by Katy Kaylee
“Teagen, I really don’t have the willpower to argue with you tod-“ Cut off by a swift raise of his palm, I frowned as annoyance bubbled up in my chest. Teagen clasped his hand on my shoulder, and the seriousness swirling in his gaze nearly knocked me back on my heels. Very rarely did my cousin take anything too gravely, and I pursed my lips tightly as I held my breath.
“Are you okay, Eric?” Shock stiffened my muscles, and I opened my mouth only got my gut to clench and air to fill my skull. Blinking hard even as I stumbled slightly, I watched in dazed confusion as Teagen nodded and shuffled to sling my arm over his shoulders. “That’s what I thought. Let’s get you inside, bud.”
“Is he okay? What happened?” Delainne’s concern came through a tunnel, and blood beat against my ear drums as my cousin half dragged me across the parking lot. Staring at my legs, I willed them to move, but my shoes just continued to get scuffed on the scorching pavement. Soft, frantic hands held up my other side, and I tried to lift my head only to find that I couldn’t do that either.
“I’d bet you a night with my wife that he hasn’t slept since the car crash. It’s okay- I’ve done this before. I know what I’m doing. This is exactly what happened when Eric came back from Afghanistan the last time, and the time before that- and the time before that. He’ll be fine.” Delainne sputtered weakly, and I could picture Teagen smirking when I blinked heavily. “He’s trained for this. You shouldn’t feel bad, Delainne- it just takes a little reminder that he’s probably rattled about all of this, too… no matter how good he is at hiding it.”
“O- oh…” Even though I could hear the guilt in her tone, I couldn’t do anything to dissuade it, but Teagen chuckled. Suddenly, the concrete beneath us turned into polished tile, and the air dropped a good 50 degrees to stick pin needles in my skin.
“Don’t be like that… you had a gun shoved in your mouth, Delainne. That’s a hell of a lot more traumatic than getting crushed by Metal Man. He just needs to sleep it off. Besides, it gives you some alone time with Maggie and your parents, right? I bet he’s been up your ass since you were discharged from the hospital.”
“Y- Yeah, I suppose you have a point, Teagen…” My eyes rolled against the wave of exhaustion that slammed into me, and Delainne’s voice faded into garbled nonsense. I couldn’t resist the darkness that fogged my mind, and I knew that Teagen was right. Somewhere, in a part of my brain that still worked, I knew that Maggie would be safe with Mark, and Teagen would hang around just in case.
Yeah… my mom can go fuck herself. I don’t care… but I am glad she put me in this position initially. I’ve got all the people I need.
But then, she’s a good woman. I guess a good woman impacted by bad circumstances!
Epilogue: Delainne
Eight Years Later…
“Why are you wearing your uniform, honey?” My voice scratched my throat even as a smile stretched my lips, and Maggie fiddled nervously with her medals. Her slender hands shook, and I wanted to reach out to soothe the deep creases between her brows when she glanced up at me.
But I couldn’t, courtesy of the anesthetic.
“I want to make a good impression. I’m not going to have another baby brother- that’s what you and Dad said. This is important.” Maggie’s straightened hair shone brilliantly when she flipped it nonchalantly, but the gravity dragging down her beautiful features never lifted. “What do you think, Momma?”
Holding out her arms, Maggie lifted her chin high and set her shoulders back as emotion clogged my throat. Her military uniform fit her well, and she clicked her black, issued boots together at the heel. Tamed, long hair held back in a sleek ponytail, and my smile grew as prideful tears welled in my eyes.
“You’re wonderful, Maggie. I’m so proud of you, you know that?” She was 15 now, and Maggie’s lean, long face tinged red when my voice cracked harshly. “Did you finish your homework?”
“Momma- you just got cut open and excised… and you’re worrying about homework that I did yesterday…?” The duh tone coupled perfectly with Maggie’s blank gaze, and I inhaled sharply with a nod. All I could do was move my head, but the rest of my body was bogged down my incredibly powerful drugs. “I was finished with it hours before they had to call the ambulance. It’ll be fine.”
