NEW MOON
The week flew by. The diner was swamped with customers, most of them were the regulars, and the others just came to see where the red-headed girl had died. This often got on Kayla’s nerve because she heard both their thoughts and conversations.
Once she tossed a couple of young boys out when she heard them speculating how her body was found. They tried to resist but were no match for her. Solara watched from his usual booth amused. He did not attempt to interfere with how Kayla had decided to handle things. Joany and the rest of the staff weren’t bothered either.
“I heard you turned in your resignation already. How did Joany take it?” it was Stephan’s day to spend time with her. He sat at the diner watching her work, it was good enough for him that they were in the same room.
“I did this morning. She wasn’t too happy about it but she understood. She was especially unhappy when Kayla and Vincent also quit.”
“What? Why?”
“They thought it was best. They said that they didn’t want anything else to happen. But I think that they just want to get out of this place.” She put the coffee pot on the table and sat down next to Stephan.
“It’s kind of hard looking at that wall and not seeing the message written in her blood.” Scarlet looked up at the ceiling, “Looking up and not seeing her hanging from the beams.” then her gaze fell on the kitchen counter, “or her head on the counter.”
“I am sorry.” He kissed her temple.
“It’s not your fault and you need to stop blaming yourself. It happened and we all have to live with it.” She was trying to make him feel better, she had been trying since the funeral.
“That’s what you keep telling me.”
“Besides, Joany thinks she already has our replacement. So she won’t suffer in any way. It’s been a good week, it’s time for me to focus on Washington now. And you and Kayla.” She got up when a customer signaled her for more coffee.
“By the way, this arrangement seems to be working out.” She nodded then sighed. “Well since I still work here, I’d better get cracking.”
“I’ll be here waiting.” He looked after her as she walked across the room. He wished he could but he couldn’t stop time and Zen hadn’t attacked so far and he hoped he wouldn’t for the next four weeks.
***
Scarlet weaved around the room, taking orders and filling coffee cups. She was dead on her feet and wasn’t feeling well either. When the exhaustion was too much to bear she signaled Vincent to cover for her. She went to the back to get some fresh air. Kayla breezed through the door behind her.
“What did Stephan say about coming back here on your own?” Kayla was upset. This was where Zen had spotted Marcie the first time.
Scarlet didn’t lift her head when she pointed in three directions. Kayla followed her finger and saw Xavier, Sam, and Eric.
“I’m not a complete idiot. I asked Vincent where they were and he told me they were here. So I came here.” She used her apron to fan herself. “Besides I’m in desperate need of fresh air. I’m not feeling that great.”
“Scarlet you don’t look that great either. Did you have something to eat?” she crouched next to her, Scarlet’s head had moved between her knees.
“Yes, the ham sandwich.”
“Scarlet, what did I tell you about eating Murphy’s sandwiches. Don’t worry it will pass soon. It’s just your body rejecting the poison.” She teased.
Scarlet wasn’t paying attention to her anymore, she could feel and taste bitter vile rise up her throat. She tried swallowing hard, hoping to push it back down, but it didn’t work. She quickly turned and placed her hand on the wall for support. She threw up everything she ate that day.
“Scarlet!” Kayla barked in fright. “Eric go get me some water.”
Eric ran into the diner to find Vincent. “I need a glass of water for Scarlet, she’s sick.”
Vincent handed him the water a worried look on his face. He watched as Eric ran out the same way he came in, he tried to go on with his work but couldn’t. He went out to the back he had to make sure she was fine. When he got there, Scarlet was still bent over throwing up.
***
Stephan watched them acting weird, not sure what to make of it, and ignored them. Solara came in and sat next to him.
“Hey, where did everyone go?” Solara was looking around the room. He zoned out for a second staring into space.
Stephan also looked up and for the first time noticed that they had all left. He knew that Scarlet had taken her break but didn’t see Kayla leave.
“Stephan we have to go to the back. Kayla says there is something wrong with Scarlet.”
Stephan didn’t need to hear the rest of it. He ran through the kitchen and to the back. They were all surrounding Scarlet worried looks on their faces.
“Vincent go get me more water.” Kayla was barking orders at them.
“I’m not leaving here.” Vincent shook his head and refused to move. His hand was rubbing Scarlet’s back.
“I’ll go.” Eric volunteered.
“Scar, look at me. What the hell is wrong with you?” Kayla was crouched next to her head.
“What’s going on here?” they all turned to look at Stephan when he spoke. They stepped aside so that he had space to reach her.
Scarlet was squatting on the ground, her apron was off and Kayla was wrapping her hair in a ban.
“I don’t know we were just talking and all of a sudden the flood gates opened.”
“Scarlet are you sick should we take you to a hospital.” Stephan had managed to crouch next to Kayla. She shook her head in response.
“That’s what you think. Solara, get the car, you are going to a hospital.” Kayla said.
Eric came back with the water and handed it to Kayla, she then asked him to get their purses and inform Joany that they were leaving.
“Here drink this.” Kayla fed her the water when Scarlet sat on the ground her legs folded.
She didn’t know what was worse, that she got sick or the fact that she had an audience while she got sick. She cradled her head in her hands. She listened to Kayla and Stephan plan how they would take her to the hospital, and took comfort in Vincent’s company as he sat beside her.
