Sorry it took a while for an update. I've been sick and so has my son. I'm dedicating this chapter to Rebecca. I used some of her ideas in this one. This is the chapter where our poor Michael gets hurt, but no worries. It all turns out good in the end read on!
Two Hearts. One Dream Ch. 13
I stayed pretty quiet for a while after Janet and I had found out. I was going through plans in my head, trying to decide when to tell him and how to tell him. Then I began to worry about what he would think. I know he loves children, but would he be up for raising his own?
The next morning I opened my eyes and stretched. Michael wasn't there, but there was a tiger lily laying on his pillow with a note taped to the head board. I picked up the lily and smelled it as I read the note.
"Lola,
You looked so peaceful in your sleep, I just couldn't bear to wake you. I'll have breakfast ready for you when you get up. I love you.
Love, Mike"
I smiled widely and rolled off the bed and shuffled my feet into the closet. I was too lazy to walk to my room and get my own clothes, so I settled for his baggy black sweat pants and a white t-shirt.
When I walked into the living room, Michael was sitting on the couch staring at the television. I didn't bother to look at the screen. I walked over and put my hands on his shoulders and kissed his cheek. Mr. Davis was in the chair next to the couch staring at the television as well.
"Good morning, love. Thanks for the flower. That was a nice surprise to wake up to," I whispered into his ear. He didn't move or smile. "Mike?" Mr. Davis shushed me and I finally looked at the television and gasped.
A commercial airline flew into one of the World Trade Center towers, and was recorded. I put my hand over my mouth and sat down beside Michael.
"Oh my God…" I whispered. Michael reached over and took my hand tightly in his. He was holding his breath and his hands were shaking. We continued to watch as Katie came in and saw the screen.
"Oh my…is this happening now? Who would do such a thing?" she gasped.
Michael sucked in a breath and leaned against me. "Get momma out of here, I don't think her heart can take it," he whispered into my ear and kissed my cheek. Without looking away from the screen, I took Katie's hand and walked her out. Janet met me in the hall and took Katie with her to another room. I leaned against the door frame and watched the horror taking place.
"Can you believe this, Davis? Who would do this, and why? All those people…" his voice cracked as he watched people scatter from the streets covered in dust and debris.
"Has anyone heard from Keith? He won't answer his phone!" Latoya came running in with her phone in hand. Michael stared at her in shock.
"Oh God…" he whispered. "The last time I spoke with him, he was heading to one of the towers to finish some paperwork for my upcoming shows. How could I be that stupid?" he growled at himself.
I started to argue, but Mr. Davis butted in. "Not your fault, Mike. You can't see the future." I was thankful Mr. Davis was here. Latoya ran out of the room and continued to try and get a hold of their cousin. I tried to remember who Keith was, and I vaguely remembered him from the last Jackson family day. Other than myself, he was the most determined to nail Michael with a water balloon.
I bit my lower lip and looked back at the screen as one after another, the towers collapsed. Michael put his hands over his face and cried. I clenched the doorframe and dug my nails into the wood. Janet stood behind me with a hand on my shoulder.
"Davis, I don't understand it. Why would people do this? Why take so many innocent lives? Our world has become so dangerous now. If I ever had children…oh God, I couldn't bring a child into a cruel world like this now." Michael cried.
Pain shot through my heart and I felt a pinch of pain in my stomach. I slid my hand over my still flat belly and rubbed it lightly. Janet took my hand and held it tightly. "Its okay, Lola. It's okay, he's just upset," she whispered.
Michael shot up and threw the remote on the floor. Everyone in the room jumped and he stormed out of the room and stopped when he got next to me. Janet backed away from me and Michael put his hand on my face and rested his forehead against mine. I felt warm when he touched me, and I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. I was expecting him to say something, but he didn't. He sighed deeply and kissed me quickly on the lips and stormed to his room, slamming it and locking the door.
I bit my lip and sighed. Janet put her hands on my shoulders. "Don't say its okay, Janet. Right now, it isn't okay and I don't know how or when I'm going to tell him the news. Now isn't the time obviously." She sighed and nodded.
