Chapter 10

Lydia rolled over and felt a wave of nausea roil in her stomach and tickle the back of her throat. "Oh dear lord no." Rising and rushing to the bathroom she bent over the toilet and began to dry heave into the porcelain throne. "Oh gods no!" She heaved again feeling her whole body was being torn apart.

Moving back to her bed she laid and waited for the room to quit spinning and her stomach to settle. When it did she once again drug herself into the bathroom and rinsed her mouth and began to brush her teeth only to have the taste of the toothpaste cause another round of dry heaving. "What in the hell is wrong with me she moaned throwing her tooth brush into the sink and moved back to the bed to lay and curl into a ball.

The rude sound of her cell phone went off and she moaned. "No, Damnit not now." She was half tempted to not answer but knew it was her work phone. Reaching out and feeling around for the phone she drug it to her and slid the lock off and answered.

"Patterson." She hoped she sounded better than she felt. Unfortunately it was not so much from the tone of the voice on the other end.

"Lydia?" The voice was that of her brother. "

Yeah?" Her voice sounded rough even to her ears.

"You ok sis?" Clearing her throat she sighed. Tempted to try and hedge her way out of the question she finally just decided the truth was the best of it.

"Not really Thom, woke up with a wiggle belly and now I am feeling like warmed over death. I think I caught a stomach virus Thom, so what is going on?"

He took a moment not liking the sound of his sister's voice with her talking about feeling ill. In the time he had known her, she rarely gave into any kind of sickness, if anything she had an iron constitution. "Well we had another death and I was going to send you out to the scene. That is ok though I will go on out and take the preliminaries and get State to come and do the forensics."

Lydia sat up and pushed her hair out of her face and sighed. "No its my job let me handle it. Who is the vic?"

Thom did not want to say it was Nancy Reynolds the night shift cooks for the Collinsport Hotel Café. Taking a deep breath and blowing out signaled to Lydia it was someone they knew. "Well?"

Thom glanced up at the newly renovated Sheriff's office and then slowly slipped it out. "Nancy Reynolds."

Lydia felt heart sick as she heard it was Nancy who had recently found out she was pregnant and now she was dead? Shaking her head and catching her breath she spoke into the phone, "Hold on a second Thom." She laid her phone down and stood up and moved to the living room area of her cottage.

Moving to the files she had kept in her personal folder since the destruction of the sheriff's office she picked up the now burgeoning file folder of just minor specifics. This file folder had been her private compilation of similarities to the other deaths. Though each victim warranted their own file, she was using this file to input the data into her laptop so she could correlate them later.

Moving back to the bedroom she laid the folder on the bed and picked up the phone. "Look, I am starting to feel better. I will go on to the site, give me the details."

Thom again had to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Behind the Blue Whale where the other two were dumped, they dumped her body there as well."

Lydia felt an overwhelming sense of anger hearing that Nancy had been dumped like yesterdays trash in the dumpster behind the Blue Whale. "God damn it!" She bit out with angry emotions boiling in her. "I swear by all that is just and good Thom I am going to get this son of a bitch and I am going to castrate him then bring him in."

Thom knew she would react just as he thought and he spoke soothingly. "Pen -pen, calm down dear. You need to be objective and we got to get a lid on this rash of murders. If we have a serial killer working the area, we need the Feebs brought in."

His use of her old pet name he had used when they were small did manage to bring a small smile to her lips as she slowly began to calm her anger. "Ok, give me a few minutes to grab a quick shower and get dressed and I will meet you at the docks."

Lydia hung up and dashed to her shower and began to make quick work of her bath to dress in a hurry, drag a comb through her hair and dash out the door to her car. Not seeing a reason to use her bar lights or siren, Lydia just managed to throw the car in gear and burn out heading to the docks her mind set on finding this creep and bringing him down.

Pulling away from the small cottage she did not see the dark brooding eyes follow the taillights of the car driving away at a furious pace down the road and disappear into the now swirling fog bank that was growing with each passing moment.

"Hmmm? We need to get you over soon my dear, I don't need you loosing this child before his time." Gerard stepped out into the open and moved to the cottage. With care and ease he made his way into her domain and looked around. Carefully placing various small stones around the room he smiled. "I think this will let me know better than any tech what is going on in your limited little life my dear."

Moving into her bedroom he paused and lifted up her gown to inhale the soft scent that was hers and smiled. "Soon you will be my queen and you will propagate my nest and we shall thrive once again above ground in this world of mortals."

