Unknown Forces

by Samantha Hicks

  Jennifer placed her hand on top of Riley’s tight fist. “I just thought—” A loud bang above them made them look up to the ceiling. “What was that?”

  “It sounded like Kelsey fell over or something,” Riley said.

  Riley sprinted out of the kitchen toward the stairs, taking them two at a time. She found Kelsey lying on the bathroom floor. She rushed over to her and lifted her head into her lap, then brushed the hair from her face.

  “Oh, God. Kelsey!” Jennifer stood at the threshold of the bathroom, hand over her mouth, shaking. Riley looked back to Kelsey just as her blue eyes fluttered open.

  “What happened?”

  “I think you fainted,” Riley said.

  “Guess it’s all the excitement of my party.” She smiled.

  Riley looked back at Jennifer. “Grab her keys off the kitchen counter and meet me at the car. We’re going to the hospital.”

  Kelsey shook her head. She tried to stand but fell back into Riley’s arms. “No, I don’t want a fuss.”

  “You have no say in this. You’re going.” Riley put one arm under her legs and one around her shoulder, then lifted her easily.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m carrying you to the car. I don’t trust you not to run off.”

  Kelsey tried to squirm out of her grasp. “Don’t be stupid, I can walk.”

  Riley ignored her comment and held on tighter, carrying her out the house.

  †

  “She’s been in there for over an hour.” Riley was worried, really worried. They were sitting in the waiting room watching various doctors and nurses come and go from Kelsey’s room. This was the second time in a week Riley had been to the hospital and she had no desire to come back here again. Nothing good ever happened in hospitals, and she was sure something was terribly wrong with Kelsey or the baby. She didn’t think she would be able to survive if that were the case.

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine. They’re just taking precautions,” Jennifer said.

  “What if there is a problem?”

  “She’ll be fine.”

  “But what if she’s not?”

  “Then we will deal with it.”

  Jennifer surprised her by taking Riley’s hand and entwining their fingers. Riley took all the strength she could from that small gesture and it helped settle her racing heart. A few minutes later a tall, sandy-haired doctor stood in front of them. His face was hard to read, making Riley’s stomach clench. This was not the face of good news.

  “Doctor. How is she?” Jennifer asked, and Riley marveled at how calm she sounded.

  “She’s asked me to speak to you both. If you could follow me to a consultation room.”

  They did as he asked, and after heading down a nearby corridor, they found themselves sitting in front of a large oak desk, the doctor behind it. Jennifer still hadn’t let go of Riley’s hand, and Riley was pleased that Jennifer probably needed the contact just as much as she herself.

  “What’s going on? Is everything okay with the baby?” Jennifer asked.

  “For the moment everything is fine with the pregnancy. It’s Kelsey who is not.”

  “What do you mean?” Riley asked, her heart pounding.

  “She had an appointment with a specialist a couple of weeks ago for some tests, but she never followed through with the results. The doctor tried contacting her; however, she kept evading him.”

  Jennifer turned to Riley, scowling. “Did you know about this?”

  “Of course not!” If she did she would have done everything in her power to help Kelsey. It hurt that Jennifer might think otherwise.

  “We’ve run some tests, EKG, ECG, and blood screening,” the doctor continued. “After speaking with the cardiologist and her GP, it would seem Kelsey is suffering from heart valve failure.”

  Riley couldn’t breathe. Her vision dimmed; she felt like she was underwater, her ears straining to hear what the doctor was saying. “What does that mean?” she asked.

  “One of the main valves that control the flow of blood is failing. The blood is struggling to pump properly and is what most likely caused her fainting, shortness of breath, and tiredness. Pregnancy is putting extra stress on her heart and causing her symptoms to worsen.”

  “So how do we fix this?” Jennifer asked.

