Driftwood

[pembie]

Slightly worried for Roo she will need to go live under a rock somewhere to get away from all the stress methinks

Spoiler

Hopefully's Roo's alright while evryone's at Brody's event I got the impression that something may happen her With Matt having to work

Yeah edging my bets on Maddy's blind blind date being Aden

[Ludub]

16 hours ago, KittCatt said:

That flashback was great! Loved having a bit of insight into Roo and Matt's first contact with the real world (and Alf) after so long on the island. It was even apparent then that Matt and Roo were coping in different ways. And little Alfie, scared of Alf because he's only ever known Roo and Matt. Goes to show how resilient children are. And Alf, so soon after reuniting with Roo is already worrying about what people think!

Thanks KittCatt!  I think it would be really hard to come back to the real world after living in that kind of isolation. I just thought it would be interesting to see what their initial reactions were. I think Alfie would have adjusted quite quickly because small children do, but the initial shock of going from an outdoor life with only his mum and dad for company, to a brightly lit and sterile hospital room with strange people pawing at him would be pretty overwhelming at first. They've all adjusted quite well really, considering... It has only been four months! Matt could still be rocking back and forth in a corner by all rights! I think Alf's attitude is understandable, even if not that pleasant. It would be a pretty big shock and this new arrangement doesn't quite fit with his ideas about things. Glad you're enjoying it.

 

13 hours ago, pembie said:

Yeah edging my bets on Maddy's blind blind date being Aden

Haha! well, you'll just have to wait and see. The card was pretty cheesy, so it depends who you think would be that cliche really. I'm not sure I'd go meet someone for a blind date, where I'd actually have to be blind. It's a pretty vulnerable position to put yourself in, because he knows who she is, but she doesn't know him. Maddy's pretty brave (or desperate) to go through with that! 

[pembie]

9 minutes ago, Ludub said:

D

Thanks KittCatt!  I think it would be really hard to come back to the real world after living in that kind of isolation. I just thought it would be interesting to see what their initial reactions were. I think Alfie would have adjusted quite quickly because small children do, but the initial shock of going from an outdoor life with only his mum and dad for company, to a brightly lit and sterile hospital room with strange people pawing at him would be pretty overwhelming at first. They've all adjusted quite well really, considering... It has only been four months! Matt could still be rocking back and forth in a corner by all rights! I think Alf's attitude is understandable, even

 

I'm not sure I'd go meet someone for a blind date, where I'd actually have to be blind. It's a pretty vulnerable position to put yourself in, because he knows who she is, but she doesn't know him. Maddy's pretty brave (or desperate) to go through with that! 

I would do it for a night out A blind restaunt sounds good fun lol

[Ludub]

3 minutes ago, pembie said:

I would do it for a night out A blind restaunt sounds good fun lol

Maybe. You don't have to worry about messy table habits anyway! lol! 

[pembie]

37 minutes ago, Ludub said:

Maybe. You don't have to worry about messy table habits anyway! lol! 

You would just have too be careful not to gas them out with your perfume or aftershave given their sense of smell would be heighten

[Ludub]

Sorry for the big delay on this one, guys. Hope to have a new chapter up this weekend. 

[Ludub]

Finally! A new chapter!  Sorry everyone that it's taken so long to update this... Really hope you like it! x

 

WARNING: ADULT THEMES!!!

 

Chapter 21

 

 

“I brought treats!” exclaimed Leah, sticking her head around the bedroom door with a big smile on her face, “Matt said to come straight up… That okay?”

Roo nodded and gave her a little smile.

“I’ve got chips and cake, and lollies… and a couples of DVDs!” she continued, making her way over to the bed, “…Thought we could take advantage of… well, this… and have a girly evening… I know I could use one!”

“Thanks, Leah” sighed Roo, giving her a grateful little smile, “I’d like that.” She patted the bed for Leah to come join her and adjusted the cushions behind her back a little. “Did he tell you?” she asked.

