Island Secrets Ch. 05 - Finale

This is the final chapter of part 1 of the Island Saga series. I want to thank those who have read the other chapters and voted. Do enjoy the conclusion of Maxwell and Sharon's story. Islandchica

*****

May 1981

All that could be heard in the Mico Gymnasium was the rustle of papers as over four hundred students rifled through the examination booklets in front of them. They were mostly third year students and this was their final exam before stepping out in September as the newest batch of trained teachers.

Sharon frowned at the question she was attempting to answer. Then a light bulb went off and her pen literally flew over the paper. It had been a long and difficult year but finally she was at the end. She looked at the clock at the front of the room. She had twenty minutes before time would be up. She grimaced as she remembered that she had not had a substantial breakfast. Her stomache felt queasy. She needed to finish this exam quickly and get some food.

A bead of sweat broke out on her forehead as she felt her stomach cramp yet again. She took a deep breath and continued writing.

"Pens down. Close all answer booklets." Sharon looked up in relief as the chief invigilator gave the order over the microphone. Her hands became clammy as cold sweat broke out on her arms and face. She did not feel well at all. She could not wait to get back to her dorm to take a nap. She waited patiently as the invigilators went row by row collecting the scripts and signing the receipts. Finally she handed hers in. She pushed back her chair and attempted to stand. With a cry she sank back into the seat as a sharp pain cut across her groin. Suddenly she felt a warm, wet feeling flow down her legs. She looked down in horror at the pool growing underneath her as she realized that her water had broken.

***

"One of the things that you need to realize as a doctor is that sickness or the need for medical attention does not work on a schedule. A heart attack does not wait until morning before striking. Sickness does not care what plans a person may have before it pulls them down. And that is where we as doctors come in. We provide a twenty four hours a day seven days a week reassurance no matter what. People depend on us. And we have to be there to give them that assurance that we can help them to be better. When you ladies and gentlemen go on rotation in a few months it will give you a chance to experience the field first hand. That is where some of you will decide to stay the course and others will decide that they don't have the mettle for it."

Matthew listened to every word the Chief Surgeon of the Victoria Jubilee Hospital said. He felt his heart race with the rush of adrenalin. He hoped with all his heart that he would be found among the former. His life goal had always been to become a doctor and now that he was within striking distance he hoped nothing would deter him. He looked around at the group as they moved on, wondering who would not make the cut when the time came.

The surgeon continued to speak.

"As you should know this hospital was named after Queen Victoria. It caters specifically to

expecting mothers so you know they literally work around the clock as women are always having babies. For those of you who will specialize in gynaecology most of your clients will end up here. Then there are those of you whose wives and sisters and daughters will end up here as well."

The group of student doctors looked around at the patients. Most were resting as they were waiting to be delivered or had already delivered and were caught up in their bundles of joy. The ward was a huge one. The sound of an infant crying every now and then broke the silence.

Matthew looked around at the beds. There was another door at the end of the ward which more than likely led to another ward. He was right as within a few minutes they were ushered through the door. It was about half the size of the one they were leaving and unlike the other it was not very full. Groans echoed around the room.

The chief surgeon spoke quietly. "This is where we place those who are in labour. Through that door is the labour ward." As if on cue a muffled shriek of pain could be heard beyond the door, startling those present. "They are monitored here until they are ready for the theatre. As you can see, we try to keep them as comfortable as possible given the discomfort they are currently experiencing and the nurses check on them regularly."

There were just a handful of women. A few of them were hooked up to mechanisms of various sorts. As the doctors passed through one of them groaned and turned her head in their direction. Matthew felt his heart drop with a thud.

***

Christmas 1981

"Who's a good baby? Who's a good baby?"

Sharon cooed as her daughter gurgled and laughed as they rubbed noses. She looked at her daughter and felt her heart expand with love. She would not have passed up this opportunity for all the money in the world. It had been difficult at first. She had come a long way from that October morning when she faced the fact that she had been as regular as clockwork since she was thirteen and there was only one reason why she would have missed her cycle. With a heavy heart she accepted the confirmation of her pregnancy. She was ten weeks along. Of course she had panicked. She would be lying to say thoughts of termination did not arise. But deep down she knew it would not be an option. There was no doubt that it was Maxwell's but she dared not even think about contacting him.

