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Barters N Garters
Sister, Sister
A Short Story
by
Moon Mistress

Chapter Two

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In My Daughter’s Eyes
Words & Music by James Slater
Performed by Martina McBride

Eos rose in her traditional grand display, David and Daniel slept through her rising. Shortly after the dawn Calla got a most welcome surprise; Colleen came home with the babies. The house wasn’t deathly quiet anymore. For the first part of the day Cole tended the babies and Calla tended the men but toward the end of the day, seeing how worn her Mother was, Colleen put her foot down and insisted that she be allowed to help. “Look, even if you won’t let me heal them, and I have no idea why you would object to that Mom!” She huffed wildly and then calmed her voice. Mom wasn’t anywhere near as bright and chipper as she’d been before they left for Umpa’s. The sadness in her eyes, the bruises on her face and the darker ones on her neck, which she kept trying to hide with fidgety hands that kept pulling the open collar of the black dress—which was no dress—tighter around her throat. “Then you can at least let me help you.”

“I have to tend them. This is my task.” Calla said. “You cannot do it for me but I am happy you have come home.”

Where else would I be? She wondered but did not ask. “Then I can make the broth and you can feed them. I’ll fill the wash basin with warm water so you can clean them. I can do that, right?”

Calla smiled. “An assistant?”

“Yeah, that’s right, your assistant.” Her Mother looked so tired again. No, Calla’s hair hadn’t gone gray in great streaks like before but in the right light Colleen thought it possible that she saw a stray strand or two. Why couldn’t Mom get better and stay better? “If need be I’ll stay up tonight, ok? You sleep and I’ll make sure the night passes by smoothly. Here, I made that shake you’re supposed to drink” Cole handed the glass of thick white stuff out to Calla who made no move to take it. “Dad would want you to drink this you know that.” She coached. “Come on. Down the hatch.”

Calla took the cold glass from her Daughter’s hand. It looked like a milkshake. It looked cool, creamy and refreshingly inviting. It was anything but. Raising it to her lips she held her breath and took down a swallow. “You need rest, you have school and work. You’ve been tending the babies.” Another deep breath and another swallow because it was always best to get unpleasant tasks over with as quickly as possible she took down another large gulp. “It’s too much work for you.” A thought crossed her mind one that brought no pleasure at all and neither did the next swallow of the torturous ‘milk’ shake. “Someone has to tell Annie.”

“Tell her what?”

“Her Husband isn’t coming home, he’s going away with them. He’s. aba…he’s ab…..Nicholas is….he’s….ab-an-doning her.” Calla’s hand started to shake.

Colleen reached out for the glass which was almost empty taking it away before Calla could drop it on the hardwood floor. Of all the dumb things she and Nick had done this was by far and away the absolute dumbest. Colleen couldn’t believe that when the time came and it came right down to the nitty-gritty that he’d go. Nick wouldn’t turn his back on his sweet little Annie, to hell with Mom and the rest of his Family, if nothing else, Nick wouldn’t disappoint Annie. “Maybe we can hold off on that for a day or two and just tell her that he’s got some business with Umpa.” She shied away for a second before revealing what could be a not well accepted truth. “I called Uncle Jack, he’s coming by with Dr. Adams, they’ll be here….well like….really soon, ok?”

Calla had no doubts that Daniel and David would recover, of course they would. Still, it might be good to let Adams have a little look-see at them and Jack might be able to offer some advice. “You know how I hate to bother people.”

“I know, that’s why I made the call. Besides Uncle Jack was really starting to be a pest, you were gone almost four days and yesterday I swear he called 20 times!”

“He must have been worried about your Father.”

“And you. Aunt Sam came by a few times too, she might come by with Uncle Jack and Dr. Adams today, ok?” Coley smiled and Brigid started to cry. “I’ll get her.”

“No, let me.” Calla said. “You look in on them and make sure they don’t need anything.”

