|
|
 |
 ade woke in the morning to Jimmy crying. She glanced over and noticed that Darryl had already left for work, so she pulled herself up and waddled down to Jimmy's room. He was standing up in his cot, and Jade sighed as she lifted him out. He needed to be changed, of course. Shortly after, he had been changed and was dressed, and Jade carried him out into the kitchen, placing him in his highchair, buckling him in, then moving into the kitchen to make him some breakfast.
Once Jimmy was happily chewing on some toast, she made herself some breakfast, reluctantly bypassing the coffee and tea - the baby didn't like coffee at any time, and only tolerated tea after lunch. By the time Jade had finished her breakfast, Jimmy was wanting down, so she wiped his face and let him down whilst she set up the play pen. Jade tossed a few toys in there, deposited her son within, and went to have a shower. She decided that she'd work on the wedding presents that morning, and let James play outside, as it was such a nice day.
An hour later, James was happily pottering around in the back yard, and Jade had a large sketch book placed on the table, and was absorbed in her work, save for an occasional glance at James. She had decided to do charcoal sketches, framed in a dark wood. By the time James wanted his mid-morning bottle, she'd drawn a sketch of Kat, sitting in the porch, but the expression wasn't quite right. Jade and James moved inside, and after his bottle, James went back to playing and Jade did a few more sketches. Eventually, Jade decided she was satisfied with the sketch, and set it aside and thought about Marc. She left her sketches, and went into the kitchen to make lunch. She thought whilst she and James ate, and then when he went down for his afternoon nap, pulled out the photo album. Their 20th birthday? Hmm... maybe. Jade tried to remember the first day she'd met Marc, but couldn't really recall. Maybe a photo would be best. Jade flipped absently through the photos, looking for the perfect shot, and getting lost in memories. She still hadn't decided by the time Jimmy awoke, and so decided to call it a day and play with her son. She'd got one preliminary sketch done, and she still had 4 weeks before the wedding. Jade put her sketch book away, and went to play with her son.
***
Kat, Lucia and Sylvia where sitting down at a small table in the florists. They had been looking at garlands and hadn't been able to come to an agreement. The ones that they had chosen originally suddenly didn't seem right. The three of them had been trying to work out what to pick. Kat had been daydreaming whilst Lucia and Sylvia discussed options. One florist was walking past with a small boquet which caught Kat's eye.
"Mum, what flower is that?"
"It's a Hydrangea"
"I want it"
"But Kat it won't match"
"Then make it match" Kat said plainly. Lucia burst out laughing.
"I thought Jade was stubborn. It's your wedding dear, have whatever you want"
"Thanks mum"
"Plus they would look okay with the Baby's breath" Lucia mused
"Oh and some Delphinium and maybe a Rose" Sylvia added
The florist who was helping them quickly grabbed the flowers and Sylvia and Lucia looked at Kat.
"Perfect!"
***
"Sshhh he's coming"
A short lady stiffled a giggle and then pretended to be filling whilst the other receptionist sat at her computer and resumed her typing. Marc walked out from his room with a patient and gave the receptionist a sharp look before picking up the next client folder.
"Maya if your going to pretend to file at least pretend to put them in the right way. Catie can you please fix another appointment for Alex Lu here." She nodded and he turned to the waiting room "Mr David Drury?"
A man got up from the chair and followed Marc into his room. Catie got Alex another appointment and a signature for medicare then handed his file to Maya who filled it away. After that they remained silently working for a few minutes before checking to see that Marc wasn't going to come out any time soon
"How long is this appointment?" Maya whispered
"He's a new one, an hour"
"Good" Maya grabbed the paper out of the filling cabinet "Oki I have all the details the paper said they needed for the personals, I even got a photo of Marc and Kat"
"Excellent, you found out Kat's last name then?"