  “We have some options, one of which is a temporary fix called balloon valvuloplasty. We basically thread a balloon up through the artery in her groin and into the damaged valve. We then inflate it, which will help keep the blood flow stable. After she gives birth she can then have the valve replaced. It’s a simple procedure and it will help while she carries to full term.”

  “Okay. When can you do this?”

  “It isn’t that simple. She also has pre-eclampsia. This could have made her heart disease worsen over time. We need to get her stable and figure out the best treatment plan for mother and baby. She only has a couple of months to go until she’s full term, and hopefully we will be able to control this.”

  “I can’t deal with this.” Riley shook her head, trying to clear the words she’d heard from her mind. This couldn’t be true. Kelsey was the fittest person she knew. Surely she would have known if she had heart failure? Riley stood, letting go of Jennifer’s hand. “I’ve just lost my dad to a fucking heart attack. I can’t sit here and talk about Kelsey like this. I can’t.” She headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Jennifer asked. “She needs you.”

  “No, she needs you. You’re her sister. I’ll just get in the way. I’ve got to go.” She yanked the door open and fled down the corridor, determined to escape.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jennifer finished talking to the doctor and headed to Kelsey’s room on the third floor, Riley not far from her mind. She’d looked devastated with the news about Kelsey. Jennifer struggled to understand it all herself. How could Kelsey have a heart problem? She shook her head at what this could mean for them all. The one thing she knew for sure was she was determined to fight this. No way was she going to lose another member of her family.

  She knocked softly on Kelsey’s door, then opened it. Kelsey was propped up in the bed with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful, lying there, her hand resting on her baby bump.

  “Hey, sis. How are you doing?”

  Kelsey opened her eyes, her expression hard to read. “They told you?”

  “Yeah. Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine.” She stood by the side of the bed and took Kelsey’s hand.

  “Where’s Riley?” Kelsey asked, looking at the door.

  “She had to go back to work.”

  She glared at Jennifer. “Liar. You need to find her and make sure she’s okay. She isn’t as strong as you might think. She’s just lost her dad and she’ll be thinking the worst.”

  “She probably needs time to think it over.”

  Kelsey shook her head vehemently, looking panicked. “No, Jen. You have to find her.” It was just like Kelsey to think of Riley instead of her own problems.

  “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

  “Please. I’m not going to be able to leave here for at least a few days, so I can’t go.”

  Jennifer raised her gaze to the heavens. She had better things to do than chase after Riley—worrying about her sister’s health for one. However, seeing how worried Kelsey was about Riley, she relented. And if Jennifer were being completely honest with herself, she wanted to go find Riley.

  “Okay, fine. I’ll be back later with some things for you. I love you.”

  “Thank you. I love you too.”

  †

  Jennifer pulled up outside Riley’s father’s house a little after four o’clock that afternoon. She had already tried Riley’s home and the garage with no luck. Running out of options, she had phoned Kelsey to see if she knew where Riley would likely be. Jennifer prayed Kelsey was right. She was tired, and she still wanted to go back to the hospital to check on her sister.

  She knocked on
the door but there was no answer. She tried the handle and found it unlocked. Pushing it open, she called out, “Riley? Are you in here?”

  Riley came around the corner of one of the rooms, carrying a cardboard box. “What are you doing here, Jenny?”

  She sounded dejected. Jennifer wanted to go to her, take her in her arms, to try to comfort her. She didn’t move. Seeing Riley stood there, avoiding eye contact, shoulders slumped, Jennifer knew she wouldn’t be welcomed. Instead, she closed the door and hung her jacket up on the clothes peg beside it.

  “Kelsey sent me. And I also wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine. Just sorting out some junk ready to take to the tip.”

  Jennifer glanced around the foyer, noting boxes piled high with empty bottles and takeaway cartons. “Are you sure you want to do this now?” At Riley’s pointed look she said, “Okay, okay, just asking. Can I help?”

  “Sure. As long as you don’t want to talk.”

  “That’s fine.”