“Just that the doctors have put you on bedrest” said Leah, looking a little concerned, “He didn’t say why though…” She sat down on Matt’s side of the bed and tilted her head at Roo in a sympathetic sort of way, “Do you want to tell me?”

Roo stared down at her tummy for a moment and instinctively put her hand on her bump. She looked back up at Leah and bit her bottom lip a little nervously. “Four months, Leah!” she blurted, “I’m not in menopause… I’m pregnant!”

“Oh, my God!” squealed Leah, covering her mouth in shock, “That’s incredible! So exciting!” She looked at the strained smile on her friend’s face and furrowed her brow. “It’s… good news… isn’t it?” she asked a little hesitantly.

Roo nodded, and tried to smile, but her eyes filled with tears at the same time. “Placenta previa” she said, “I have to be really careful or I could haemorrhage… or lose the baby…. or both…”

“God” sighed Leah, hoping that her friend wouldn’t have to go through what she’d been through. She put her hand on top of Roo’s and gave her a gentle little smile. “I’m sure it’ll be okay” she said, “We just have to look after you… and that little bub in there.”

“Easier said than done” said Roo, looking at Leah with big teary eyes, “I keep sleepwalking and I don’t know what I’m doing!” She held her hands up in front of Leah to show her how shredded her hands were. She had bandages on every finger. “I hurt myself… I hurt poor Matt… I can’t help it… I scratched his face really badly… I gave him a black eye! …I tried to dig a hole in the floor with my fingernails and I don’t even know why I’m doing it…”

Leah didn’t know what to say. She just tilted her head at her and gave her a worried little frown. She was a little shocked that things had gotten this bad and that she hadn’t told her before.

Roo picked up the handcuffs from beside the bed and held them up for Leah to see. “These aren’t for fun, Leah!” she continued, shaking her head and wiping at her tears, “It’s the only way I can go to sleep and not worry about wandering off …I wear them every night!”

“You handcuff yourself to the bed?!” she exclaimed, giving an involuntary giggle, “Every night?!”

“No… to Matt” she said, looking decidedly embarrassed, “It stops me from wandering off… No more stealing cars and assaulting people…”

“Well… that’s an… inventive solution” said Leah, “Pretty clever really!”

“It’s embarrassing!” groaned Roo, shaking her head at herself, “I don’t know how Matt puts up with me! He has to sleep beside a crazy woman every night and he never knows if he’s gonna wake up and find me freaking out or doing something really weird…”

“He loves you” said Leah, “Anyone can see that!”

“I know” she sighed, “But how much of this do you think he can take?”

“I think it’ll take a lot more than sleepwalking and a few scratches to send Matt running, don’t you?” smiled Leah.

“Maybe” shrugged Roo, “I’m just scared.”

“I get that” said Leah, putting her arm around Roo and letting her rest her head on her shoulder, “But you and Matt are strong… You can get through this… And you have a new little life in there! …A new little bub!” She nodded at the cot where Alfie was having his nap and said, “Alfie’s gonna get a shock, isn’t he?!”

“Yeah… he is” sighed Roo, starting to smile a little. “Pregnant again, Leah?! I can’t believe it!”

“I guess you and Matt have been busy then!” said Leah smiling a little mischievously, “And here you were worried that the attraction had worn off!”

“I’m four months, Leah… It was back on the island” laughed Roo, rolling her eyes at her, “But no… things are okay in that department… We’re good.”

Leah took the handcuffs off Roo’s lap and opened and closed them with a little smirk. “Maybe a little bit of fun with these too?!” she ventured with a little wink, “C’mon?! I’ll know if you’re lying!”

“Okay, yes!” giggled Roo, blushing a little red and snatching them back from her, “Once or twice, okay?!”

“Hah! I knew it!” she laughed, “Kinky!”

“Shut up!” squealed Roo, elbowing Leah in the ribs a little playfully, “Matt would kill me if he knew I’d told you that!”

“So… who wears them? …You?!” asked Leah, giggling and really enjoying Roo’s embarrassment, “…or him?!”