From the confines of darkness another figure stepped forward and stood with dark brooding eyes and looked through Gerard. "Do you really think you are going to bring about the fall of these mortals Gerard?"

The voice held an over confident tone of arrogance. Gerard turned his own impersonal gaze upon Camron as he stood facing him. "Camron how quaint. Here I thought you were caught up with your brother and that nasty piece of business of fighting your way out of nine hells. Imagine my surprise when I saw you in Lydia's office. I thought you had not recognized me."

Camron moved about the room with an over familiarity. "Not hardly Gerard, my brother remains fighting his way out of the fourth hell as we speak. He will be tempered when he finally reaches his own domain until then I am a free agent to do and see what I am fit to do. I gave you free reign and let you go the first time. Now you have crossed my boundaries and you are messing with members of a family under my protection."

Gerard parried his movements facing off against an adversary. "So it is true you are attracted to that time shifter."

Camron offered only a mirthless smile as he studied this Incubus that stood in the home of one of her relatives. "If I am, it will be a sad day for you Gerard."

Gerard lifted an eyebrow and his lips twisted into a smirk. "Really how so?"

Camron moved more fully into the room and out of the shadows. "Because you are messing with her family and I cannot allow that Gerard, you know that."

Gerard chuckled. "And you think you can stop me how?"

Camron nodded slowly and paced to what had been at one time a long time ago a comrade in arms and leaned in to him going almost nose-to-nose with him. "You would not like my methods and your activities have now caught the attention of the Shadow Squad. I don't think you would like to find yourself in the same predicament as my brother now would you?"

His words were soft but his meaning and intent very real. "You think I fear those government morons?"

Camron stepped back and paced about the room affording a demeanor of indifference he lifted up little brick a brack and peered at them one by one only to set them back down.

"You know Gerard it would be a shame for you not to worry about them. They are far more powerful than you."

Gerard snorted and looked the room over. 'Only because they have you to run interference for them."

Camron turned and bowed his head. "I would be honored by that assumption were it true but it is not. They are far more advanced than you know Gerard. My word of advice is you should cut your losses here and leave."

Gerard smiled and it was a most unpleasant smile. "I am not done I have come to claim my queen."

Camron moved back into the shadows and laughed. "So be it Gerard, I will not interfere with your choice of queens, but I give you this warning."

He stopped punctuating his statement with a dramatic pause. "Stop the killings of suffer the consequences of your actions and they won't be pleasant nor will they be delivered by me." With that he was gone and Gerard was left with an uneasy feeling of doom.

Lydia navigated the car to the parking lot of the Blue Whale and got out feeling a little weaken and unsettled by her earlier experience of an upset stomach she moved towards the rear of the Blue Whale where she was met by two of the second shift crew and yellow police line tape and do not cross stretched around the perimeter.

Walking up to her brother she waited while he shot his own pictures of the crime scene. "Where is state?"

Thom looked grimly at the remains of the very pretty girl that had just found out she was pregnant and was looking forward to getting married to her long time boyfriend. "They should be here any time now." Lydia moved forward pulling on a pair of nitrate gloves to look at the remains.

"I suppose we should have the techs dust the dumpster it looks like we could have prints."

Thom nodded and moved to get a few more pictures. "That was what I was thinking as well." Together they looked around the area and found her shoes, her purse and coat that had been dumped in another trashcan. Securing the area of the 'dump' site she stepped back and stood with her brother.

"I am not sure what the hell is going on. This was obviously not the site of the actual murder. Any idea of where it might have been?"

Thom shrugged, "We found her car parked in the lot I have a man watching the area to keep any gawkers away."

She nodded and stepped back, "I will go see what I can find there, you good here?"

He had glanced at her pallor and nodded. "Yeah, just want my own pics before forensics gets here." He was not happy seeing his sister looking so drawn and wan. Worry etched his handsome features watching her make her way to the parking lot.

Lydia moved to the car she recognized as Nancy's car and using care looked around it and sighed. It was a damn shame and waste of human life. She peered into the back seat and saw the bag of baby clothing someone must have given her. Lydia felt herself well up with emotional anger and sadness. Nancy was preparing her life and for a new life and some bastard went and robbed her of that life and the life of the unborn child she carried.

