Chapter 4

"What the hell, Eve?" Shane hissed. "Now's  not the time to make jokes." He glanced at Claire and grew more angry and desperate. "Myrnin, help her! You psycho - help her!"

"Promise to not hurt Lady Grey." Myrnin begged as he sagged to his knees.

"We won't if you just help us." Michael said with a deadly calm. "What is happening to Claire?"

"I don't know. I am not a doctor. And I most certainly did not do anything to harm sweet Claire." Myrnin cried. Michael seemed to believe him as he eased up a little. But Shane didn't.

"Mikey," Eve said faintly, "there's blood." Eve started screaming, "help me! There's blood! She's bleeding!"

Claire finally understood what was happening just as the ambulance sirens were slowly getting louder. Myrnin swooped down beside Claire, his eyes burning bright red. Shane pushed him away and looked all over her body as Michael took over from Eve holding Claire's hand.

"She's bleeding from..." Shane paused and looked into her eyes. "Is it true?" Claire kept nodding like a  maniac. "Are you really pregnant?" Shane's face wore many different expressions, it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Shane, she won't be now," Eve said gently, "especially if we don't get her into hospital soon."

The sirens got louder and louder. Eventually they were right outside the Glass House. When they were driving her away, she saw her friends looking back in complete horror. As they injected something into her arm, Claire gave up. She just closed her eyes and blocked the world out.

When she woke up it was suddenly bright. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and for her to realise she was in a hospital bed. She forced herself to sit up and she saw Shane asleep, holding her hand. He started to stir when she moved.

"Claire?" Shane murmured. "How do you feel?"

"Tired and achy." Claire rubbed her eyes.

"So..." Shane pulled the chair closer to her head. "We need to talk." He cleared his throat and brushed her hair away from her head. "Are we really going to have a baby?"

Claire felt a twinge of guilt. "Well... we were but now I don't know."

Shane furrowed his brows. "How long have you known? How long has Eve known?"

"For a few days. I did the test when I thought I was home alone and I walked into my bedroom to wait but Eve was in the hallway and saw it in my hand." Claire sighed and tears threatened her strength. "I was going to tell you last night but Myrnin made me stay late."

"He had you working hard, didn't he?" Shane guessed.

"Four hours and twenty minutes straight. I haven't eaten properly lately because I throw it up and then I had no dinner last night." Her stomach began to rumble which triggered a smile from Shane.

"And you haven't been sleeping well either." Claire didn't even want to know what she looked like. "Claire, you need something to eat and drink, and then some rest."

"What about the baby?"

"Ahem," someone coughed and the both looked up. It was the doctor. "May I speak to Miss Danvers- oh, sorry. It's Mrs Collins now, isn't it." Claire and Shane shared a smile with each other. "Well, I assume Mrs Collins that you may want to hear what I have to say in private, before anyone else knows." The doctor glanced at Shane.

"It's alright, Shane," Claire whispered to him, "I'll ask them to get you when we're done."

"Ok, well Eve and Michael are in the waiting room. I'll let them know you're awake." Shane reluctantly got up, kissed her on her forehead and left them alone.

"Now, Claire." The doctor said informally. "I can guess you knew you were pregnant as I overheard you and the boy talking."

"Yes," Claire choked, "I've lost it haven't I?"

"Well..." The doctor sat down beside her. "You were only a month into your pregnancy so there's a good chance you have... but then you're a strong young woman, so there's a chance you may still be pregnant. We can't do an ultra-sound scan as you were early in your pregnancy. But with the amount of blood you lost last night.... We would presume you've had a miscarriage. I'm so sorry, Claire."

It wasn't registering in Claire's mind. It was going in one ear and out the other. "Could you please leave me alone for a little."

"I'll fetch your friends for you." The doctor left her and she was completely alone again.

But only for a couple of minutes as Shane, Eve and Michael came rushing in. Teardrops slowly rolled down Claire's face. She felt empty. Shane sat down in the vacated chair. Eve and Michael stood by her bed.

"How comes we spend more time in here than Common Grounds?" Michael joked and the others laughed. But Claire didn't.

