‘You know it’s true, look at me,’ she gave a half-smile.
‘They needed to run some tests,’ Steven looked away, ‘they needed to check a few things out.’
Caitlin stared right at him, her eyes locked on his, ‘Else said. What tests did they run?’
He stood up and paced. She knew he only did that when he was worried, this was bad. She tried to stay focused, and stretched out her hand to get the glass of water.
Steven rushed to her side and helped her lift her head to drink.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
Steven knelt next to her, his eyes watery. She was shocked to see him so distraught.
Now she was getting worried. She could not tell for definite, but she was sure those looked like tears, and Steven never cried. She did not even want to think about what could have happened to make him so upset, or more to the point, what could be wrong with her. Either way, it was pretty damn obvious it was something bad.
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Chapter 21
Motherhood
Lucy sucked the blood of the capybara, disappointed it was dry within minutes. In the last hour, she had already fed from three medium sized capybaras and yet she was sure she had space for more. Her hunger seemed insatiable and her figure had ballooned. The weird thing was her fixation with mango juice, she just couldn’t get enough of it. She had done a great job so far of keeping her condition a secret, but she knew time was running out. Catherine had helped her and made it easier for her to hide. Rarely did she have to speak to anyone and when she did they just assumed she had got fat. It was lucky that everyone was not slim, even though they were on the whole outwardly young.
The problem was there was fat, and then there was fat. She was sure she looked pregnant now. Even though her face, arms and legs had swollen beyond recognition the unmistakable pregnancy bump was clearly visible. At least, she thought so.
The fact Steven was back complicated things. She had hoped to be in Borneo by now, wishful thinking she knew, but the delay in the immigration meant she was likely to have the baby at the community after all. She could hide and pretend nothing was going on, but she could not hide a physical baby. She knew for a fact they cried a lot.
The sound of rustling in the distance made her turn defensively, even though she knew who it was. She had taken her time. ‘Finally, if you hadn’t come soon I would have been forced to hunt again!’
Catherine tilted her head to the side as she studied her crouched form, ‘Let’s see you then?’
Lucy stood up, a timid smile now on her face. She was proud of her bump.
‘You’ve grown bigger again. We’re going to have to do a scan you know. I know you’ve been against it, but it’s best to check everything is as expected,’ Catherine sighed, ‘lie down and I’ll check for the heartbeat.’
Lucy lay down on the ground, her arms by her side. She lifted her top and lowered her bottom so that her bump was fully exposed.
Catherine gave a low gasp, ‘Wow, it’s grown a lot, not just a bit. And you’re now only six months, right? Mine were never this big. Seriously, we have to do a scan,’ she said, then lowered her head to her belly, took the foetal doppler out of her bag and got it ready. Catherine squeezed some gel out of the tube, placed it on the probe and then pressed it against her belly.
Lucy flinched slightly, it was always so cold.
The slow, pumping sound started straight away. The steady beat a relief every time. Her baby sounded healthy to hear anyway. The sound died away as she felt her stomach lurch. Catherine moved around the belly and locked on the heartbeat again.
‘A healthy heart,’ Catherine chuckled, and then she stopped, her face serious as she moved the probe to the other side of the belly. Again the heartbeat came up loud and fast. Catherine swiftly moved it again to the other side and the sound came up again. Catherine took the probe off and stared into Lucy’s eyes. ‘I’m pretty sure you have two babies.’
Lucy sat up abruptly, and frowned, as she said, ‘Two?’
‘Definitely two.’
Lucy mulled the thought over in her head. Two babies. She was ready for one, but two seemed like a lot of work. Saying that she could not stop a huge silly grin spreading across her face, ‘Two!’
‘At least…’ Catherine’s eyes widened, unamused.
‘What do you mean…?’ Lucy paused, as she wondered if Catherine was saying what she thought she was saying.
Catherine nodded. The realisation must have been plain on her face.
