Vin looked at Caeli, who shook her head no before closing her eyes. Only her stomach would be exposed, and nothing more than if she were wearing a swimsuit. Ben and Salma were their closest family. The four of them had been through a lot together. So Ben stayed, although he did move far enough away to allow a modicum of privacy.
"Salma, I'm not so sure that machine is working properly," Vin said quietly as Salma started to work.
"What makes you think that, Vin?"
"I glanced at the image on the screen last night. Aside from being a little blurry, something about it didn't look…" Vin found that he could not finish the sentence. He choked on the emotion that suddenly welled up into a knot in his throat. Hearing the pain in his voice, Caeli reached out and took his hand, but did not open her eyes. Salma explained to Vin that sometimes the image quality improved when printed, especially on these older machines. She asked Ben to press the print button and then reset the unit. Ben placed the printed image on top of the machine as Vin walked off toward the bathroom to get a towel for Salma to use and to regain his composure.
As Vin walked away, a light breeze sent the photo wafting down to land on Caeli's stomach. Salma picked it up and turned it around so she could look at it. She stared at it for several minutes. There was definitely something unusual about the image. Then Salma gasped as she realized what she was looking at and what it meant. It couldn't be. It should not be possible. Nonetheless, the picture didn't lie. Instead, it defied normal medical explanation. Then again, Caeli, herself, was anything but normal. Silent tears rolled down Salma's cheeks as she understood the implications. Ben's hands came to rest on her shoulders as he leaned over to look at the photo with her.
"Salma, Love, what's wrong? Do you see something on the image?" Ben whispered in her ear, so Caeli would not hear.
"Yes, but wait a moment. I need Vin to hear it."
Vin returned a few minutes later, carrying a towel.
"Oh, Vin, I don't need that towel. Ben, could you roll the machine away please? We won't need it either."
"What is it, Salma? Do you know what's wrong with Caeli?" Vin asked softly, also not wanting to disturb Caeli, who appeared to be sleeping again.
"Actually, you found it. You just didn't know what you were seeing. It took me a minute to recognize it and another before I believed it. It should not be possible. But, yes, I understand what's going on with Caeli and this picture."
"What's the bad news? Though, I'm not sure we can take any more." Vin held his breath, hoping it was something he could deal with and help Caeli through.
"Sit down beside Caeli and take her hand. Let her know that you are beside her in case she can hear us."
Vin was even more scared now, for both of them, but he gladly held Caeli's hand. Salma turned the photo around so that Vin could see the image.
"Look closely. What you are seeing is not a blurry image. It is one baby on top of another. You can barely see the second one, but it is there. Caeli was carrying twins. By some miracle of the way her womb was cut or damaged, she only miscarried one of them. I don’t know how it's possible, Vin, but Caeli is still pregnant," Salma explained.
Vin couldn't believe it either. It was good news, though Salma wasn't finished.
"But?"
"Unfortunately, the second baby is going to be very high risk. Listen to me, Vin. You need to understand that there is a good chance that Caeli will lose the second child, too, and very soon. Bleeding is one of the first indications of trouble." Salma stopped to give Vin time to absorb the news.
His tears were already spent, though his emotions were all over the place. Vin didn't say anything. The wind in the room, however, picked up considerably. The chaotic air currents reflected his feelings.
"There now, Vin. Don't blow us all away. That won't do her any good." Ben placed a firm hand on Vin's shoulder, and the strong wind returned to a soft, warm breeze.
"That's better. Now, ease up on her hand."
Vin glanced down. He had not realized that he was squeezing Caeli's hand so tightly. His knuckles were white from the pressure of his grip, though she didn't seem to notice.
"I'm sorry, Caeli." Vin loosened his grip, but did not let go. He sought that special connection to her and could not find it. Caeli was no longer simply resting.
"Salma, she's out again. What do we do now?" Vin asked quietly.
