The ghosts that we knew

Chapter 22

~So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light

But I will hold as long as you like

Just promise me we'll be alright~

The one thought that kept running through John's mind was that he was going to kill her when he found her. However, that would be after he kicked her ass. He couldn't believe what Echo had told him. That she had willingly put herself in this situation. She'd be lucky if he ever let her out of their bed again.

Riddick was surprised by Carolyn's actions. There had been a time not too long ago when she had finally come to the realization that she needed to survive for no one but herself. He was intrigued to hear that somewhere in the last few months that had changed and she was willing to let herself be taken in order to save lives. He'd get to the bottom of it soon enough.

"Are you ok?" Sam asked Carolyn as she helped her to sit down on a fallen tree before handing her a canteen of water.

Breathing heavily, Carolyn took a drink, wiping her face on her sleeve. "I think I'm in labor."

"Oh, crap." Sam breathed looking around them to see if anyone was paying them any attention. "How long?"

"Couple of hours now."

Sam opened her bag and made a show out of checking Carolyn's hear rate and the baby's.

"How is she?" Marlin asked grudgingly.

"She needs to rest more than 5 minutes at a time. All this walking is putting both her and the baby under duress." Sam snapped at the man.

"If I'm sure we're not being followed after a few more miles, we'll stop for the night." He replied motioning for two men to go back the way they had come.

Sam looked at Carolyn who nodded tightly and looked up at their captor. "Thank you."

She helped Carolyn to a standing position and they began to make their way through the jungle once again.

"Here." Marlin ordered. "We stop for the night here."

Sam looked around before finding a spot as close to the river as she dared before helping Carolyn down to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Marlin asked. "That's too far away."

"She's pregnant. Where exactly do you think we're going? There's soft underbrush her for her back and cold river water that I can use to help ease the swelling in her feet. But if you think you can do better, then by all means." Sam said waving her hands in the air and taking a step back.

Looking extremely put out, Marlin called one of his men over. "Watch them."

The man looked at Sam and Carolyn with a sigh. "Yeah, boss."

"My water broke about a mile back," Carolyn said quietly as Sam looked her over.

Opening up her bag, Sam grabbed a syringe and filled it.

"What is it?" Carolyn asked.

"Something that's going to help with the pain and slow your labor until we can get out of here," Sam mumbled looking over at their guard.

Sam made frequent trips to the river so their guard got used to the noise and her movement. The camp had settled down, the Mercs finding their bedrolls as Carolyn and Sam's guard was the only one left.

Sam eventually lay down beside Carolyn, silently waiting for their guard to seek his own rest which he eventually did. When his soft snores finally reached her, Sam made quick work getting Carolyn on her feet.

Tying her medical bag around her waist, she helped Carolyn ease down the bank into the water, wading out into the current.

Getting behind Carolyn, she wrapped her arms around her and they silently let the river carry them back downstream a few miles before paddling their way to the opposite shore.

"We could have stayed in the river a little longer," Sam said where she lay panting on the riverbank.

"No, we couldn't have," Carolyn gasped. "This baby is coming, now."

Sam rose, helping Carolyn up, frantically searching in the dark for a tree limb Carolyn could hang on to. Carolyn braced herself against the tree, clutching the branch over head.

Helping her out of her pants, Sam crouched down in front of her, practically sobbing in frustration. "None of this equipment is sterilized and there's no way we can risk a fire."

"It's all right, Sam," Carolyn ground out as she was no longer fighting the contractions.

Finding a piece of bark, Sam held it out for Carolyn to bite down on. "The baby is about to crown."

Carolyn nodded closing her eyes with a moan.

Sam never realized that giving birth to a baby could be so quiet. Other than a few low moans from Carolyn and her whispered instructions, they had made no other noise. Even the child seemed to sense the peril they were in as Sam hastily cleaned out its nose and mouth before handing the child to Carolyn who had collapsed on the ground beside her. Sam tied and cut the umbilical cord, removing her shirt to throw over the baby.

"She's beautiful," Sam whispered leaning over a silent Carolyn.

Nodding, Carolyn wrapped the shirt around her daughter's tiny form and shoved her into the woman's arms.

"Carolyn?"

"Take her and go," Carolyn said as tears streamed down her face. "We both know I'm not finished here yet and even if I was, I'll be even slower than before. It's me they want. They're not going to come after you. You take my daughter and you keep her safe, Sam. Promise me." Carolyn hissed.

Sam looked at this woman who had become her friend and the child that she held in her arms. "What's her name?" Sam asked as her own tears made their way down her face.

"It doesn't matter." Carolyn said with a smile running her hand over the child's head. "If something happens, if I don't make it back, you and John," she said looking at Sam again.

Sam nodded and embraced her friend, the child between them.

"Go, go now." Carolyn said untangling herself from them. She watched as Sam disappeared in the dark before lying back on the ground covering her face with her hands to smother her sobs.