‘I could have more than two?!’ Lucy slumped on the ground. There was nothing she could do. They would have to do a scan. ‘So, when should we go?’
‘You know what,’ Catherine paused, ‘we have to go now. Lucy, you’re pregnant. I know you want to keep the identity of the father a secret, and that’s fine, but you can trust me. Besides, people will be okay about your pregnancy once they get used to the idea.’
‘Oh, I don’t know about that. There are many who still consider children out of wedlock a sin, in fact more than many,’ Lucy gave a slight eye roll. ‘Most people think it, you have to be honest, and my dad will kill me when he finds out.’
Catherine sighed, ‘Franco will not kill you. He might be opinionated and a pain in the backside over a lot of things but he wouldn’t go that far. Either way, recent events mean we all have to adapt to a different way of life. Lucy, I’ll look out for you. I promised I would help you and I stand by that.’
‘Thanks Catherine, really,’ Lucy smiled. ‘So, how do you suggest we sneak in?’
‘We’re not sneaking in, Lucy. We’ll just go to the labs and have some tests done. I’ll keep the questions at bay.’
Lucy bit her lip, hesitant. ‘Okay.’
She shuffled alongside Catherine. Even though her hunger had been partially abated she was beginning to find it hard to walk. Her pelvis had started to throb, and every now and again a sharp stab made it hard to move. She didn’t want to sound weak, so she kept on going and endured it. The last thing Catherine needed, after everything she was doing for her, was to hear any more of her woes.
After a few minutes of walking, when they had nearly reached the entrance, Catherine stopped and put her hands on her shoulders, ‘Lucy, you know you can tell me anything, right? You know that I will not judge you?’
Lucy nodded lightly. ‘I know.’
She knew Catherine hoped she would share who the father was, but there was no way she was going to tell her that. Even Catherine would find it hard to believe Lucy had had a one-night stand with Steven. After all, he had barely just changed when it happened. No, it was a secret she intended to keep.
After they had made their way back in, Lucy remained behind Catherine and flapped her loose clothing around her, she could still try to look fat. They made their way past the laboratory entrance and continued to the medical centre. She hoped Else would be there, where pregnancy was concerned she preferred to speak to a woman than a man.
They rounded the corner and the hallway split into two different directions. They turned to the right to see if they could find Else. The emergency area was empty, accidents were rare.
Catherine motioned to one of the empty wooden chairs. ‘Sit here, Lucy, I’ll go and look for Else.’
Lucy sat down and stared at her hands. They looked so podgy, she barely remembered what they used to look like. She stood up and walked around, if she stayed seated she would get restless and she was already nervous about what they would find.
She made her way past the empty rooms and slowly ambled towards the other side, she doubted there were many patients. She carried on walking and had a peek through the window to see if anyone she knew was around. This was probably one of the only areas that had doors and windows. Sickness was confined in the community when it happened, which was not very often. All that trouble for nothing. It was unlikely anyone was around yet something compelled her to check.
She stopped as she heard some voices, or was it crying? She listened intently.
It was definitely crying and a male voice. A male voice that sounded like someone she knew. She nervously edged towards the window of the room the sound was coming from. The sight made her flinch and she backed away immediately. It was Steven with a girl she did not know, a redhead by the looks of it. He was holding the girl’s hand. Whatever they were talking about was not good. She needed to get away quickly or Steven would hear her, if he had not already.
The sight of Catherine walking towards her brought some temporary relief. ‘Lucy, what are you doing here? I told you to wait.’
Lucy flinched at the sound of her own name – she did not want Steven to know she was there. ‘I heard voices, I just…’ Her eyes darted from Catherine to the window.
‘Go back and wait for me there, Else is coming,’ Catherine snapped. She opened the door of the room where Steven was, went inside, and shut it quickly.
Lucy shuffled back as quickly as she could. The last person she wanted to see her was Steven.