“Ok,” Cole muttered not believing she was being charged with looking in on Dad and Uncle David.

“Colleen?”

“Yeah, Mom?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Colleen asked softly.

“Not judging me,” Calla returned with a very sad smile. “Have I ever told you that you’re a very good Daughter, I could never ask for better.”

Stunned once more. “I had the best teacher.” Colleen wandered up the stairs to her parents’ bedroom to find that Dad and Uncle David were still sleeping.

Lilly, who seemed at least double Brigid’s size, was just starting to stir from her late afternoon nap but her Aunt was already awake and fussing. The premature infant, who was doing exceedingly well in her development, balled up her little fists and squenched up that adorable little face as she let out cry after cry demanding to be changed and fed. Babies always made Calla feel better—well, once she’d gotten the knack for them that was. When Nicholas and Colleen were infants she had no idea of what she was doing and indeed it seemed she could not do anything right! Bending over the bassinet and gingerly hoisting Brigid from her bassinet, Calla cuddled the smelly baby close to her body. “Good afternoon, little Miss. Ready for a bit of lunch, are we?” Settling her down on the changing table, Calla took Brigid’s spindly legs from the all-in-one pajamas with the daisy embroidered on the chest and slid the garment up beneath the baby’s back before peeling away a stinky diaper. “Nice job, my lady.” Calla grinned looking down at the soggy diaper filled with toxic green Velcro and the baby smiling proudly beyond. “Yes, very nice.” The baby laughed and grabbed for her fragile toes just as any baby her age would. Calla changed the diaper and tucked the baby back into her pj’s and then wrapped her up in a warm blanket. “Better?” She asked as held the baby close and peered into Lilly’s crib. Still sleeping. Coming out of the makeshift nursery which was really Nicholas’ old bedroom she ran into Colleen. “How are they?”

“Sleeping. Lilly?”

“Yes, her too. Not for long though I wouldn’t think. This one is hungry, always so insistent.” Calla cooed at the baby who was not her own. “I’ll take her downstairs.”

“I got a little homework,” Colleen confessed. “I’m gonna stay up here until Lilly wakes up. I’ll see ya down there in a little bit and I’ll keep an ear out for them, ok?” The late morning light coming in from the window at the top of the stairs cast a shadow on her Mother which made her look much older than even her 64 years. “Ya know, maybe after you feed Brig, you could take a long hot bath? I’ll keep an eye on everything.”

Calla looked at her Daughter with questioning eyes.

Cole thought about her words and her pretty head bounced on her shoulders. “It’ll help relax you.” She said but that inquisitive non-understanding look did not fade from Calla’s green eyes. “Mom, you should change before Dad wakes up, ok?”

“What?” It was only now that Calla looked down at herself and the long black dress she was wearing. “What’s wrong with my dress?”

“Mom, that’s not a dress…its Umpa’s shirt.” Coley said with what tried to be a light lilt but sounded a big sarcastic as she pulled on the black gauze clothing her Mother’s frail body. Calla had been wearing it all day, hell she’d probably been wearing it since she left the Island. It was wrinkled and stained with white lines of salt where ocean water dried on it at some point. Like her Mother, the tunic was disheveled and a little tattered. Coley didn’t believe Calla was wearing anything beneath the flimsy material. Every time she passed a window or other light source Cole saw through the dark material to spindly legs which may—or may not—have a rather nasty gash on the left thigh. That could be her imagination, it could have been a simple dark spot in the material or it could be very painful. Certainly her feet looked pained. Calla had been waddling and stumbling around on bare feet which looked as though they’d gone through the wringer but this fact Calla didn’t seem to notice. Not once did she say they hurt or complain at all about anything. “This is covered in sand and smells like seawater. So do you. You feed her,” Coley traced her fingertips along the baby’s face, “then you can have a bath,” Calla’s brow creased, “in your room, you’ll be right near them if anything happens you’ll be the first to know.” She said hurriedly and then slowed down a bit. “While you’re bathing, I’ll toss this,"the fingertips on the baby’s face now tugged on the flimsy tunic “in the trash, ok?”

