Primrose Complex, Chapter 5

I anxiously drove to the gym. From the outside, noone could tell how excited I was to tell Parker that he was going to be a father. I was thinking, ignoring my surroundings, until I realized I had gone past the gym. To my right, there were dirty, old abandoned buildings.

I pulled into an allyway between two buildings so I could turn around, but stopped dead.

Behind the dumpsters, a man was groaning in pain, clutching his leg. I noticed the tip of a gun peeping from under the dumpster. I was going to run to him and try to help, truly I was. His strange purple hair wouldn't have stopped me from helping him. If it had, well, I wouldn't be the best paramedic, would I?

I had grabbed my phone and my finger was over the 9 key, when I glanced to the other side of the ally.

 There, laid another bod--no, person.

He had familiar blonde hair, and a strip of black fabric cut through it and covered one eye.

Parker...

Oh...oh, no, this...it can't be happening! I pulled the emergency break in my car and hopped out, droppign my cell and forgetting the purple-haired guy while I ran to my Parker. He had to be alive...

I thought of running back, grabbing my phone and letting the hospital deal with this, but that thought was immediately extinguished. What was the use of having powers if I never used them? I could do better, in two minutes, than every doctor in Appaloosa Plains could do in a month.

I fell to his side, ignoring the gleam of a gun from between the stack of tires. I had to concentrate on the gaping wound on his side.

I worked for a few second, trying to find the source of the blood that was soaking into his coat.

No, that wasn't the right way to do it. It would take hours and I could sense it, if something wasn't done fast, fast fast, he would die.

I readjusted myself so that my face was right in front of his. "Parker, Parker!" I cried, "Please, just open your eye..."

I slapped him softly, trying to shake him awake. "Parker!" I yelled, after a moment with no response. I punched him on the arm, as hard as I could, "Damn it! Open your eye!"

He groaned, rolling his head towards the sound of my voice without opening his eye, "Hana?" he whispered painfully.

"Primrose," I corrected. I wanted to ask him who Hana was, but that could wait until later. Because I couldn't let him die now.

"How did you..." His voice got caught in his throat and he started to cough up blood.

"There's no time," I shrieked, "Open your God-damned eye now!"

He finally listened, and when his eye met mine, I felt a surge of power. I felt as though I could literally--and I mean, literally, do anything. I could see a glow within his eyes and pulled the pain out. I knew the other guy would die, but I let the pain travel, willing it in the direction of the groaning body, until Parker's wound had healed. The bullet fell through the hole in his clothes, the flesh that it had pierced now whole.

I stopped then, closing my eyes to ensure that the connection would be broken.

"Excuse me," A man said behind me.

I spun around and stood between the man and Parker, to protect him.

"I'm Agent Moss, of the SIA. Back away from..." he paused for a moment, as though he was trying to remember his name, "Parker."

"What are you going to do with him?" I asked, "Is he in trouble? Why did he get shot? Who's that guy?"

The questions rolled off my tongue until I ran out of breath.

"He is not in trouble with the SIA. We came because he was shot. We need to make sure he's alright."

"I took care of that," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"I see," Agent Moss said, nodding to Parker. I wanted to glance back to see if Parker was truly alright, but I didn't. "We would like to study you. Possibly give you a job. You may be of great use to the SIA. If not, I suggest you leave now, before my fellow agents get here."

 "No, I don't want to be studied," I moved to start biting my nails, "but can I have a moment with Parker, before I go?"

He nodded, "Hurry."

I leaned down by Parker, and whispered, "You better come back, Parker. I still have that news."

I would have told him, right then, but Agent Moss pulled me away and rushed me to my car.

********

I was forced on to maternity leave after a few months. I had given up on Parker by then--surely, they had lied, and he was killed or is in prison or something for some reason. I don't like to think about the love that I probably lost...but, one day, I was forced to.

Are you still willing to see me? I'm sorry for disappearing for so long. I'm back now. Was the text I got, from a familiar number.

Parker. He was back! I texted him immediately, telling him that I needed him to come over. I warned him to go through the side entrance, and quickly set Mom and Dad up to go to sleep. I made it back in my room in time to unlock the door and wait for Parker.

He looked at my swollen belly with his good eyes, "You're pregnant."

I nodded, "It's yours. I was going to tell you, but then..."

He stared off, mouth ajar, until he started mumbling. It didn't sound like any real words, just...I guess, something like... "Jahi...Oni... Kaliq..." When he said the last few syllables of whatever that was(I figured maybe it was some relative's names or something), he sounded almost pained. I ignored these mumblings in favor for more important topics.

"I sort of let my mom think that the baby was fathered by an imaginary friend," I admitted, "And she told my dad, and the both believe it."

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"I guess we should let her think I made you 'visible...'" I shugged, "But mabye didn't be better..."

"Better..." he repeated, motioning for me to continue as he led me to the couch.