***
Catherine could not believe that Lucy had come so close to Caitlin, the last thing the poor girl needed to see was a pregnant woman. She had no idea what Steven had told her, but after speaking to Else she knew the discussion was not going to be an easy one. She tried to appear outwardly calm and kept her smile sincere as she spoke, ‘Caitlin, Steven, I just came in to check you were both okay. That you did not need anything.’
Steven wore a haunted expression, his eyes glazed. He gave her a fleeting glance and shook his head.
Caitlin looked away and stared at the floor, lost.
Catherine knew Steven must have told Caitlin what they knew. ‘Right, well, I’ll let you both talk then. I have to lock the door, for your own safety.’
Caitlin’s face flicked back to glare at her. She snarled, her eyes narrowed, ‘I’m not safe here now, am I?’
‘Of course you’re safe,’ she replied, slightly hasty, ‘no-one will hurt you, Caitlin.’
‘No, no-one will hurt me,’ Caitlin said, tears now springing from her eyes. ‘No-one can hurt me anymore, I am beyond it. You have destroyed me.’
‘You have me, Caitlin, you’ll always have me,’ Steven stressed, his hands still holding hers like a vice.
Caitlin shook her hands out of his, and leapt out of the bed, her frame shaking as she leant against the wall. ‘Leave me alone, both of you, LEAVE ME ALONE.’
Her shout echoed in the near empty room.
Steven turned to Catherine, ‘Please go.’
Catherine made for the door.
‘GO AWAY, TAKE HIM WITH YOU,’ Caitlin screamed, out of her mind now. She curled into a ball and rocked on the floor, her head tucked into her chest.
‘Stay here,’ Catherine said, ‘I’ll be back.’
Steven watched Caitlin, dumbstruck, his face had paled.
Catherine made for the door, opened it quickly and then locked it from the other side. She looked in the window and saw that Steven had not moved, Caitlin still rocked back and forth on the floor. She hated what they had done to the poor girl.
Else came up alongside, ‘I was afraid this would happen. I’ll come and see Lucy in a minute, first I’ll arrange to have Caitlin sedated.’
‘Of course,’ Catherine nodded, then handed her the key, ‘I’ll wait for you there.’
As she made her way towards Lucy, Catherine heard the key turn again as Else went in. She had no idea what they were planning to do. How did anyone come to terms with the fact they would never be a mother, and yet always be at someone else’s beck and call? Caitlin did not gain anything from the arrangement. She might view herself as nothing more than a blood bank. Yet, Catherine could not help thinking there was more to this development than met the eye. She wanted to think that Caitlin would benefit too in some way. It would make her sleep better if she knew there would be a future for someone like Caitlin.
She owed it to her parents to find out why they encouraged Steven to change Caitlin if it was only going to ruin the poor girl’s life.
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Chapter 22
A Surprise
Lucy fidgeted as she sat on the solitary chair. The piercing scream she heard as she walked away still rang in her head, something had happened to that girl. She had no idea what it was but it didn’t sound good. Either way, she was curious about what the scan would show. The fact Steven was there had only made her predicament all the more precarious. She focused on the smooth, white wall in front of her and hoped they would hurry up. She needed to lie down soon.
After waiting another ten minutes, she finally saw Catherine and Else approach.
Else gave her a half-smile, ‘Lucy, come on then, let’s see what, or who I should say, is in your belly. Do you mind if Mum stays?’
‘Of course not, Catherine has been so helpful. I need a few friends,’ she could not help smiling. It felt good to share her pregnancy. She got up and waddled after them. At times, she wondered if she was on water.
They made their way into a small room with a lot of different gadgets on the side board. A monitor sat on a table with wheels, her ticket to seeing what was inside her. A reclining, padded chair waited in the centre of the room.
‘Take a seat,’ Else instructed.
Catherine drew a chair next to her and sat by her side.
Else wheeled the monitor over, and prepared the equipment. Lucy started to feel butterflies swarming through her stomach, aided by the disco party her unborn children seemed to be having. She flinched slightly at the thought of babies – she never dreamed there would be more than one. Although thinking about it, Steven’s mum, Emily, was a twin.