She had spoken to her faculty adviser and come clean regarding her condition. The gods were on her side as the timeline was worked out. Once she was able to complete her teaching practicum, attend classes and complete assignments, she would not have to sit out the year. It helped that she also carried a small baby bump. Not much was visible on her slight frame until well after the sixth month. By that time she was in the home stretch anyway. The school where she did her practicum advised her to leave an application in the event that a position opened up in September.

Her luck held out as she literally went into labour as she put down the pen after her last exam. And then things had come to a screeching halt with Matthew's visit. That had been a difficult meeting. Even through the haze of pain she was in she recognized him. He had returned the next day. Once he had looked at the baby there were no questions to be asked. The Kirkland genes were evident. She had no choice but to spill the whole story.

A small smile touched her lips then. Matthew had been nothing but supportive after the shock had worn off. She had intended to return to the Mico Hostel when she was released from the hospital, only to find him waiting for her to be discharged. He had taken her back to the Hostel and held his newborn niece while she went upstairs to pack her few belongings. Her block mates helped her to take them down to his waiting vehicle and he had whisked her to his apartment in New Kingston. Many thought he was the 'baby daddy'. He went back to Montego Bay for the summer as usual. She stayed in his apartment just long enough to get something within her budget. By the end of August when he returned she had found an apartment in Rollington Town just two gates away from her new job. There was a daycare thirty seconds walk in the opposite direction.

Matthew had been reluctant to allow her to leave but saw her reasoning and allowed her to go. He saw to it, however, that an account was set up into which he deposited funds each month and that she had a few basic pieces of furniture and appliances to start with. Each time she asked him how he had been able to do this without raising eyebrows at home about the extra funds being spent, he simply rolled his eyes. She resolved not to touch the account and to pay him back for the furniture.

Now here she was celebrating her first Christmas with her child. She had made yet another excuse to her mother as to why she would not be home for the holiday. She knew her well enough to know that her little Patricia would be used as a pawn to milk money from the Kirklands.

She looked around at her home. It was a fairly large studio apartment on the ground floor. In addition to the bed, crib, stove and refrigerator that Matthew had started her with, she had managed to work out an arrangement with the wood work department at school. She was now the proud owner of a cosy five piece dining set and it was there that she sat bouncing Patricia on her knee. She had bought a few pieces of fabric and had spent some evenings in the Home Economics Department using the sewing machines. The result was matching curtains and bedspread. It was not much but she was proud to call it home.

She looked at her daughter as bittersweet emotions raced through her. She had learnt through Matthew that Maxwell had expected her back at the company for the summer. She sighed. She did not want Patricia to have the kind of existence she had had. Being raised by a single parent was not easy. But there was no way she could disrupt Maxwell's life because of one careless night.

She looked down at Patricia and traced the smooth line of her inky black brows which lay over those haunting grey eyes. Even if she had lied to Matthew when he had confronted her at the hospital the monthly visits would have told the truth. The more Patricia grew the more she looked like a carbon copy of her father. Only her complexion gave a clue to her mother's ethnicity.

She had the rich caramel common with those of mixed races. Her hair grew in thick black curls that would graduate to waves as she grew older. At eight months she was an active baby and was already attempting to take her first steps. It was a few nights ago when Matthew had stopped by to invite her to his apartment for Christmas Day as he would not be going home. Patricia had crawled over to where he sat at the table and, without hesitation, used his leg to haul herself up. That was normal. The surprise came when she started taking wobbly steps, all the while using him as her support. They had been ecstatic and just for a moment forgot that they were not a couple. They had both beamed with pride. They looked at each other. Matthew had an unreadable expression in his eyes. Sharon had taken Patricia up when she fell on her bottom and had looked everywhere but at him. A few tense moments had ensued before he repeated his invitation. When she asked why he would not be going home he explained that He was still on rotation and had exams as well so was stuck in Kingston for the holiday. The caterers had been paid for and he simply would have more food than he could eat alone. She had reluctantly consented. She sighed as she rocked the dozing baby. At least this time tomorrow she would be back in her space.