"To wait. Maybe, after the baby is born, I can tell her the truth and then move in with you. If you want, that is."

I suddenly realized that he may not be okay with the little plan I had concocted while getting Mom and Dad in bed.

"If that's what you want, I'm okay with it."

I nodded, "Great. I have a few questions, though."

Parker eyed me worriedly, "I will answer what I can," he said, "But I can't promise that you'll like it." And with that, I went loose on him.

 "What the hell happened?" I blinked my eyes to hold back the tears that started gathering, "I go to tell you that I'm pregnant, and I find you, shot and almost dead, in an allyway!"

"I was finishing up at the gym, and decided to go for a run and get some food. Some guys were attacking a man, so I ran into the ally to try and save him."

I wanted to call him out on the bull. Something told me that it wasn't true, but then, something in his eye begged me to just let it go. I decided that I would, for now, let it go.

"Okay," I took a breath, "Why did the SIA come?"

"No idea," he shrugged, "Maybe the guy getting beaten was an agent, or guys attacking him?"

"The agent who first came said your name! Don't tell me that it was about the other guy, they wanted you."

"The, uh..." he paused, squeezing his eyes shut. He sighed in defeat and turned forward. "Okay, I'll tell you why he knew my name."

"I didn't tell you before, because no one is supposed to know. I...was going to be an agent. I had applied and almost became an agent, but I had to get my shooting license. I...ah...this is embarrassing, but...I...um..."

"You...what?" I asked him to go on.

"I almost killed someone. I was playing with the gun, trying to be a hotshot. I twirled it, and the trigger got caught and...I shot someone. I was so embarrassed that I quit it entirely. I couldn't handle that I had almsot killed a man, especially when it was my friend."

"I...I can't believe what you're saying. This isn't some Delta Nine novel. I want the truth, and you're telling me...what? That you shot, let me guess, Delta Nine?"

"No, not Delta Nine," He laughed, which just made me a little more angry, "I shot Agent Moss. Besides, I told you that you may not like the answers!" he clenched his fists and closed his eyes again, mumbling something about getting a drink before calming down again.

"Fine," I sighed, "But I have one more question."

He glanced at me through halfclosed eyes, "What?"

"When I found you..." I would leave out the part about healing. He doesn't need to know about my powers. Not yet, at least. I'd tell him some time after the baby is born, or maybe not until they're older. "You asked if I was Hana. Who is she?"

He took a quick, almost painful, breath. I thought for a few moments, that he wouldn't answer. In that short time, I wondered, was he...cheating on me?

"She's a nurse," he admitted, "She helped me when I lost my eye. We had a lot of deep conversation. I heard that she may have been killed, and I thought...well, I thought that she was saving me again."

"Oh," I felt like a bitch, assuming the worst. Why would he cheat on me? He's way too good of a person to do that.

That night was spent reliving the time before the last time we had seen each other.

********

I went into labor in my bedroom, and had the baby in the bathroom with Aunt Iris's help.

I asked Briar--who had moved back in with us, so I could have some help with the baby(but really, so that when I left, he could take care of Mom and Dad)--to take Mom and Dad to the park so I could have some alone time with my new baby girl, Poppy. Then, I had Parker come over to meet his baby.

He walked in and smiled as he saw our little bundle of joy.

"She's beautiful," he said, taking Poppy from my arms and snuggling her close, "Oh, who's a little adorable baby girl?"

This only lasted for a second, though, before his smiling face went hard.

"This baby isn't mine. No one in my family has had red eyes," he growled, "You..."

"What? That's not possible! The only person I've ever--"

"Stop. Don't lie. Has anyone in your family ever had red eyes?" I bit my lip, and shook my head, knowing what he was thinking, "Then don't try to convince me that this freak is mine! Don't you dare tell me that you haven't been with anyone else."

"She...she has to be yours!" I cried.

"What, did you have the rest of your men wear condoms?"

"I..." I was too shocked to form a sentence.

"You what? Thought I wouldn't notice? Well, whore, I did notice."

He shoved Poppy, content, innocent, little Poppy, into my arms, and shook his fist so close to my face that I was afraid he would punch me.

"I'm leaving. I'm not taking care of your bastard child."

He spun on his heels and stormed out, slamming the door behind him so loudly that the house shook slightly.

How...

I...

What?

********

Appearances:

Parker Rain, of Different Rain, the amazingly fantastic and heartwrenching DITFT written by orangeplumbob. He plays...Parker Kain. I suggest reading Different Rain. And by suggest, I mean, demand.

Amethyst Stone, of the Stone Rainbowcy, a new and very interesting story, starring my berrified simself(link also found in appearances). He plays the guy in the allyway who also got shot with the purple hair. He's de-berrified for this story.

Seeley Moss, of Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss, the must-read(as in, everyone will yell at you if you don't read it and try to write a DITFT because it is that fantastic) DITFT. It's completed, and written by the lovely Styxlady. Literally, go read this. Now.