  They worked steadily for the next hour, sorting trash into different recycling piles and clearing out the kitchen cupboards. Jennifer pulled out a drawer and began looking through the old paperwork inside. A document immediately caught her eye, and she looked at it carefully, trying to remember the things she knew about Riley’s father, which wasn’t a whole lot.

  “Um, Riley?”

  “Yeah?”

  Riley came into the kitchen, sweat beading on her forehead. She was dusty and dirty, and a flash of arousal shot through Jennifer’s body. She looked delicious. Jennifer turned away, hoping if she didn’t look at her, she could get her hormones under control.

  “What was your dad’s full name?”

  “What? Why?”

  “Just tell me, please.”

  “Jonathan Andrew Blake.”

  “Did he go by anything else?”

  “No.” Riley walked over to her, placing her hands on her hips. “Jenny, what’s going on?”

  “I was clearing out this cupboard and I found a birth certificate. Your birth certificate.” She passed the piece of paper to Riley.

  Riley took it, and her forehead creased as her eyebrows rose. “It says my father’s name is Richard Sanders. That’s impossible. Are you trying to tell me my dad isn’t my father?”

  “I’m not telling you anything, but that”—she pointed to the birth certificate—“does suggest so.”

  Riley pulled out a chair from the dinette table and slumped onto it. She ran her fingers through her hair. “Dad must have known. Why didn’t he tell me? And if he’s not my dad, why didn’t my mum take me with her?” She shook her head. “What the hell is going on?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “But I have a birth certificate, with my dad’s name on it? How can I have two?”

  Riley went over to the drawer Jennifer had been sorting through and frantically searched through it, throwing pieces of paper behind her. “See if you can find anything else.” Her searching became more aggressive as she tossed things around the room.

  “Riley? Riley, calm down. You’re scaring me.”

  “I don’t understand what’s going on! My dad is dead, Kelsey is ill, and now my dad apparently isn’t my dad. Why is all this happening to me?”

  “Come here.” Jennifer went to her, determined to comfort her this time. Riley might not welcome it, but she didn’t care. Riley was on the verge of wrecking the whole house, and herself, and Jennifer wouldn’t allow her to hurt anymore. She tried to pull her into a hug, but Riley shrugged her off.

  “No, leave me alone.”

  “Riley.”

  “Why is everything falling apart? Why can’t it all go back to normal?” Riley sank to her knees. Jennifer knelt next to her, pulling her into her arms.

  “We’ll get through this. Don’t worry. I’m here for you, okay?”

  “I need to find my mum. She’s the only one who can tell me what this means.”

  “We will. Don’t worry.”

  They sat together on the floor for a long while, Jennifer rocking them. She had done the same for Kelsey when Jennifer had told her their parents had died. She was good at comforting other people; however, no one was ever there for her. She wondered why she found it hard to let people in.

  “Thank you, Jenny.”

  Jennifer smiled. Even while grieving, Riley still managed to get on her nerves. “I told you to stop calling me that.”

  “Not gonna happen.”

  Jennifer checked the clock hanging on the wall next to the fridge. She disentangled herself from Riley, immediately missing her warmth. “I need to get back to the hospital to see Kelsey. Do you want to come with me?”

  “I can’t, not yet. I need to sort this out first.”

  “This will all still be here tomorrow. She needs to see you.”

  She could see the indecision in Riley’s eyes and it tugged at Jennifer’s heart. Eventually, Riley agreed to go. They stood from the floor, brushing dust off themselves as they did. Jennifer took Riley’s hand and led her out of the house.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’m sorry I can’t come today.” Kelsey said.

  Riley transferred her mobile to her other ear so she should could pull on her dress shoes with her dominant hand. Today was her father’s funeral and she was not looking forward to it. She wished Kelsey could be there with her, but she was still in the hospital being monitored. Tomorrow she would have the operation to fit the balloon into her heart valve to keep it working until the baby was born. There was no way on earth the hospital would allow her to leave now, even for a funeral.