"I think she is excessively tired and repeatedly losing consciousness because she has lost so much blood recently. Her body hasn't been given the time or care needed to replenish itself. The first thing we need to address is her bleeding. It's important that she doesn't lose any more blood. Caeli is also dehydrated. She needs more fluids and needs to build up her strength. I believe she wants us to think that she is doing better, but her body is telling a different tale."
"What she wants is answers," Vin commented without further explanation.
"We all do. However, the way she is frequently slipping in and out of consciousness concerns me. We will need to wake her up several times over the next twenty four hours to make sure she doesn't slip into a coma. Her internal bleeding could get worse very quickly; and we might not know it if we aren't monitoring her closely. Moreover, we cannot know anything certain about the baby's status until we get Caeli stabilized. Vin, you will need to pay attention to her pain level. The pain from her injuries is to be expected. But, if she gets sharp, sudden pains, like before, then she is in trouble. If we can somehow find a way to keep Caeli in bed until she gets stronger, and if we can keep her still, we might have a small chance of saving your child. Overall, I think the best we can hope for is getting Caeli through this. That will be difficult enough."
"I understand, Salma," Vin replied solemnly.
Salma disliked having to be the one to put this burden on Vin, but she needed to be sure that he understood the risks. From the frightened look on his face, he grasped the severity of Caeli's condition.
Vin tried to figure out how he was going to explain this to Caeli. He could barely process the news himself. How could he be happy at being given a second chance and terrified of the likely outcome at the same time? How was Caeli going to feel? When were they going to get off this emotional roller coaster?
"How long has it been since Caeli ate anything?" Ben asked.
Vin tried to recall the last time she had eaten. She did not eat anything when she cooked the pancake breakfast for him. She did not eat any of the cookies she made with Max, and could not have eaten anything since the ordeal that ended in the cave.
"It's been at least a day, maybe a day and a half. I think the dinner she and Apela fixed Monday night might have been the last time she ate. I'm not certain."
Vin felt terrible after saying it out loud. Caeli hadn't eaten in over thirty six hours. Granted, there were extenuating circumstances, but Vin hadn’t even noticed. He didn't even offer her anything when his own stomach grumbled. Where was his mind? It was unlike him to miss something this important.
"Well then, I have the perfect solution. I will go and get her some lunch from the kitchen if you will come along and help me, Vin. Salma, would you be kind enough to show Vin what a properly made bed should look like?" Ben, indicating the blanket covering the mattress, shot Salma a look that she understood. She agreed, and the two men walked out of the room.
Salma found a clean set of sheets in the closet and made the bed. Then she moved all the medical equipment over to the door, so that she and Ben could remove it when they left. Salma worked her way around the room, cleaning up whatever remnants she could find from yesterday and today's episodes. When Salma was done, the room almost looked like a typical vacationer's hotel room. If it weren't for the equipment stacked on the cart by the door and her niece lying in the middle of the floor, Salma might have found the room quite peaceful. She walked over and opened the window beyond the bed, and then opened the sliding door to the porch. The subsequent breeze that wafted through the room carried the fresh scent of the ocean to replace the heavy air
in the room. The rhythmic sound of the steady rain and waves hitting the shore was relaxing.
Caeli woke again as Salma moved around her.
"What are you doing? Where did everybody go?" Caeli started to raise herself up off the floor, but Salma hurried over and placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"Lie still, Dear. You passed out again after too much moving around; too much, too soon. The guys went to get you something to eat. Between you and me, I think Ben wanted to talk to Vin; guy talk. I will let Vin fill you in on the details when he gets back. Now you listen up, while I've got your undivided attention," Salma said in her professional tone with a hint of sadness hovering at the edges of her voice.
"Why does everyone keep restraining me?" Caeli asked somewhat perturbed. Then she saw the look on Salma's face, and her voice conveyed the worry she saw reflected there.
"What's wrong, Salma?"
