Chapter 45

"This isn't normal is it?" I questioned, mum stood behind me as I stood side on to the mirror looking at my reflection. She mumbled something inaudible and shook her head. "I mean, I'm showing, and I'm barely Three months."
"Maybe you should go for a check up." Mum suggested, looking over at Gabrielle who nodded. She and Tink were in the living room sipping at their tea. Whilst discussing their husbands/boyfriends. Must be an amazingly interesting conversation.
"Do you think there could be something wrong?" I placed my palms over my stomach protectively.

"Tom was always worrying when I was pregnant with Riley. Made me have a scan every two weeks. It paid off though." Tink smiled, looking over at her two daughters, playing with Elijah's hair as he sat staring up at me dumbly.

"Where are they anyway?" Gabrielle asked, referring to the men.
"Harry said something about teaching Dougie a lesson." Mum piped up.

No one tells me anything.
I wake up to find these three in my house, and my boyfriend missing in action.
Now I'm just a little suspicious.

"I wouldn't worry too much. They've only gone down to the pub." Tink mused.

Yeah.
Okay.
They've only been gone six hours.
They can't be anything less than ra d.

"Mum…" I winced a little.
"hmm?" she looked at me.
"It's hurting."

"What is?"

Holy sh|t, that's rather painful.

What a blur.
I mean, What. A. Blur.

Mum rang the ambulance.
Ambulance came.
Mum rang Dougie.
No answer.
Got to the hospital.
Mum rang Dougie.
No answer.
Left a message.

Left five messages.

"He's not coming is he?" I croaked, my throat sore from crying, and my eyes red and puffed from, well, crying. I pulled my knees to my chest, linking my arms around them tightly.
"He will come!" Mum smiled sympathetically.
"I want him here now." I mumbled. "For when I know, for definite."
"Brenna, you don't know that-" She began.
"I started to bleed, mum." I stated bluntly.

She bit her lip uneasily. I know she had her doubts anyway. I remember the last miscarriage. Hard to forget I guess.

It's only when I look up again that I realise some Doctor's been talking for the past ten minutes. Where the hell did he come from? I look over at mum who's looking a little puzzled, and that's when I choose to speak up.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening." I smile feebly.
"Miss Judd, we have two men in A&E. Claiming to be your fiancé, and your father." The doctor spoke, chuckling a little when mum rolled her eyes exasperated.
"They're a little worse for wear, what with their injuries, but I thought I'd give you your results before any more visitors are allowed in." He continued.

What?
Injuries?

It seems he didn't notice my look of alarm, and began to read off his clipboard.
"Now, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting this amount of time. You can blame the gentlemen down the hall for that. " I bit down hard on my bottom lip, sitting up, ready to hear whatever he now had to say

"The pain you experienced, Brenna, was the womb absorbing a foetus." The Doctor said.

I knew it.

I felt mum clench hold of my hand.
I barely noticed her touch.
I was numb.

What would Dougie say?
I've failed again.
He'll be so disappointed.

"But of course, your mother mentioned you were a little worried, because you were showing already." He said. I don't think I was really listening all that much. Nope, not at all. Until he said those magic words. "That's perfectly normal with multiple births."
"Multiple what now?" My head shot up. I looked at mum, who also mirrored my blank expression.
"Well, in cases such as these it's common for a foetus to miscarriage. Three children is a lot of strain on a mother."

Three?

I'm hearing things, right?

"We've checked you over, and if you like we can take you for another scan? So you can see the evidence for yourself." He smiled.
"So, I'm still pregnant?" I asked. I felt my ears move up as I smile. He nods. "And it was triplets, but it's not anymore?"
"Mrs Judd, you're daughter's quick on the uptake isn't she?" He remarked a little sarcastically to mum. "Would you like me to send.."
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Give me my Dougie back." I groaned, falling against the backboard of the bed.

Part One Hundred And Eighteen

"What in Gods name happened to you two!?" Mum exclaimed, causing me to look up and at the doorway when Dad and Dougie both sauntered through. Dad with a red jaw, and Dougie with a scrape running from his forehead down his cheek.
"We had a fight." Dad grumbled.
"Who with?" Mum asked.

