Blainsville

36) Awkward Silence

Diana

We're sitting there watching tv well I am but Howard had passed out on the couch while I sat on the floor holding Alaina trying to get her to sleep as for AJ after I fed him he passed right out again. I don't recall what show I was watching or why the tv was even on to begin with I needed something to drown out my twisted, depressing thoughts of the days that passed. I glanced down at my wrist still wrapped in a bandage a bit of blood seeping through it had really hurt I'll admit but I didn't stick around for pain medication or possibilty of an infection. Alaina was finally falling asleep I could tell because her breathing was becoming steady and she had stopped squirming so much. I crawled up from the floor with the baby girl and walked to the window to glance out at the snow, the beautiful white substance falling fast and heavy, it would be the twins first chance to see snow ever. I wondered and worried about Jimmy I couldn't leave the house for fear they would get the twins and I was fortunate enough Howard was compassionate of the situation at hand and was willing to help, "It's ok little girl... Daddy will come home... Daddy's going to be ok, I hope." I didn't know how we were going to make it, if we had to move again where would we even go? Would we ever escape this hell? "Stop kicking, Tommy." Howard groans. I turn over to look at him and he's half awake trying to get off the couch, "Do you need help?" I ask he shrugs, "Kinda." He chuckles, "I have to pee." He chuckles. So I put Alaina down in her play pen beside AJ when I should really put them to bed but I was terrified if I left their side they would vanish like somehow the agents would sneak in my window and kidnap our babies. I managed to help Howard up and he rushed to the bathroom, "I wonder if I should call James... And tell him what? That his awkward co-worker has offered to spend the night until he got home? As I continue to stare out the window patiently waiting for my husband's arrival Howard came out of the bathroom looking kind of pale, "Are you ok?" I ask he swallows a couple times, "Yeah turns out I had to do more than pee I ended up vomiting a couple times. But I'm alright..." He chuckles, "Are you sure? Do you need some ginger ale?" I ask taking a seat beside Howard, he nods, "Yeah if you don't mind." I get up to grab him a can from the fridge. I don't know why I decided to keep them neither of us was pregnant anymore but I guess it was for situations like this. Howard took a couple of sips I was wringing my hands together nervously by now as we sat in awkward silence. "I wonder where Jimmy is at... I hope he's alright." Howard nods and puts a hand on my knee, "I'm sure he's fine that's some weather out there for January huh?" I shrug suddenly I'm met with a pair of lips to mine which was totally off putting and unexpected so unexpected that I pulled him off quicker than a bandaid. "What the fuck are you doing?! Howard, what the hell?! What... Why..." I'm left sputtering like an idiot and confused. "I'm sorry, Diana it's just...I hate my life... You don't know how bad I hate my wife... She's a bitch, she's been a bitch since she found out I was having a baby... It's been..." He suddenly starts crying and blubbering like a moron and I'm left kind of confused, "Look, that doesn't mean you make out with me. I'm not going to do this... I love Jimmy; he's my husband and I don't feel comfortable with you being here right now. Can you please leave?" Howard glances at his stomach then at me, "I'm sorry. Just right now it's a confusing time for me with hormones and all... Alright well I'll leave and if you don't want to see me again I won't ask. I'm sorry." He adds before walking out the front door. Although I worried about him in this snowy night but it wasn't worth risking my love and loyalty to James over some broken sap. So I wait patiently, fearful if I'll ever see my husband again.

