." Westa began pouring a tall glass of orange juice.
"I was?" Rena looked down and stroked her pregnant belly.
"Yes. But don't worry about that dear. We must talk."
"Of what, mother?" Rena had no idea what she was speaking about.
Westa inhaled a lot of air before she began speaking. "Rena, yesterday, you and Claude had gone on your picnic, as usual."
"Claude!!" Rena suddenly remembered that her husband was missing.
"Rena!" Westa ran over and grabbed Rena by the wrists.
"Oh, mother!" Rena broke down and began weeping. Westa sat with her daughter, and held her.
But she continued her story. "Rena, dear. I must tell you, so that you can then tell me what happened." Westa then turned her face so that she could look her daughter in the eyes.
Rena solemnly nodded her head in agreement.
"Please lie still, Rena," a familiar feminine voice pleaded. "You've been injured, and ill."
As Rena became adjusted to her surroundings, she realized that she was in Claude and her bedroom, in her house, and that her mother, Westa, and Mayor Regis were on either side of the bed, and were the people fighting to get Rena to lie down.
"Claude!!" Rena yelled again and struggled to be free from her mother's and Mayor Regis's grasps.
"Calm down, Rena!" Mayor Regis sternly shouted at her.
With that command, Rena allowed them to force her back.
"Rena, please get some rest. You are not well," Westa continued. "Thank goodness we found you."
"Where's Claude?" Rena begged.
Westa and Mayor Regis exchanged concerned looks.
"Tell me!!" Rena bawled.
"Just get some rest, Rena, please!" Westa worriedly ordered.
"Mother!? Please let me go!! I must find Claude!!" once more, Rena strived to break away.
"Please, Rena!" Mayor Regis commanded.
"Claude!" Rena started crying.
"Rena, please, you must calm down," Westa implored. "You have been injured. And the doctor must examine you to make sure that no harm has come to your baby."
Rena held her swollen abdomen. "My baby........." she trailed off.
"Yes, Rena," Westa moved Rena's hand away from her belly as the doctor came in, "the doctor is going to help you."
"Claude," Rena whimpered as she dropped off to sleep.
*******
When she awoke, Rena found herself tucked in under the warm blankets of her bed, alone, in the room.
Just then, the bedroom door opened, and in walked Westa, with a tray covered in food.
"Oh, Rena, you're awake," Westa noticed her daughter yawn. "I've got a lovely breakfast for you."
"It's morning already?" Rena wearily asked as she sat up and stretched.
"Yes, dear. We thought you'd never be able to sleep."
"Why, mother?"
"You were delirious and ill, sweetheart." Westa began pouring a tall glass of orange juice.
"I was?" Rena looked down and stroked her pregnant belly.
"Yes. But don't worry about that dear. We must talk."
"Of what, mother?" Rena had no idea what she was speaking about.
Westa inhaled a lot of air before she began speaking. "Rena, yesterday, you and Claude had gone on your picnic, as usual."
"Claude!!" Rena suddenly remembered that her husband was missing.
"Rena!" Westa ran over and grabbed Rena by the wrists.
"Oh, mother!" Rena broke down and began weeping. Westa sat with her daughter, and held her.
But she continued her story. "Rena, dear. I must tell you, so that you can then tell me what happened." Westa then turned her face so that she could look her daughter in the eyes.
Rena solemnly nodded her head in agreement.