Losing Jack

Chapter 14

Awoken from a sound sleep Sandy heard screams of terror coming from up at the house, she knew exactly what it was, Jack was having another of his night terrors.

Feeling her stomach lurch she quickly put a jumper on over her pyjamas and slipped on a pair of joggers before making her way in the darkness with a small flashlight. Sandy ducked through several rows of vines, a short cut to the house; she had to make sure Jack was alright.

Even after all of the years she had been living with Jude, Daniel and Jack, those night terrors still scared the hell out of her. To be woken from a sound sleep to shrill blood curdling cries is enough to get anyone’s pulse rising, but it was more than that. It was the inevitable aftermath once the night terror had ended and the sheer look of horror and desperation on Jack's face that haunted her the most.

Sandy knew Jack was not really awake when they happened, almost like he was sleepwalking. But the terror, the pain, all of it was real for him and lingered in his mind long after the night terror had ended.

Arriving at the house she stood quietly by Jacks bedroom window watching, checking that Jack was alright and making sure Beth didn’t do anything stupid.

Sandy of all people knew how dangerous Jack could be when he was having one of them and she knew how afraid he was once he had woken.

Satisfied now he was back in bed she had just turned away and flicked on her torchlight ready to leave when Beth come flying out the front door.

“Sandy, please wait, she whispered as she made her way down the front steps and into the yard.
Sighing impatiently Sandy stopped; she doubted that Beth would have stopped following her all the way back to her quarters anyway.

“Beth I’m really tired, I just wanted to make sure Jack was alright.”

“He is alright, just a small scratch – but I wanted to talk to you, please Sandy, come inside for a minute," she pleaded still walking towards her in her flowing white night dress, arms outstretched.

It was obvious that she was not going to take no for an answer. Sandy sighed again and nodded in agree.  She didn't want to hear Beth go on about wanting to keep Jack at the house, it annoyed Sandy how pushy Beth as being over it all.

Nobody undrestood, this was the way it had to be.

Once inside Beth ushered her  into the kitchen and began boiling the kettle, then turned her attention to Sandy.
“I’m sorry I said the things that I did Sandy, none of it was true, I was out of line. You are a good girl, Jude and Daniel were very lucky to have you.”

Although she didn’t really know if she meant it, Sandy nodded and shrugged it off – what else could she say?
The truth was, nothing had changed. Forgiving someone and forgetting something that had hurt her was not in her nature, but for arguments sake she was willing to let it go for now so she could go back to her quarters and get some sleep.

“I don’t want us to be enemies Sandy, but please understand that I have to do this, I really need this opportunity to take care of Jack it is very important to me,” she said.

Sandy sat silently, looking at the kitchen table hard, so that it became unfocused and fuzzy. She bit her lip to stop herself from getting angry with Beth all over again, as she droned on.

“I was hoping we could work through this and be civil, all I want is what is best for Jack, and we both want that don’t we?

Standing up a little too abruptly making the chair she had been sitting on screech across the floor, Sandy felt her temperature rising trying to contain it.
“Beth I told you before I won’t go along with what you are asking, I promised Jude that I would make sure that her will was carried out, I gave her my word. What do you care anyway? He – We are nothing to you, nobody ever goes to the lengths you are going to just to be nice Beth, so what is it, what do you think you could possibly get out of creating all of this fuss?"