“Oh, my God! Shut up!” shrieked Roo, properly laughing for the first time in ages, “Seriously! You’re gonna make me pee!”

 “So, Matt then?!” teased Leah, biting her bottom lip to try to stifle her giggles, “You do surprise me, Roo Stewart!”

 

*****

 

Maddy couldn’t stop smiling. She had the little card from the bouquet of flowers in her pocket and she was skipping along with a bounce in her step for the first time in a long time. Walking through the caravan park on her way to the diner, she was listening to music and singing along a little too loudly.

♪ “…Make her five foot five with big brown eyes, and sweet like Lemonade! California!...” ♫

Oscar and Callie were back in town for the big event tonight and they’d said to come and meet them at the diner this afternoon. They wanted to have a chat with her before things got weird and ‘datey’ tonight at the restaurant. She’d already picked out her dress and all her accessories and she’d set them out on her bed so all she had to do was get dressed. She figured that she still had enough time to nip down to the diner and say hello, mainly because she couldn’t wait to tell Oscar about her secret admirer. She knew that he’d be pleased for her! She had her earphones in and was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the brown-haired young man approaching her with a towel thrown over his shoulder.

“Princess!” exclaimed Aden, as he stopped in front of her with a big smile, “You look like you’re having a better day than the last time I saw you?!” He couldn’t help noticing the glow around her today. She looked stunning when she smiled!

She stopped in her tracks and rolled her eyes at him in a frustrated sort of way. Suddenly the smile was gone. “Can you get out of my way?” she asked, as she tried to step around him.

“Hey!” he said, stepping into her path again with a cheeky grin and motioning for her to take her earphones out.

“What?!” she said, pulling her earphones out and raising her eyebrows at him in a ‘well, what is it?!’ kind of way. She looked at her watch in an exaggerated way to make it clear that he was wasting her time.

“I just wanted to say ‘hello’” he said.

“Hello” she replied, raising her eyebrows again as though to say ‘Is that it?!’

The smile he was wearing faded a little as he suddenly felt a little out of his depth. The Aden Jefferies charm didn’t seem to be working on this one. Maybe he was just a little out of practice? “I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot?” he said, giving a little shrug, “I think you’d like me if you just gave me a chance.”

She snorted and shook her head at him. “I don’t think so…”

“C’mon?! I’ll take you to dinner?” he offered, “If you don’t like me by the time we get to the main course, that’s okay… We’ll call it a day.”

“Dinner with you?!” she laughed, shaking her head at him a little incredulously and wondering at the arrogance of the man.

“There’s a blind restaurant experience tonight… at that place… Salt, I think it’s called… and I’m allowed to bring someone.”

“I’m already going” she replied, putting the other earphone in and starting to step around him again.  She walked a few steps away from him and then turned to look at him again with a big smile on her face. “And I wouldn’t go anywhere with you!” she shouted back at him. She didn’t know why she disliked him as much as she did, but something about him made her blood boil. Dinner with him sounded like the worst thing ever!

He nodded and smiled to himself a little sadly as he watched her walk away. He turned back towards his caravan and saw that Belle was looking out the window. She’d seen the whole thing and she was actually having a little laugh at his expense. She was covering her mouth and giggling in that adorable way that he had always loved so much. He didn’t mind that she was laughing at him. He just missed that giggle of hers. He tilted his head at her, thinking how stupid he must have looked, and began to laugh too.  At least she wasn’t angry!

 

*****

“Brody! Baby! You need to take a breath!” pleaded Evie, catching him as he flitted past her and stopping him in his tracks. “Look at me!” she said, taking his face in both hands, “I know you’re stressed, and you’re freaking out about this whole thing! I know that! But… Look out there! Look!”

He nodded at her and drew in a laboured breath. His heart was pounding and he’d rarely felt this panicky! He looked out at the reception area that they’d created at the entrance to the restaurant and saw the crowd of friends and family already gathered there with drinks. Everyone seemed to be jostling and chatting loudly. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits.

