Out of the Darkness - A KathNiel Story

Chapter 31

Once Kath had calmed down, Karla helped DJ to get Kath upstairs and to show her around the house so she could get familiar with the layout and know where her room was - there wasn't too much extra space for a crib in the guest bedroom, but DJ hoped that they would have their own place by the time their baby would be born. He didn't want to be away from Kath when she had the baby, he wanted to be around all the time to be able to help her whether she could see by then or not. Rommel was gone for over two hours to pick up Kath's things - it was a fight to get into the house to begin with and it was even harder to get Kath's things packed when Teddy and Min were screaming at him, insulting his family and even their own daughter. They never once mentioned the pregnancy other than calling the baby a 'thing' that Kath had to get rid of. Rommel didn't say a word, no matter what insults were hurled his way - he just kept packing up Kath's clothes, books and a couple of photos she had of herself as a child before he left and headed back home. Even he had noticed that Kath didn't have any pictures of herself growing up - there was no record of her growing up at all.

Marlann and Pamu came over for dinner that night, Pamu taking a shower at their house since as she'd just finished a twelve-hour shift at the hospital but they were both beyond shocked to learn what had happened at the hospital during the pre-op appointment, but were overjoyed to learn that Kath was pregnant.

"You don't have to worry about anything, you know... Rommel and Karla are the King and Queen of taking in those who need them." Pamu said softly, DJ in the kitchen with his parents helping with dinner since as they had a full house of people to feed.

"My parents... they've been ashamed of me for something that isn't my fault... my dad lost his leg and they're acting like I was the one driving when it was him... h-he wasn't looking at the road properly, it was him that had swerved to the wrong side of the road because he was messing around with my Mom..." Kath breathed and Pamu sighed, squeezing her hand.

"Take it from someone whose parents are ashamed of them too? It isn't worth it to think like this... it'll take time for you to be able to move on, but you have so many positive things to focus on... you have your classes, you have DJ and all of us... now you have the baby and that's so incredible, then the surgery will happen in a couple of months." Pamu said and Kath mumbled an agreement, but it was clear that it was just too soon for her to try and see the bright side of everything. She needed time to process what had happened that day at the hospital. "I have some connections through work now, I can get you in touch with a counsellor if you want me to?" Pamu offered, keeping her voice quiet so Marlann and Jordan wouldn't overhear - they were playing a video game together, Jordan practically forcing Marlann to play with him.

"Yes, please." Kath practically whispered and Pamu squeezed her hand.

"Then I'll ask around during my breaks tomorrow." She promised.

"Kath, play with me!" Jordan ordered, jumping up onto the couch beside Kath and she couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't think I'd be much use to you, I can't see a damn thing," Kath said in a playful way and Jordan laughed a little bit.

"You really can't?"

"Nope... either that, or I deserve an Oscar for keeping this act up since I was five." She teased, making Jordan laugh again.

"DJ said you're having a baby, is that true?" Jordan asked as his parents and DJ came back into the room, handing out plates. They weren't going to bother being formal enough to make everybody sit around the table - they weren't that kind of family. Most of the time, they ate off of their laps, talking and joking with the TV on in the background.

"Yeah, it's true," DJ said, sitting down beside Kath on the couch, handing her a plate and a fork - eating off of her plate made it easier for Kath to eat too, since as she could tell where everything was.

"That means I'm gonna be an Uncle, right?" Jordan asked, digging into his food, and DJ nodded his head.

"Yeah, in a couple of months!" DJ said with a smile, his excitement clear.

"Does that mean you'll have it like in those TV shows? Where you can see the baby on those TV things and stuff?" Jordan asked, getting excited himself and DJ laughed, going to say something but he stopped himself when Kath just dropped her dinner plate on the coffee table and walked out of the room using her white cane, tears running down her face and everybody went silent as the front door opened and closed, able to hear Kath burst into tears.

"I'll go talk to her," DJ said, but Karla held up her hand.

"I'll go." She said simply, following Kath out of the front door.