***

"Matthew, this is too much! What is she going to do with all this stuff?" Sharon looked at the man and child sitting among the discarded paper. Patricia was happily tugging at a pretty green bow while Matthew sat with her between his thighs attempting to try on the pair of pink ballet shoes.

"She'll grow into it."

Sharon smiled and shook her head. "You're the equivalent of the fairy god mother and you're going to spoil her rotten aren't you."

"You got that right. Maybe if I spoil her enough I'll get to spoil her mother too." He cradled the child in his arms as he looked over at Sharon. She smiled tremulously at the two pairs of grey eyes that turned in her direction. An errant lock of coal black hair flopped over his brow and Patricia reached up to give it a tug. The baby chortled at the screech he made as he tried to disentangle the chubby little fingers. Matthew was sweet and she wondered for the umpteenth time why it couldn't have been him that she fell in love with first.

Matthew had seen the sadness behind the gentle smile and he knew she was thinking of Maxwell. She was still as beautiful as when he had first laid eyes on her. Was it really just last summer that they had met? She was still petite and her twenty two year old body showed no signs whatsoever of having borne a child. She had finally given in and processed her hair and it now fell in thick black waves past her shoulders. His fingers itched to run through the tresses and he felt he felt his heart ache. There was just no getting around it. Sharon had fallen for Maxwell and he held the evidence that there had been some feeling on Maxwell's part in his arms. His brother was not one to chase after skirts like their younger brother, Michael. With a sigh he hugged Patricia closer. A guy could always dream couldn't he. If he were to be honest keeping Patricia a secret from his family for Sharon's sake was but one of the reasons he did. The other was a deep seated hope that maybe over time Sharon could move on from Maxwell and realize that one Kirkland could be as good as the other. All he had to do was be patient.

Patricia squirmed and he released her. She crawled over to her mother who promptly picked her up. She started rocking and crooning to her as she started to fuss slightly.

"It's her naptime. She's had a rather hectic morning. Plus I think she needs to be fed and changed before she goes."

Matthew rose and came over to the pair.

"Let me, please. If I'm going to specialize in paediatrics I need to know these things, right?"

"So pretty much my child is your guinea pig huh." Sharon couldn't help the small smirk.

Matthew smiled down at her as he took Patricia. "I've missed that smile." His eyes darkened slightly as they caressed her face. He was suddenly conscious of how close she was to his groin and stepped back before his thoughts could turn south.

Her eyes dropped as she blushed and released the baby. She watched as he took up the bag from the couch and went to his bedroom with the fussy child. She began cleaning up the wrapping paper and went to the kitchen to dispose of it when she heard a knock on the door.

"Matt, are you expecting anyone?"

He poked his head into the hall and shushed her.

He spoke in a stage whisper. "She's dozing off. Jeff said he might stop by for a book I have. Just tell him to check my desk." With that he ducked back into the room.

The knocking was becoming even more insistent as she crossed the room. Anxious to not have Patricia disturbed she yanked the door open with her fingers to her lips to shush the intruder. Her demand for silence died on her lips as she felt the air knocked out of her. She looked up into the face of the man who had haunted her dreams for more than a year.

***

Maxwell pulled into the familiar parking spot in the underground garage of the apartment complex. There was Matthew's beat up Volvo. At least his trip into the capital would not be in vain. As much as he didn't want to admit it he missed his brother. Michael drove him crazier than he wanted to admit, but it had taken that craziness for him to recognize just how much of a buffer Matthew was between them. He stepped out of the pickup and stretched. It was just about eleven and he had been driving since after seven this morning. He reached back into the cabin and hoisted out the duffel bag then hefted the box on the seat into his arms. He could have made a second trip but all he wanted to was to get up to the apartment and not have to think about going back down. He struggled up the two flights of stairs with the box and his bag. He knocked but got no response. He kept knocking. He was just about to use the extra key when the door swung open.