"Yep" Maya replied proudly
"Oki lets call the paper"
***
It had been a few days since Jade had been able to pick up her sketch pad again. It wasn't that she had been overally busy it was just that she wasn't in the mood, the phone rang, Kat needed help with the wedding and various other distractions just seemed to crop up. The house was quiet as Jade walked through it, Darryl was at work and James was at a friends birthday party. Jade made herself a cup of herbal tea and took it outside. She set up her sketchbook and took a sip of her tea. She stared at the page blankly for a moment and then reached out and grabbed her pencil. She decided she was just going to draw. She hadn't allowed herself to just draw without a plan or image anything in mind. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and started drawing, her tea remained untouched. About an hour later Jade withdrew her pencil and looked at the picture. It was of a cafe. There was a waitress server two young gentlemen. One of them she recognised as Marc. She blinked and then looked at the picture more closely and could see a forth person, the face was slightly familar but she couldn't place it, this man was outside the cafe peering in and holding a paper. His eyes were intense and Jade shuddered and pushed the sketchbook aside. She noticed her tea had gone cold and got up to make another. She had taken two wobbely steps when she felt a strong pain in her tummy and fell to the floor in pain, the mug smashing as it hit the concrete, a small piece grazed Jade's cheek as she felt splatters of cold tea splash her face before she passed out.
***
"Ugh" Kat groaned suddenly
"The baby kicking again" Lucia asked
"Kat's pregnant?" Erick asked shocked
"No silly, when Jade was pregnant with Jimmy, Kat could feel him kick"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Erick asked and then saw Kat's look of pain "Kat what's wrong?"
"I don't know but this isn't just the baby kicking." Kat replied
***
Across town Michael was looking through a cafe window and at the paper in his hand. He had sworn he would get revenge for the time he had spent in prison. He had tried all sorts of way of finding Kat. Electrol role, phone book he even tried death, births and marriages. However his luck had changed when he had bought the paper that morning. He had found her and a man who was identified as Marc. Michael had silently thanked Maya and Catie for their lovely personal ad. He stared angrily at the man in the photo, the man who was sitting in a cafe. Michael could see his gloating look already and fought his anger down. It wasn't the time nor the place. He didn't know what he was going to do just yet but he still had a few weeks before the wedding. Michael smirked and silently promised Marc that he would get revenge.
***
Kat jumped out of the car almost before Erick stopped it, and ran up the path. She had already called the emergency line, and an ambulance was on the way. The door was shut, and Kat wasted precious seconds fumbling through her keys for the door key. She left it swinging open with the keys in the lock and dashed down the hall. She paused in the kitchen for two seconds, feeling for Jade. She was outside. Kat jumped over Jimmy's little motorbike and moved outside. By the time Erick and Lucia had locked the car, Kat was kneeling by Jade's side. Kat brushed away some shards from the broken tea-cup, and rolled Jade gently onto her back, swiftly checking for broken bones - thankfully, none, just a graze on her cheek and the beginnings of a black eye. Kat placed her hand on Jade's stomach, and after a minute, felt the baby move. She was still alive too, thank the gods. As Lucia reached the front door, she heard Kat cry out. She ran to the back door, and saw Kat clutching at Jade's hand.
"What? What is it?"
"The baby's coming. Call the ambulance and tell them to hurry the fuck up!"
Lucia looked startled, then rushed back inside. Kat heard her mother telling Erick to call the ambulance again, and then another instruction to call Darryl too. Lucia emerged with a pillow and blanket, then vanished back into the house to pack Jade a bag for the hospital.
"Jade? Jade, honey, wake up. You have to wake up."
Jade steadfastly refused to rouse, and Kat clenched her teeth to keep herself from screaming.
Erick appeared at the back door.
"Jimmy needs to be picked up from a birthday party in 2 minutes," he said. "I'll go and get him and take him back to our place."
"Tell Mum," replied Kat through clenched teeth. "She'll tell you what to take for him. He'll need - " A gasp. " - a bottle. Did you get through to Darryl?"
"No. I've left messages all over the place though. I'll try again when I get home."
"Good."
Erick left, and soon after Kat heard the car start up. Lucia appeared at the door again.
"How's she going?"
"I don't know, Mum, I've never given birth before!" gasped Kat. "All I know is that it wasn't anything like this with Jimmy!"
Lucia looked worried.
