Chapter 5

 

At the abandoned High School

 

John is paralyzed with fear. Natalie is passing out and Evangeline is struggling to get free. John prayed, God please let Evangeline forgive me. John ran to Natalie and kicked the burning wood out of the way, "Natalie, hang in there." John said to an unconscious Natalie. John carried her to safety and lay her down on the floor. As John wiped the sweat from his eyes, he looked toward Evangeline as her head fell back, passing out from the smoke.

 

John took off running faster than he thought possible, and leaped over the flames to stand in front of Evangeline, while trying to free her he called her name in desperation, "Evangeline". He kicked at that burning wood and made a path to carry Evangeline to safety.

John asked Evangeline with dread and concern in his voice, Evangeline, Are you Ok? Are you Ok? As she heard John’s voice Evangeline came around coughing, trying to breath. Evangeline said, "I think so." John stroked her hair out of her face and held her head in his hands, searching her face. John knew she needed to lye down, but he could not help himself, he hugged her and held her thanking God that she was safe. He put his hand to her abdomen looking at her, are you in any pain? Are the twins all right? I’m sorry Baby, I had to; Natalie was passing out already.

 

Evangeline nodded her understanding, but her eyes filled with tears.

 

John finally got on his Portable radio and called for the back up officers to come in, he told them to alert the fire department and for Paramedics. As he heard them approaching and coming into gym, he heard Bo issuing orders. John yelled over his shoulder and told Bo to help Natalie, but Bo said, "Where is she?"

 

John still holding Evangeline gently turned toward where he left Natalie. She wasn’t there. John had a look of shock and confusion on his face.

 

The Paramedics arrived along with the fired department. John carried Evangeline to the gurney and gently placed her on it. The Paramedics checked Evangeline’s Vitals and John told them of her pregnancy. He asked that they call her OB Dr. Danielle Rushmore to meet them at the Emergency Room. She watched John as he talked with Bo.

 

She began to cry as she thought about how John rescued Natalie first. She thought to herself "Logically I understand that Natalie was in more danger, but I am the mother of his children. Natalie was first again, what is it going to take to come first."

 

When John looked at her, Evangeline closed her eyes. "I can’t look at him right now, I am so disappointed, but I need to stay calm for the babies sake. Oh God, what do I do now? I married this man just last night and now I want to get as far away from him as possible." Evangeline thought back to the Wedding Ceremony.

   

Nora’s House

 

John and Evangeline decided to marry for the sake of their children, and also because they love each other. Evangeline is still not sure of marriage, but it is important to her that her children have their father in their lives from the beginning. They decided to marry before the "Women of the Year" Ceremony. They would make it a night of celebrations. Bo was John’s best man and Nora was Evangeline’s Maid of Honor. A Justice of the Peace performed the ceremony at Nora’s home, and they were the only people in attendance. They had not announced her pregnancy, so they decided to announce both at the same time.

 

"John looked at me with more love than I have ever seen in his amazing eyes. He actually shed a few tears as he said his vows to me. He looked right in my eyes and he promised to love, honor and cherish me all the days of his life. When I saw the tears I realized how much he did love me and meant every word he said. I knew everything is going to be fine. I tried no to lose it as I said my vows; I looked right in his eyes and repeated my vows. I shed so many tears, I thought he is going to run scared, I’m sure I look like hell. Instead he reached out and cupped my face with his hands, and wiped my tears away with the pads of his thumbs; smiling that incredible smile that is reserved only for me."

 

"When the Justice of the Peace pronounced us man and wife. Oh! How do you describe the kiss it was full of passion and sweet. It left me breathless and weak in the knees. I swooned toward John and he understanding what I felt and protectively put his arm around my waist holding me to him as I buried my face in his shoulder. When John kissed the top of my head I looked up and he had the biggest smile I have seen in a long time, and hugged me tighter."

 

Then Bo and Nora broke us out of our moment with congratulations and well wishes. Bo and Nora signed the Marriage license as our witnesses and the Justice of the Peace would file it.

