Death of a Waterfall (The Hayden Falls Saga) (23 page)

Rob's smile faded. "Just surprised is all. You really should drink something." He nodded at the glass.

"I don't want anything from you," she said.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about, Teghan."

"What?"

"You're letting your feelings toward me stop you from doing what's best for that baby."

Teghan glared at him but still refused to drink the juice. She noticed her hands were trembling. She flexed her fingers and moved her wrists in a circular motion.

"Suit yourself," Rob said with a shrug.

"Fine," she said snatching the glass from the coffee table. She'd be damned if he thought he'd somehow won. Teghan took a long swallow. It didn't taste great, but it was making her feel a little bit better. She took another sip. "On the phone you said if I was serious about having this baby, which
I am
, that I'd need help. Are you offering?"

"What are your plans? Have you and Donnie talked about what you're going to do?"

"Yes. Donnie talked to his academic advisor and has started the paperwork to transfer to HFU."

"That's a start, I guess. But what college he attends isn't going to feed, clothe, and house a baby."

Teghan yawned. She didn't know what was worse: the morning sickness or the fatigue? "He has some money saved," she said around another yawn. "Enough to get a small apartment."

"And when his savings are gone?"

She shrugged and slouched against the back of the couch. "He's looking for a job."

"Are you?"

"I've thought about it, about getting a part-time job in the evenings."

"Who's going to watch the baby while you two work and attend classes?"

"We've still got a few months to figure all that out."

"This won't be easy," Rob said.

Teghan rubbed her eyes and yawned again. Why was she so tired all of a sudden? "Are you going to help us or not?"

Rob steepled his fingers under his chin and paused. "Yes, Teghan, I'm going to help you."

"Really?" Relief and dread washed over her--Relief that she wouldn't have to stress about money and dread over how Donnie would react to the news. He'd made it very clear that he didn't want Rob's help; that he could, and would, provide for her and their child on his own. Donnie wasn't going to be pleased.

"It's going to be on my terms."

What else was new? "And what are your terms?" She knew better than to have asked that question, but it was too late now. Teghan swallowed the bile rising in her throat and tried to prepare herself for his answer as she finished the juice.

"First of all, you'll move back in here, without Donnie."

"No," Teghan said.

"I'll hire a nanny to care for the baby while you attend classes." He got up, went to his bar, and poured himself a shot of whiskey. The smell made Teghan gag. "We can sit down with Donnie and work out a visitation schedule," he continued. "He'll have to pay child support, of course."

Teghan leaned forward and dropped her head into her hands. What was her father saying? He sounded like he was a million miles away. Visitation? A nanny? Child support? That's not what she wanted. She wanted to live with Donnie and raise the baby with him. Christ, why was the floor moving?

"This will give both of you a little freedom. Donnie can finish his degree at CIT while you..."

What? No! She opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She stood and the room spun around her.

"Teghan?"

Her father stood beside her, steadying her. When did he get here? she wondered.

"Teghan?" he repeated.

He gently shook her and she wobbled on her feet. "I love Donnie," she said.

"You should sit down."

Teghan squinted at her father. He looked fuzzy--all three of him.

"Sit down," Rob said, "take another drink."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. The room was still spinning. Her mouth was dry. She took the glass from her father's hand and swallowed a tiny sip. Then she bent over and vomited all over Rob's shoes.

~ * ~

"For Christ's sake," Rob muttered as he jumped back. Now he was going to have to clean that up. He didn't have time for this. The doctor had been very clear--give her two and a half tablets, diluted in liquid, and as soon as she was asleep, Rob had exactly thirty minutes to get Teghan to the doctor. It was going to be cutting it close now. Teghan flopped back on the couch and groaned.

