by S M Mala
The feeling was too painful to deal with, the loss of the woman he loved.
Running into accident and emergency, he anxiously looked around before cornering a nurse. Within a few minutes they directed him to a unit but the wait was excruciating.
Pulling back the curtains, he saw her propped up on pillows with a bandage across her head. The relief was overwhelming as he held back the sob of relief coming to his throat.
As soon as she saw him, Ruby burst into tears and he rushed forward, wrapping her in his arms.
‘I was going to the doctors and then I don’t know what happened,’ she said, gulping back her tears. ‘It wasn’t even dark and the next thing I know I’m here.’
‘Oh Ruby, Ruby, Ruby,’ he said, stroking her face. One side was red and grazed as he wanted to cry. ‘Who would want to hurt you?’
‘I’m scared,’ she sobbed into his chest. ‘Now I’m really very scared.’
He let her cry.
There was nothing he could do.
Scottie realised he would have to protect her against everything at all cost, even to him. Just the idea of losing her was too much to cope with and that was something he wasn’t prepared to face.
Ninety nine
His arms were the safest things she could think of. Her body wouldn’t stop shaking and she didn’t want him to let go. Eventually she heard the curtain pull back and a doctor stepped in.
‘We have to keep you overnight for observation. You were concussed and it was a pretty hard knock to the head but luckily everything else is alright,’ the young man said, smiling gently at her.
‘No other damages?’ Scottie asked. ‘How bad is her wound?’
‘It needed some glue but nothing serious, quite small really. It was the knock which caused the most damage. There’ll be a lot of pain over the next few days and the swelling has started to come out but luckily the baby’s fine.’
‘What baby?’
One hundred
‘You must have got the wrong person,’ smiled Ruby as Scottie noticed the doctor looked confused for a moment.
‘Really?’ the man replied. ‘I’m sorry if… No that’s right. You’re pregnant.’
‘What did you say?’ Ruby asked aghast and sat there with her mouth wide open.
Scottie felt like his heart had suddenly started pumping very hard.
‘Are you sure?’ Scottie asked quietly. ‘She’s pregnant?’
‘Oh my god!’ was all Ruby could say.
He knew it wasn’t only him.
The look on her face showed her absolute shock at the news.
‘Are you feeling okay?’ the young doctor asked. Scottie watched Ruby on the verge of saying something then stopped. ‘Do you need some more pain killers?’
‘I… I don’t know,’ replied Ruby, gulping hard.
‘Are you sure she’s definitely pregnant?’ asked Scottie quietly. ‘Really?’
‘We would give her a scan but as she suffered a head wound, we need to concentrate on that first,’ he gently replied. ‘I think I need to give you some time to digest this? It’s a surprise, I can see.’
‘Are you sure?’ she said and looked at Scottie while the doctor left the room. Slowly she shook her head from side to side. ‘I can’t think right now but you need to find out what’s happened to Diane and, please, could you tell Hugh? I can’t pick Theo up from school and oh!’
Ruby grabbed the side of her head then burst into tears.
‘Just rest for a moment,’ he said, stroking her face and trying to let the news sink in. ‘Let’s just take one thing at a time.’
‘I had no idea,’ she sobbed.
‘We’ll talk about it later,’ he replied, not knowing what he was thinking but only feeling an overwhelming love for her then concern when he looked at her head.
Scottie waited for a couple of hours with Ruby.
They hadn’t said much to each other since the unexpected turn of events.
She was dropping in and out of sleep, which the nurse told him was due to the concussion.
Scottie thought it was more down to the shock of finding out she was pregnant.
He asked the nurse discreetly if Ruby and the baby would be alright due to the trauma.
Already he was concerned for his new little family.
When she was fast asleep and settled into a room, he kissed Ruby gently then walked away, seeing that there were police guarding her.
Then it hit him she was having his baby.
There was a sudden elation and nothing else really mattered.
