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Wingate University Hospital
Present, October 12th
“He stays!” Cianne yelled. The heavy wooden chair she was sitting in hit the floor hard behind her as she stood.
A few of the Guards flinched, including Cassius, who continued to watch her when all the other Guards lowered their gazes in submission.
Caleb had positioned himself in front of her. He kept his eyes on Cassius and the several Royal Guards who stood behind their commander just inside the doorway.
“Until,” she said then softly added as she looked at Cassius, “until I want him to go.”
Cianne knew there was no way she could fight them off. The abilities she inherited from Caleb were untried, raw, and unpredictable. He advised her that using them was the only way to learn but she feared that she might seriously hurt someone if she lashed out in anger.
She was also unsure of her Coesen abilities at the moment.
By the way the Guards quickly lowered their eyes, Cianne knew they feared her. Hell, she feared herself, but she would not let them harm Caleb. He was her father, and even though he was an unconscionable killer who didn’t look a day over twenty-five, he found her and helped her when no one else could.
She wouldn’t make him leave her side. Not now, not ever.
Cianne watched Caleb bend down with his eyes still locked on the eight men who stood by the doorway. His movements were slow and deliberate as he picked up the chair and placed it behind her to sit.
She eased herself down on the chair but kept her eyes on the current threat.
Cassius balled his fist at his side. “You don’t know what he’s—”
“He stays,” Cianne interrupted, relaying a calm in her tone she didn’t feel. She had to stay calm, that’s what Caleb told her. Though her heart raced and she felt energized.
When she saw the Guards backing away, some out of the room, she thought they finally understood, but her relief faded when she saw Vivian entering the room. The guards only made way for their Sovereign, and not because of her decree.
Vivian walked over to the side of the hospital bed. She regarded Cianne and Caleb, who were on the other side, then she looked to Cassius and his men who remained near the entrance. Statuesque and beautiful, Vivian took in the scene for a few seconds then raised her hand.
Cianne saw Cassius give Vivian a pleading look before slightly lowering his head. The commander of the Royal Guard spun around then stalked through the doorway. His Guard followed him silently.
“They need to take him now,” Vivian said softly, looking at Cianne. She gave Caleb a sideways glance but quickly turned her gaze back to Cianne. “I should inform his parents of the situation.”
“I don’t want them told yet,” Cianne said quickly. She stood and walked in a small circle then looked to Vivian. Her nerves were shot. The day’s events had almost broken her until... Until Caleb. Her burning eyes found his. Blue-green eyes, eyes the exact shade of her own, stared back at her, unflinching. “I just want to be sure first.”
Vivian agreed with a nod of the head. She then turned to leave, only hesitating for a moment before exiting the room.
Cianne turned to face Caleb. “Why can’t you heal him completely?”
“I don’t know,” Caleb said. His tone suggested he couldn’t care less but the intensity of his stare told a different story.
Cianne envied the strength Caleb emitted. She liked that about him.
“What about me? Can I heal him?” Even if it killed her, she would do it.
Caleb sighed as if he knew her question and her determination before she even asked it. “Even if you were able, you’d run the risk of killing him. Your abilities have been dormant for many years. It’s too risky.”
Cianne dragged her hand over her eyes and down her face. “Do you think he’ll survive surgery?” she finally asked.
“Tristan is strong,” Caleb said, “he’s alive only because he is a fighter.”
Cianne offered Caleb a half smile then sat back in the chair next to the hospital bed. She laid her head next to Tristan’s leg. Taking his cool hand in hers, she closed her eyes and tried to will Tristan to fight harder. To fight for her, the kids, for them.
She didn’t look up when she heard the knock on the door or when she heard the footsteps of someone entering the room. She lifted her head only when Caleb touched her shoulder.
“Hello, Soahn.” The man stood just inside the room. He said nothing for several long uncomfortable moments as he stared at her. When Caleb cleared his throat, the man dressed as a doctor swung his gaze to Caleb and creased his brows, then began to speak again. “My name is Dr. Kevin Bannerman. I’m Tristan’s doctor and I will be performing his procedure.” With that, the doctor waved in a team of people who began rearranging wire and tubes that were running from the wall into or on Tristan’s body.
