Chapter 24

DAVID KEPT WALKING ANXIOUSLY around the room as if he couldn't standstill. Piece by piece, the sleep-deprived, Amazonian man mentally pulled on his hair, glancing at the clock and then glancing at the bathroom door like a crazed maniac.

It had been approximately 20 minutes since Dawn surged out of bed and raced into the bathroom without warning and he was apprehensive, flinching to the sound of her horrifying gags that got intense by the minute.

"Dawn, honey are you okay? let me in" he prodded, pulling on the doorknob even if he knew it was sealed.

He didn't get it. He didn't get why she hid from him. They have been together for years and he has certainly seen way more irritable things than her vomit. He wanted to be romantic. He wanted to hold her hair up and gently tap her back but that damn woman didn't let him in.

"Dawn come on" he begged, not sure why he was so desperate to see her vomiting.

"I'll be out in a minute!" she assured between bouts of choking out the salad she had for dinner.

David sighed exasperatedly and rubbed his head. For the past few days, Dawn had been having constant upchucks at random intervals and it was beginning to unnerve him. She had coaxed him into believing that it was just her insides filtering the large Cajun meals and in addition to her claims, the doctor confirmed common stomach flu, but still.

After a moment, Dawn wiped the bile from her lips and stared at the mashed-up food drifting in the toilet water. She felt pensive. The taste of vomit as it passed between her open jaws filled her with shame and regret. She coughed and spat out an errant corner of spinach before wiping the last of the sick away from her lips and rising up to rinse the involuntary tears that had streamed down her eye.

The faucet ran and she washed her face, spitting out the slivers of fluid stuck in the sides of her mouth. It was repulsing and there was nothing quite like the smell of slime that always followed regurgitation.

When she wobbled out of the bathroom, David rushed to her side.

"Are you alright?"

Well, that was one hell of a stupid question. He mentally slapped himself. Of course, she wasn't alright, the redness in her cheeks and fogginess in her eyes validated it.

Dawn moaned in dismay and clutched her torso. "I'm...fine" she mumbled almost inaudibly and then swayed, resting her body on David who shot out his hand to immediately catch her from falling.

Her body simmered. He hated it, he hated that times like this he felt helpless. He lifted her into his arms and she let out a weak protest, heaving softly as he guided her to the bed and settled her on top of the covers.

Dawn carefully leveled herself to rest against the headboard and David sat by the edge, positioning her legs on his thighs.

"Do I look that bad?" She asked, after a near second of noticing his stare.

"You look awful."

"Gee thanks. That's just the thing every woman wants to hear from their husband"

David chuckled softly and gently stroked her thighs.

"I've never seen you this sick before and honestly," he pressed his lips together and sighed deeply. He was scared.

Dawn smiled weakly and tapped his shoulder. "I'm fine David. I just need some rest and some food" she assured but he didn't look convinced. "If it makes you feel any better, Paula will be here soon" she added.

David groaned. "Why don't I just stay home instead?" He asked, silently hoping she would say yes but his shoulders slumped when she shook her head.

"No David, staying here would only make us both fall sick"

He shrugged "I don't mind"

"I think it's going to be pretty weird with you and Paula trying to babysit me at the same time" she joked and laughed at the slight look of contempt on his face.

David sighed. Although he didn't want to leave her alone in such condition, he had to because that was her preference. He honestly didn't understand women. One minute they wanted attention and the next, they were pushing you away.

He slowly placed her legs back on the bed and pulled the covers to rest on her torso.

"Alright" he got up and stretched his ruffled suit "I'll be back early with your favorite snacks, hopefully, you'll be fine by then" he lowered himself and placed a soft kiss on her head.

"I love you David" she muttered and he ran a finger across her cheek in a light caress.

"I love you too," he picked up his suitcase and turned back to her. "You sure you don't want me to sta -"

"Bye David" she chuckled, waving him off.

"Alright, alright fine. I'm going" reluctant, he walked towards the door but paused again and turned. "If you need anything don't hesitate to call me okay?"

She smiled and nodded to his request. David opened his mouth to protest but then closed it, hesitating before walking out and the minute she heard the gates close, she flung off the blanket and whisked into the bathroom, releasing yet another portion of her dinner.

Paula arrived shortly after Dawn had taken a cold shower and tidied herself up. She was sitting on her bed and trying to keep her light breakfast down when she heard the knock on the door.

She scuttled out of her bed and stumbled up to her door and opened it, revealing the pregnant brunette who grinned at her sister's horrible form.

"You look awful." Paula commented and Dawn sighed.