He knew where he needed to go.
Scottie rushed round to see his parents.
‘Oh Jonathan,’ his mother said. Scottie had his face in his hands, feeling his mother’s tight grip around his shoulders while his father sat opposite. ‘She’ll be alright.’
‘But what if she isn’t,’ he gulped back, trying hard not to cry. ‘I’m really worried about her and we can’t find who it is. I think I’m being set up here with Diane and now Ruby being attacked twice within a fortnight.’
‘Son, it’s not your fault. We know you had nothing to do with Diane getting pulled in.’
‘Maybe they think I’m covering for her,’ he shrugged, pulling his hands away from his face. ‘I’m so worried.’
‘Listen to me,’ Jean said gently. ‘All that matters is Ruby gets better and you’re there for her. Don’t go doing anything silly.’
Scottie sat up and looked at both of his parents.
‘I’m really very much in love with her. I want to do everything I can, in my power, to make sure she’s safe and we’re together. I don’t care what they do to me at work, it’s not important, none of it matters now.’
‘Your job,’ Jack said, taking a deep breath. ‘That has always come first.’
‘Leave him alone, can’t you see he’s upset?’ his mother chastised.
‘But that’s what you always said, son,’ his father gulped. ‘Your career was your main priority.’
‘Not anymore. My family, kids and Ruby come first. That’s what I’ve realised. What’s the point if you come back to an empty home? That’s not what I want and don’t intend to live like that anymore. I want a family.’
Scottie noticed a little smile on his mother’s lips before she said,
‘And about time too! And I thought you were the intelligent one out of all of us, other than my mother. She doesn’t count as she’s nutty as a fruitcake soaked in rum. But, my goodness, it’s taken you this long to figure it all out. Mother’s right. You’re not the smartest policeman are you?’
Scottie just laughed then burst into tears.
One hundred and one
Any pain she had disappeared. She’d taken a sedative to help sleep. When she woke up, the first thing that came into her head was she was pregnant.
She was carrying Scottie’s baby.
Ruby’s head was spinning and so was her gut. She threw up into the cardboard container in the early hours of the morning.
‘Are you okay?’ the nurse asked, helping her to sit up.
‘I don’t know if it’s concussion or morning sickness,’ she said then cried, unsure if she was happy or sad.
All she knew was, she was emotional.
‘I want to go home,’ she sobbed, desperately wanting to speak to Scottie.
When they first met he said he didn’t want to be a father again, that’s why he had lots of condoms. Her face turned to stone realising they hadn’t been safe since they’d got back together.
In fact, they simply forgot about it.
Ruby slumped into her bed and knew she wasn’t allowed to use her phone. The other person in the room sounded like their lung was collapsing as they coughed hard.
‘What am I going to do?’
A few hours later, he turned up looking really tired. Ruby knew she was adding to a long list of troubles for him. She told the doctor, earlier that morning, she would prefer to come back after the weekend to do the scan.
&
nbsp; All she wanted was to go home.
And she didn’t want to put Scottie on the spot.
Not about the baby.
Being in his arms as he wrapped himself around her body, eased her pain. He handed her a change of clothes and she silently got dressed.
They walked out into the grey wet day.
He’d not really spoken.
She got into the car and was trying to find a way to bring up the subject.
Ruby couldn’t.
As she glanced to her side, he looked very pensive and she dreaded to ask what was going on with Diane.
And she was scared he was going to be upset about this news which made her worry.
She didn’t honestly know what to think.
Ruby was neither sad nor happy.
Just stunned.
He parked outside her house and got out, helping her to the door. Then he escorted her up the stairs to the bedroom.
‘I need a shower. I smell of hospital,’ she said.
He nodded and took her to the bathroom.
Slowly she undressed and noticed he was doing the same thing.
‘I need to help you and my clothes will get wet,’ he gently said and she wanted to cry.
‘Thank you.’