Blinking back an onslaught of tears she stood back and composed herself. She locked her emotions down into a block of rage and anger. That is something she could deal easily with and explain, this was something she had no way of explaining or wanting to explain it. Glancing up at the arrival of a team of techs she nodded to them and moved back towards the second group of techs that were waiting for the coroner to arrive and remove the body from the dumpster.

Lydia looked up to see Timothy Stokes arrive. "Hey gorgeous you look like shit."

He smiled and moved past her. "Where is Doc Woodard?"

Tim turned and smiled, "Down with a nasty stomach virus. So I got the call besides this looks like a dark powers act and you know as well as I do that Shadows will want a report."

Lydia nodded, "I know how Dave feels, I think I have the same thing. I can't seem to keep anything down."

Timothy turned to look at her with concern. Although they did not date any more he still felt concern for her well being. "Why not drop by the hospital later and let me take a look at you. The least I can do is give you something for the nausea and a prescription for some electrolyte replacements."

Lydia absently nodded, "Thanks I just might do that. Right now you know what I am involved in and I too will need to make a report to Shadows."

Tim made quick work of looking over the area and once again was in his biohazard suit and jumped into the dumpster. Having done this particular maneuver before he navigated the body up and over into the body bag then vacated the area to allow the techs to do their job. Turning to Thom he asked, "Who will be there for the autopsy?"

Thom looked at his green looking sister and sighed. "Probably me, Lydia looks like she is about to drop where she is standing."

Tim nodded in agreement. "Yeah I saw that. Told her to come by later so I can check her out. Dave has a stomach virus that knocked him down hard she very well may be having the same problem."

Thom shoved his camera into his bag and stood and nodded. "If she does not show up I will bring her over myself. When do you expect to perform the autopsy?"

Tim thought a moment. "As long as I am not rushed in the ER we will do this around six tonight if that is ok."

Thom was in agreement and patted his shoulder. "Sure that is fine. I just need to let the old lady know I will be late getting home."

Tim chuckled, "Old lady, she would kick your ass if she heard you say that. I will tell her what your hold up will be."

Thom nodded and laughed. "Yeah she is pretty special, thanks just tell her I will be there as soon as I can get done with the autopsy."

Tim chuckled, "Should I tell her about the old lady part?"

Thom gave him a warning glance., "Really want to mess up my play time tonight doncha?"

Tim shook his head. "No buddy, I got your back. Catch ya later." Tim sauntered over to his car and slid in and then he saw Lydia and he frowned. She looked really ill.

Getting out of the car he moved towards her as she stood huddled against her car holding onto her stomach and bent over. "Come on little Missy we are getting you back to the hospital so I can run some labs on you."

Lydia looked up and for once she was not going to argue with him over his pushy attitude. Securing her unit she followed him to his car and slid into the passenger seat but not until she turned and began to dry heave out of the door. "Good grief Lydia why did you not come to see me before it got this bad?"

Reaching into his back seat he pulled out some saline and wet his hankie and handed it to her. Then taking a medicinal cup he poured a little saline into the cup. "Rinse only and spit."

She took it giving him a grateful look as she sipped rinsed and then spit. "Lord that is the nastiest taste thank you for the bail out."

He nodded. "Lets go, I am going to have to put some fluids back in you."

Tim made it back to the hospital in short order and immediately had Lydia checked into a room and ordered labs and intravenous fluids pushed into her system. Sitting at the counter he was charting when Sam came in with the lab results. Tim took the labs and studied them and then he frowned and looked up. "Are you sure these are Lydia Patterson's labs?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, ran them myself and yes she is pregnant." Tim was not sure how he felt about this turn of events. He knew they were not serious about each other but this was unexpected and he had no idea she had been seeing anyone let alone sexually active with them. "Thanks bud."

Standing he made his way to the exam room and moved to Lydia's side. "Well congratulations girlfriend your pregnant."

Lydia felt horrible and then to have Tim come in and say she was pregnant was not amusing in the least. "Funny Tim. Yeah right I am pregnant. Must have been the Immaculate Conception for me to be pregnant. You have to be exposed before you can get that way."

Tim was no longer amused he was stunned. "Lydia, I am not kidding you are pregnant according to your labs. I can do an ultrasound and we can see about how far along you are."

Lydia felt her whole world was beginning to spin out of control and she was going to throw up again. Tim recognizing the signs reached for a basin and held it while she threw up the small amount of fluid she had been able to drink down. Gently bathing her face with a cool wet cloth Tim drew up the exam stool and looked at her with a serious enough expression that he had her rapt attention. "Lydia, honey are you telling me you have not been doing the bump nasty with someone?"