"Not me, I work with the awful big bad boss man, Oliver." Eve chimed in. Normally, Claire would have pointed out Oliver's secret fondness of Eve, but she couldn't be bothered.

"Claire," Shane waved his hand in front of her face but she didn't do anything, "Claire, what did the doctor say?"

"Oh, I almost forgot Claire," the doctor came rushing back to the end of her bed, "you can be discharged in a couple hours. There shouldn't be any more problems as long as you get some rest." Claire shrugged and stared at him. How could he be so cool about news like that? "Look, Mrs Collins- Claire. I suggest you tell someone. You need support through this."

"Don't worry, Doc." Eve said and pointed at him with her index fingers and thumbs. "She's got us. We'll support her." The doctor accepted that and walked away again. "See Claire Bear? You get to come home soon."

She looked at the three of them. Who could she tell? She couldn't tell Shane. What if it crushed him? What if he was happy that she'd lost it, that'd crush her. She couldn't tell Eve, she would feel just as bad as Claire. Michael? Could she tell him? "I... I need to talk to Michael."

"Ok, well I'll go start some lunch for when you come home." Eve said, trying to hide her surprise. "Shane?"

"I... have something to do." He seemed to smile at himself. "Fancy giving me a lift, Eve?" Eve nodded and hugged Claire goodbye. Shane kissed her on her forehead again.

Claire took a moment, gulped down the lump in her throat and whispered, "Michael... I lost it."

"I know you did, Claire." Michael moved round her bed to sit in the chair. "Why else would you be upset? The others are just too hopeful to see it."

"It'll crush him, Michael. I can't do that to Shane." Claire was desperate for another way out. She told him everything the doctor said. Michael read her report and still both of them couldn't find an easier option.

"Claire, stop worrying about others. What about you?" Michael said obviously a little hurt. "You had to carry that secret by yourself, stressed yourself out just because you were helping Myrnin - you're not Superwoman! You don't have superpowers. You're human. You are crushing yourself deep inside, whilst you're worrying about hurting others."

"I'm sorry, Michael." Claire just started crying. "I'm sorry."

He hugged her. "It's ok. Just tell Shane and if he's not there for you, I'll kick his ass." He started to rock her side to side. "That's if Eve doesn't beat me to it." That made her laugh.

Hours later Eve texted Michael saying she was in the parking lot, waiting for them by her hearse. Claire slowly crawled into a wheelchair and Michael wheeled her out of the hospital. They both helped her get into the back seat. Michael sat in the back with her and held her hand - emotional support, probably. Eve was driving really fast.

"Eve, you might want to slow down." Michael pointed out as she put her foot on the gas.

"Sorry, just excited." Eve grinned.

"What for?" Michael was as confused as Claire was.

"It's a surprise." Eve was practically glowing with excitement.

As they pulled up to the Glass House, Shane was sitting on the porch steps, waiting for them to arrive. When he saw Michael open Claire's door, he flew down the steps and helped them get her out of the car. Claire felt exhausted. Like at any moment her legs would give way and she would be on the floor again.

"Do you think you can make the stairs?" Shane asked, keeping his arm around her waist.

"I'm not an old granny, Shane." She forced herself to sound normal. "I can get up and down the stairs."

"Are you sure?" Eve joined in. "You were just walking home and you couldn't even do that or argue with Myrnin. Oh, yeah. What was that about?"

"I'll tell you later. Right now, I've got some work to do." Claire reached for her backpack that one of them had placed neatly in the hall.

"No," Shane snatched it away from her, "right now, you need to rest and have something to eat and drink."

"They're right, Claire." Michael agreed. "You're not Superwoman." Michael widened his eyes to get his message across. Claire blinked back her tears. "Why not have a nap on the couch and we'll set up lunch and bring it in?"

Claire just nodded. They weren't going to give her a choice. The journal would have to wait until later. But she knew, without anything to focus on, she would feel the pain of the emptiness she was suffering. Eve wondered off to finish making lunch and Michael sat in his chair, playing his guitar, probably trying to sooth her. More like guard me, Claire thought. Shane had disappeared but he was still around as his stereo was blaring out upstairs. Claire was so bored and tired that she fell asleep - it was that or feel the hole in her chest.