We all waited for a while and slowly, the family knocked on his door and tried to get him to come out. He wouldn't answer anyone, and after Katie failed, I started to worry. Janet looked at me like it was my turn and I sat back and thought for a minute.
"Hey, Jackie?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"Would you happen to have your guitar with you?"
He looked at me curiously. "Yeah, it's out in the car. Why?"
"Can I borrow it?"
"Uh…sure. I'll just leave it here with you though. It's getting late and we need to get home soon."
I nodded and he walked out and came back with his guitar. I set it against the wall in the hallway and waited for everyone to leave. Once they all left, I kissed Katie on the cheek before she went to bed and she wished me luck on getting Michael to come out. I walked over to his door and leaned against it.
"Michael, I know you're hurting and I wish I knew how to help you. You have always helped me when I was hurting. I just wish I knew how you did it. All I can offer is my presence. I love you so much, Michael, and I'm always going to be here for you. I learned a new song and I asked Jackie for his guitar. I hope it soothes you like it soothes me. It's a Spanish lullaby."
I took a deep breath and started playing the guitar. Michael rose up from his bed and wiped his eyes. He listened to every word I said and didn't know what to say in return. He wanted to hold me so much but he was afraid his pain was causing my pain, which it was, but I wasn't about to admit that. I played the first set of notes and then I began to sing.
"A
la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita ella
Mi nina tiene sueno
bendito sea, bendito sea
A la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita
ella
Mi nina tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea
Fuentecita
que corre clara y sonora
Ruisenor que en la selva
Cantando y
llora
Calla mientras la cuna se balansea
A la nanita nana
nanita ella
A la nanita nana nanita ella
Nanita ella
Mi nina
tiene sueno bendito
Sea, bendito sea
Fuentecita que carre clara
y sonora
Ruisenor que en la selva
Cantando y llora
Calla
mientras la cuna se balansea
A la nanita nana nanita ella"
Michael fell asleep against the door right where I was leaning from the outside. I took a deep breath and soon dozed off against the door. Michael woke up about an hour later and heard my steady breathing from the other side. He popped his head out of the door and saw me asleep with the guitar still in my hands. He smiled weakly and took the guitar and placed it carefully in his closet. Then he came back for me and tucked me into his bed.
I stayed close to Michael for a few days after that. He hadn't locked himself in any more rooms since I sang to him. I guess he figured there was no getting rid of me and he didn't want me to sleep in a place that couldn't possibly be comfortable. The family came over with the idea of a nice family dinner at a restaurant in town. Michael stayed quiet and he would only smile when he saw me smile.
When we got back, we started changing for bed and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I ran into Michael's bathroom and lost all my dinner. Michael winced and came in to hold my hair back.
"You don't have to do that. Go on to bed, I don't want you to see me like this," I mumbled.
"Oh shush. How could I possibly sleep when you're in here suffering? It's okay, really. I bet it's just food poisoning or something."
"Yeah, food poisoning," I whispered. I knew it was only the beginning of the pregnancy signs. I had to think fast. Michael was going to find out sooner or later, and I wanted to tell him myself rather than him finding out another way. I soon felt better and we went to bed.
The next morning, the family was gathered in the living room. Everyone was discussing plans to go to New York and help find the survivors that were still missing.
"Okay, we can stay in a hotel and stay a few days to help. Who knows? Maybe we'll find Keith," Jermaine said.
"As long as we stay safe, it sounds good to me," Michael agreed.
"Right, I'll go pack," I said and got up.
"Woa, hang on, Lola. Where do you think you're going?" Michael asked.
"I'm going to pack. You didn't think you were going on this mission without me, did you?" I put my hands on my hips and stared at him. He shrugged and everyone in the room laughed.
"You're stuck with her Mike, face it," Janet giggled.
"Alright, fine. Just stay safe," he whispered.
"Hey, she's with the Jackson family. She'll be fine. Don't forget she nearly tore Brian's head off recently. I think she can handle New York," Tito preached.