 

**********************************

 

John noticed the hurt and disappointment in her eyes before she closed them. He wanted to go to with her to the hospital, but the job was making demands on him, evidence had to be collected and bagged. Priority was finding Natalie. He prayed that his marriage wasn’t over before it began. There are times when he hated his job, like finding the murderer of the murderers like the Tico Santi case. As far John is concerned those who disposed of people like that did the world a favor. Right now that did not compare to what he felt at this very moment. "I’m letting Evangeline down already." He thought to himself, fighting back tears. Truthfully Bo could handle this, but he promised he would bring Evangeline and Natalie home. He thanked God that Evangeline and their twins were safe.

 

As soon as all the evidence was collected John put another Detective in charge and left for the hospital. John thought back to the Wedding Ceremony

 

 

Evangeline looked so unsure. "I tried to let her see all the love I have for her. I looked in her eyes as I said my vows. Now! He sighed heavily. Evangeline looked beautiful, well she did all the time, but there was something he couldn’t describe, then it hit him. She glowed. She really did have the glow you hear pregnant women have. I will never forget how she looked when she became Mrs. John McBain.

 

At the Hospital

 

"Evangeline" Lisa Williamson cried.

 

"Mom I’m all right", Evangeline said.

 

"Mrs. Williamson, we need to check her out and then you can see her." Dr. Michael McBain said.

 

As Mike checked Evangeline over, he asked her where John was. "John is still at the school, Natalie was kidnapped again. "What?" Mike said. "Oh" is all Michael could say; he did not want to upset Evangeline anymore. Michael thought "What an ass my brother is."

 

"Michael", Evangeline said.

 

"Yeah E"

 

"My Mom doesn’t know about my pregnancy, John and I were going to tell her together, so please don’t make any comments about it. Having said that are my babies all right?"

 

"Well, I couldn’t anyway, but I understand, don’t say anything as the proud uncle.

 

"Exactly. Thanks Michael."

 

"As far as I can tell everything is fine, but we are waiting on your OB to get here, she is in delivery if she can’t make it shortly, she will send an associate. If I thought after my preliminary exam, that they were in trouble I wouldn’t wait. The heartbeats are strong, and as long as there is no pain, I’d say things are great. If you start to feel any discomfort, let me know right away.

 

Michael went to get Evangeline’s mother, "You can spend some time together, but she needs to get more oxygen in her blood stream, so let’s keep it as short as possible."

 

"Thank you Dr. McBain."

 

"Call me Michael. I love E like a sister."

 

"How sweet Michael, thank you for taking such good care of my baby girl."

 

"My pleasure." Michael said as he exited the room.

 

Mother and daughter hugged with tears streaming down their faces proclaiming their love for one another.

 

"Cookie what happened, how did you get involved in this?"

 

"Mom I don’t know, I remember waiting back stage rehearsing my speech and someone reached from behind me with a rag covering my nose and mouth. It must have been Chloroform. I fought, then I remember everything fading out. Then I woke up in a basement, with Natalie Vega. We tried to escape through a window, but we were stopped. We were given Cheerleaders uniforms to put and fires were set under us. Then John came rushing through the door and he saw Natalie and me tied up with the fires lit under him. Mom Natalie was passed out if John didn’t save her first she would have died.

 

"He rescued you last?" Lisa Williamson asked.

 

"Yes Mom, there was no other choice." Evangeline didn’t want to share with her mother how devastated she really was, so she defended John without actually defending him to a questioning mother. She put his decision on his job training and that alone.

 

Outside Evangeline’s Hospital Room

 

Mike greeted John as he walked off the Elevator heading for Evangeline’s room.

 

"Good to see you brother." Mike said.

 

"Yeah, good to be seen Mikey." John said.

 

"Michael, how’s Evangeline and the twins?"

 

"Everything seems to be fine, we are monitoring her closely, but we can’t do much as long as her mother is with her. E said you’re going to tell her mother about the pregnancy together?"

 

"Yeah, I guess we should do this now, excuse me Mike."

 

"John, any word on Natalie?"

 

"No Mike, not yet."

 

John pushed open Evangeline’s hospital room door. He stared at her , drinking her in, so grateful to have her safe. John could not find the words for what he felt at this moment in time. Grateful seemed to small a word. Blessed, that’s it. He was blessed; but for the life of him he could not understand why God would bless him like this, a wife and children. All the things he didn’t think he deserved. He moved so slowly to Evangeline questioning what she was thinking about him. She looked hurt, disappointed and a trace of happiness. He went to stand behind Lisa, smiling at Evangeline.