Calla didn’t say anything to Colleen’s comment although with her free hand she did seem to hug the garment a little closer to her wispy body. “Don’t you think she looks like your Father?” Calla asked looking down at the baby with her big blue eyes and sandy hair. With that she just walked away leaving Cole in the upstairs hall.

Walking carefully down the steps she thought there must be something wrong with the stairs, they were hurting her feet today. Perhaps the nails had come up through the wood and that wouldn’t be any good. She’d have to have Daniel look at it when he woke up. Yes, Daniel would fix it and then the steps wouldn’t hurt her feet anymore.

Almost into the kitchen and just as Calla was about to slide Brigid into the bouncy chair the baby was coming to love so much there was a knocking on the front door which Calla, baby in arms, went to answer. In the mood room, waiting to be allowed entrance, was a very bedraggled Annie Jackson. “May I come in?”

“Of course, this is still your home, Annie.” Calla who was relieved to see her daughter in-law stepped back away from the door to allow the young woman entrance. “I’m glad to see you, my dear.”

“I didn’t know where else to go.” Annie mumbled with her head bowed low. “I didn’t want to stay in the new house alone and my stupid mother is at the trailer.” She looked at Calla, not up or down, but eye-to-eye and frowned. “Are you sure I can stay here?” Annie shifted the ragged duffle bag she was carrying from one hand to the other.

“Quite sure Annie, now come inside. Colleen is moving into the basement bit by bit but there are plenty of beds here.” Calla firmly shut and locked the inner door so as to keep out the draft. One good thing, they hadn’t any new snowfall since they’d left for the Island. Some of the white stuff might even be melting though it was hard to tell for sure. “I have to get this one something to eat. Colleen is upstairs if you want to say hello.”

“Thanks.” Annie stuttered brushing her wild blonde hair away from her face.

“No problem.”

Annie put the duffle bag down in the front hall. “Have you heard from Nicky?”

“I’m sorry, dear, no I haven’t.” Calla sighed shifting the baby from one arm to the other.

“So you don’t know when he’s coming back?” Annie was trying very hard not to cry but that quivering bottom lip wasn’t helping.

Now she and Annie had something else in common; they both knew what it felt like to be used and then thrown over for a cheeky little second-rate harlot. Poor sweet Annie, she shouldn’t have to find out what fiends men could be. And Nicholas! Calla’s own Son to boot! It just wasn’t right, she’d worked so hard to raise him proper and still he’d spoiled. Although she didn’t really remember them anymore she did seem to recall that Nicholas had gone into great detail regarding the things he’d done to his sweet little wife and that he’d spared nothing as he related those events to her. So like his Grandfather. “No, I…I… don’t.” Calla shook her head and hugged the young woman with one arm. It was cruel of her to dash all of Annie’s hopes especially since Colleen could be right and in the end Nicholas could turn right around and come back here. Still, if he did not, Annie should be prepared in some way, shouldn’t she? Why would Annie even want Nicholas to come back after the things he’d done to her? She should be screaming about divorce and alimony and having him arrested! “It’s all right you’ll always have a home here. Don’t worry about that.” Calla walked away with the baby and Annie wandered upstairs to see Colleen and figure out the sleeping arrangements.

Not long after Calla settled in by a nicely crackling fire in her favorite living room chair and the girls, along with Lilly who was demanding her own before-dinner snack, came down the stairs to join them. “Still sleeping?” Calla asked looking at the baby in her arms and then at the clock on the mantle. They arrived home some time around nine o’clock last night and it was now just a tad past three Of course they were tired, it hadn’t even been 24 hours yet! Inwardly Calla chided herself while she smiled at the young women in her company. Still, somehow, it seemed more like 18 days than 18 hours since they’d emerged from the crag covered in grime and exhausted. 18 hours since they’d fallen into her arms…exhausted, battered, bruised but alive.

