Saving Her

Chapter 49. The Nightmare

Four Weeks Later

A massive, gutteral scream erupted through the Smith-Cooper-Jones Manor on Elm Street, one that would wake the whole family---maybe even the neighbors.

"FP, it's Betty," Alice nudged him.

He shot out of bed while she did the same, only checking on the sleeping baby before heading out of the room.

By the time they got to her bedroom, Jughead was already in bed with her, hugging her firmly as he was comforting her sobs.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" Alice inched closer and she sat on the edge of the bed.

In trying to even out her breathing, she sighed in the midst of breathing. "I um... I just had a nightmare," she put a hand on her face, covering her eyes from the embarrassment that flooded her from the simplicity of the situation. "I'm sorry to wake you," she looked between FP and her mother.

"What's going on?" Jellybean managed to get up and she yawned as she rubbed her eyes.

"Nothing, JB, go back to sleep," Betty urged.

"Didn't sound like nothing," she replied.

"It's alright, kiddo," FP gave her a little shove.

"Okay..." she lingered and did as ordered.

"Betty, what are all these nightmares about, honey?" Alice asked, swiping her knee.

She shook her head. "It's just a nightmare," she shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm really sorry to wake you, you should go back to bed," she added.

Alice sighed and she stood up, guiding FP along with her.

Once the adults left, Betty sobbed silently into Jughead's arm.

"Same dream?" he mumbled.

She nodded. "Each time, I kill him... The gunshot just causes a ringing in my ears and he falls to the ground. I can't get it out of my head, Jug."

~

On Friday, August fourth, Lana Faith Pendleton Jones was born at ten-forty-nine at night and released from the hospital just three weeks after her birth and she was currently weighing in at six pounds and two ounces. Now that they were home and settled, she would be on a proper schedule with her mother for sleeping, feedings, and weight gain.

Conversely, the teenagers were back in school again and had yet to tell their mother anything that happened on the Friday that the baby was born. They didn't even explain anything to their father when their brother repeatedly told them to, but they decided it was better to wait till things were completely calm. They wanted to attack the issue in the dark since a decent amount of time had passed.

All the time that Alice and Lana spent in the hospital, FP had gone back to work like he had told his friend, and like Fred was asked, he checked up on the mother and daughter often and helped out if they needed it, but they were covered while in the hospital. Since they had been home, he was often at the house, there to babysit so Alice could take a shower or he would make her something to eat if she was too busy to. But he wasn't the only one as her son was also in and out ever since his little sister had been born.

Charles was in his mother's room, standing with the baby in his good arm since he still had his arm slinged in place for the sake of it resting and healing correctly.

He could do things with his left arm, but he just couldn't do too much like lifting things unless he wanted more damage.

He kind of swayed the little girl around and he then placed her in her white, frilly bassinet near his mother's side of the bed.