"Teghan?" He walked over and kneeled beside the couch. "Teghan?" He nudged her and she didn't move. When she'd thrown up, he was glad he'd decided to double the dosage so that whatever was now on his den floor, he could be sure that there was still plenty more in her system. But he was beginning to wonder if he'd used too much. Had he just accidently over-dosed his daughter? Rob put his hand on her forehead, she felt warm and clammy. He grabbed her wrist, her pulse was slow, but steady and he could see her chest rising and falling. She was still breathing. Good. He checked his watch. Twenty-five minutes left. Rob scooped her up and cradled her in his arms as he carried her through the house and into the garage. Sliding her into the backseat, he brushed the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, Teghan. I'm going to take care of you. This will all be over soon."

Chapter Nineteen

Rob stood at the foot of Teghan's bed and watched her sleep. He had a bad feeling that something was wrong. It'd been three full days since she'd been to the doctor's and she hadn't regained consciousness enough to do anything other than take medicine and use the bathroom. He hadn't heard her speak any coherent thoughts during those times, and now he was really beginning to worry that maybe he'd crossed the line. He kept telling himself that it had to be done, that he'd had no other choice, but seeing her like that, hallow and lifeless, had him second guessing himself. And that pissed him off because Robert Jacobs didn't make mistakes. One thing was for sure, if that doctor had fucked up, he wouldn't live to see the end of the week.

~ * ~

Teghan shivered. She felt cold and confined, her legs sore and tired as if she'd just run a marathon she hadn't trained for, her arms numb and stiff, inexplicably stuck by her sides, and her mouth stuffed full of cotton balls. Her head was pounding, a searing, razor sharp pain that made her temples throb. And she couldn't open her eyes, yet she could see the light above her. It was so bright it was blinding. She gave up and stopped fighting, succumbing to sleep.

Ah, sweet warmth. She felt free from her confinement, able to roll over and back again, tossing and turning, getting wrapped up in something. Panic washed over her. It was soft and suffocating. She thrashed her arms and kicked her legs. Ouch! Pain. So much pain. She was sitting on the toilet. Razors sliced through her vagina as she peed. She opened her legs and looked in the toilet bowl. Blood. 'I'm bleeding,' she screamed.

'Relax, Teghan. It's okay. You're just menstruating.' The metallic stench of blood filled her nostrils. Get it out. She had to get it out of her mouth, out of her throat and stomach. It was vile. Sour, bitter oranges oozed into her gut. She had to roll over. Had to throw up. It was too late. She didn't make it. Sticky. Vomit and blood. Mixing. Swirling. Gluing her to the bed. Gluing the fuzzy cocoon to her body. She couldn't move again.

Tired. So tired. She yawned, surrendering to oblivion. Sweet, sweet darkness. Teghan groaned. Or she thought she groaned. She'd meant to groan, but her lips felt so heavy. Her whole body felt heavy.

"Are you keeping her sedated?"

That voice. Who was it? She'd heard it before. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping, trying to figure it out.
No! Don't close your eyes. Open them.
Her lids creaked open. Oh, the light. It was too bright. They snapped closed again.

"Yes, she's been getting two pills every eight hours."

Daddy!

"Good. Tomorrow I want you to decrease the dosage to one. It's time to start weaning her off or else we'll risk her becoming addicted."

She wanted to giggle. That man sounded so funny.

"Thank you, doctor."

Teghan walked up to the counter. She was starving and dehydrated. Food. Water. Something, anything to sustain her. A baby handed her a glass of juice. 'Time for your medicine, Teghan.' Why was there a baby working behind the counter of a fast food restaurant? She sipped the cold liquid and spit it out. It tasted rotten. Bitter.

'Come on, sweetie. If you don't take this you won't get better. Just a little more. Drink up. Then you can go back to sleep.' She forced the stuff past her lips. 'Good girl.'

They were all babies. Clapping and cheering for her. The one working the milkshake machine was covered in ice cream. Licking it from its chubby fingers, rubbing it into its hair, throwing its hands in the air and giggling. Laughing. Smiling. It was infectious. Teghan began to laugh too. Until a man, a tall man with nothing but black fuzz for a face, came and took the baby playing in the ice cream. No! Don't take the baby. The baby behind the counter. Its arms and legs full of plastic tubes pumping orange liquid into its veins. It seemed happy, peaceful then it began to fade away. The tubes spilled orange froth to the floor. Bitter, rancid smelling concoction. Vomit. No, not again. It was too late. Someone had to save the baby.