Evie put her arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze. “Those are our friends out there” she said, “They’re our friends and family… I know you want this to be perfect… but it’s a test run to see how it all works… This is when you get to fix things… It doesn’t have to be perfect, okay?!”

He gave a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. How could she not understand that it didn’t matter if they were friends and family, or the most important critics in the country? He wanted it to be perfect! “Uh huh” he said, pulling her arms away from around his waist and glancing towards the kitchen to see where Matt and the other server had ended up. He’d already done a run through of how things were to be done, and they seemed to understand their roles. He’d even made them eat the food blind, so they could understand the experience for themselves. All things considered, it seemed to be on track. “I’ve gotta go!” he said, racing off towards the kitchen again.

Evie picked up a bottle of bubbly and headed over to the throng by the doorway to refill people’s glasses. It was amazing how animated everyone had become as soon as they’d had to put on the glasses. The volume level of people talking had gone through the roof! Brody had come up with an interesting idea to separate the men from the women until they took their seats at the dinner tables. They were divided by a velvet curtain so there were excited sounding women on one side, and equally giddy sounding men on the other. He had thought it would help to build a bit of excitement, and create a sort of ‘blind dating’ experience even for the most established of couples. Billie had pointed out the basic flaw in that theory, when she and Kyle had arrived, and asked what they’d do with same-sex couples or friends. He’d conceded that he might have to rethink things considerably when it came to the actual launch. For tonight though, it would work okay. Evie could see Maddy standing with Billie, Callie, Tamara, and Bianca on the lady’s side of the curtain. She looked incredibly nervous, but she was smiling from ear to ear and talking in an excited and animated way. It was nice to see her so lit up about something, she thought to herself.

Matt and the other waitress appeared from the kitchen with a tray of hors d’oeuvres and headed for the jostling crowd up by the door.

“Brody said we’ve to seat all the women in ten minutes” he said to Evie as he passed, “Once they’re seated, he said to bring the men.”

Evie nodded and headed to the women’s side of the curtain with another bottle of bubbly. “More champagne?!” she asked, as she approached the girls. They were all laughing loudly and certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“Yes please!” said Bianca, holding her glass out with a huge smile on her face, “I never say no to a refill!” The others followed suit.

“Wise woman!” said Evie, laughing a little as she began to fill the proffered glasses.

“Me too!” said Maddy, throwing down the last of her drink and then holding hers out to be refilled again.

“I can’t tell if I have any left” said Billie, furrowing her brows a little, “I never thought of that before! …Tam, how do you know when your glass is empty?”

“When I can’t get any more out of it!” laughed Tamara in a teasing way, “Or you can just stick your finger in it”

“Makes sense!” giggled Billie, “Feel kinda stupid now…”

“No… I would have asked the same thing” said Callie, sticking her finger in the top of her glass to check that Evie had refilled it.

“Okay, we’ll be seating you soon!” said Evie, as she left to go and refill the boy’s glasses on the other side of the curtain, “So I’ll be back for you in a few minutes!”

“This is so weird!” said Tamara, shaking her head a little, “I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about all of this… everyone pretending to be blind…”

“It’s not… like… really offensive, is it?!” asked Billie, sounding a little worried and putting her hand on Tamara’s arm.

“No, of course not!” laughed Tamara, “Don’t be silly!”

“The last thing any of us would want to do is upset you” said Maddy, in a sincere way. She suddenly felt a little strange about not being able to see whether she was upset or not.

“It just feels weird because this is my normal…” said Tamara, patting Billie’s hand, “And you’re all giggling like maniacs… which is really lovely… I know it’s just because it’s such a novelty… but it’s weird… Don’t worry though! It’s funny too!”

“I know it’s not what you have to deal with every day” said Billie, wondering if Tamara was just putting on a brave face and whether Josh was finding it hard to deal with too, “I mean… we can take the glasses off when we want…  so it’s really not the same… but I have to say, so far it’s really interesting.”