"How far apart are the contractions, dear?"
"I don't know, about 3 minutes? Lasting for about 30 seconds."
"How many weeks is she?"
"Thirty-One."
Lucia bit her lip.
"What?"
"Nothing, dear. I'm just a little worried."
In the distance, a siren was heard, and Lucia turned and ran towards the front door, kicking the obstacles out of the way. Two minutes later the ambulance arrived, and the paramedics ran quickly through the house to Jade.
"What can you tell me?" one of them asked Kat.
"She's my twin. She's 25. She's 31 weeks pregnant. She has Lupus, and Addison's. And the baby's coming. Contractions are about 3 -" Kat stopped talking and groaned as another contraction began. "Make that 2 and a half minutes... apart," she gasped. "About 30 seconds long. Or so."
"How long have they been happening?"
"Since I called you."
"You said she has Addison's Disease?"
"Yes."
"Can't give her the drugs that would lower her blood pressure then."
"No."
"Oh... Her water's broken. She's going to have to have the baby."
"I know."
He nodded to Kat, then started barking instructions. Within seconds, Jade was on a stretcher, and they were taking her to the ambulance. Kat kept firm hold of her sister's hand, and within 5 minutes they were on the way to the hospital, leaving Lucia standing in the doorway of Jade's house, holding her overnight bag.
***
Jade rose into consciousness two hours later. She was laying down, on her back, and the pain was gone. The blankets were scratchy. Something was missing. Jade shifted one hand to her belly. It was flat. She opened her eyes. She was in hospital. Jade glanced down, and saw the back of Kat's head, resting on the blankets by her side.
"Kat?" Jade whispered.
Kat woke in an instant, and looked up at her sister with a smile.
"You're awake," she said, in relief.
"I lost my baby," Jade cried in a voice full of pain.
"No, no, honey, you didn't." Kat grasped her twin's hand. "She's fine. They had to do a C-section. She's six weeks premature, she only weighs 4.1 pounds, and she's 16 inches long, but she's alive."
The tears sprung from Jade's eyes.
"She's a girl?"
"Yes, honey, she's a girl. She has your eyes."
"I want to see her."
Kat leaned over and pressed the "call" button. A few minutes later, the doctor came in.
"Ah, you're awake! You gave us quite a scare young lady."
Jade smiled.
"I want to see my baby."
"I'll get someone to bring her in after I've checked you over. That's a nasty black eye you've got there. How did you get it?"
Jade looked at him blankly as he fussed around her, taking blood pressure and temperature.
"I have a black eye?"
"Can't you feel it?"
"I have a headache?"
"I was at Mum and Dad's," Kat said to her sister. "You were at home. I felt... pain. Then I called the ambulance."
Jade frowned.
"I was drawing... I fainted?"
"Well, you were laying on the patio when I arrived."
"You're lucky your sister was around then," the doctor said to Jade. "If she hadn't, you probably would have miscarried."
Jade shuddered, and grasped Kat's hand. The doctor stuck his head out the door and spoke to someone, and a few minutes later, a nurse entered, carrying a tiny pink bundle. The doctor raised Jade's bed for her, and she accepted her baby. Jade carefully unwrapped her, and counted her fingers and toes.
"Jessica... She's so tiny!"
"We'll need to keep her in for about a week," the doctor said. "For observation. And it's very strongly recommended that you don't have any more children."
Jade nodded. She had half expected that. Kat leaned over and the sisters smiled down at the tiny baby. At that moment, Darryl bust in.
"Jade? What's happened? Am I too late?"
The girls laughed.
"No, Dazzling, you're not too late," Kat said warmly. "Come and meet your daughter."
"Daughter? I have a daughter?"
Jade gently tilted the bundle, so her Dad could see her.
"Our daughter."
Darryl dropped the bag on the floor and hurried forward.
"She's tiny!"
"I know."
"She's beautiful."
"She is, isn't she?"
"Jessica?" he suggested.
"Jessica," agreed Jade happily. "Jessica Dianne."
Darryl smiled, and they kissed.
"What happened to your face?"