“Yep, but they’ve moved.” Colleen said with an encouraging grin.

“When Brigid’s done I’ll see if I can’t some more broth into them.”

“Mom’s been putting warm chicken broth down their throats with a straw every…what…three hours?” She guessed aloud as she filled Annie in on the current situation. “She’s a regular Florence Nightingale.”

“Something like that.” Calla admitted. Yes, every three hours she sat them up individually, covered their chests with a towel and dipped a straw into warm chicken broth, which she then slipped between their lips and, more often than not, reflex told them to swallow even though they did not wake. “It’s important that they recover well.”

“Yeah,” Coley griped and popped her breast between Lilly’s crying lips. “You know, they’ll just have to pee if you keep that up. Then what will you do?”

“Clean them up?” Calla returned softly. “Perhaps I’ll catch it time and direct the flow into a cup…”

“Ewwwwwww.” Both girls cried.

Calla laughed a little and adjusted Brigid in her arms. The little preemie was almost halfway through her lunch already and growing by leaps and bounds. In the few days they’d been gone she’d gained two pounds and an entire half inch! Grandfather did have his uses. “Well, I see neither of you will ever go into the Nursing profession.” She quipped.

“That’s ok, I’ll pass.” Coley said quickly. “By the way, that’s just gross, Mom.”

A round of giggles rose and faded as another knock fell upon the inner front door. Annie, being the one without a baby in her arms, stood up to answer it. “General O’Neill, Colonel O’Neill, Dr. Adams.” She acknowledged and then stepped back to let of them enter.

Calla would have liked to have gotten up as any proper hostess would have at such a moment but she hadn’t rested in a while and now that her small frame sat in the chair for the last ten minutes or so she found hard to rise. “Come in, I’d get up but I don’t want to disturb the baby.” She said easily. “How is everyone?”

“How are you, Calla, I think that’s the question.” Jack said without taking a seat in the living room or his stare from the bruises on her face and the hollowness of her eyes.

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I, Jack?” She gave him the best smile she could manage under the circumstances. “Annie would you be so kind and show Jack and Dr. Adams where Daniel and David are sleeping?”

“Sure.”

“Do hurry back, now won’t you dear?” Calla asked softly. “Sit with us Samantha,” she patted the chair next to her. “There’s plenty of room, leave the men to themselves.”

“Why don’t you do that, Sam?” Jack asked with a warm grin as he gently guided her to the chair next to Calla. “When Adams is done you’re going to let him to look at you, right Calla?”

In Daniel’s absence and the absence of David, did Jack think he was in charge? Calla saw it a little differently but if it would make him run along. “If you think it best.” She agreed.

“Uh-huh.” Jack mumbled with a puzzled look. He’d expected her to argue not capitulate. “After you Annie. By the way, where’s Nicholas?”

“With his Grandfather.” Calla said quickly so that Annie didn’t have to answer. “We don’t know when he will return.” Ares wanted Nicholas for a long time now. He’d pestered her and bartered and begged and threatened until they’d ended up bringing down the old barn in a final fist-to-cuffs over it. It seemed, in the end as always, Lord Ares got his way and, once Nicholas’ transformation was complete, Ares’ Grandson would be an Olympian to be proud of, at least in Ares’ eyes. Certainly, Nicholas was already well on his way, all one had to do was catch the broken glimmer in Annie’s eyes to know that much. “I expect we’ll talk more once you come back down.”

“Count on it.” Jack said and followed Adams, who was following Annie with his medical bag in hand, up the stairs.

End Of Chapter Two
Sister, Sister
Continue to
Chapter Three

This story and all stories in the Barters N Garters Library are copyrighted to Lisa Beth Darling these stories may not be transferred outside of this URL in any fashion.