"What took you..."

"Shhhhh...!"

They were both cut off mid speech. Maxwell leaned against the door jam, glad for the support as his knees suddenly felt weak. Then just as suddenly the shock was replaced by anger. What the hell was Sharon doing in Matthew's apartment?

***

November 2002

"... as we have come to the end of our tenure here at the University of the West Indies, let us not forget that we are but one step closer to making the dreams we started with a reality. Thank you."

Patricia felt flushed as the graduating class rose to their feet to give their valedictorian a standing ovation. She held her had high as she stepped away from the podium and searched the audience. She smiled when she saw her mother and father. She took her seat proudly. Finally it was all over!

Sharon felt her heart swell with pride each time she heard 'Patricia Kirkland' over the microphone. She was already wondering where in the already overflowing cabinet those trophies and plaques would be stored. She turned shining eyes to the man at her side, beaming.

"That's our baby."

She was hugged closer to him and she leaned into his strength. There was a fleeting kiss pressed to her cheek and she felt her skin grow warm. She remained pressed to his side for the remainder of the ceremony. Finally the graduants receded and the auditorium erupted in squeals of joy as family members hugged and congratulated. Sharon felt the tears prick her eyes as she watched her daughter walk towards them. She turned to take the hand of the man at her other side and felt a tiny kiss pressed to the back of her hand.

There was no doubt that Patricia Maxine Kirkland was a Kirkland. She had her father's and uncles' height and had grown to a towering six feet. She had her mother's bone structure and not an ounce of unnecessary fat could be found anywhere. Simply put she had a drop dead gorgeous body that most models would kill for. She was already being pursued for the runway and had a contract pending with Pulse. She had modeled in her teens and could have continued after high school but had decided to work on her first degree instead. Her thick black hair fell in luxurious waves to her shapely buttocks. Her huge grey eyes could be piercing one moment and dancing the other. Right now they shone with unshed tears. Her make up was minimal as her clear caramel skin needed very little.

As she approached the trio her the tears which had been threatening started to fall. Her tears triggered her mother's and she barely noticed her father and uncle relieving her of her awards as she hugged her mother close. She was almost a foot taller and had to lean down to receive her mother's kiss on the cheek as they wiped the tears from each other's faces.

"We made it mummy!"

"Indeed we did honey."

Maxwell and Matthew looked at the pair and smiled. It seemed like just yesterday that Maxwell had turned up that fateful Christmas Day to find Sharon at Matthew's apartment...

~~~

"Sharon?" Maxwell's brow creased with a frown.

"What are you doing here?"

"I-I-I ..." Sharon's heart started racing a mile a minute. She stood there holding the door open, speechless. This was how Matthew found them.

"Max, I think you need to come in and have a seat. Sharon, you too."

Matthew had been the one to break everything down. A few hours later when Patricia woke up he had taken her and placed her in Maxwell's arms. To say his brother had been shaken was an understatement. Things had taken an ugly turn as he had begun to rant at Sharon for keeping Patricia a secret. Matthew had not been spared his acid tongue either. New Year's was not much easier as Maxwell had by then informed the family that he was a father. Then there was the threat of custody.

When it seemed as if things were getting from bad to worse Matthew stepped in. He went home one weekend. When he returned it was business as usual. It wasn't until years later that Sharon learned that Matthew had practically threatened to cut his family out of his life if they continued to pursue the foolishness of getting custody of Patricia just out of spite.

Sharon finally got the courage to go home for the summer the year that Patricia had turned one. By then a trust fund had already been established so there was very little blackmailing that her mother could use the child for. She had spent the six week break at the Kirkland Estate as the family would not hear of her going to her mother's house. It had been hard for either family to remain unmoved by the baby and all had fallen in love with her instantly.