They stepped into the shower cubicle and Ruby noticed the remnants of blood coming from her head. The wound was sealed up but they had to cut a centimetre square of hair from her scalp, which could be easily hidden away from prying eyes.
Scottie got some shampoo and gently massaged her hair as she closed her eyes, letting the water wash the suds away. Then he lathered her body and she felt better.
‘Scottie,’ she said, looking at him. ‘We need to talk.’
‘I know but let’s get you showered and dried.’
And he did just that, wrapping a towel around her body and led her to the bedroom, taking it off and putting her into bed. Then he slid in next to her. She lay on the pillow, making sure not to press her too hard on her head.
‘I didn’t think for a moment I could get pregnant,’ she began. Scottie moved closer. She could feel his skin against hers. ‘Before I caught him cheating, we tried for a year and nothing happened. I thought Mother Nature was-.’
‘You’re having my baby,’ he said, putting his hand on her stomach, taking Ruby by surprise. ‘We’re going to have a baby together and that’s wonderful. You do want to, don’t you?’
‘I thought you didn’t want another child, that’s what you said regarding your wholesale arrangement with the condom companies.’
Scottie laughed and seemed genuinely happy.
Ruby was still unsure what was going on, given she had a dull pain in her skull.
‘We’re going to have to set a date for the wedding and tell the kids when it’s all confirmed with the baby. This is a sign that we’re meant to be together.’
‘This is happening too fast.’
He wasn’t listening.
The man gently kissed her and then let his lips travel all the way down to her tummy, covering it in tiny kisses. Ruby hadn’t thought any of it through. It was hard enough knowing that someone, somewhere, was intent on hurting her.
‘I’m scared,’ she said, trying not to cry. ‘I don’t understand what’s going on.’
‘You don’t have to be,’ he said, looking up at her. Scottie slowly crawled towards her face. ‘I’ll protect you and my child, you know that.’
‘I’m really confused.’
‘What about?’
‘All this. Marriage and now a surprise baby? Do you think anyone’s going to believe we’re thinking straight?’
‘What’s there to think about?’ he smiled, kissing her face. ‘I love you and you love me. I asked you to be my wife and now we’re having a baby. It’s perfect.’
‘You’re a silly romantic man, do you know that?’ Ruby gulped then grinned.
‘You know I love you and that’s all that matters.’
Scottie kissed her so gently, she wanted to cry again. Slowly he stroked her body being exceptionally careful not to hurt her.
Ruby couldn’t think.
She wasn’t quite sure if she had the energy to participate but could see he wanted her. Closing her eyes, she let him do all the work, caressing and licking her skin. Her body felt heavy as his lips covered her in small kisses.
Spreading her thighs, she knew he wanted to make love and felt his palm caress her cheek. Looking into his eyes, he slowly pushed inside as she held her breath. He had taken all his weight onto his one arm and she couldn’t feel the pressure against her skin, only from inside.
‘I love you,’ she whispered, grabbing the back of his neck, pulling his lips towards hers, kissing him with all her might.
Slowly he made love then he started to groan before saying,
‘You’ve made me the happiest man alive, give or take a few things. Why the hell did you have to be a Samaritan and a journalist? I still love you though.’
Ruby laughed then broke down in tears.
One hundred and two
‘You shouldn’t have kept her in overnight. You’ve got nothing on her,’ said Scottie, glancing upstairs knowing Ruby was sleeping. ‘Diane’s in a state and what are the charges?’
‘I know this is a really bad situation but she doesn’t have a firm alibi for the night the murders happened and then there’s the diabetes. The medication she’s on is similar to the ones found in the victims,’ replied Dave, down the other end of the phone.
‘Similar but not identical! That’s like saying all diabetics who work for the Samaritans are potential suspects. And what about Ruby? Diane was in custody when that happened so what does that tell you?’
‘We might have two potential serial killers on the loose?’
