Chapter 36: Chapter 36 OUT OF PATIENCE

“Honey we thought it would be best to get someone familiar with the birthing process.”

“Don’t tell me. Don’t even say it. Susana better not be downstairs.” Scarlet punched into the covers.

“Ok, Nikki and Susana are downstairs.”

“Don’t try and be funny with me Jeraldi.” Scarlet threw the covers off her once more.

Stephan replaced the discarded covers and tucked them under the mattress, trapping Scarlet and making it impossible to move. “I’m not trying to be funny honey. I am worried about you and our baby’s health so I called for help. Sue me for caring but I am not going to cross my arms sit back and watch the both of you wither away.”

“Wither? Who’s withering?”

“You are my love. You are like a bag of bones and the only thing holding you together is your overstretched skin.”

Scarlet’s eyes were wide in horror. Although she knew he didn’t mean it the way it sounded it still sounded like an insult. “Let’s do that. Let’s annoy a pregnant immortal carrying something more lethal than a grenade.”

“If that was three years ago and it was SJ in your belly I wouldn’t be here. But God knew and he sent us a mellow child.” He bent down and planted a kiss on her forehead, then quietly left the room.

Scarlet threw a fit attacking the only thing available to her and one that cannot fight back her pillow.

Stephan got downstairs and found Susana having corned SJ badgering him with one question after the other.

“Can you shift like your father? What about a vampire talent do you have one? Do you bleed? Your heartbeat isn’t that normal.” Susana’s face lit up with each question she posed as SJ shrunk deeper and deeper into a corner.

“Yes, yes, I don’t know, and yes.” SJ frantically answered the questions in the order they were asked, his hands raised above his chest.

“Interesting....” Susana went on. “Do you mind if I see?”

“See what? See me bleed. Of course, I mind.”

“No, see you shift. From human to beast and vice versa.” She was taking quick steps towards him and he couldn’t get away fast enough.

“I just got this shirt and I am not planning on destroying it.”

“Just take off your clothes. It’s that’s simple.”

“What? This is getting creepy.” SJ sighed when he felt his father coming down the stairs, “Dad! Help! Now!”

“Susana, remember when I said let’s try and NOT annoy Scarlet, this is exactly what I was talking about,” Stephan said as he stepped in between his son and his stalker.

“I was just asking a few questions.”

“You are asking the wrong ones. You are here to find out how to help Scarlet and not to harass my son. So can we do that?”

“I know I was all for it, but Dad the only thing she is going to help in doing is to send mom over the edge,” SJ mumbled as he slowly slipped away finally free from Susana’s stare hold.

“Scarlet is in her room if you want to see her. I must warn you she isn’t very thrilled that you are here.” Stephan cautioned.

“Noted. Shall we?”

Stephan led the way to the bedroom he shared with his wife. Although unnecessary he knocked first before entering a way of announcing that he had company with him.

Scarlet didn’t respond, instead, she turned away from the door in a huff ignoring the other two people who had now joined her in the room.

“Hallo Scarlet, it’s nice to see you again.” Susana politely saluted her.

“Uh-huh, I bet it is,” Scarlet responded coldly.

“I’m here to help you. Can you tell me how you are feeling?” Susan moved closer to the bed.

Scarlet didn’t make an effort of answering her neither did she show any signs of co-operating.

“Hold on I have a solution to this.” Stephan disappeared and a few seconds later he came back with the talented Gomez family. Solara and Kayla would help in the communication part while Jade would be able to tell them how she felt.

“She’s pissed,” Jade said immediately she walked into the room.

“I think we can all see that honey. Scar, can you just co-operate. Make this go a lot faster.” Kayla suggested.

“She doesn’t see the reason why you called her here,” Solara said his words straight from Scarlet’s mind.

“Because we need help. As much as you would like to believe it, Scarlet, you aren’t well.”

“I’m pregnant.” Solara put in. “That sounded weird maybe you should relay the messages, Kayla.”

“Scarlet could you please just cooperate with us.” Stephan pleaded.

Scar stop with the tantrums. We all know you didn’t want them here but we need them.

Why? I only bled once and since then everything has been as normal as it should be.

Kayla went silent, she didn’t know exactly what she could or couldn’t tell her.

What aren’t you telling me?

“What aren’t you telling me K?” Scarlet turned to face her best friend. Staring her down, she waited for a response. “Kayla, what aren’t you telling me?”

Kayla looked around the room waiting for someone to cut in and save her from telling Scarlet what she didn’t want to know. Her eyes landed on Stephan waiting for him to take the lead.

“Don’t look at him, look at me. Tell me what’s going on.” Scarlet got out of bed and placed herself between Kayla and Stephan. Facing Kayla her eyes pleaded for information.

“Don’t.” Stephan’s voice boomed from behind her.

“Tell me.”

“Let’s just tell her. Maybe she will be less resistant if she knew what we are dealing with.” Kayla wanted, she needed to tell Scarlet what was going on. Keeping secrets from her best friend was impossible for her.

“Tell me.”

“You bleed Scar.”

“Kayla.” Stephan planted his body between the two ladies but Scarlet pushed him aside.

“What do you mean bleed?” Scarlet was getting scared. The look of dread on Kayla’s face and the sound of apprehension in her voice was making her panic. She knew it was bad but she didn’t know if she wanted to hear it.

“Scarlet the first time you bled wasn’t the only one.” Kayla took her hands.

“First time,” Scarlet whispered the words. “So there was a second?”

“And a third.”

“A third huh?” Scarlet dropped Kayla’s hands and sat on the bed with her palms flat on her knees.

“We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want to worry you. We were protecting you.” Stephan knelt before her and put his hands over hers.

“Protecting me. My baby could be dying inside me but you decided to keep it from me because you were protecting me. What about protecting the baby?” She stared straight into his eyes, holding his gaze as she fought back tears.

“I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“That is my job, to worry about my children and you had no right to take it from me.” She pushed him away then walked past him, out of the room.

“Where are you going?” Kayla came up behind her.

“Out.” She didn’t turn back.

“Out where?”

“Out of this room, out of this house. Just out away from here. Away from everyone who thinks they know what’s best for me.”

SJ stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched as his mother hurried down with his aunt on her tail.