Cianne stood when the staff moved the bed to roll Tristan out of the room. She hurried over and kissed Tristan several times on his face and lips.
“Forever,” she whispered in his ear. He heard me. He will listen.
Cianne reluctantly moved out the way so the bed could be rolled out of the room. She walked aimlessly out into the hallway and watched as Tristan was rolled further away from her.
“Cianne,” Caleb said, his tone low but clear.
Cianne turned around. She raised her palms to her cheeks and wiped at the tears as she looked at Caleb and the nurse who stood beside him. It was the same nurse who held her hand in the operating room when she gave birth.
Gave birth, she thought. Oh God, my babies.
She’d run out of the operating room and straight to the emergency room when Caleb told her Tristan wasn’t dead. That he saved Tristan and was keeping him stable. Now, Tristan was being prepped for surgery after previously being pronounced clinically dead.
Cianne’s watery eyes fell on Caleb. The realization that he had saved Tristan brought on more tears. She owed him everything. She would never be able to repay him.
“Would you like to get cleaned up?” the nurse asked.
Cianne sniffed as she glanced down at the hospital gown and lab coat she wore. Her hands moved to her hair and immediately got tangled. Cianne dropped her hands and looked at the nurse. “Yes,” she said. “Then I want to see my children.”
It was then that Cianne noticed the wheelchair the nurse moved toward her. She didn’t want that and started to shake her head no when she glanced over at Vivian’s pleading eyes.
Fine. She rolled what she could only assume were red puffy eyes, but sat in the wheelchair anyway.
The nurse wheeled her through a maze of brightly lit hallways until they came to an elevator. She wheeled Cianne through the elevator doors as Caleb held them open. Caleb slid inside the compartment with them and the nurse pressed a button.
“Now, you will be on the floor where we keep our new mothers.”
Once off the elevator, the nurse pushed the wheelchair down a hall then into the first open room. It was huge and didn’t resemble any hospital room she’d ever seen on television. The bed was huge with shimmery cream sheets and tons of pillows. There were upholstered furnishings and television in the sitting area, a huge window, and a dinette set for eating. The room resembled a motel room but so much nicer.
“I’m sorry about the wheelchair. Keeping up appearances is very important to us,” the nurse explained as they stopped beside a closed door inside the room. “I speak for all Coesen here when I say that we are honored to care for you and your family, Soahn.” The nurse bent to lift the foot rest then smiled up at Cianne. “Congratulations.” The nurse bowed before leaving the room.
Cianne immediately turned to find Caleb giving the room a once over. “Don’t leave me, ok.”
“I won’t,” Caleb silently sent back to her. He walked over to the window and peered out of it.
Closing her eyes, Cianne took a deep breath. She took another before she opened her eyes and pushed open what she figured was the bathroom door. With a flick of her fingers over the light switch, the room lit up. Cianne moved over to the shower, pulled open the stall door and turned the faucet handle. She expected to feel pain or at least sore when she slipped out of the lab coat and hospital gown but she didn’t. In fact, her body felt physically perfect.
Not at all like the victim of a shooting or someone who just had twins.
Inside the shower she didn’t register if the water was too warm or too cold as she washed the dried blood from her body and hair as quickly as she could while images of Bianca’s vengeance echoed in her mind.
Once clean, Cianne quickly dried off as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. It was her, yet it wasn’t.
Unwilling to deal with what that all meant, Cianne focused on a large designer bag that rested on the floor by the door. That wasn’t there before. She grabbed up the bag, opened it up, and fingered through the contents inside. Everything inside the bag was new but was similar to her favorite things she used often at home.
Cianne dressed then took a brush from the bag. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she made every effort to control the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her while she untangled her hair. She’d learned a lot from Vivian over the past year, a lot about keeping her emotions in check. But she could barely contain her anger over Bianca’s choice to take her father from her.
Intense emotions pulsed through Cianne with every beat of her heart. Fear for the man she loved threatened to break her. Hope that Tristan would pull through drove her. Anxiety over the possibility of raising her children without Tristan beside her was the most helpless feeling she’d ever known.
Bottle it up. Bottle it up.