“Yeah, well, that was kind of the point of tonight, wasn’t it?!” laughed Tamara, “I think it’s a pretty cool idea really… I’m just really interested to find out what Brody’s made for us!”

“I know! I’m starving!” said Bianca, “The food here was amazing the last time we ate here so I really can’t wait!”

 

*****

 

Matt took his phone out and stepped out through the back door. He pressed call and waited a little impatiently as the phone rang. He’d been feeling panicky all day since the early morning run to the hospital with Roo, only made worse by the thought that they might be losing the baby. He’d basically been running on adrenalin all day. Now he was feeling weak and shaky, and all he wanted to do was make sure that things were okay at home. He couldn’t really concentrate on anything else which wasn’t great given the evening that was in it.

“Hello?” said Leah, in a low and whispered voice, “Matt, is that you?”

“Leah?!” exclaimed Matt, feeling his heartrate pick up for about the millionth time today, “Is everything okay?! Why isn’t Roo answering?!”

“She’s asleep” whispered Leah, “Spark out! We were watching the new Bridget Jones and she fell asleep… Must have only been about ten minutes in… She must have been so tired!”

He gave a little sigh of relief. “So, she’s okay?” he asked again, just to make sure. He’d had a quick word with Leah before he’d left the house to make sure that she was fully in the picture and that she knew that Roo was a haemorrhage risk, and that she’d lost quite a lot of blood earlier. Roo was downplaying the whole thing but he’d wanted Leah to know how serious things were. “No more bleeding?” he asked.

“No… I think she seems okay” said Leah. She could tell by his voice how worried he was and couldn’t help feeling a little touched that he obviously cared so much about her friend. She wasn’t sure that Zac cared quite as much about her, as Matt did about Roo. “She’s just sleeping… I’m keeping a close eye on her… and Alfie… Don’t worry!”

“Okay, thanks” he said, glancing around him to make sure that no-one else was listening. “Uh… Leah?” he asked, flushing a little red with embarrassment, “Did Roo ask you to… to um… to handcuff her? Just in case you fall asleep too?”

“Uh… yeah” whispered Leah, sounding a little awkward, “Not to me though… She’s handcuffed to the bed”

“Okay” he said, thinking the less said the better. Sharing the details of their private life wasn’t something that he was all that comfortable with.

“This is so weird, Matt!” she said, giving a nervous little giggle, “I’ve never had a sleepover with a friend and had to handcuff her to a bed for her own safety… Scratch that! I’ve never had to handcuff someone to a bed full stop! This whole sleepwalking thing is getting out of hand!”

“I know” groaned Matt, running his hand through his hair, “But I don’t know of any easy fix… do you?”

“I guess not” she whispered sadly. They both fell silent for a moment, unsure of what else to say.

“Matt!” shouted Brody, sticking his head out the door from the kitchen, “I’m not paying you to spend the whole evening on the phone! Get in here now!”

“I’ve gotta go!” said Matt, “Let me know if anything happens!”

“Go!” said Leah, “I’ve got it covered!”

 

*****

 

Evie smiled as she watched the boys all chatting away with their blackout glasses on. They were all talking quite loudly, and competing to be heard, as they drank their champagne. Heath had grumbled that he would have preferred a beer, but he’d given in in the end, and was now on his fifth glass, and insisting loudly that he’d never realised how nice it was!

“Nice touch with the card” she whispered to Aden, as she passed him by, “Really melted her heart.”

“Uh… what card?” asked Aden, furrowing his brows at her over his glasses.

“Right” said Evie, smirking a little and patting him on the arm, “I’ll pretend I didn’t know it was you.” Brody and Kyle had told her about Aden wanting to ask Maddy out. It hadn’t taken a genius to put two and two together when that extravagant bouquet of flowers had arrived.

“Uhh?” he started to say, but shook his head to himself in a bit of confusion when he realised that she’d already walked away.

“This is really weird” said Jett, taking a sip from his glass of champagne, “This whole setup… Kinda makes you feel like you’re at some kind of weird school dance… all the boys on one side and all the girls on the other… Like we’re twelve years old!”

