In the two weeks they have been in town, they settled real quickly into their new lives. Jim began his work with Bruno�s expedition team, so far going on to one assignment while Selena was happily working at the clinic as a medical assistant directly for Audrey. Hannah, who had become quite popular in the first couple days of school, has adjusted real well with the new changes.
�I gotta go, I�ll be late. Bye Selena!� Hannah yells as she swiftly runs out of the house.
�Hannah, you�re breakfast.� Selena calls out for her food, but Hannah was already
out the door. Selena takes Hannah�s breakfast and passes it along to Jim;
he gladly takes it.
�I don�t understand it. Hannah won�t talk to me anymore. I don�t know what happened.� Jim frustratingly admits to Selena, �Has she said anything to you?�
Selena wanted to tell Jim, but kept to herself. �Maybe you did something?�
She openly implies.
�See, that�s the thing, something did happen, but I don�t know what.� Jim disappointingly sighs. �She won�t even utter more than two words to me.
Just �yes�, �no��oh and �move���
Selena walks out of the kitchen and into their bedroom to change. Jim follows her,
still ranting. ��Do you believe that? This morning, she and I bumped into one
another in the hall, instead of saying �excuse me�, she said, �move�, not
�please move� but �move�!�
�She�s an teenager, Jim, Hannah�s fourteen years old. She�s going through an adolescent phase. I went through it with my mum. Besides, she wants to be with
Mike and her new friends.�
Jim quickly interjects as he paces the room, exasperated. �And that�s another thing. She�s out with that boy practically every single day. Yeah, she�s only fourteen.
Do you know what boys his age are thinking? Did you know on the way home from dinner at the Salinger�s, if I hadn�t told Hannah to go inside right away,
he would�ve made a move on her?�
Selena chuckles at Jim�s tirade as she prepares for work. She puts on her jacket and approaches Jim, cautiously. She throws her arms around him and delicately says, �Jim, listen to what you just said. And you wonder why she�s mad at you.�
She then kisses him. �Bye. See you later.� Selena walks out of the room as Jim
slowly realizes what he had done.
* ~ * ~ *
�Hannah, come sit here.� Her new friend calls out. Hannah sets her tray down and greets her friends. �Hey Lizzie, hey Will.� She glances at her lunch and scowls at it.
�Yeah, I thought the same thing too, Hannah. Different place, same disgusting cafeteria food.� Will sarcastically remarks. As everyone at the table laughs,
Mike and Sam approach them.
Mike coyly smiles at Hannah as he sits across from her. �Hi Hannah,� he says.
�What�s for lunch today?� He picks up the napkin that Hannah had laid over her
food and grimaces. Hannah chuckles and shoves it towards Mike, but he pushes
it back to her.
�If you don�t want it, I�ll eat it.� Sam cheerfully offers. Sam, a tall portly boy,
bigger than his peers and too big for his age, immediately snatches the tray.
He consumes the mystery lunch all in three bites. His friends� watch in awe and
are repulsed at the same time.
Lizzie rises from the table and tugs on Hannah�s sweater. �Come on let�s go to the ladies room.� Hannah is easily coerced and follows Lizzie, giggling on the way.
�So, have you?� Lizzie asks as she applies a second coat of lipstick. �You know,
with Mike? He�s every girl�s dream around here. And he fancies you�you lucky girl.�
Hannah watches on, confused. �What are you talking about? Me and Mike?�
�Have you guys done it yet?� Lizzie vehemently asks, now applying mascara. �Oh come on, Hannah, don�t be shy now, and tell me. You�ll be the envy of all the girls
in this school, even me.� She turns to Hannah and anxiously waits for her reply.
�Lizzie, Mike and I are just friends. We haven�t even kissed let alone held hands.� Hannah zealously discloses. �Why? Have you heard something otherwise?
If you have, I�d like to know about it.�
�Well, that�s a pity for you, but good for me,� Lizzie laughs. �Mike�s nice and he�s a great guy, that�s why he�s so popular with the girls. Plus, he�s the mayor�s son!�
They sprint out of the girl�s room giggling, in the same manner as they went in.
As they approach the boys, they notice them huddled over the table,
in a deep secretive discussion.
�What�s up boys?� Lizzie stridently inquires. �What�s with all the secrecy?�
�Mike was just telling us about the other island and that there�s a secret lab there.� Sam frankly divulges. �Mike says he overheard his mum and dad argue last night over an experiment they�re doing�or something like that, right Mike?�
Mike does not look at Hannah when he replies. �Yeah, something like that.�
He sheepishly answers. �Sam, be quiet. It�s not something we want everyone to hear, you know.� Mike finally glances up at Hannah who looks disillusioned by him.
�What kind of experiments are they?� Lizzie curiously whispers as she huddles
next to Will.