  “It’s fine. It won’t be a very long service. He had no one in his life, so I don’t foresee many people turning up.” She had placed an obituary in the local paper and had phoned a few of his colleagues at the factory where he used to work. As her dad’s drinking got worse he had alienated a lot of his friends, so she really didn’t expect anyone to turn up. He had no brothers or sisters and his parents had died a long time ago. Her throat closed up at the realisation she had no family left. She was alone, except for Kelsey. The thought of anything happening to her friend terrified her, so she pushed it aside.

  “Still, I really want to go with you.”

  “You’re in no fit state to be going anywhere. Your blood pressure is still high, and they need to keep an eye on you.” Riley looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom. She looked good. She had rented a black suit for the occasion. It wasn’t tailor-made, but her fit, trim body filled it out nicely. She smoothed her hand over her short hair, taming the wild strands, and nodded at her reflection. She was ready.

  “Will you come by and see me afterwards?” Kelsey asked.

  “I don’t think I’ll be in the mood, but I will call you and I’ll be by to see you tomorrow before your operation.”

  “Make sure you do. I need you here.” The nervousness in her voice wasn’t hard to miss, and Riley cursed her dad for dying right when Kelsey needed her the most. She wanted, needed, to be there for her, but all her focus today was on saying goodbye to her father; she didn’t have the emotional strength to be there for Kelsey too, and her gut burned with how impotent she felt. With everything she had gone through in her life, she thought she was a strong person. Turns out she wasn’t as solid as she’d believed. She was walking a fine line between breaking down completely and barely being able to breathe. Anything else and she would be sent over the edge. She feared she might not ever get back up again if that happened.

  “Always.” The sound of her doorbell rang through her small house. “I gotta go, there is someone at the door.” She left the bathroom and headed down the stairs to answer the door.

  “That’ll be Jen.”

  Riley sighed. “How is it you can still meddle from a hospital bed?” She pulled open the door and couldn’t help but look Jennifer up and down, appreciating how damn sexy she looked in her black dress that stopped mid-thigh. It was just long enough to be considered appropria
te, and Riley drank in the sight of her. Even amid a hellish day, Jennifer still had the power to turn her on.

  “Hi, come in.” She stood back and allowed Jennifer to walk past. Riley caught a hint of lemons as she did so, and inhaled deeply.

  “It’s one of my many talents,” Kelsey said. “Good luck today.”

  “Thanks. Love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Riley disconnected the call and slid the phone in to her trouser pocket. She watched, guarded, as Jennifer scanned around her small living room, situated just off the hallway.

  “Nice place you have here,” Jennifer said as her gaze landed on Riley. She looked Riley up and down, much the same way she had done to her a moment ago, and a spark ignited in her gut as Jennifer blushed. She was being checked out. That was nothing new, but having Jennifer do it made her blood burn. Riley had lusted after Jennifer for years. She could always control her reactions to her, but having Jennifer openly appraise her made her head spin.

  “It’s not much, but it works for me. I spend most of my time at work anyway.” It was only a one-bedroom home, the upstairs housing her bedroom, bathroom, and storage closet. Downstairs had the kitchen, lounge, and another storage room. It wasn’t a tiny place, but it was big enough for Riley. She didn’t see the point in spending money on a home she was hardly ever in.

  “And at ours.”

  “Well, that is where all the pretty ladies live.” She smirked.

  “Always the charmer,” Jennifer said with a flirty smile.

  Riley turned serious. “Why are you here, Jenny?”

  “I know today is going to be hard for you, so I will let you get away with calling me that for now, but after today? Be warned.”

  “I’ll make a note of it. I assume, as you’re wearing black, you’re coming with me to the funeral?”

  “Kelsey mentioned it was today, so I offered to go with you.” She shrugged, like it was no big deal.

  To Riley, it was everything. “You offered? Kelsey didn’t ask you?”