"Way to state the obvious" she closed the door behind her and waddled back to bed, carefully lowering herself onto the mattress and reveling in the softness of the sheets.

"Where's David?" Paula asked, surveying the room.

"Out for work"

"What kind of a man leaves his sick wife at home?" she snorted, plopping down on the bed.

"Well I basically forced him out of the house" she shrugged and Paula reached into her bag for a canned blend.

"Here take this?" She urged and Dawn eyed the can with suspicion.

"What's that?"

"It will help with the vomiting"

Dawn swiveled the can and took a sip, instantly wincing at the horrendous bitterness.

"What the hell is in that?" She asked in disapproval.

"Just some melted protein bars and native soup, how does it taste?"

"Bitter and chalky" she spat, wiping the curve of her lips.

"Since when did the symptoms start?"

Dawn shrugged. "I don't know"

"Take this seriously Araceli, you could actually be with child you know"

Dawn laughed at the impossibility in that statement.

"I doubt that" she rolled her tired eyes to the side.

"The signs all point to a yes, morning sickness, breast tenderness, and overly high sensitivity" she marked out.

"They are also symptoms of my menstrual sequence" she shrugged the thought off and Paula slapped her legs.

"Paula!" She exclaimed disapprovingly.

"You're supposed to be the smart one and now you act like a dumb witted moron"

"By the way that hurt!" She rubbed her legs "and I'm always on birth control pills so the odds are zero to none"

"Why the hell are you taking those?"

She paused and thought quickly. "Because we aren't ready to start a family yet"

"And you're consented to that idea?"

"Well yes"

Paula sighed. "It's clear that David is influencing you and your thinking. The Dawn I knew would give anything to have kids of her own"

"I changed" she muttered.

"The things we do for love" she rubbed her head. "Nonetheless, the chances of pregnancy are still at a twenty percent odd so I'm going to take your samples"

She reached into her bag for her test tube.

"Will you do me a favor and urinate in this can?"

Dawn eyed the can and scrunched her face.

"You've done worse, just get on with it"

"Fine" she dragged and slugged out of bed.

Minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom "Here" she handed it over and slid back into bed.

"I'll let the doctor test your samples and have the results out hopefully In a few days or two. For now, you have to stay in bed and don't let that moron near your body okay?"

Dawn nodded and smiled. Knowing full well that it was going to be hard to keep David away from penetrating her four walls. That man never stopped coming.

***

DAVID GROANED AND SHIFTED HIS TIE to the corner as he sucked in a huge amount of air. Friday's were always a little rocky, nothing he couldn't handle but still.

"Is that all?" He asked, picking up one of the ledgers on his desk and flicking through it.

His assistant nodded.

"Very well then, send the rest editions to my email and I'll work from home"

"Yes sir" she nodded and exited the office, giving David a moment to toss the files on his desk and slump on his chair, puffing out a frustrating sigh.

He rubbed a hand over his face and checked the time on his watch, it was 15 minutes past 7, that time of the evening when the sun cast long shadows on the ground - the slanting rays of the setting sun giving a warm orange tinge to the sky.

David slapped his hands on his knees and pushed himself up with a sigh. He packed up his things and took the elevator to the parking lot where he prowled into the car and drove home, stopping by the shopping mart first, to pick up a few groceries.

"Chocolate or cream?" He asked over the phone as he stared indecisively at both packs of cookies.

Dawn chuckled tiredly. "Chocolate"

After inquiring about Paula and confirming that she had left, he rode the rest mile home and arrived at the gates but then, he noticed a certain figure bending over by the carved hedges. It was a female and she looked too familiar.

He Parked and stepped down, straddling the groceries along as he took cautious steps closer to her.

"Who's there?" He asked slowly and she instantly jerked up, brushing off the dirt from her dusty skirt.

"Spencer" she choked "it's me"

That voice... He dropped the grocery and walked closer.

When she stepped forward, the lightning of the street lamp shifted and touched her face, making David's eyes widen in disbelief as he instantly recognized her. White skin, Scarlett hair, freckled face. How could he forget.

"Stella?" He mumbled softly and she nodded, her watery Creole-colored eyes twinkling against the night light, she had been crying, they were red, foggy.

"C-can we please talk, I have something very important to tell you" she muttered. There was desperation in her voice. It feared him.

"It's about Stacey..."

Stacey...

He took few hasty steps backward, the mere mention of that name making his heart pound. He never thought he'd have to hear that name again and as it echoed, so did the unpleasant memories.... Memories he had long buried, or so he thought.