�Drop it, guys. It�s nothing. I�m sure my parents were talking about the adjoining
power station at that island. And there are no experiments going on there.�
Mike heatedly exclaims.
Sam suddenly jumps up, �Hey we should go check it out ourselves. I mean if there isn�t anything going on, there�s no harm done, right?�
Mike, a whole foot shorter than Sam, shoves Sam back to his seat, and manages to do so. Pointing at him, he retorts, �No, no one�s going over there and no one�s going to bring this up again, you hear.�
Although Sam could have pummeled Mike into pieces, he was slightly terrified of him and backs off. �Sorry Mike. I didn�t mean anything by it. I was just kidding.�
Will and Lizzie shrink back into their seats as Mike angrily walks away. Hannah rushes after him. �Mike, wait!� She shouts.
They silently walk along the school�s corridor, leading their way to a desolate dreary part of the school. Mike stops and leans against a post, then sighs. �Hannah, sorry,� he finally says.
�Sorry about what?� Hannah asks.
�Nothing,� Mike chuckles, shaking his head. He approaches Hannah, delicately places his fingers on her cheek and awkwardly kisses her on her soft pure lips.
Though unexpected, Hannah does not falter. She freely kisses him back but slowly pulls away for air. They bashfully smile at one another then uncomfortably laugh.
The bell suddenly rings to summon them back to class. Bit by bit, their hands enfold into each other�s grasps as they leisurely walk down the once dreary corridor to their respective classes.
* ~ * ~ *
Jim hops out of the helicopter as it is making its landing. He carefully straps his machine gun over his shoulder and hastily follows his squad to the hangar. He immediately makes a beeline towards the water cooler where the rest of the crew was gathering. As he reaches for a cup, Charlie walks in front of the cup dispenser, blocking it from his reach.
�Hi there, stranger,� she says cunningly. �I thought we�d see each other more often but I guess I was wrong.� Charlie takes a cup and fills it up with water then hands it over to Jim. �I see you�re getting on with Bruno and your team, there.�
�Yeah, finally got to go on my first assignment a few days ago.� Jim breathlessly replies. He walks out of the hangar, shielding his eyes with his hands as he gazes up at the shining bright sun.
Charlie strolls right beside him. �I know, I heard, and no problems either, no run-ins with the infected. Those are the best kind.� Charlie adds as she draws nearer to Jim. �Listen, maybe after your drill here, you and I can go to Fred�s for lunch.�
Jim steps back, clumsily tripping over his shoe. �I can�t, I�m meeting Selena for lunch,� he stutters. �You�re more than welcome to join us if you like.�
Charlie leans towards Jim again, reaching for his cup. She takes it from him and
gulps the water down, returning the empty cup to him. �So what�s the deal with you two anyway? You don�t call her your girlfriend and I�ve never heard her refer
to you as her boyfriend. So what is it?�
Jim sharply answers, �Well, I guess you can say we are together. We don�t have to put a name to it. We have an understanding. What about you and Viktor?�
�What about me and Viktor?� Charlie subtly laughs, �We have an understanding too.� She grabs Jim�s sunglasses and playfully runs away with it. �Come and get it.�
She skips into another empty hangar and hides behind a door.
Jim foolishly chases after her. �Charlie, come on, I gotta get back soon. Where are you?� He shouts as he scans the hangar. He walks around slowly, looking in every corner or possible hiding place. When he approaches the door, Charlie leaps
in front of him and intimately accosts him by throwing her arms around his neck
and forcedly kissing him.
At first, Jim was taken aback, wavering from the kiss, but steadily stepped away from Charlie. As he did, a fist landed on his face, a vicious blow thrown at him by Viktor.
Jim soared back against a utility shelf causing a wrench to fall on his head.
He gradually falls to the ground, unconscious.
�Viktor, what have you done to him?� Charlie screams as she rushes to Jim�s attention. �Are you crazy?� She reaches for Jim�s face and wipes the blood from his nose. �Jim, are you alright?� Charlie gently slaps him on his face, �Jim!�
�That�s what he gets for kissing you.� Viktor gloriously replies as he heavily breathes over Charlie and Jim�s wilted body.
�He didn�t kiss me, you brute. I kissed him.� Charlie angrily retorts. �Now, help me
pick him up.� She tugs on Jim arms and he slowly becomes conscious.
�Jim? Are you alright?�
Jim opens up his eyes and sees Viktor hovered over him; he immediately pulls back as if defending himself. But he hangs his down low with the sudden surge of pain
to his head. He holds onto his head and tries to shake off the throbbing pain.
�Viktor, get the Jeep, we need to get him to the hospital. I think he might have a concussion.� Charlie vigorously orders Viktor as she drags Jim off the ground.
