Divorced! Now what?
Chapter 196

Hank POV

Last night, Kitty died. She had hung out and was the last one to go; she had turned a dark yellow, her eyes black and bloodshot, and the twisted body showed how much pain she had suffered even with all the medication we had been pumping into her. I loved this woman initially and thought her an angel with all the work she had done for the battered woman and was the mother of my children. Caught her cheating was the end for me, and I stayed in the home for the children.

It had been years since I had even kissed a woman, let alone taken her to bed, so the twins crept up on me. I loved the attention they were giving me and yearned for more, but the more they want is not me, and though Scott and I have agreed to share, even that idea is losing its appeal.

These thoughts hit me as I completed the death report on Kitty. How little I knew Kitty, how she had deceived me right from before we were married, and it made me have so many doubts about my choices, and it had also made me reluctant to continue with the twins; it was too fast. Even though we said, we were willing to share. My chat with Scott later said that we both felt the same: too much too fast and what they wanted to bring us into was not really our scene. I do not judge and am happy for them, but Scott and I are going to call it a day tonight. The time we promised to give it a try was over and extended a little longer, but now it was time to call it a day. This, at least, has brought Scott closer to me. We have the same mindset, and the two of us will go together to replace a more suitable woman and not one to share. We have not given up on replaceing someone to warm our bed, but not as a couple and not with the twins; we like them, but not in the way they want us to. Scott is more familiar with the nightlife scene and will guide me to the better places to visit and where more refined ladies might hang out.

'Hey Hank, are you all done now?' George asked if he was organizing the bodies to go to the coroner, as he had gained a spot for them.

'Yep, last one done. Kitty fought for a long time; do you have any idea why she lasted so long? Any of the tests you did show promise of help against this poison?'

'Nothing I can put my finger on. She was a drug user, but then so were many others. Margaret died first because she was a heavy cocaine user, and her body was already weakened. She would not have been around for much longer anyway, and the three who died first were all addicts to that drug. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on J o bnlb. c (o) m. The ones that lasted the longest were the healthy ones in life, and I did not have any other health issues that I could foresee. The coroner will have a better idea than I do, using only available blood and health records. I have asked the coroner if I could be part of his replaceings to help with my research into poisons and how better to treat them. That is great, send me your replaceings, I would be interested."

I'm just letting you know that I'll do that. It's time to close this place up and wait for a room at the morgue. The prison was closed again, now a large holding place for the dead; it was time to head back home and check on the ladies and Bethany. Pulling up at the house, I see Bethany sitting on the porch, waiting for me. She pushes her growing self to stand as I arrive, relief on her face as she sees me arrive.

'Hank, Felicity is in labor. Sam phoned asking if you could come when you arrived home. She is still in the early stages. Bethany all but shouted at me as I got closer to her.

'Do you wish to come? It may not be a place for you at the moment, but I won't argue if you do.

'No, it's best I stay here. There is not much I can do, anyway, and I would only worry you and Theo when he comes home. Bethany was a practical woman who could see the disadvantage of being at the hospital in her condition. Bethany hands me a bag.

'Clothes for her in case she did not have an emergency bag in the car. She was not at home when she went into labor, and Sam may not be thinking about that at the moment.'

'That is thoughtful of you, Bethany; I will let you know if we need anything else and when the baby is born.' I hug her, throw the bag in the car, and leave.

The hospital staff were not surprised to see me arrive and greeted me with respect.

'She is in a private room, number thirty-four.'

'Thank you.' I did not even need to ask where Felicity was; all the staff here knew who I was, and I hoped what had happened with Cindy, Margaret, and Kitty would not reflect badly on me or my family. Only time will tell.

Entering her room, she was glad to see me, and for a moment, I thought she would burst into tears, but a wave of another contraction started, and she growled at Sam, telling him all this pain was his fault. I could not stop myself from chuckling at the abuse she was giving him. His face had gone pale as she squeezed his hand, but I will give him credit: he did not pull his hand away or cry out in pain. He looked at me with a pleading face. When the pain was over, he shook out his hand while Felicity was busy looking at me. 'Bethany sent over a bag of goodies she thought you might need!' I placed the bag on the bed, and Felicity dug into it.

'Tell that girl she is a lifesaver!' Sam looked a little guilty as she gave him a weathering look, and I guess he forgot to put an emergency bag in the car.

Doctor Dawn walked in, full of smiles, and greeted me before standing next to Felicity, waiting for her to finish the next contraction.

'How far apart are they now?' Dawn asked softly.

'Too often.' She growled back.

'Since I have been here, she is about four minutes apart. I reply when Dawn looks at me askingly.

'Let me see how you are progressing! I pulled the curtain around the bed, just in case someone came in the door and got an eye full; no one should be. You can never be too careful.

'I think you are going to be a mother very soon. You are fully dilated, and the head has crowned. The nurse quickly headed out to get a crib and the trolley for the doctor. Felicity will have the baby in this room. I was going to be a granddad very soon, and by the look of Sam, I am not sure if he will make it through this last part. He turned pale when he saw the water break, and Felicity gave us a loud grunt of pain.

'Okay, sweetie. It's time to give me one of those lovely pushes now! Dawn said as she worked on Felicity, her head disappearing as she looked between her legs. The nurse came closer and brought the trolley with her.

After five more pushes and Felicity's screaming, Dawn presented Felicity with a baby boy. Dawn placed him on her belly and offered Sam the scissors to cut the cord.

Which he nervously did.

The loving smiles from the new, proud parents are worth all the pain and suffering. I needed to be here for this, to see some new, fresh, innocent life, to enter the world after the horrid time I have had lately.

I called Bethany and gave her the good news: a healthy boy with lungs that will bring the house down. I gave her weight and his name. Philip, after Felicity's grandfather, my Dad would be so proud to have had a child named after him.

After a cuddle and handing the hungry child back, I took a few happy snaps on my phone to share with the others and left for home. It had been a long day, and I wanted nothing more than to have a shower, fill my belly, put my feet up, and rest with my family.