"How is she?" Derek asked Philip when he went to check on Arabella.
"Asleep. She wakes up and goes back to sleep after awhile. She's still terrified. I hate this."
"We all do. Nick and I are going back to Arabella's school to ask her roommate some questions. She might know something without realizing it. Alex and Rachel are staying here in case you need any help."
"Don't let her show him any of her tattoos. I still haven't forgotten what she did when I met her," Philip said with a moan.
"I'm pretty sure Arabella gave her a thorough talking to after that." When he left the room, he said to Nick, "I'll never forget the look on his face when Arabella's roommate showed her that tattoo on her rear end. He just about fainted."
"He saw that too? Why does she show everyone her tattoos?"
"I don't think she shows them to everyone. Just men."
"I still don't see why she does it."
"She probably likes it. Oh, and Nick, next time you see a closed door, knock first."
Arabella's roommate opened the door of the hotel room she was staying in during break. "What are you doing here?"
"Arabella told me once that you never go home for break," Derek said. "It wasn't that hard to assume you might be in a hotel. We have some questions."
"I told you everything I knew."
"You might know more than you think," Nick said.
"I'll let you come in, if you tell me what it is you two really do. And if you let me show you my butterfly tattoo. I was meditating before making up a protection charm for someone and I really don't like being interrupted when I'm doing that, so you owe me some truth."
"I'll tell you some things, but within reason," Derek said. "Whether or not Nick sees that tattoo is up to him."
Arabella's roommate pointed a finger. "No, he sees it, or there's no deal."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Fine! Whatever, Barbie, or whatever your name is!"
The young lady scoffed. "It's Bobbie."
"I don't understand what's going on with her," Rachel said. "She was fine one second and the next she's screaming again!"
"It's the curse," Alex said while trying to help Philip calm Arabella.
"She was wide awake this time," Philip said. "I think she's in pain."
"I'm not a medical doctor, but I could examine her," Rachel suggested. "If she'll let me."
Arabella shook her head vigorously before suddenly screaming into Philip's shoulder.
"Rachel's only trying to help," Alex said.
"I know," Philip told her. "And I think I know what's causing all this pain now..."
"You're telling me that what Derek was afraid of is happening, aren't you?" Rachel asked.
"They're speeding things along," Alex said.
"How is she?" Derek asked as he and Nick finally returned.
"Her stomach blew up like a balloon," Rachel said.
"You told us that over the phone," Nick said. "What's new?"
"I got her to cooperate with me on and off after she went into labor, but she stopped cooperating completely a few minutes ago. I can't help her if she won't let me."
"I think I can get her to cooperate," Derek said as he started up the stairs.
"How are you going to do that? Nothing Alex or Philip have tried has worked."
"I got her to cooperate with doctors as a little girl, Rachel. I'm sure I can still get her to cooperate."
Rachel looked at Nick. Nick shrugged. "Don't ask me. I don't know anything about that." The two followed Derek upstairs.
Derek spoke very quietly to Arabella, trying to convince her.
"I don't want her..." Arabella moaned.
"Someone has to find out what's going on," Derek told her. "You need to let her look at you."
"No..."
Nick walked over. "Enough of this. Rachel's going to look at you because you need help and no one here wants to see you suffer! It doesn't mean she's going to touch you."
"No..." Arabella moaned again.
"Nick, you can't just force her to cooperate," Derek said.
"You want her to pop a baby out without help?" Nick asked.
Derek looked at Nick for a few seconds. "Fine, we'll try it your way."
"Derek, this sounds insane, but she's no longer dilating," Rachel said a few minutes later. "Her cervix is shrinking back down. She's not having her baby."
"Does this mean the pregnancy is reversing?" Philip asked.
"We can't be sure of how far this will go," Derek said. "What we can be sure of is that she's not having a baby tonight." He spoke to Arabella, "if Nick lets go, are you going to kick her again?"
She shook her head.
"I think she's too tired to try doing anything like that now," Alex said. "She's had a rough night."