�Come on Jim. Let�s go see Selena��
* ~ * ~ *
Selena places the last bandage around a little boy�s finger and kisses it for good luck. �Now, you know why you�re not supposed to play with matches, right?� Selena condescendingly asks the fidgety little boy. He sweetly nods at her as she lifts him from the bed and onto the floor. �Run along to your mum and listen to her, okay?�
She yells out as he happily runs to his mother for comfort.
�All in the days work, right Selena?� Audrey glibly remarks. They both laugh.
�You�re great with kids. That�s why I have you treat them.�
�Thanks. Makes me want to go out and get me one.� Selena replies with sarcasm.
�You�d be a great mum someday, Selena. I can tell. Go and take a break, you�ve been treating patients since you arrived. Go ahead, I�ll take the next one.� Audrey spanks Selena with a clipboard and ushers her away.
Selena anxiously runs to a vacant hospital room and slips out a test kit from a cabinet. She apprehensively opens up the kit and blankly looks at the result. She limply falls on a chair and begins to weep. After a moment, she reaches over to the kit, reads it again, but recognizes the same result. She sullenly collapses back on the chair, relentlessly sobbing even more.
Audrey hears Selena crying as she passes the room. She orders Mary,
a volunteer nurse, to tend after a patient so she can console Selena.
She quietly knocks on the door.
Selena promptly gets up and quickly covers the kit with a blanket all the while wiping her tears from her face. �Come in,� she finally says.
�Is everything alright, dear?� Audrey sincerely asks. �I thought I heard you crying.�
She walks in, casually eying the covered kit.
�Yeah, everything�s okay,� Selena poorly denying her secret. �I had something in my eye and�and it really hurt.�
Audrey approaches Selena and tenderly pulls her into an embrace, as she says,
�I know dear. I�ve known all along.�
Selena explicitly bawled into Audrey�s arms, only occasionally coming up for air and to wipe her tears away. Audrey held her and gently swayed her, as any mother would
do to comfort a child.
Selena collected herself, wiping her tears and her nose, she asks, �How did you know?�
�It�s my duty as a doctor to know these things. I�ve had three children so I know the signs.� Audrey lovingly smiles. �I knew right when I met you, during dinner you were very modest with your serving, and you looked green when you saw the roast beef.
I remember being pregnant with Mike and how much I hated the sight and smell of beef. You had that same look.� She chuckles, but reassuringly strokes Selena�s hand. �And of course, I�ve noticed how emotionally unstable you�ve been. Yesterday,
you were as happy as can be and today, morose as someone who has just found
out that they�re pregnant. I don�t know about you, but pregnancy shouldn�t be sad,
it�s a happy moment.�
�I know, but�� Selena sinks back into a hopeless state. �But I didn�t expect this...�
�Oh dear, Jim doesn�t know. Are you going to tell him? I mean, he should at least know, right?� Audrey embraces Selena again. �Do you want this child, Selena?
Do you love Jim?�
Selena stands up and walks towards the window. From a near distance, she observes a mother playing with her toddler. She dotingly smiles at their interaction. She then turns to Audrey and candidly responds. �I don�t know Audrey. I don�t know what to do. I suspected that I was pregnant, but refused to believe it. And I was going to tell Jim, but I got scared.�
�Honey, it�s a beautiful thing what you and Jim have created.� Audrey walks over to Selena and gazes out the window, also fondly watching the mother and toddler�s tender moment. �I told you that you would be a great mum some day, Selena.
And that time is now.�
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. Charlie peeked her head in and calls out to her mother. �Mum, we need your help. Jim�s been hurt and I think he�s got a concussion.� She holds the door wide open as Viktor lightly drags Jim in and places him on the bed.
Selena nervously rushes to Jim�s aid. �Oh my god, what happened?� She picks up gauze and wipes the blood off of his cheek. �Jim, can you hear me? Are you alright?� Selena turns her attention to Charlie, �Charlie, what happened?�
�Well, um, there was an accident in the hangar. Um, Jim accidentally banged against a shelf and a wrench fell on his head.� Charlie deceitfully explains.
�Selena, is that you, love?� Jim incoherently mutters. �I didn�t mean to, it just happened. I love�� Jim falls back into unconsciousness.
�Okay, let�s go. I think Selena has everything under control here.� Audrey led Charlie and Viktor out of the room. �Selena, you must tell him,� She whispers as she exits.
Selena began to minister medical procedures on Jim. She wiped away all the blood and carefully mended a gash over his brow. As she swept a strand of his hair from his eye, she gently placed a cold pack over it. She studied him as he slept, speculating about his last statement before he lost consciousness. Selena then began to wonder about what their child would look like. Would the child have his piercing blue eyes? Would it have his quiet demeanor or his dry sarcastic humour? She smiled at the thought of having his baby.