“How are you doing?” She could hear the concern in his voice.
She forced a hard smile, “I feel a lot better now.”
When Solara came round with the car, Stephan lifted her from the ground to put her in the car. He tossed Vincent the keys to his car before they drove off.
Vincent and Eric followed behind, while Xavier and Sam opted to wait at the house for them.
When they got to the hospital, scarlet insisted to see the doctor on her own, and miraculously no one objected. She was led to the doctor’s office. The sign on the door read Doctor Murphy, she laughed at the irony. The same man who was going to cure her bore the same name as the one who got her sick.
After telling him what happened he ordered a series of tests. He was also convinced that it was something she ate but wanted to be sure about it.
As she followed the nurse to the lab she scowled at her four escorts. Vincent ran behind her and offered to hold her hand which she immediately accepted.
“Are you sure you can handle it, Vincent?” He was a vampire and the sight of blood would affect him.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m cool.”
“Thank you. I hate needles.” Scarlet gently rubbed her arm preparing herself for the pain.
“Don’t worry if she hurts you, I’ll take off her head.” She laughed. He distracted her long enough for the nurse to draw blood from her without her noticing.
When the nurse handed her a cup, they both stared at her then at the cup.
“You’re on your own for this one.”
“Thanks,” Scarlet mumbled.
Vincent escorted her as far as the ladies’ room door and waited there for her. When she came out holding a brown bag that had the cup of urine inside, he took it from her. She didn’t bother to look at what he was doing with it. She assumed he was just carrying it until they got to the lab and the nurse’s jaw dropped.
Vincent had removed the cup from the bag and was staring at it.
“Ewe, Vincent.” She snatched it out of his hand and then bolted out of the room. She went back to the waiting room where the others sat. She took a seat next to Stephan and held on to his arm. Vincent followed and took a seat beside Kayla.
“I wouldn’t touch him if I were you K?” Scarlet was giggling.
“Why?” it took Kayla a second to read Scarlet’s mind and her face wrinkled in disgust. She knew that Solara had also read her mind because he leaned his head to the side and raised an eyebrow at Vincent.
“Eww, no you didn’t. How could you? Is there something…? Vincent seriously.” Kayla stood up and took a seat at Solara’s other side.
“What?” Eric and Stephan asked in unison.
Scarlet sat up and turned so that she could see both of them, “They are running a couple of tests and they asked me to pee in a cup and Vincent was playing with it.” She couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Dude.” Eric was shaking his head, sharing everyone’s disgust.
Stephan just stared at him. He looked at him as if trying to understand him and judging his sanity.
“Hey, do you know when I last saw urine, I was curious and besides I washed my hands?” He waved his hands in the air exhibiting them.
“Ms. McKyle, the doctor will see you now.” she hadn’t noticed the nurse who was now standing next to them.
She stood up and followed her to the doctor’s office. She took a seat in the chair across his desk and waited for him.
He walked in with a folder in his hand. “I am happy to say that you weren’t poisoned, so you can let Murphy off the hook.” He took a seat and smiled at her. “But you might want to hold someone else accountable. Congratulations you are pregnant.”
It took a second for the news to sink in, “What? No I’m not.” she was holding on to the chair. “Are you sure? My friend was fooling around with the tests earlier on, he may have contaminated them.”
The doctor chuckled. She failed to see what part of the news was funny. A baby. She never thought Stephan could have children and now someone was telling her she was pregnant.
“Ms. McKyle could you please get on the bed?” he was gesturing towards the bed.
“Excuse me?” the bed was what had gotten her in this situation and now he wanted her to climb on another.
“I need to take an ultrasound, please?”
Scarlet climbed onto the bed and lay down on her back.
“Lift your top please.” He squeezed a drop of cold gel. That made her flinch on her belly.
“Just relax, this is very simple and won’t cause you any discomfort.” He rolled a scanner over her abdomen. “There we are.”
Scarlet angled her head so that she could see what he was referring to. She couldn’t see anything except a dark spot and other weird things.
He pointed at the dark spot. “There is your baby. And by looking at this I can tell you are about two weeks pregnant. The symptoms don’t usually show until the third or fourth week. But you seem to be fine.”
Scarlet wasn’t paying attention, she was looking at the dark spot he claimed to be her child. Hers and Stephan’s.
“You are doing fine.” He turned the machine off and handed her a box of wipes.
She wiped the gel off her, and then placed her hand over her belly. She couldn’t help but feel war inside. She made a connection with another life, one that she had only known for five minutes.
They were going to have a baby, she thought of how Stephan would react, she was going to tell him immediately she left. At that moment, an alarm went off in her head.
Zen. She had just provided him with another target. A little victim. She ruled against telling Stephan or anyone else. The toughest challenge would be not thinking about it.
“Do you mind if I sit here for a while?” Scarlet asked.
“No, not at all. Please take all the time you need, I will give you some privacy.” He left and closed the door behind him.
Scarlet needed this time to be excited about her baby and also to occupy her head with other thoughts. She jumped off the bed and bounced up and down the room. She was startled by a knock on the door.
“Is everything alright in there?” It was the nurse.
“Yes, I’m fine. I will be out in a minute. I’m fine.” She hugged her arms around herself. We are fine.