 

Lisa liked John, but at this moment she wasn’t sure what she felt. He left Evangeline in the fire and rescued someone else first sure, she understood that the other person was passed out. Lisa did not want to be selfish, but how do you respond to this kind of news. She looked up over her shoulder and started to speak but John saw the look she was giving him. Lisa spoke "John thank you for rescuing my daughter, but why… how could you rescue someone else before the woman you say you love? I do understand the situation. Just the thought of losing Cookie, makes me irrational."

 

"Mrs. Williamson, I can’t imagine what you think of me right now, but please understand, I love Evangeline more than my own life, I did what job training and time afforded me to do. As long as Evangeline was fighting…" He stopped explaining because at this moment the tears of Lisa Williamson’s crushed him.

 

Damn he thought, "This is not good."

 

"Evangeline saw the hurt expression on his face and reached out to take John’s hand. John walked to the other side of the bed and took Evangeline’s hand. Their eyes locked with one another and he saw the hurt, but he also saw the love. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead, then her lips, she was receptive and that gave him hope.

 

"Mom, we need to tell you something." Evangeline said, as John looked at her with questioning eyes. Evangeline smiled and said it’s fine.

 

Evangeline said, "Grandma Lisa we want to tell you..."

 

Her mother looked at her, then at John.

 

"Grandma?" Lisa Williamson questioned.

 

"Yes, grandma." Evangeline said beaming.

 

After the initial shock "Lisa managed to say, "Congratulations!"

 

Evangeline decided to tell her mother everything. "Where having twins and Mom we’re married."

 

"Congratulations again." Lisa said.

 

Lisa did not fool Evangeline or John. The tone of her gesture didn’t get past them. John looked down at Evangeline, just as she looked up at him. Evangeline put her tongue in her cheek and exhaled. Suddenly her eyes grew wide and she gripped her belly. John and Lisa both looked at her with fear on their faces.

 

"Evangeline what’s wrong?" John almost yelled going to his knees by her bedside.

 

"Cookie?" Lisa jumped out of her chair.

 

Evangeline said, "Wait, wait… I felt a flutter or something."

 

Evangeline grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach where she felt the movement. Nothing, so she moved his hand around and then it happened, he felt it.

 

"Does it hurt?" John asked.

 

"No it startled me, this is a good sign John."

 

Evangeline cried with relief, because secretly she thought after everything she went through she had her doubts. John got off his knees and sat on the bed as close to her as possible and pulled her closer to him stroking her hair and back. He spoke comforting words of love to her.

 

Evangeline started coughing uncontrollably, John ran to get Mike, and her mother put the oxygen mask back over her nose and mouth.

 

Mike ran into her room, and asked everyone to leave.

 

John said "No." Michael did not argue. Evangeline’s mother left the room to pray.

 

Michael said, "Sweetie you need to relax, and lay still and breathe deep. Take deep breaths."

She nodded.

 

"John what happened?"

 

"We felt the baby move, she started crying and that’s when the coughing started. Mike is everything all right?"

 

"I think so. She needs to keep this oxygen mask on until I tell her it’s all right to take it off. Do we all understand me?"

 

Evangeline nodded and John said, "O.K."

 

Mike went out the door as John was leaning over Evangeline with a look of relief on his face kissing her forehead and her hair. "I love you so much Mrs. McBain he said as kissed her all over her face making his way to her neck. Evangeline closed her eyes and sighed. She relaxed pushing deeper into her pillow so John could have better access to her neck.

 

John stopped his make out session and looked at her peaceful face and smiled. Evangeline opened her eyes to see why he stopped and saw him smiling at her. She fell in love all over again and returned his smile. "McBain, I’ve fallen in love with you all over again." He said, "Me too, I fall in love with you everyday."

 

Michael approached Lisa. "Mrs. Williamson you can go back in, but she needs to keep the mask on her face."

 

"No, Michael that’s all right, I’m going to go back to Evangeline’s apartment and rest. I’ll see her tomorrow. I hear you are going to be an uncle."

 

"Yes, I’m so excited."

 

"See you tomorrow Michael. Thanks for taking care of Cookie, I mean Evangeline."

 

Mrs. Williamson walked to the elevators.

 

After Evangeline fell asleep, John found Mike and told him he was going to the station while Evangeline was sleep and to call him as soon as Evangeline woke up.