�What am I doing? I don�t even know what to say to him?� She quietly scolded herself. Her thoughts were suddenly halted when Jim slowly came around.
�Hi there,� Selena softly uttered as she removes the cold pack over his eye. �Got a headache?� Jim nods his head. Selena places her finger over his lips to yield him
from talking. �Don�t speak. Do you want something for your head?� He nods again.
She gives him an aspirin and water and delicately lifted his head to help him swallow. She affectionately strokes his face then kisses him.
�I think I�m cured now,� Jim jokingly declares with a chuckle. �Ouch that hurt to laugh.�
�Then don�t laugh and don�t talk. Just lie there and rest. The aspirin should take
effect real soon.� Selena pauses briefly then sincerely asks, �Before you became unconscious, you were saying that you didn�t mean to do something, what did
you mean by that?�
Jim pretends to be in pain and turns his head away. �Ow�Did I say that? I guess
I was mumbling things��
�Yeah, I guess you were.� Selena sympathetically replied as she replaced the cold pack with a new one. She hovered over Jim and sweetly smiled at him. As she was about to speak, the emotions that had manifested in her, took over and
she began to weep.
Jim wearily reached out to console her as he selflessly said, �Shh, it�s okay now.�
�But it�s not okay, Jim,� Selena cried. �I need to tell you something��
As he held her in his arms, the guilt he felt just then began to weigh down on him. He waits for Selena to speak, but his ever-growing shame caught up with his conscience resulting in openly confessing to her. �Selena, I lied to you just now.� He sighed then firmly held on to her hands. �I�what I was trying to say before was that�look, whatever you might think, it�s not what it looks like.�
�Jim, what is it?� Selena asked with trepidation.
�It was nothing and�I didn�t feel anything. I swear.� Jim deeply sighed again as Selena suspiciously gazed at him. �Charlie and I kissed. But I swear, it didn�t mean anything��
Selena tried to free herself from Jim�s tight grasp, but he was reluctant to release her. �Jim, let me go.� She pulled away from Jim with all her might and hastily stormed
out of the room.
Weak as he was, Jim hopped out of bed and attempted to chase after Selena. �Selena, no wait. I can explain�� As he rushed out the door, a piercing sharp pain quickly rushed to his head causing him to collapse to his knees. He held onto the doorknob for support as he cried out for her. �Selena, please come back.
I need you��
Selena heard the trail end of his pleas as she shut the door behind her. She leaned alongside the wall and began to cry again. Gradually, she gave way to the floor,
now uncontrollably sobbing even more.
Audrey softly knocked on the door, entering without Selena�s knowledge. She picked Selena off the floor and settled her onto a chair. She enfolded Selena into her arms and tried to soothe her. �It�s going to be okay. I�m here for you. Just let it out, dear.�
Audrey let Selena cry on her shoulders until she was ready to talk. �I can�t do this,� Selena whimpered. �And to think, I was going to tell him.�
�Why? What happened?� Audrey asked as she wiped the endless tears from her face. �Why didn�t you tell him?�
Selena took a deep breath and collected herself. �I was going to, I thought it was the perfect moment, but he�he told me that he and Charlie kissed. What was I supposed to say then? �Great! Oh, by the way, I�m pregnant.� I couldn�t tell him then.
I feel so humiliated.�
�Are you upset that he kissed Charlie?� Audrey inquired.
�I don�t know. I guess I was at first because I was ready to tell him. But he said that it didn�t mean anything to him, and I believe him. There were just so many emotions coming at me all at once that when he confessed, I immediately broke down.�
Audrey warmly laughed. �Well, it seems to me, your hormones are running rampantly and you can�t control them that�s why you�re so excitable right now. Selena, there will be another perfect moment for you to tell him but you�ll have to do it soon.� Audrey thoughtfully said. �Now, you didn�t answer me earlier, but do you want to have
this child with Jim? Do you love him?�
Selena earnestly shook her head and grinned from ear to ear. �Yes, I do.
I do love him.�
�Then tell him that. Now, go to him.� Audrey kindly instructed.
Selena affectionately and tightly hugged Audrey, who had quickly become her surrogate mother during her time of need, as she replied, �I will�thank you.�
Jim was lying in bed when Selena returned to the room. He warily watched Selena as she approaches him. He extends his hand out to her and smiles. �I�m sorry, Selena.
I didn�t mean to hurt you. Are you alright?�
Selena thoughtfully smiles at Jim as she takes his hand in hers. She tenderly caresses his face and quietly answers, �Yes, I�m fine now. Everything will be perfect.� She leans over to kiss him, but this time with more passion and love than she had ever done before.
TO BE CONTINUED