Lydia was pale and confused she shook her head. "I swear to you Tim the last person I was with was you and that was so long ago I had forgotten what it was."

Tim smiled and patted her hand. "Well I can certainly say that was long enough ago that there is no way I could be the father. I can run the tests again and we can get the OB man in and have him do an exam."

Lydia nodded and closed her eyes. "The last thing I need is a kid to muck up my life. It is bad enough that I have several unsolved murders and a possible serial killer working the area then for me to be pregnant I can't be pregnant."

Tim nodded and felt empathy for her situation. "If you choose to terminate this pregnancy my dear you know you have to leave the state."

Lydia nodded and closed her eyes tight and felt teary. "I know. I just need to know for sure that is what is going on. Could it be one of those maybe a little bit pregnant deals?"

Tim chuckled and laid his head on her stomach. "No honey you know there is nothing called or meant to be just a little bit pregnant. We can do the tests again and I will call Howard to come in and examine you. I may also have Shadows medic team come in on this. It wreaks of the supernatural honey and we don't need a demon baby born in the Patterson family."

Although she felt he was trying to lighten the mood with his humor she was also beginning to think that the supernatural was involved in this and she wanted no part of this seed growing in her womb if that were in deed the case. Closing her eyes she gave in to her exhaustion and fear. Unable to no longer contain the tears that now streaked down her face she allowed her self the moment to give in and not be brave.

Tim stood up and gathered her into his arms hugging her close and whispering to her to let it go and he would be there for her. She had nothing to worry about he would be by her side no matter the outcome. Feeling the familiar comfort of his strong arms Lydia held onto him and cried as she had never cried before.

The second shift nurse entered the room and looked at the doctor and Lydia. "Do you need something to help calm her?" Tim nodded and gave her the order for a sedative that would not affect the child and allow Lydia to rest. Feeling the flow of the calming drug enter her system, Lydia did not fight it. She gave into the need to sleep and rest or in her case she felt an escape from a nightmare that was now intruding into her neat little compact world.

Tim moved to the doctor's lounge and secured the door, removing his communicator he sent an alert to the med team at Shadows Ops to prepare for a med-transfer. His phone rang and Doctor Blackthorns' voice came over his phone. "What is the emergency Doctor Stokes?"

Tim sat back and propped his foot over his knee and crossed an arm under his breasts. "I think we have a level five emergency. Lydia Patterson is pregnant and she has not had sexual relations according to her. She has been working this Incubus case and I am worried she got to close to the father of the nest and he has used her to impregnate her."

Blackthorn sounded intrigued. "Prepare her for evac we will have a team there in five minutes."

Tim sighed, "Will do, traditional transport or covert?" The tone of his superior at headquarters was amused.

"You know this will be covert. Just show her released to her sister and we will take care of the rest."

Tim frowned and then nodded and realized that Blackthorn could not see his head nod.

"Yes sir. She will be ready in five minutes." He disconnected from headquarters and moved out into the hallway. The other nurse was busy and it would be relatively easy to secure the room Lydia rested in. Moving to the room he paused and looked at the bed astonished. Lydia was gone.

Surely they had not come to get her so soon. Calling back Blackthorn he got the irritated voice. "What is it Doctor Stokes?"

Tim stood by the bed and noted the iv was removed causing a lot of blood to flow onto the floor and bed. The IV had been torn out. "Did the team arrive to take Lydia?"

Blackthorns' voice went from irritation to concern. "No we just assembled them why?" Tim did not want to say it but he was forced to admit someone had taken Lydia from the hospital under his very nose.

"She is gone Doctor, you might wish to notify the operations department to see if they can get a lock on her. If she was taken against her will she very well may be with the demon father now."

The conversation was cut off and Tim felt the familiar rise of the hair on his arms as the time fold went into effect and Josette, Jeanette, Radu, and Camron stood in the exam room.

"Ok update us Tim and leave nothing out."

Tim slumped against the exam bed and sighed. "She is pregnant and she has no recollection of having relations with anyone to get that way. I think she very well may be involved with the incubus that has been populating his nest and if that is the case she will be the next victim to be found in a dumpster."

Josette looked the room over a grim and determined look on her face. "It will be over my dead body before that happens."