Glam Metal (28 page)

“Not now baby, please go to sleep.” As if listening to her, the kicking stopped and Sam made herself some decaf tea and went to bed. She was exhausted.

She fell asleep almost straight away and dreamed. She dreamed of being in a row boat, with Jay, he was rowing and he was smiling at her. She let her hand fall gently in the cold water and expertly Jay rowed the boat into the sandy cove. He was wearing white sailing pants and a red and white striped tee shirt. He stood up and held out his hand to her as he shook the boat from side to side. His smile had turned from a loving one to a sardonic one full of hatred.

He kept shaking the boat from side to side and then Nick appeared from under the boat and capsized it. Sam screamed as the cold water felt painful against her skin and she was soaked through. She looked at Jay and he was laughing at her as he took a whip out and began to whip her stomach with it. Sam screamed as she felt the blood flowing from the cuts, but Jay didn
’
t care. He just wanted to hit her harder and hurt her.

As he raised the whip over his head and brought it down hard the pain was excruciating as it hit her stomach and she woke up crying.

But as she tried to sit up, Sam discovered it was not a dream, her stomach was cramping and as she slipped her hand in under the sheet she felt she was wet. As she took out her hand slowly she saw the bright red liquid and another contraction. She was in agony.

Sam somehow managed to call an ambulance. And cried into the pillow she was hugging.

“No, no, no. Oh Jay, I need you so badly.” She sobbed into the pillow.

Twenty minutes later, she was in the care of the nurse and a paramedic. They raced past Damon
’
s house on their way to the hospital.

Jay couldn’t sleep so he went for a walk down the laneway; he heard the siren of the ambulance and thought to himself.
Poor bastards!

He reached Damon
’
s house and pulled out his phone. He would call Sam. The bitch had better explain why she did what she did. Jay dialed the number but there was no answer. He tried it again. No answer.

Fuck her!
I
’
m out of this forsaken place. I
’
m never coming back. He thought to himself.

He opened the door to the kitchen and saw Lisa by the stove stirring something in a pan

“Can’
t sleep either, Hon?” She asked softly. “Do you want coffee or milk?” Jay laughed and hugged her fondly. He
’
d do her, he thought to himself only she was Nick
’
s groupie and he wasn
’
t going to step in there.

“Neither. But I do know what I would like.” He teased. Lisa laughed. He was damn hot and she wouldn’
t say no to him but she had feelings for Nick and besides, he wasn
’
t over Sam.

“Not on the menu today Hon,” she flirted back. As she handed him a mug of coffee her robe slipped open, revealing her short nightie. Jay let out a low whistle. She laughed and tied up the belt. “Jay, how are you babe really?” She asked softly as she sat down at the table.

He sat on the table facing the window and looked out over the rolling fields. It was so green and he could imagine what it would be like here in summer time.

“Seeing her tonight was like being stabbed in the heart, Lisa.” He said. “You were living with her for a while. You must have known what was going on?” Jay looked at her. He was looking for answers but no one seemed to have any for him.

“Jay, if I were put on a witness stand; I would have to say, I didn’
t see anything going on. She never saw him. In fact, all she would do was talk of her plans to be with you.” He winced at that. It was painful to think about her.

“Lisa, is she with him now? What was the kid?” He put the mug on the table. She stood up and went over to him and put her hand on his cheek.

“She’
s not with him as far as I know. But to be honest here.” She took his hands in hers. “I haven
’
t heard what the baby was. I haven
’
t talked to her since Nick told me.” Jay looked in to her eyes. It would be so easy to have her. He pushed back a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The light touch of his skin against hers was electric. She closed her eyes. Jay stood up and kissed her on the cheek. He could take her right there on the table. She was a willing participant but he was still in love with Sam. And until he could sort out this mess with her, he couldn’t do any girl.

“Would be good, to bang you Lisa but I love her. Know what I’
m sayin?” He let her go and went upstairs to pack. He would call over to see Sam later and try to make sense of it all.

****

Sam lay on the bed, tears streaming down her face. She needed to feel the comfort of Jay
’
s arms around her to tell her everything would be ok; that he would take her home and he would look after her and their baby. But after last night, she knew that it was never going to happen. Damon had put him in an awkward situation and he was embarrassed into talking to her even briefly.

The doctor came in to the room. She was young but she seemed nice. She smiled at Sam.

“I’
m Dr. Mallon, how are you feeling?” She had a soft northern accent. Sam managed a weak smile.