"You have twice the issues as we originally thought, but I can't resolve this for you. You are going to have to handle this one yourself. The most important thing is strict bed rest, but not just for today. You absolutely will not get up or move around until I tell you otherwise. I will tell Ben to loan Vin his handcuffs if necessary to keep you in bed. I know how antsy you are, but you have got to give your body time to heal. Do you understand, Caeli? It is very important." Salma's tone was stern, and she barely withheld the tears at the corners of her eyes.
Caeli did not miss the serious implications behind her words, but she knew Salma was not going to tell her anything more. That task had been assigned to Vin, and Caeli would have to wait until he returned to get the details.
"Ok, Salma. I'll be still. Could I at least have a pillow? This floor is not very comfortable."
"That, I can do. Once we get you moved over to the bed, I will get an IV into your arm again. Don't you dare take it out this time! We will get your fluids built up, and I will get some vitamins into you at the same time. That should make a big difference. You'll start to feel a lot better."
Salma brought Caeli a pillow and quickly changed the subject. She talked about Pete's case while fiddling with incidental items around the room. Salma had figured out what was wrong with Pete and, since her solution involved Caeli, she decided to go ahead and get Caeli's opinion as they waited for the men to return.
"I thought maybe I could inject him with a dose of your blood; once you're stronger and I can draw it safely, of course. It might be the only thing that can help him at this point. He is already so far gone and getting weaker every day," Salma explained her proposed solution. Caeli liked the idea of being able to contribute to the process and readily agreed to help. Salma made Caeli promise to discuss it with Vin first and make sure he was comfortable with the idea, too.
Salma opened the door and rolled the ultrasound cart with her medical bag and other supplies out into the hall. She also removed a garbage bag full of bed sheets and towels. Now, if she could only find a way to move Caeli off the floor, then Vin could relax when he got back to the room. Salma turned and closed the door. Looking down at Caeli, she was surprised to find her engulfed by a large shadow. Salma looked up for the source of the darkness and saw the two people in ski masks standing threateningly near Caeli's feet. One rose up from where he had knelt down to restrain Caeli with duct tape.
"Not a sound, Doc, or you will get a bullet right between the eyes."
CHAPTER 41
Vin followed Ben down the hall and into the kitchen. He waited patiently while Ben rummaged around in Apela's pantry. At last, Ben found everything he needed. He used a large container of chicken broth, a bowl of shredded chicken Apela had cooked the night before, a few carrots, and a large saucepan. He brought the broth to a low boil on the stove and, after simmering some diced carrots for about ten minutes, stirred in the cooked chicken. Next he added a dash of mild spices, and let the whole thing continue to simmer. Ben was careful not to over spice or add anything too greasy that would overwhelm Caeli's empty stomach.
"That wasn't exactly a subtle exit. What's on your mind, Ben?" Vin waited, leaning against the wall with his head hung down, staring at the floor.
"I wanted to get you out of the room. You needed to step away to clear your head and regain your perspective. The same thing you did for me when I hovered over Salma at the hospital. Heaven knows the past few days have been hell on Caeli and no less for you. Nonetheless, you won't do her any good if you can't think straight. You went from clever to clueless in less than three seconds in there. I know the situation is difficult, and I don't mean to sound callous. I'm trying to help you catch your breath, Vin."
"Thank you, Ben. I appreciate it, honestly, I do. Though, that is not why you brought me out here."
"Not entirely. I know you have a lot on your mind with Caeli's fragile condition. I wanted to remind you that she has another struggle going on as well, internally."
"I'm aware of that. It is actually the more troubling of the two. I know Caeli's physical injuries will heal. She has always been a quick healer. I'm still having difficulty understanding all the nuances of her internal battle."
"Well, after seeing that photo of the marks surrounding your babies and hearing some of the things Caeli said in her sleep, I'm pretty sure her physical condition and her mental struggle are linked. I think you should keep both in mind. I do not believe you are going to be able to fix one without also fixing the other."