“Aren’t you, like… twelve years old?” laughed Heath, “I could have sworn the last time I looked round you were still training with John as a Little Nipper!”

“Yeah, funny, Heath!” he said sarcastically, “And you used to be a River Boy… so I guess we all grow up sooner or later, eh?!”

“Touché” laughed Kyle, elbowing Heath in the ribs a little playfully, “Looks like he does more than nip these days!”

 

*****

 

“Okay!” shouted Evie, ringing a little bell, “Okay so… we’re going to seat all the ladies first, on one side of a long bench table, and then we’ll seat the men…” She walked to the women’s side of the curtain and smiled at the excited looks on all the girls’ faces as they stood there waiting. “Okay! So… We’re gonna get everyone to line up with a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you, and I’m going to lead you all like a train to the table!” With that she began arranging the girls in a line as they giggled and jostled their way into position. “Okay… just like a conga line” she giggled, as she began to lead the way.

“Okay… this is seriously weird!” said Oscar, standing beside Josh as they waited.

“Being blind?” asked Josh.

“No… well, yeah…” he answered, “but I mostly meant the whole conga-lining to the table thing”

“Yeah, I guess that’s pretty weird” laughed Josh, “but it’s kinda fun too… don’t you think? I mean, just listen…”

Oscar turned to listen to the girls as they shrieked with laughter. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, probably helped along by the copious quantities of champagne that they’d already consumed, and a general sense of embarrassment.

“Okay!” said Evie, when she returned to the boys, “Same thing again guys…”

There was a lot more embarrassment on the boys’ side of the room when they had to line up and possibly even more laughter than with the girls.

“Do you think they’ll calm down enough to actually eat anything?” asked Matt, holding a heavy tray of amuse bouche and turning to look at his colleague, “I don’t think this was the evening that Brody had planned… It might as well be a hen party! Or a bucks!”

“Yeah, I know” said Jenny, “I think it’s gonna get really messy, especially if they all keep drinking at the rate that they are!”

“He might want to rethink the wine-pairing menu if he’s gonna let them get stuck into the champagne before it’s even started.” he added.

He watched as everyone was seated and tried to remind himself to breathe. It was easier in a way to deal with people when they were blind. It was nice not to have to worry about eye contact or whether they thought he was behaving strangely. It kind of gave him control where normally he felt like he had none. He was putting on a good show but today had been such a stressful day that his chest was tight with a ball of anxiety anyway. What if he was here serving drinks and food while something bad was happening at home? How would he ever forgive himself?!

Evie helped Oscar find the seat opposite Callie, and then she put Aden opposite Maddy, with an excited little giggle. She really hoped that things were going to work out well for her!

“Oh?!” she said, looking a little confused as she saw Jett standing there like a spare part, “I’m not sure what’s happened here?!” There seemed to be an uneven number of men and women! And she hadn’t seen Jett’s partner anywhere all evening either.

Just then Irene burst through the doorway. “I’m here! I’m here!” she called out as she made her way across the restaurant floor, “I’m so sorry I’m late! I got held up again… That Chris…” Her voice trailed off as she saw that Aden was sitting smiling like a Cheshire cat, opposite young Maddy, and he didn’t seem to have noticed her absence in the slightest.

“Uh… Irene?” asked Evie, looking thoroughly confused because no-one had mentioned that she was invited, “You know this is a private function tonight, right?”

“Yeah, darl” she replied, tilting her head with a little smile at Aden. She was pleased to see him looking so happy and as though he might finally be getting ready to move on. Her instinct was telling her to turn around, and leave him to it, since he hadn’t even noticed her arrival. Surely he didn’t really want to have dinner with her when he could be having dinner with some beautiful young thing? “But… em… I think I might…” she stammered, “I think I might go”.