When Cianne exited the bathroom, she walked to the bed, using it as her point of focus. She didn’t look at Caleb as she climbed into the hospital bed for fear that she would just lose her mind. Too much had happened. She didn’t want to be around anyone but she didn’t want to be alone either.
She wanted to scream but the last time she lost control she destroyed an operating room.
After several minutes of silence, Cianne spoke. “I don’t know what I should call you. I mean,” she looked at Caleb, “do I call you Caleb or...” Her eyes filled with tears again as she thought of her father and how she would never see him again.
Cianne lowered her head as she eyed Caleb. He stood with his back to her as he continued to peer out of the large window. It seemed as if he either hadn’t heard her or that he had and just wasn’t going to respond.
“I can’t remember the pain I felt or if I felt any pain at all when I lost my father. But know that if there was a way that I could have helped Joseph, for you Cianne, I would have.” He tilted his head downward and to the side so that she could see his profile. “Caleb...will be fine.”
“Alright...Caleb.”
Cianne wanted to say more. A million questions swirled around her disjointed mind but the horror of the day kept creeping to the forefront, causing her to break down again. She lifted her head when something appeared in front of her blurred vision. Caleb was handing her a box of tissue. When she looked at him, at his shockingly youthful face, Cianne wanted to tell him that she was happy he was with her. That she dreamed of meeting him but there was a knock on the door.
“Knock, knock.” The familiar nurse pushed open the hospital room door. Another nurse followed her.
Cianne braced herself as the two nurses walked into her room, each pushing a newborn bassinet. She couldn’t see much from the position she was in so she sat up as the bassinettes were wheeled beside the bed. Just the tops of their heads peaked out of the blankets they were wrapped in. And only a few dark curls were visible under the little hats they wore.
Butterflies somersaulted in Cianne’s stomach. Nervous, she looked to Caleb for some sort of...support, but he was staring down at the children with a look of awe on his face.
One of the nurses carefully lifted the baby who was wrapped in a blue blanket and wore the blue hat. “This is your baby boy,” the nurse smiled.
Cianne opened her arms and the nurse gently placed the baby in them. She cradled the soft bundle close to her and sniffed in his baby scent as she brushed her head over his hat. Then she slowly pulled down the part of the blanket that covered him. Cianne cooed when she saw his round delicate face. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful but the red glow of his cheeks was stark against his fair skin tone, suggested that he’d maybe just settled down. Her baby boy grunted then wiggled, causing Cianne to freeze as if she had done something wrong.
She stiffened and shot the nurse closest to her a panicked look.
“It’s fine,” the nurse said, “he’s getting comfortable.”
Cianne slowly let her body settle back then touched his little fingers and inspected his tiny nails. When she touched his chin, the baby opened his pink rose petal lips and stuck out his tiny tongue. Cianne laughed as joyful tears slid down her face. She lifted him and rubbed his precious face against hers before kissing him as softly as she could on the cheek.
“He smells so nice,” she transferred as she looked over at Caleb.
Caleb looked amazed when their eyes met. She looked back to the baby and gently slid his blue hat off his head. A full head of thick black curls stretched straight as Cianne removed the hat, then bounced back to his tiny head. Cianne touched a curl.
“It feels like silk,” she chuckled.
“And this is your baby girl,” the other nurse said.
Cianne looked at her boy once more before she handed him back to the nurse who initially gave him to her. She then took her baby girl in her arms and laughed. “They look identical.”
“For now,” the nurse said, “they are fraternal so as they grow they will start to look different.”
Cianne inspected her beautiful baby girl just as she did the boy but realized she forgot something. She laid her daughter on her lap, pulled the blanket down and gently tilted her baby’s head to look behind the baby’s ear. She then looked behind the other baby’s ear.
“They have no mark,” she said with surprise.
“Neither of them has the mark, Ms. Baxter.” The nurse holding the baby boy said.
Cianne almost smiled. Her babies may have escaped her fate.
She lifted her daughter up to her face and kissed her on the cheek. “You are so beautiful Nadia (Nah-di-a),” she said. Cianne placed her little girl on the bed between her legs. Then she reached for her son. When the nurse gave Cianne her son she lifted him up and kissed him again. “And you are my miracle...”
