The Kidnapped Chronicles: The Lost Children

Chapter 6

The next three weeks are spent with Ellie helping Thomas accept the news of Cathleen's pregnancy. At the end of the second week, Julia reluctantly allows Ellie to go back home. When she and Thomas get to the penthouse, they're surprised to find Cathleen waiting outside. "Cathleen?" Ellie asks, "What are you doing here?"

Cathleen blushes and says, "I need to talk to Thomas."

"Okay, come on in. You and him can talk once I'm sitting down." She gives her an apologetic look. "I still can't move too well on my own."

"Okay." She follows Thomas and Ellie into the penthouse and to the living room.

Once Ellie is on the couch, Thomas asks Marie to look after her, and then leads Cathleen to his bedroom.

Thomas

"What's up?" he asks, once they're inside his room.

"What's up? What's up?" Cathleen yells at him, "That's all you have to say to me after you ghosted me for three weeks?"

"Uh, yeah, about that..."

"What excuse do you have now? Is it Ellie? Or her children?"

"No! I just needed time to process this whole pregnancy thing. Ellie's been really helpful."

"You still aren't happy."

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Cathleen. You deserve better than this, I just..." Cathleen waits quietly as Thomas finds a way to word his feelings. "...I just...I keep imagining Ellie getting injured and me not being there and her...and her..."

"Dying?" Cathleen finishes his sentence.

Thomas sits down on his bed and covers his face with his hands.''Yes, I know it's unreasonable and I understand if you don't understand. I'm just so afraid of losing her. I can't lose her, Cathleen, I can't, not after our parents, not after everything we've been through together."

"I understand. You can't help what you feel."

"I promise, I'm working on accepting your pregnancy. I will be present for our son or daughter, I promise. Ellie, she's really excited. She wants you to know that if you need help with anything to come to her. She'll help you with whatever you need."

"Oh...maybe...maybe I was wrong about her."

"She really is an amazing person, Cathleen. She'll always put you first, even if it means risking her own health. There are other reasons why I can't leave her alone too. I just didn't want to make you more upset."

"What are the other reasons?"

Thomas sighs. "She has a tendency to forget to eat and sometimes she can't sleep without me in the room with her."

"She still has nightmares?"

"Yeah, the severity of them depends on what's going on in our lives at the time. It's so hard seeing her so distraught though."

"That's normal, nobody likes to see their family members upset."

"Sometimes, her nightmares get so bad that she can't eat or sleep. She always ends up in the hospital when that happens."

"She has a lot of trauma in her past."

'Yeah, she sees a psychologist one or two times a week." They sit in silence for a few minutes. "Have you..." Thomas eventually begins to ask, "...have you set up a doctor's appointment yet?"

"Yes, it's this week."

"Text me the address. I'll be there."

"O...okay, I will."

They head back downstairs, where Ellie and Marie are gossiping and giggling with each other. When Ellie realizes that Thomas is back she asks, "Thomas, is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's good."

"That's good." She turns to Cathleen. "How are you doing, Cathleen?" she asks softly.

"Oh," Cathleen exclaims, surprised by Ellie's question, "I'm okay. I'm having some morning sickness, but it's nowhere near as bad as yours was."

Ellie laughs. "That's good to hear. I don't want anyone to go through what I did." She slowly begins to sit up.

"Ellie, lay back down," Thomas says.

"Thomas, I'm fine," she answers, "my shoulder hurts."

"If your shoulder hurts, you aren't fine."

"Thomas, it's broken, of course it hurts."

"I'm going to get you some ice for your shoulder." He looks at Marie. "Make sure she doesn't move too much."

"Aye, aye, captain," Marie answers, saluting him as he leaves the room.

Ellie lets out a giggle. "Marie, I'm not going to try and move. I can't walk on my own yet."

"Yeah, yeah," Marie responds, "that's what you say. Next thing we know is that you're up and trying to move around."

"Okay, that does sound like me, but I literally can't put weight on my leg without collapsing. I physically need help getting around or I'll end up on the floor."

"That's what you get for getting nailed in your ribcage with a troll's weapon."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to remind me."

Eventually, Thomas comes back with an ice pack and hands it to Ellie. "Put this on your shoulder," he says, as he hands the pack to her.

"Thomas?" Ellie asks, "Did you talk to Cathleen about moving into the apartment below us?":

"Uh..."

Ellie sighs and looks at Cathleen. "Would you be interested in moving into the apartment below us? That way Thomas and I can help you when needed."

"Oh, I'm not sure," Cathleen says, "I don't think I'll be able to afford..."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Thomas and I will cover everything."

"I couldn't..."

"We'll figure out an agreement then. You pay some of the rent and Thomas and I will cover the rest."

"O...okay. I need to talk to my sister. We live together and split the bills," she explains, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, your sister can move in too, if that's more convenient to both of you."

"I don't know, I...I have to talk to her first."

"Okay, just text Thomas whenever you make a decision."

"I will, thank you." Cathleen grabs her purse and leaves the penthouse.

"Thomas, she's angry at you," Ellie states.

"I know. I should've texted her over the last two weeks, but I..."

"You didn't text her for two weeks?"

"Ellie, you were in the hospital and I...I was processing things."

"That doesn't mean you can just ghost your girlfriend for two weeks!"

"I know, I'll make it up to her, I promise."

"Good, if you do that shit again, I'll kick your ass."