“You were amazing, Maggie. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you, you know.” The color drained from Maggie’s face, and my smile became watery. It must’ve been horrifying for her when I just collapsed and started bleeding, but she never cracked.
Eric, on the other hand, had been paralyzed with fear for the longest few seconds of my entire life. He thought I was hemorrhaging- that history would repeat itself. My heart ached for him, but these were realities we’d expected when we agreed to have a baby.
“I’m really glad that the baby’s alive, too… but…” Seating herself on the edge of the bed, Maggie laid down atop me gingerly to exhale a shuddering breath. Her eyes sparkled, and I desperately wanted to touch her. “I’m happier that you didn’t die. I’ve been so afraid ever since you started going to the clinic…”
“I know how hard it was for you.” The door to my room cracked open, and I craned my neck to watch my dad slip through. He looked even rougher than Maggie did, and he cast me a relieved look through bloodshot eyes. “How’s the baby?”
“He’s fine- Eric’s with him. The doctors said it was better to have a parent there. How are you, Delainne?” Relief deflated my body like a popped balloon, and I leaned back against the mountain of pillows to huff. “It’s been rough for everyone.”
“We’re both alive, and hopefully, he’s healthy. That’s all I want.” The words soured on my tongue, and I clenched my jaw to hide my frown. There were supposed to be three of them- three babies. There were supposed to be fraternal triplets, but I’d lost two of them before my first trimester had ended.
At least the one survived, though. That was all that mattered. Derek- he was a fighter, just like his father. He came out and shrieked so powerfully that I had no doubt in my mind that he would be okay.
“Hey, Momma… do you think I’d be a good medic? I mean- do you think that the guy in the ambulance was fudging the truth about my skills?” Surprise rippled weakly through my subdued nerves, and I frowned as Maggie shuffled closer. “I know that I want to go into the military- just like Dad- but I was thinking, too… maybe I could be a doctor when I get back.”
“I think he was just surprised, honey. I don’t think he expected you to have done what you did. You’re going to be a great medic and an amazing doctor.” Maggie sat up to smile before realizing she had wrinkled her uniform, and I smiled broadly before turning my attention to my dad. “Can you sit me up, Dad?”
“Momma, aren’t you worried about Derek? It’s been almost 10 minutes.” Shaking my head at the probe, I just couldn’t seem to stop smiling. There was every reason to be happy, and I knew that Eric would take care of our son.
Minutes ticked by in a comfortable silence that weighed down my eyelids, and I struggled to stay awake. I started to doze, only half aware, as the numbness of my body became lead weights holding me down. The past two hours raced through my inner eye; the only part of me that seemed to work uninhibited.
But it all came shattering down when the door squeaked lightly as it was pushed open. All eyes went to Eric, and he strode through the entryway puffed up like a bird. The exhaustion that clouded my gaze vanished, and I held my breath as a nurse wheeled in my boy in a heated cradle.
He was so handsome, red and kind of potato looking with his scrunched-up face and blotchy skin. The doctors had been concerned during my c-section because he was a month and a half early, but he was clearly doing well.
Motherly pride and affection speared my chest, and I gasped in delight when Eric picked up his son to sit wordlessly on the edge of the bed. Anesthetic made moving impossible, but I didn’t need to bat a single eyelash as Eric placed our child against my chest. Maggie appeared in my peripheral vision, blurry from tea
rs, and I sniffled hard as she stroked Derek’s bald head gingerly.
“He’s so tiny.” Her voice trembled, a mere whisper, and I nodded furiously as the man beside me chuckled. “He’s so perfect.”
“This is perfect.” This moment deserved it’s own mural, and I heaved deep breaths of Derek’s new baby smell. The turbulence that had led my husband and I on a collision course were far away, now, and I sighed in content.
Greg had killed himself in prison, unable to handle the consequences of what he’d done. Tony had full function of his arm, but he’d been assigned to training rather than being put on active duty. My parents were doing well, and Teagen and Casey had a 3-year-old and another on the way.
My life was finally one of those enviable prologues to a movie.
***The End***