"What did she say, Ben? What marks? I didn't notice anything. Then again, I truly did not look at the photo all that closely. It was too upsetting to see what might have been," Vin stated.
"I'm sorry, Vin, but it looked like a fight took place inside of her. There were gash marks on the tissue all around the babies. It was as if someone tried to cut them out of her or slice them into pieces. It seems Urim's words make more sense now. She was fighting for more lives than her own. Lives plural. She was protecting not only Max, but also your sons."
"Sons?" Vin looked up surprised.
"Yes, you didn't know? Caeli said it earlier. She was half asleep and grieving over the loss of your son."
"Sons." The impact hit him like a punch in the gut. Knowing the gender somehow made it seem even more real than the tingling sensation of the babies responding to his touch.
"Since she was carrying twins and didn't mention anything about a daughter, I'm making the assumption they were both boys. I'm not sure how Caeli knows, but I've heard lots of stories about mothers being able to ascertain such details about their babies. I just assumed Caeli told you the baby she lost was a boy," Ben said.
"A son. No, I don't think she said. If she did, I didn't hear it. We really didn't talk much about the baby. Last night, Caeli attempted to shelter me from the loss and tried to bear the grief alone. She wanted to protect me. After all she has been through, she is still thinking of my feelings ahead of her own. Can you believe that?" Vin was not at all surprised, yet still amazed.
"Yes," Ben replied without hesitation. He knew Caeli's generous nature well enough that it was not a shock to him either.
"She is probably still protecting me, thinking it would be better if I don't know any specifics. It is going to be difficult to tell her about the second baby and then have to turn around and face losing it, too. Under normal circumstances, Caeli can handle just about anything, but this week has already been too much to ask anyone to endure. I'm not sure she has the strength left to deal with this right now. She already feels such guilt over the first loss. I'm afraid the second will be devastating."
"I don't think you give her enough credit, Vin. Caeli is definitely suffering, there's no question about that. By all rights, she should be wallowing in a corner somewhere after what she's been through. But she is not. I think Caeli is nearing the point where she is going to affect a change. What little I heard made it sound like she was fed up and ready to do something to resolve her problem," Ben reminded Vin of the strength of character Caeli exuded.
"Maybe; Caeli did tell me about her struggle. From what
I can tell, it is not so much from her gift as it is this Rika person. When Caeli is in or even near the sea water, Rika is able to gain a stronger hold on her than at other times. Thankfully, normal tap water still seems to help Caeli significantly without Rika's interference. As much as she loves the sea, the vastness of the ocean almost overwhelms Caeli. That is where she feels Rika's presence the strongest, trying to control her. This internal struggle has been consuming her ever since the crash. I have no idea how such a battle would cause the physical damage shown in the photo, although it does change her eye color." Vin was out of his depth. He did not understand such things. Salma's input would have been helpful for this part of the discussion.
"So her eyes really do change color? I thought I imagined that," Ben said in relief.
"Yes, I've seen it several times now. On the ship, I looked into her eyes, and they were dark blue for a moment. I could tell that she was struggling then, though I had no idea what was happening at the time. I think it corresponds to when Caeli is on the low end of the fight. It's when she is very tired and her resistance is down."
"In the cave…," Ben added.
"Yes. She almost lost that fight. If we hadn't arrived when we did and Urim had not shown up, I'm not sure what would have happened to her. Even thinking about the possibility of losing Caeli pains me," Vin admitted.
Ben took the pot off the hot burner and set it to the side, shutting off the stove. He located a serving tray and sat it on the counter. On this, he placed a small soup bowl and utensils. Lastly, Ben found a serving dish, into which he poured the warm soup, and then covered it with a lid. He put the dish on the tray alongside everything else. When he was satisfied that everything was ready, Ben placed the tray in front of Vin.
"Ben, what do you make of this storm? The news has been preparing people for the worst. It looks like the island is going to be hit hard. They can't evacuate any more flights because of the strong winds, and the rain is already causing major flooding," Vin changed the subject.
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