“What’s going on?!” asked Jett, realising that there was something wrong. He took his glasses off and looked down at the table where Aden and Maddy were sitting. “Oh… right?” he said, in a defeated sort of way, “I uh… I guess I’ll…” The noise levels were very high with everyone talking over everyone else and so much excited giggling going on that it was difficult to hear over the din. All he could see was that Maddy seemed to be having a good time. She was laughing and smiling, and any dislike for the big city lawyer that she’d had before seemed to have gone. Maybe she’d chosen to come with him instead? Maybe sending a bouquet of flowers had been the wrong move? Maybe it had all been too cheesy? ‘Love is blind’? He cringed when he thought about it now. How could he have been so stupid to think that she might be interested?! He turned to look at Evie and gave a little shrug. “I think I got the message…” he said, “Loud and clear!”

Evie watched as he made his way across the restaurant floor and disappeared out through the door. She couldn’t help wondering what he’d meant. Was his boyfriend Kevin meant to have been there this evening and hadn’t come? Had the poor guy been stood up?! She’d have to ask Maddy about that later.

“I think I’ll go too, love” said Irene, taking one last look at the happy couple and throwing Evie a little wink, “Tell Aden I hope he has a fabulous night and I want to hear all about it tomorrow!”

 

*****

 

"You're doing really well" said Matt, keeping hold of her hand and smiling so much behind his surgical mask that she could see his eyes crinkle, "Won't be long now and we'll have our little girl in our arms!"

She tried to smile. She was scared. She couldn't see past the green surgical screen that they'd put up to stop her from seeing the procedure but she could feel them tugging at her innards and hear them talking about blades and incisions. She was finding it increasingly hard to ignore the 'doctor speak' that was going on over there. They were talking as though she didn't exist. As though they weren't delving around inside her with wilful abandon. She might as well have been a pig on a butcher board for all the notice they were taking of her feelings about things. This was surreal! With Alfie she'd nearly bled to death like some kind of wounded animal, but here she was now with baby number two being carved up like bacon! She was getting angry.

Of course, she was excited to see the baby, wanting more than anything in the world to take her and hold her in her arms, but part of her was full of resentment. Why should she have to suffer so much just to have a baby?! She glanced at Matt as he stood there beaming down at her and felt a wave of anger crash over her. Why did she have to do this?! Why did any woman?! No man would ever have put themselves through this kind of physical trauma! They certainly wouldn't have allowed themselves to be cut open while fully conscious and aware of what was going on! If it was men that had to get pregnant and give birth the way that women do, she thought to herself,  the human race would have died out a very long time ago. ‘Oh don’t worry about it! It’s a very routine thing!’ Yes, because being partially paralysed and slashed open was no big deal at all… why worry?!

Suddenly there was a loud cry and Matt turned to look excitedly past the surgical screen. The baby was finally out! She certainly seemed to have a good set of lungs on her!

“And…. Here’s your baby girl!” exclaimed the surgeon with a little laugh, “A beautiful healthy baby girl!” He handed Matt a small bundle wrapped in white linen and slapped him on the back. “Congratulations, Daddy!” he laughed. Leaning around the screen to smile at her, he said, “You too, Mummy! She’s a beautiful baby!”

“Can I see?!” asked Roo, reaching out towards the bundle in Matt’s arms. She could hear her crying loudly now and every fibre in her being was telling her that she should be holding her. That was her baby! Part of her! She needed to hold her right now! “Can I hold her?!” she asked, reaching towards her and looking up at the doctor a little pleadingly.

“Just place her gently on her chest” said the doctor, patting Matt softly on the shoulder, “Go ahead!”

Matt gazed down lovingly at the baby in his arms and nodded at Roo with a big smile. “She’s gorgeous!” he said, with eyes shining like stars. He moved towards her and positioned the little bundle carefully in her arms. “Here she is” he said, gently moving the material out of the way so that she could see her better.

Roo looked at the bundle in her arms and let out a loud and desperate scream. It was the smell that had hit her first. The unmistakable stench of rotting flesh! Then a flash of white fur. This wasn’t her baby! This was the rotting, putrefying, maggot-riddled corpse of that same white cat! What had they done with her baby?!