I winced at hearing that name. Rebbie noticed and put her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Tito, whatever happened to him anyway?"
Everyone raised up ready to listen to his answer. "Well, as I promised, he was charged with attempted murder. We were also able to get more proof he was the reason for Lola's son's death, so he's also been charged with negligent homicide," he grinned. Michael took a breath and leaned into the couch.
"Good. One nightmare ended. Let's hope we never have to deal with someone like that again."
"No one else I know, so no worries. I just hope he's gone for good," I whispered. Jermaine put his arm around me and pulled me against him. I leaned into him and sighed.
"He won't be getting out for a long time, Lola. And don't you worry, if he does and he decides to come looking for you, he will find the entire family standing behind you," Jermaine smiled.
I smiled and went to pack my things. A few hours later, we were on our way to New York. When we got there, it was a disaster area. Nothing in the city was recognizable. We all walked together and held hands. A sheriff walked up to us and Tito bowed.
"We're the Jacksons. We've come to help search for survivors, if we may," he said politely.
"Great. We need all the help we can get. Go over to the van and get hard hats and face masks. For your safety," he pointed to a nearby van.
I looked around and wasn't paying attention. I noticed a group of ambulances parked in one area and I looked back at Michael. He had a firm grip on my hand and I squeezed his to get his attention.
"I'm gonna go over there and see if I can help with the medics. I'll catch up with you later," I smiled at him and he hesitated. After a moment, he smiled back and nodded and put a hard hat on my head.
"I guess it would be safer than walking around blindly, as clumsy as you are," he teased.
"Yeah yeah, shut up," I pushed his arm and he smiled and kissed me.
"I won't be far. None of us will be. If you need any of us, we will be close enough for you to see us." I nodded and headed towards the medics. One man stopped me as I approached the area.
"This area is off limits, miss," he said politely.
I bowed. "Forgive me. My name is Lola. I'm a certified Medical Assistant and I'd like to lend a hand, if I could," I offered my hand and he shook it without hesitation.
"Good, we need help. More survivors keep popping up like crazy. If you could, I need you to examine the survivors the best you can and mark them. If they can be saved, mark them with a check mark. If not, make an "X" either way, we're going on what you see."
I nodded. I was grateful I had a little trauma experience before I moved to L.A. with Michael. I walked by and started to examine people. I was thankful a lot of them looked like they could be saved. My heart started becoming heavy as I stared into the eyes of these people. The amount of pain each one held reminded me of how hurt Michael was when I first met him. All I wanted to do was hold these people and tell them everything was going to be okay…but I couldn't. Because like them, I didn't know.
"Lola…? Is that you?" I heard a struggling voice call out.
I looked around and saw a man laying on a stretcher with his arm held out to me. He didn't look like someone I knew. I walked over to his side and took his hand. I studied his face for a minute before I tore off a piece of my shirt sleeve and rubbed the dust and dirt from his face.
"K…Keith? Oh my…are you okay?" I asked in shock.
"I…think so. Everything happened so fast. Why are you here?" he coughed and I rubbed his face.
"I'm here to help, and to look for you. Everyone's here looking for you," I whispered.
"Everyone?" he coughed and I winced. He sounded like he was in pain. "I'm glad no one decided I was dead."
"It's called faith. Hang on, okay? I'll get everyone over here," I looked around for a minute and he tugged on my hand.
"Do I look bad? Be honest," he whispered. I looked over him. He only seemed to have a few cuts and bruises. I checked his insides and felt around on him. He chuckled a little when I felt his ribs. "That tickles."
I grinned. "You look like you're just fine. No broken bones or internal bleeding."
"Wow, I'm impressed. Does Michael know you're this smart?"
"Nah, I don't like to brag," I looked around until I spotted Marlon standing nearby. "Marlon….hey!" I whispered as loudly as I could. I would've yelled, but some of the people I checked previously were just beginning to doze off. "Ugh, you idiot," I grumbled. I grabbed a nearby rock and threw it at him. It bounced off his hard hat and he grunted.