‘You have to release her. You can’t make substantial charges and you can’t put her through this stress.’
‘It’s not all down to me,’ whispered Dave. ‘How’s your lady? Is she okay?’
‘Upset, scared and hurt. Where’s the Commissioner?’
‘She’s giving a press conference saying we’re questioning a suspect.’
‘She’s what!’
He hung up and rang Sebastian.
‘I know. I’m on top of it. I’ve recommended a lawyer to Larry so it’s all under control,’ his friend said. ‘More importantly, how’s Ruby? I heard this morning what happened. Jesus, how are you going to keep her safe? Did you see the headline in Yates’s paper? They’re accusing the police force of not solving it quickly enough as they don’t care about do gooders.’
‘What can I do?’
‘You can speak to Helen Trott and ask her what she’s playing at. Diane’s alibi for the night of the murders is tight enough. There’s a small possibility she could have got to each location and back without being seen.’
‘Have you seen the size of Diane? You’d see her coming a mile!’
‘Scottie, that’s not very nice and you better get back into the office soon. Ruby must feel sick to the stomach about all of this.’
Just as he was going to reply, he heard her running to the bathroom to throw up.
‘You could say that,’ he replied, scowling then smiling, knowing why it was happening. ‘I better go.’
‘It’s a trumped up allegation that won’t hold but it will manage to create enough damage for you,’ Sebastian said seriously. ‘I can’t stop her doing the press conference but we’ve gagged her so she can’t name Diane. Like I said, I’m on top of it.’
‘Seb, I have to tell you something else,’ he whispered, hearing Ruby retch. ‘But not now.’
‘I don’t think I can take more surprises today.’
One hundred and three
Within seconds of Theo walking in, he ran into her arms and started crying.
‘Oh baby, I know,’ she said, trying not to sob at her son’s distress.
‘Are you okay? Daddy said you were hurt and I thought you were dead,’ he cried, which made her heart twist in pain befo
re figuring her ex wasn’t exactly helping matters. ‘Mummy!’
‘My little sweet boy, don’t cry. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, do you hear me? I’m staying put. You’ve got nothing to worry about, I’m safe.’
Holding him tightly, he cried in her arms. She stepped back and wiped his tears away with her fingers, seeing how distressed he looked. Then she noticed Hugh standing by the door as Scottie came down the corridor and stopped.
‘Where were you hurt?’ her son asked, gulping.
‘Just at the back of my head and I got grazes on my face. You know I fell forward under the bridge where the doggies wee.’
‘It could have been dog poo. Remember once when we saw that big human poo on the bridge!’ said Theo, starting to laugh through his tears.
‘Go and get changed out of your uniform and then you can play whatever you want and go to bed late.’
He gave her a massive hug and kiss then ran up the stairs, glancing back at her for a second then smiled. Theo disappeared up the stairs.
‘How are you?’ Hugh asked, walking up to her. She noticed he looked upset. ‘When I got the call last night I was really worried.’
‘I’m fine,’ Ruby said and touched his arm then looked over at Scottie.
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t have come over to do it face to face,’ said Scottie quietly. ‘But I had things to sort out and thought it was best not to alarm Theo.’
‘Thank you,’ he replied, not turning to look at Scottie then glanced at Ruby. ‘It seems Sebastian is helping your friend Diane. Isn’t she your cousin, Assistant Commissioner Scott?’
‘Hugh, if you’ve come to shit stir, I’d be very careful what you say and do in my home. You’re not completely innocent in all of this. Your coverage has been a little warped, to say the least. Any other time you’d be sticking up for Commissioner Slut so turning the screws on, I take it, has something to do with Scottie. Stop it. He’s going to be part of my life for a very long time and what you do will ultimately affect Theo.’ Ruby took in a deep breath. ‘And you know he’s Diane’s cousin, so don’t be a wanker.’
‘Rubes,’ Scottie whispered. ‘Just leave it. It doesn’t matter.’