‘Right then, let’s have a look. Can you expose your belly, please?’
‘Sure,’ Lucy said, as she lifted her top and unbuttoned her trousers, then lowered them just past her pelvis.
A second later, she felt the ice-cold gel on her stomach again and flinched. ‘Does it always have to be so cold?’
‘Afraid so,’ Else chuckled. ‘Right, let’s see who we have.’ She focused on the screen, and then started to smile. She turned the screen so that Lucy could see it. Lucy could tell that Catherine was also eagerly watching.
She could see what looked like two heads side by side, a foot stuck out beneath their chins.
‘How did that foot get there?’ Lucy tilted her head, she scrunched her nose.
‘Interesting question,’ Else said, she moved the probe to the other side of her belly.
Lucy’s jaw dropped as she saw two sets of feet and a head this time. She tried to convince herself she was not seeing what she thought she was seeing. ‘Is that what I think it is?’
‘I believe you are going to have triplets, Lucy, congratulations,’ Else said, as she continued to probe, now searching the entire belly.
‘Triplets?’ Lucy’s jaw dropped.
‘It’s quite common for older women,’ Else continued, ‘but you are the first in the community. We have had some twins, but not triplets. It’s quite exciting really.’
‘Oh Lucy,’ Catherine grabbed her hand and gave her a heart-warming smile, ‘it’s so exciting.’
The last thing on Lucy’s mind was the excitement of it. Three babies: not one, not two, but three. Some things should not happen in real life, this was one of them. She could have coped in Borneo with one baby, maybe even with two, but three was a different matter. She had no idea what she was going to do.
‘Who’s the father, Lucy?’ Else asked, ‘he should be involved, you’ll need help.’ She carried on making observations as she talked, she looked like she was measuring the heads, and checking the length of their spines.
Lucy shook her head, and replied, ‘I can’t tell you that.’
‘Fair enough,’ Else said, ‘but he should be involved.’
Lucy and Catherine both focused on the screen, intrigued by Else’s ongoing study.
A few minutes later, Else turned to face Lucy, ‘you’re about 22 to 24 weeks in gestation. For a triplet birth, I do not expec
t you to go to full term. With luck you’ll get to 34 weeks. Have you had any abnormal pain, any problems?’
Lucy thought about that, in ten weeks she could be a mother to three children. She focused on answering, ‘I was really sick for a while, but in the past few weeks I started to feel better. They just kick a lot. No wonder it felt like a party in there, there was obviously one going on,’ she tried to keep her laugh light, it sounded tense.
Else nodded. ‘Hmm. It’s best if you stay here, under observation.’
‘I can’t leave my babies unattended, who will look after my greenhouse?’ she said, whilst staring at Catherine, beseeching.
Catherine held her hand again. ‘Lucy, do as Else says, it’s for the best. And maybe think about telling us who the father is?’
Lucy looked away, she felt her cheeks flush. In her mind, the words ‘your nephew’ popped out.
***
Catherine found it hard to come to terms with what she was seeing. Three foetuses, Lucy was going to have three babies. She could not force Lucy to tell her, but she wished she knew who the father was. It would be better for the community if Lucy was in a relationship. There had never been a single parent in the community, with all children being born within wedlock. It would be another thing for the community to deal with. The fact that someone had got pregnant, outside of a relationship, within the community was likely to cause a stir. The fact that she was expecting three babies could be seen as a bad omen, or a punishment. She knew Else wanted to keep Lucy hidden for her safety, not just for that of the babies.
‘I have to go and check on Steven, Else will look after you,’ Catherine said, ‘and don’t worry, I’ll make sure your other babies are tended well.
‘Thanks,’ Lucy smiled, her face still focused on the fixed screen in front of her.
Catherine nodded at Else, and made her way out. Else knew what to do since she had briefed her before the scan, Lucy was not to be seen by anyone else. The pregnancy would be kept a secret.
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 77
