Jewel's Life

21

Once her father focuses his attention on her, Jessica looks down at the floor and won't make eye contact.

"I'm waiting Jessica. Where's your mother and the other staff? Why are you all running around yelling and screaming like this?"

"Weelll, I may or may not have snuck out last night and gotten a bunch of snacks that we may or may not have been forbidden from having. After the adults went to bed we may or may not have eaten said snacks resulting in many of us getting sick. Several of those getting sick didn't make it to the bathroom or garbage can. 

"The staff is working on cleaning up the mess. We were sent out of the room so that they could clean up the mess without us making more of a mess.

"We are hungry so we went to our mothers to have them help us, but Michelle is running between Sarah, Jennifer and mom. They are all sick. I heard Michelle say that mother is so sick that she's been throwing up the blood you all left for the babies. There isn't any left. She said that mother is too sick to get out of bed now. Sarah is little better and Jennifer is staying with her since she isn't that sick yet.

"I heard her say it's because they are so worried. Why are they worried dad?" Jessica looks up at her beloved father with wide innocent eyes. 

At her words about their wives being sick Aiden and Azlo make for the stairs but stop short at Jessica's question. That's when realization hits them all. No one had bothered to let their wives know that the fight was over and they were all right.

"Go to your wives, we'll take care of the kids," Andres says softly. Mary Ann already herding them into the kitchen to get them some food. She makes sure that it's something easy on the stomach. The last thing they need is for the children to be sick once more.

Azlo and Aiden head towards Azlo's room. Both biting their bottom lip and both getting ready for some major apologizing.

Adam heads to his room but finds it empty. Confused he heads to Jewel's old room and finds the door locked. Arthur at his heels anxious to see his wife.

Adam knocks but there is no answer. He knocks again and Michelle answers, "What?" Michelle answers. She's tired and looks it and so her natural fear of Adam is gone and  in it's place is irritation. 

"Let me see her." Adam orders trying to push past Michelle who is blocking his way.

Michelle though isn't moving and when Adam goes to physically remove her Arthur growls low. Adam stops immediately. "Let me in Michelle." There is a definite warning in his tone.

"She doesn't want to see you. Hell, she doesn't want to see any of you. I had to force her to let me in." Michelle's words stop Adam. He looks at her and finds her tired and worn.

"What's going on, Michelle?" Adam finally asks.

Michelle sniffs, "You and all the bright boys, when was the fighting finished?"

"Sometime between nine and ten I think. We weren't really paying attention to the time." Adam says irritably, he doesn't understand what the problem is.

"Yeah, that's the problem. You weren't but all of us left at home were. We've been worried sick about you. If it hadn't of been for Margo letting us know that you were all right it wouldn't be just Julie and Sarah too sick to be out of bed. 

"Julie is sure that either you all are dead or you don't give a shit about her because not one of you bright boys has bothered to let her or any of your wives know that you are alright. But I see in your case, that might be an over statement." Michelle says taking in the dried blood from his wound on his arm. The wound itself had healed hours ago.

"Michelle, you aren't making any sense," Adam says irritably.

Michelle looks at Adam with narrowed eyes, "Have you learned nothing about your wife in the last decade?"

"Shit." Arthur says quietly, "Adam, Jewel worried herself sick. We didn't check in with her and let her know that we are all right like we promised. Now she thinks we don't give a shit. When push came to shove we shoved right past without looking back."

Now Adam knows fear. Last time this happened he nearly lost her. "Let me in Michelle." Michelle doesn't move. "Arthur please remove your wife from the doorway?" The request may have been posed as a question but Arthur doesn't hesitate because he hears the command there.

"Arthur, no! She doesn't want to see him." Michelle does everything she can to stop Arthur from moving her, but he neither listens nor allows her to continue blocking the doorway.

"It's between them now love. You need to rest, I'm sorry that I didn't let you know. We were just focused on finishing up so that we could get home as fast as we could." Arthur says carrying his wife back to their room, trying to mollify her and not having much success.

"Shit," Adam says softly. If Michelle is that bad then Julie is going to be even worse. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before stepping into the room. He goes over to the bed and looks at the person laying on it.

Julie looks far worse than Michelle. Her face is more pale than he's ever seen it and her eyes are sunken in. The dark circles under her eyes make her look like she's been in a fight and got two black eyes. This isn't the woman he left the day before. 

He looks at her aura and sucks in his breath. He's sick at what he's seeing. The red outer layer is still there but her white aura is nearly completely gray. This isn't good, isn't good at all.

Adam silently calls for both Aaron and Alex. The others will be dealing with their wives and needing to keep this from happening to them.

The two called come running at the urgency he put in his call. They come to a stop at her bedside and when they look at her they understand.

"No, no, no, no." Alex says and drops to Julie's side and takes her hand, not again.

"Adam, what are we going to do?" Aaron asks gently.

Before Adam can answer, Julie does, "Get the fuck out of my room." There is no doubt that she means all of them but her eyes are staring directly at Adam. She's removed her hand from Alex's hold and they can all feel the anger pouring off her.

"Julie-" Adam starts but Julie cuts him off.

"I want you out of here, now! I'm too unimportant to be taking two seconds to let me know you're alive then you don't need to be here now. Get out!"

Guilt assails all three of them. She's right. All they had to do was open the link and let her know that they are all right. They could easily have done that while doing the clean up and they hadn't.

"Get out!" Julie screams this time but this seems to use up her energy and she passes out.