Chapter 15

For three weeks Ken and Jafaru tried to find the trail again for Count Blue, but without any success, they trail had gone cold. Along the way they had gathered information about Jafaru's son from several villages they had stopped in for supplies and rest. It looked like several groups had taken on former Galactor troops, some fitting the description of young boys recruited towards the end of the war.

"If we go to this camp, we may just find him." Ken told Jafaru one evening over dinner, Jafaru had a far away look on his face.

"What's bothering you?" Ken asked looking at his friend.

"Just wondering if he'll know me when he see's me…if he'll blame me…think I abandoned him." Jafaru looked haunted, they had come so close, and Ken couldn't let him lose hope.

"My father left me when I was young…one day we found each other for a short time." Ken the loss he still felt creep into his voice, looking at Jafaru over the small camp fire. "I forgave him eventually… when we find your son, just give it time to heal the wounds between you."

Slowly Jafaru looked at him, grief for his lost child evident in his face. "I need sleep, tomorrow…tomorrow I hope this is the camp we find him in…and I'm scared of it all at the same time."

"I do too Jafaru…" Ken said watching the haunted man climb into the back of the truck to find his sleeping bag. Ken wouldn't be long, he took the time to think about the last moments he had with his father. At his fathers grave he vowed never to do the same thing to his own flesh and blood, and he intended to keep that promise.

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Intense pain jolted her out of her sleep and Jun held onto her abdomen. She had felt this a few hours before, but not this intense, she had put down to her doing to much with trying to keep the snack J open. Could it be time yet? She thought. While pushing her body up into a sitting position on the side of the bed, her feet just touching the ground.

A few minutes later the pain hit her again in the lower part of her abdomen. She had a feeling her labour had started. Walking over to the phone in the living room she went to dial the number of a taxi company she kept handy when the pain hit her harder again and she crumbled to floor. This one lasted long and had become stronger. Then she felt something wet run down between her legs. Taking the portable phone she made it just in time to the bathroom as more fluid ran out of her and onto the floor. In a state of panic and worry for her baby Jun called the emergency number for and ambulance instead.

"I'm all alone and I'm about to have a baby in my bathroom…please send an ambulance to the Snack J on Spectra Street. I'm in the loft upstairs." she said in between gasps to the woman on the other end of the phone working to suppress her rising panic.

"We'll send one right away, hang on…keep on the line." The woman said to her.

"I should have gone to a doctor….I was so stupid…I…" She cursed herself and cried as the pain intensified she wiped the sweat of her forehead. "Ken…"she whispered. I should have told you…I could have put our baby in danger. She thought, cursing her actions over the past months.

"Miss…I'm Jodie…what's your name?" Jodie's voice sounded.

"J…Jun…" She managed between bouts of pain.

"Jun, can you tell me how far apart the pains are." She asked calmly.

"I think my water just broke, its all over my bathroom floor and…and…" She couldn't talk any more as the pain hit her again, she felt the baby drop lower.

Was she about to give birth all alone on her bathroom floor all alone? Jun felt tears running down her cheeks.

"Jun can I call the father of your child?" She inquired politely.

"No…Its just me." she told Jodie quietly, letting another damn of tears roll down her face. Just me, she thought…he…he's not…with me any more. The words caught in her throat, she couldn't say them out loud.

The distant sound of an ambulance siren came rapidly closer. "Tell them I have a spare Key…its hidden next to the garage door, in a plant box."

"I'm conveying that now Jun…The driver says they are coming in now…hold on." Jodie told her.

"Thank you Jodie." Jun said as the bathroom door opened. A young woman and two men stepped in.

"Her waters have broken…" The young girl quickly examined her as the men lifted Jun up onto the stretcher. "You name is Jun?" The girl with dark brown hair and soft brown eyes said looking kindly into her face. Jun just nodded to let her know she understood. "I'm Cassie, I'll look after you." Cassie reassured her.

"We have to move fast…" One of the men said as Jun cried out in pain. Jun felt herself go into a daze of pain, yet she could felt in tune with her body all at the same time.

Jun felt them push the trolley into the ambulance, Cassie jumped in beside her along with the other man." I'm Ben." He said taking a seat beside Cassie.

Jun tried to sit up, the she felt something pushing…"I think the baby's coming…" she told them. Calmly Cassie checked her progress and nodded.

"Tell Ryan to pull over somewhere…this baby won't wait…" Cassie said to Ben. Ben switched on the internal communications. Ryan pulled over the ambulance on the side of the highway leading into Utoland city.

"Ok Jun…Push…" Cassie instructed. Ben supported her so she could sit up more. Jun pushed, the pain became unbearable. "Keep pushing Jun, you don't have much water left…"

With one last effort Jun pushed for all she was worth, the piecing sound of a new born cry caught her ear, the rush of pain eased. "Is…is the baby okay?" She asked nervously.

"He's healthy…A baby boy with ten fingers and ten toes. Congratulations…" Cassie said her smiling broadly, she quickly tied off the umbilical cord. "I have just a few more things to do yet, so stay still Jun…your lucky, you don't need stitches."

Jun gingerly took him into her arms, he looked so fresh, still covered in the blood from her womb, squirming as he screwed up his pudgy face and let out another cry. Jun tried to see if either of them was in him but his screwed up face made it hard for her to tell, he squinted his eyes and tried to focus on her and then he continued to cry.

Her moment of sheer joy marred by the sadness she had carried for months, painful tears stung her eyes, the ambulance medical team mistook her reaction for overwhelming happiness.

"Welcome to the world…I'm Jun." She said quietly. He looks so tiny, she thought, little hands and feet like a doll.

Ben looked pleased with the results of the birth. "We need to get the two of you to hospital for a check up. I'll put him in his special bed till we get there."

She handed him over to Ben and for the rest of the journey to the hospital.