I was silent, watching them shuffle their shoes, looking to the floor.
Sort of reminds me of two ten year olds after being in a scrap with Catapults and throwing stones or something.

"Well, there was this guy, right." Dad began.
Oh.
It's going to be one of those stories.
"And he was mouthing off." Dougie continued.
"And I told him to shut up" Dad smirked. I'm guessing it was more like a 'f*ck off' kind of thing judging by the rather satisfied look on his face. "And then he swung for me."
"He was out cold for five minutes while I was getting belted." Dougie grumbled, looking none pleased.

"So that's it." Dad smiled.
"But he was a pap. And we got taken to the police station. And that's where we've been all day. So I couldn't answer my phone." Dougie spoke solemnly, walking over. Mum got up, allowing him to sit next to me. She ushered dad out of the room with great difficulty. I swear he held on to the doorframe as she pulled him out.

Silly b*stard.

Dougie turned to me, grabbing hold of my hands.
"So, I… Umm… What's wrong?" He asked, studying my face. "You've been crying."

"I've had a miscarriage." I spoke quietly. Even though I know I'm still going to be a mum, having the knowledge one of your children is dead kind of hits you. Hard.
"But, it was going so well." Dougie's mouth opened and closed, rather like that of a goldfish. "We… I was going to be a dad."
"You still will be." I spluttered, choking on the lump in my throat.
"Then I don't understand." He frowned a little.

This is where a doctor's medical knowledge would probably come in handy.
Damn me not having any good explanation.
Well, how do I say…

"We were going to have triplets, Doug." I smiled, through the tears that didn't want to stop anytime soon. He raised an eyebrow, puzzled he held up three fingers as if questioning me. I nodded. "I lost one."

He was silent.

Too silent.
This is worrying me slightly.

"Doug?" I squeezed his hand a little. "You're scaring me."
"All I can think, is Joey and Liam." He grinned.
I bit down on my lip, trying to hide the smile that was broadening on my face.

"And… This is awesome. I bet it's a boy and a girl." He laughed. "Just like I want."

I'm silent.
I like this side of Dougie.
The dreamer.
The optimist.

"I hear the sex is better when you're pregnant."

The nymphomaniac.

"So why exactly did you pick a fight with a pap?" I asked, pulling on my clothes, almost ready to leave the hospital.
"He was mouthing off. And it was your dad who started it." Dougie grumbled. Okay, why isn't he comfortable talking about this?
"But still, I mean, he had to have said something a little dumb to get you both involved. Why you fly off the handle at a pap is beyond me. You just let them say their peace and then tell them to go screw." I shrugged, folding up the hospital night down I'd been given for my brief stay.

He was silent.
That's when I turned to face him.
His arms folded, gaze fixed to the floor.
Talk about sulky teenager mode.
I could almost see his seventeen year old self having a strop.

"Tell me." I wined.
He mumbled something inaudible, and shuffled his feet underneath him.
"Doug…" I placed the nightgown down on the bed, all folded up, and walked over to him.
"I'm hardly going to sit and ignore someone slating my girlfriend, am I?" He suddenly exploded. "I'm finally really happy and there's always someone out to give me sh|t about it. What gives them the right to-"
"You started a fight because of me." I stated.

I'm flattered.
Secretly rather amused and pleased at this revelation.

Of course, I must remain firm, and should punish him for such a thing. Men need to be disciplined. And Dougie's no exception.

"I was defending your honour." He argued.
"You were being a prat." I laughed.
"I was not!" he retorted, frowning.
"You start a fight with a guy with a camera, and-"
"He started it."
"I don't care if it was the pope that started to hit you with his hat!" I snapped. "I can't believe you let him beat you up!" And that's when I begin to giggle.

"Oh."
He finally gets the joke.
"OH!"
He looks evil now.
More than evil.
Menacing.

He grabs me around the waist.
Throwing me on to the bed.
Towering over me.

Oh god.

"Doug, I don't like being tickled!"