"I'm worried about her, Rob."

Mommy? Oh how she's missed her.

"She's going to be fine, Rachel. The doctor said so himself."

"And the baby?"

Yes! Mom would save the baby.

"Maybe we should let her friends see her. I've read that people who are unconscious can hear things around them. Maybe if she heard some familiar voices it could help her."

Friends...she liked her friends. What were their names again? Al, something? Lucas? Harpony? Oh no, the blackness was returning, enveloping her, consuming her, carrying her away to the place of absurdity and nightmares. Please don't. No, not again.

The sand felt warm beneath her skin. The water was crystal clear for hundreds of miles. A school of fish, a catfish with whiskers so long they reached out and tickled her toes. She giggled and pulled her feet to her body. The sun, high in the sky cast a bright hue, blanketing everything its rays touched. She looked to her left--a mom with an infant, breastfeeding and smiling. She looked to her right--a dad playing catch with a baby.

The outer edges started to turn dark, the circle of objects bathed by the sun became smaller and smaller and smaller until only she was affected by its rays. She looked up. It wasn't the sun. A grossly large halogen lamp was suspended above her head. She tried to shield her eyes with her hand, but she couldn't. Her hands were strapped to a table. Her entire torso was strapped down. What happened to the beach? The sand? The sun? The fish-filled water?

Something cold, hard, made of metal was poking at her. Muffled sounds circulated the space around her. Aliens? That was crazy. She hadn't been abducted by aliens. But what was that thing standing over her then? Blue skin, camouflage hair, two brown marbles where there should've been eyes, and no nose or mouth, just a piece of white cardboard.

Icy cool juice pulsated in her body and tingled in her veins. Sweet, glorious sleep.

"I've done exactly as you've said, Doctor. She's down to half a pill every twelve hours and she's still showing no signs of waking up."

"She's been on this drug for just over a week. It's going to take some time to work out of her system. Have some patience. I assure you, she's fine."

There was a large glass window. She couldn't see through it, but she was positive someone was behind it, watching her, caring for her. She could feel their presence. And she was certain that whoever it was, was the same person who'd brought her here. Where was here? The place smelled clean. Sterile. Safe. It was a man. He stood near the foot of the bed she lay on. She could tell he was talking, his lips were moving, but no sound came from them. A nod to the stranger behind the window. A nod to her then...

"I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I hope you can. You need to get better soon, Teeg. We all miss you."

Only three people called her that. Her brother, Alex, and Annabelle. It was a man's voice. Trevor or Alex? She couldn't be sure. Sweet, gentle Alex. He'd wanted to marry her. But she wasn't going to let him. Was she? I don't know. Maybe. She stood in front of a church in a wedding dress. It was empty save for the man at the altar. It wasn't Alex. Walking, slowly, one step then another and another and another. The closer she got the further away he seemed. She reached out her hand to him. It wasn't a man. It was a baby. Naked save for a diaper. Crying. It wouldn't stop crying. Why? Please, baby, please stop crying. She reached for it. It was gone. Vanished. Disappeared into thin air. Someone took her hand. Fingers twisted around hers. Holding. Squeezing. Caressing. She looked up. She was alone. The floating hand still held onto her, grounding her, refusing to let her drift back to the serenity of nothingness.

"Annie is going crazy without you. She calls me a hundred times a day. She's worried about you, Teghan. So am I."

The darkness is fading into something less obscure. Something lighter, but not bright like the sun or the halogen lamp that still hovered over her, something fuzzy. Flashes. Blurry faces. People stood around her. Mom. Dad. Trevor. Tayla. Annie. Alex. Someone was missing. Who? Donnie. 'I can't tonight.' He couldn't. 'Fine.' He was busy. She'd go alone. It would be okay.