“What’
s happening doctor?” She sat down on the bed and felt her pulse. She let her hand go and wrote on her chart.

“It’
s not good news I
’
m afraid,” she put the chart board on her knee and looked Sam in the eyes. “Baby won
’
t reach term. You
’
ve had some serious damage done to your uterus by the assault you suffered some months ago. You
’
re twenty five weeks pregnant and if you can perhaps somehow rest for the next eight weeks or so, we might be able to save your baby.” She covered Sam
’
s hand. “You won
’
t have any more children after this, I
’
m afraid. Samantha, did you file charges against him?” Tears ran down her face and she sobbed uncontrollably. First she had lost Jay because of Dan and now she was losing her baby. This was so unfair. The doctor put her arm around her shoulder and hugged her. Sam had lost everything.

“Will I lose the baby doctor?” She took a deep breath as Dr. Mallon said yes, unless she rested and cut out all stress. Sam turned on her side and buried her face in the pillow. She fell asleep.

A few hours later she awoke and sat up in the bed. She reached for her phone and saw two missed calls. They were from Jay. Sam hit the redial button. Two rings later she heard his voice. She tried to hold back the tears and keep her voice steady.

“Jay…Jay!” She broke down and cried. He asked:

“Sam, what’
s wrong? Are you OK?” He sounded concerned.

“Jay, I need you….have to talk to you.” The tears rolled freely down her face.

“Where are you Sam?”

“I’
m at the hospital….oh Jay-”

“Are you OK Darlin?” He said. “I’
ll be right there, babe.” He hung up and went into the kitchen and said to Damon.

“Man, need a ride to the hospital, it’
s Sam.” Damon got up and they rushed to the car and drove away.

At the hospital, Damon stayed outside in the car park as Jay went in to find Sam. A few minutes later he was sitting on the bed beside her.

“Sam, what happened? Did he hurt you?” He was hurting at the thoughts of her being with her ex husband. She cried. She couldn’
t stop the tears.

She reached for his hand. He let her take it. An electric current seemed to pass through him as she touched him.

“Jay, I’
m so sorry, the baby…it won
’
t-” He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

“Sam, what is it? Your baby, what’
s wrong with it?”

“Jay, I’
m losing it! I
’
m so sorry.” She broke down and cried. She wasn
’
t making any sense. Dr. Mallon came in and checked Sam
’
s chart. She looked at Jay and said:

“Are you the proud Dad? May I have a word?” He stood up and went out into the hall with her. “Sam is going to be ok but, I’
m afraid the baby won
’
t reach term.” Jay walked over to the window, rested his hands on the sill and asked:

“How far gone is she?”

“Twenty five weeks. Look she needs total bed rest if we are to get her to thirty two weeks and foetal viability”. Jay looked at her in surprise. He walked back into the room to where Sam was sitting up in the bed.

“Tell me everything. You owe me that!” He said angrily. He stood by the window.

“Remember the night of the opening show for my boss?” He nodded. “When I got home, Dan called to the apartment…he said he needed to clear a few things up. I stupidly let him in.” She closed her eyes against the memory of how he had assaulted her. She told him everything how he had tried to rape her. Jay clenched his fists. “He began to kick me and he kept kicking me in the stomach. I kneed him in the groin and escaped.” He closed his eyes as she spoke. “I began to bleed and they did a scan and discovered I was six weeks pregnant.

“Oh Jay, I’
m so sorry, I wanted to tell you but you finished with me before I could tell you.” She wiped the tears away but her voice was shaky. Jay didn
’
t look at her; he kept his eyes focused on the blue Audi in the parking lot. The silence lingered for a horrible time. Then he turned to face her. She was so beautiful but he wasn
’
t sure he could trust her. But what if the child was his?

“Sam, I thought we were being careful, I thought we used protection all the time?” He looked into her eyes. Something about her; made him want to take her in his arms and hold her.

“In Crete, I forgot and you didn’
t use anything.” She looked almost embarrassed as she said it. This made him smile. He remembered how much they had made love there. How good it felt.

“Sam, the doctor, she said you have to rest and the baby may make it.” Jay sat on the bed and took her hand; he rested one hand on her stomach. She was so tiny but he felt a slight movement. He wanted so desperately to be with her, it did seem plausible that this baby was his, the time certainly added up; he remembered the night in the tub when he took her without any protection at all. He just assumed she was taking care of it.