Jess

"Look, mommy I drew it for you." Rhea says her blue eyes wide and excited. It was a bunny a little black bunny and I'll admit for a five year old it was very good. "That's wonderful, sweetie. I'm going to frame this and put this in my room." She smiles at me proud of her work. "Mom! Mom! Where's my bag?" I hear Rhea yelling from down the hall. She comes running to me in a rush, "Mom?" She asks. My head hurts but my body is frozen I felt like I weighed a ton but I think that's casual when you're dead. But the real question was was I dead? Were these forms memories of my eldest just fleeting memories or were they what heaven portrayed for just me? I got my answer when a blanket is put on me and it's warm, no hot it's so hot I want to squirm and run. "Rhea? It's ok, sweetie." I mumble turning a bit and realize I'm on the floor. It's a tile floor but definitely a floor I try to look around and see that I'm somewhere familiar, perhaps a store? When the hell did I go to a store? I question myself a bit confused. "Easy there, you had a nasty fall and hit your head. Are you alright? Do you need a drink of water?" The older man asks I shake my head, "No. No, I'm ok I need to go. I have to leave." I say trying to get up but was slightly dizzy I suppose it's from hitting my head. "Ma'am not tonight." I'm up and get ready to leave although it's clear I'm dizzy as hell I don't know how hard I fell but I did. "Not tonight ma'am. All the roads are being closed due to black ice and heavy snow. It's really coming down out there. You wandered into here and just fainted I think you were close to getting hypothermia so I put this blanket on the heater and threw it around you. I mean do you have another way to get home? How far do you live?" The guy asks, "Blainesville." I add scratching the back of my head. He looks down then at me, "I have truck... I'll take you as far as I can but I really don't want you going back out there not in this snow." He says now was my only chance to get home either take it or leave it. As I get into his blue truck and he starts it up I have the blanket wrapped around my body, "May I ask what you were doing out here in this?" I shake my head, "It's complicated. I don't want to get you involved." He shrugs, "Listen ma'am, my name's Craig and I've lived around here for a few years and I know a thing or two about pain. By the way you look and you're talking you do too. So tell me who's Rhea?" I hadn't talked about her in so long but it was a touchy memory. "She's my daughter. Was my daughter... She died almost none months ago. She was 12... She was my first." I say quietly Craig nods his head. "So I suppose she died during that social experiment?" That's when I catch what was being said, "What did you say? Social experiment? What social experiment?" I ask curious and yet concerned. "You didnt know? Yeah something about everyone in the upper state northeast killed their first born children like in Genesis and then suddenly all the men were grotesque and fat..." "You mean pregnant?" I ask intrigued, "Something like that... I don't know much about it except that it was a social experiment of biblical proportions and got out of hand." I don't say anything for a long while trying to wrap my head around what he just said. So that explained it, this was some sick repopulation experiment gotten taken out of control. If this was the truth then why did they want that twin? If it's the truth then I didn't murder my own flesh and blood... They made me do it.

Jimmy

The snow was really coming down and being in a small vehicle in ice wasn't the wisest decision but I had no other options. I had to get away from those men I had to protect my family. Boy, that was strange saying now that I think about it; I had a family, we had children. I had wondered about them all faking that seizure it would be the only way she could have escaped. "So you want to tell me why you faked a seizure? I'll admit you're quite an actor you had me convinced until I realized your brain waves were normal." I shrug and keep looking out the window, "How'd you know it was fake?" She giggles, "I may only be a resident but I can tell a real epileptic seizure from a fake one. Did it have to do with those two peevy men?" She asks with intrigue,"I don't really want to talk about it. It's a really long story." She nods. "So I'm gonna say that those babies are your wife's then? They're so beautiful my boyfriend and I haven't gotten to that portion of our relationship just yet." I shake my head, "No, my wife; Diana actually... She tried to commit suicide because she lost her baby. A few days ago... It was a girl. We were going to name her Maddie." It's a weird silence suddenly, "So they're yours then? From your body?" I shrug, "Something like that." She giggles, "I wondered why the little boy favored you. He has your facial features." She adds smiling at me. "Yeah... Do you have a phone by chance I could use in here? I really need to call my wife, Diana." She glances down to the phone between us which is more updated than mine, "She's probably asleep by now usually we give the twenty four hour watch patients a sedative to keep them calm." I shrug not wanting to expose the fact that Diana actually snuck out of intensive care earlier. I hear the phone ring a couple times before she finally answers, "Hello? James?" She asks I nearly cry, "Oh thank God you're ok! Thank God! Are the babies alright? Are you all safe?" I ask she sighs a moment, "Yes, were all at home and were all doing alright for now. The twins are asleep in the play pen because I'm too nervous and shook to put them in their cribs. I'm so scared, Jimmy... What if they find us? Are you coming home tonight or do I need to go to my parents house?" I mull it over a second; if she went to her parents house yes it was nearby but I didn't want to get them involved in something we can't explain. They could end up hurt or much worse, "No, just stay there I'll be home in twenty minutes ok? I promise I'll protect us, Ana. I love you, I have to go ok?" I say giving her kisses over the phone. The blonde seems in awe over how I talked to Diana, "She's pretty. Your wife I mean, her name's Diana? That's a pretty name too. So where do I turn in? You said the sticks right?" I nod. "Yeah, you can turn into this path here and just drive up if I have to walk the rest of the way I will. But I can't thank you enough for helping me get here... I can give you some money if you want." She drives into the woods a long path leading to the house in already a for of snow. "It's fine, I don't want your money. Consider it a favor. Well this is your stop if I go any further I'll get stuck in the ice. I'm sorry, you be safe not sorry, ok?" She asks unlocking the door for me.