***
Erick, Lucia and Jimmy were sitting in the waiting room when Kat emerged.
"Kat?" asked Lucia anxiously.
"Everything is fine. Jessica Dianne Ross, born at 3:54 pm, 16 inches long, 4.1 pounds."
Erick and Lucia both grinned, then hugged each other delightedly.
Kat knelt down so she was eye-level with Jimmy.
"Hey there Jimmy, you have a brand-new baby sister. How about we go and meet her?"
Jimmy shook his head, which was his equivalent of "yes", so Kat picked him up and carried him back into Jade's room. Darryl accepted his son, and Kat slipped out of the room again.
***
"Baby?"
"Hello, Love."
"Jade had the baby."
"She did? That's early? Is she ok?"
"Yes, she's fine, the baby's fine too. Jessica Dianne."
"That's great!"
"Just thought I'd let you know."
"I'll see you when I get home."
"Love you."
"Love you."
Kat hung up the phone, then slumped over onto a chair. Jade's labor had been thankfully short, but the pain had been exhausting. Jade had been unconscious throughout, but Kat had felt every twinge, and felt exhausted. Lucia came up to her daughter, and slipped an arm around her.
"Come on, love. Dad and I will take you home, and come back for Darryl and Jimmy later. You look like you've just given birth yourself."
"I feel it," laughed Kat, gratefully accepting her mother's help.
"So we'll take you home, and you have a nice cup of tea, and rest."
"Yes, doctor."
Kat, Erick and Lucia left the hospital.
***
Jade went home the next morning, and Jessica arrived home five days later. On the day Jessica was due to come home, Jade went to the dress shop and had her final fitting. After telling all the ladies in the dress shop about Jessica, and promising to bring her in when they came to collect the dresses, Jade headed to the hospital. Darryl was waiting in the lobby, and they went up to the nursery to collect their daughter.
***
"Personally I think Jessica just wanted to make it to your wedding" Lucia commented
"She sure knows how to make an entrance then" Erick said
"Just like me Daddy?" Kat teased
"Hmmm"
"So what's left to organise?" Lucia asked getting back to business
"Not that much. Jade's dress has been fixed and taken in, strange she is the only person I know who doesn't still look pregnant after she's had the baby. She says she looks fat still though and hopes that my photographer is good at hiding it all. I went shopping with Sylvia and picked out a dress for the reception. I only have to get stuff for the wedding night."
"What about your present for you bridesmaids, groomsmen and ofcourse Marc?" Erick asked
"Daddy I thought what I was getting for the wedding night was his present" Kat replied innocently. Erick groaned
"That's it I give up. I think I will leave you two at it, alone" Kat and Lucia laughed as he left
***
Michael paced around in his apartment. He had been watching for the last few days. He had taken several photo's of Kat and they were now stuck to the wall. He had pages of notes about where she liked to hang out, who her new best friend was and all sorts of tidbits of information. He had even started gathering information about Jade. He was furious with her. The bitterness of seeing her help Kat get away still burned him to the very core
"Why don't you go after Jade then, get her out the picture." Michael turned towards the voice.
"Who the hell are you and how the hell did you get in here?" He demanded.
"Lets just say I am a friend."
"You don't get to decide that."
"Your enemy my friend." The man standing before him quoted "We have something in commen, we both want revenge on those twins"
"How did you know that?"
"I know a lot of things Michael. Come now stop with the questions and we can move ahead here. We can plot and scheme, after all your idea of just showing up the wedding isn't that well formed now is it?"
Michael looked at the man with distrust clearly in his eyes but was aware that his idea was lacking. After eight years of being in jail he had thousands of forms of revenge. Most of them where directed at Jade. He hated her for taking Kat away from him. Then he figured he could have Kat to himself. This man whoever he was might just be useful. If not Michael could just get rid of him too.
"What do you want with the twins?" Michael asked.
"Their blood, their souls." He answered sending a shiver down Michael's spine.
"Yeah whatever. You got a better plan then Mr..."
"Mr Mori"
"Well Mr Mori, what's your plan?"
***
|