"Hey!" he grumbled.
"Get everyone together and get over here fast!" I whispered. He nodded and ran off. I stayed next to Keith and held his hand. A few moments later, the Jacksons were walking towards me with a concerned look on their faces. I smiled and Michael walked up to me.
"Are you okay? What's going on?" he asked. I smiled and grabbed his hand and placed Keith's hand in his. Michael looked over and tears immediately stung his eyes. "Keith! Oh thank God you're alright! I'm so sorry for everything! I shouldn't have sent you here to do my work!" he cried. I looked away. I had tears burning in my own eyes.
"Hey knock off the self pity, man. I'm alive and well. I got your paperwork turned in before the first crash," he smiled. Everyone laughed and I got up and moved away to let the family have their space. I walked around a little longer and my chest started to burn. I walked away from the survivors and sat down and coughed. I started feeling dizzy.
Rebbie noticed me and walked over to me and patted my back. "You don't look so good, Lola. Where's your mask?"
I shrugged and Rebbie rolled her eyes and gave me hers. "Thanks," I said weakly. "Rebbie, I need to tell you something…but you can't tell anyone," I coughed and she kneeled down to face me.
"Okay, I won't. What's up?"
"Rebbie…" I started to tell her the news, and then I fainted.
"Lola! Oh geeze," she grabbed me and held me up. Janet saw us from a distance and ran over to help.
"She shouldn't be out here like this in her condition," Janet grumbled while she tried to hold me up.
"What condition? Is she sick?" Rebbie asked.
"What did she say before she fainted on you?"
Rebbie looked at Janet for a minute. "She was about to tell me something that she didn't want me to tell anyone else. Why? What do you know, Janet?"
Janet sighed. "I guess she was about to tell you, she's pregnant."
"What?!"
"Shut up! No one else knows and we need to keep it that way. She has her own plans for telling Michael and mother."
"Okay…" she took a breath. "We need to get her back home where it's safe."
I woke up a little later. When I opened my eyes, I saw Michael's angelic face and I instantly smiled. "Ah, you're awake. You scared me, Lola. Don't do that again," he ran his finger under my chin and tilted my head up and around as if he was looking for cuts or bruises.
I smiled and grabbed his hand. "I'm fine, Mike. Really. I guess I inhaled too much dust."
"Yeah, you should have been wearing a mask," he grumbled. I grinned and shrugged.
Rebbie walked up to us and sat beside Michael. It was then I noticed we were sitting in the back of an ambulance. I mentally groaned at myself.
"Mike, I think Lola needs to go back home," she said.
"Yeah, I know. I'll go get our things," he whispered.
"Actually, I can see you want to spend more time with Keith here, so I will go back home with her and stay with her until you all get home."
Michael looked at me and I nodded. "It's okay, sweetheart. Spend time with your family. I'll be home waiting for you when you come back."
He smiled and nodded. "Okay, but get better soon, okay? We have some major shows coming up and rehearsals will start in about a week."
I groaned and he chuckled and kissed me. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her," Rebbie smiled. He nodded and walked off to meet up with his brothers. I looked at Rebbie for a minute and tried to think of the best way to ask if she knew. Before I opened my mouth, she answered my question. "Yes, I know about you. Janet told me after you fainted. That's why I'm going back with you."
"Thanks for not saying anything."
"Hey, what are sisters for?" she smiled and patted my shoulder. "Let's get our stuff and get home. We need to find you a doctor."
"No." she looked at me and quirked a brow. "I mean, I will find one, but not until Michael knows. I don't wanna do anything without him."
She smiled. "Good. That's more than Lisa ever did for him."
We got our things put together and Michael escorted us to the airport. He kissed me and watched us take off. The second his hand left mine, I felt slight pain in my tummy. I rubbed it lightly and Rebbie put her hand on mine.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," I smirked. "Baby is already like me. It hurts when daddy isn't close by."
That's my newest update yay! Hope you all enjoyed this one. I'm surprised I made it this long. Ugh now I gotta get some sleep. Big test tomorrow. Much love!