“That’s not! That’s not my baby!” she screamed, pushing the bundle away from her in one violent swipe, “What is wrong with you people?! What is wrong with you?!”

“Roo!” exclaimed Matt, sweeping the bundle back into his arms and looking down at her accusingly, “You could have hurt her! What’s wrong?!”

“Roo?!” said the doctor, “That is your baby… I just delivered her… Your perfect little baby.”

“That’s not my baby!” she screamed back at him, “It’s a cat! It’s a dead cat! …It’s rotting! …Look at it!”

“Roo, I don’t understand?!” said Matt, glancing at the doctor in concern and then opening the blankets again so that she could see the tiny body in his arms. “Just look at her, look at her, Roo…” he coaxed, looking down at her with his head cocked to one side in pity, “This is our beautiful little baby… Our baby, Roo…”

She stared in horror at the severely decomposed mound of greying white fur, writhing with maggots, and showing exposed bone through broken flesh. “Get it away from me! Get it away!” she screamed, trying to turn away but suddenly very aware of the fact that she’d been paralysed and that her abdomen was still a gaping butchered mess. She couldn’t go anywhere! She looked back at Matt and her eyes filled up with tears. “I just want my baby!” she sobbed, “I want her! Give her to me!”

“This is your baby!” stated Matt, nodding his head at her, “This… This is our baby.” He made a move to show her the baby again, to prove to her that this was her baby, and not some decomposing moggy.

“No!” she roared at him, “No! Why are you doing this to me?! Why Matt?! Why?!” She flailed her arms at him to try to make him step back and he turned to look at the doctor in a pleading way.

Suddenly another doctor appeared on the other side of the operating table. He was holding a syringe in his hands that contained what looked like some thick blue jelly-like liquid. He shook his head at her sadly and pressed the plunger a little to squeeze some of the liquid out. “There’s nothing for it” he said, giving Matt a sympathetic look, “I’m gonna have to put her to sleep”

“Nooooo!” she screamed, eyeing the syringe in terror, “No! Please stop! I just want my baby! I just want my baby! Please… Stop!”

“Roo!” shouted Leah, frantically shaking her by the shoulder, “Roo! Wake up!” Roo had tried to warn her about the sleepwalking but she hadn’t realised just how bad it could get. She just couldn’t get her to wake up! “Oh God!” she gasped, “God, please wake up, Roo! Please sweetie?! Wake up!”

“Noooo!” Roo screamed again, struggling to free her wrists as a doctor and nurse held her down to the bed, “Please don’t!” She watched in horror as the other surgeon stuck the needle into the cannula in the back of her hand and started to administer the blue jelly in the syringe. She watched it disappear and felt a cold sensation flood up her arm. She turned her head to look at Matt, as tears flooded down her cheeks, and suddenly found that she couldn’t breathe. It was like her lungs had shut down and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t force any air inside.

“I’ll always love you” said Matt, shaking his head at her sadly, “I’ll look after her for you and tell her all about you when she’s old enough.”

“Roo!” cried Leah, noticing how blue her lips had gone, “Breathe, sweetie! Please, just take a breath!”

[Guest]

Great chapter

Liked Leah looking after Roo.

Seems like the blind restaurant was going well.

I hope Roo will be okay!

Update again soon

 

[Inactive User]

Great chapter 

Liked how Leah is there for Roo 

Hoping Roo will be alright 

Looking forwards to the next chapter Xx

[Ludub]

3 hours ago, Kristen said:

Seems like the blind restaurant was going well.

Thanks Kristen, glad you enjoyed it  I reckon copious amounts of alcohol tends to loosen people up a bit but we'll see how the rest of the evening goes.   

22 minutes ago, ~JarlieFanEver~ said:

Liked how Leah is there for Roo

Thanks Jarlie , yeah its good that Roo has a close friend like her. Think she's probably a bit shocked to finally see Roo's sleepwalking for herself!