Fire In The Hole (Part 4)

The Abuse

While Talking with Oliver and finding out that James moved out.

“That’s odd, did he have much? I’ve never been in there.” Said Hazel

“Not that I could tell he usually just had been when I would see him.” Replied Oliver

With a face of curiosity, they both got up and went to James’ bedroom door and opened it. Both their jaws dropped. Looking in the bedroom there were beer boxes and cans up to the top of the windows on one side of the room. “ We have our work cut out for us, How did we not smell this?” said Hazel. Oliver replied, “What are we going to do?” the only personal thing left in there that you could see was a bunch of playboy center folds up on the walls and a nasty mattress on the floor like it was a abandon flop house.

“Well Hun we will have to talk to the landlord about all the cans and boxes and see what we can do. Then clean the hell out of it, and if he has in fact left we need his name off the lease and new locks.” Hazel said.

Oliver standing there started getting anger just looking at the disaster of a room. Hazel looked at him worried and said “ Well look at the bright side we can make this into a nice office, or something else.” She snuggled up to him and smiled and said we have the place all to ourselves. Let’s go relax for a bit before we tackle this. They relaxed that afternoon with the door closed ignoring the problem. Over the next 2 weeks Hazel worked hard to get the trash out. She filled the dumpster for the apartments and made some trips out to a friends to burn the boxes when she had no where else to put things. Then she cleaned the floors and walls. She stood back and looked around what was once a room that reminds you of horror movies with beer stains running down the walls and all over the carpet and wood trim, now looked like an older apartment with slightly off white walls and deep cherry wood trim. She smiled and realized she was home. While she was standing there Oliver came up behind her and nuzzled her neck and asked if they were going to christen the house. She giggled and leaned back to kiss him. She had a glimpse of the happy life she wanted in that moment.

A few weeks went by and Hazel was at work, Maria her coworker asked her if she was ok. She said “ I swear girl I don’t know what has been going on with you but you look awful.”

“Maria, if I could have afforded to stay home I would have I feel awful, like I have no idea what is going on with my body. I’ve gained weight. I can’t stop eating and when I do I get sick. My boobs hurt and I just feel like I’ve been run over by a Mac truck.” Hazel said looking up at her from the desk chair.

Maria looked down at her puzzled and said “OH MY GOD YOU’RE PREGNANT.”

Hazel looked at her with a bullshit smirk. “No, I’m not I would know if I was or not and I think I just have the flu or something.”

Maria said “ I have been there you are pregnant. I’m going to get you a test and I’ll be back.” She walked out of the hotel door and ran to get a pregnancy test from the pharmacy down the street. She rushed back with a pregnancy test and put it on the counter and said “Go on I will cover you. No one is at my house, no one needs me besides this is too juicy to pass up.”

Hazel picked up the double pack of pregnancy test and went to the bathroom before anyone saw. She did what she needed to do and sat there waiting for the results. Her nerves were at an all time high and her brain going a mile a minute. She couldn’t help but think what would happen if she was, was she ready for this? Is anyone ready…. Her mind stopped as soon as the test flashed that one lone word that would change her life from this moment on. Pregnant. She was immediately overwhelmed with emotions. She came out of the bathroom in a daze like things were going in slow motion. She looked at Maria. Maria smiled and said, “I’m right, aren’t I?” Hazel slowly nodded and was trying to wrap her head around it. The rest of the next few days were kind of a fog she was trying to figure out how to tell Oliver. She was excited, they were in a good place at the moment and she wanted it to be special. She thought his birthday was coming up and she would tell him then. So she had told her boss at work what was going on and that she had made doctors appointment to be completely sure. They scheduled the day off and promised to say anything till she had told Oliver. The day of the doctor's appointment came and she was so nervous. She was there alone sitting in the waiting room seeing all the expectant moms and the little ones waiting for moms to come out. The nurse called her name and gestured for her to come with her.

Sitting in the room the doctor came in and explained everything she was going to do and didn’t look up much. The Doctor said she would be back in a bit and would know if we are happy or sad. Hazel was happy, the doctor came back and said well mommy I have wrote you a script for prenatal vitamins and put together the dos and don’ts , is there anything you need to know from me at the moment?”

“I’m nervous, what if I do something wrong?”

“Hazel just follow the guidelines I have given you, call me if you have any questions and you will be fine. I am with you every step of you and peanuts way. Now go home and get some rest.”

She left the doctors office and picked up a few cute little things to put together to tell Oliver they were going to be parents.

The following three days were brutal. The morning came of Oliver’s birthday. She woke up suer early and set the carefully planned gift bag on the table and the little sign next to it that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE! She went to work and started making breakfast. Omelets, toast, hashbrowns and coffee. If Oliver didn’t want that she made some cinnamon rolls too. She showered and got dressed after she got dressed, she heard Oliver started to move. She went in the bedroom and snuggled up to him and quietly said “Good morning Birthday man, Happy birthday!” He smiled and said, “good morning baby.” As he gave her a kiss and gave her a kiss. He then went out into the kitchen, and she followed. He said something smells amazing, besides you.” He looked at her and winked.

“I made you breakfast and got your birthday all planned out. I hope you like it. Which would you like breakfast or present?” she asked with a smile on her face she did a movement like Vanna White.

He pulled her on his lap and said “Presents.” While he was holding her, he grabbed the bag and started to open it.

She moved over to her own chair and said “ I want to see your face.”

He started to open the bag and was smiling. He got to the little box that was wrapped and ripped it open. He stopped when he saw the pregnancy test and looked confused. He said “what the,” and faded off like he was trying to wrap his head around it.

“Congratulations Daddy.” She said with excitement.

He smiled and said “Oh baby this is a surprise. What’s for breakfast?” She could tell he was having a little trouble with the fact he had a baby coming. She figured he would need a little time just as she did, so she went about getting his breakfast plate and telling him what she had in store for the day. They did all his favorite things and she kind of let the baby topic slide off to the side for a few weeks because she wanted to let him process it in his own time and talk to her when he was ready.

He started to ask her about how she was feeling about it. He seemed upset one night when they were coming home from a holiday party. She told him how she felt that she was scared but knows they will be good parents. The car came to a screeching holt on the dark country road. She couldn’t help but scream. They sat there in silence for a moment and then the car started to go again and the rode home in silence. They get home and she opens the door to the house. He slammed it closed. She turned and said, “Are you okay?” He pushed his way passed her and went into the office and closed the door. Another few days went passed and she had come home and he was in a mood. He said he was going out and would be back later. She waited to talk with him and he hadn’t come home before she fell asleep. 3 AM the door to their bedroom flings opens and Oliver comes in and hugs her so hard around the stomach said, “I missed you so much.”

“You’re hurting me!” She said loudly.

He let go and said “ I am sorry for wanting to be near you.” He hugged her again as tight as he could around the stomach, raising his arms and hitting it as hard as he could when he got both his hands into a fist.

“Get off, you’re hurting me!” She said again.

He said “Fine!” and went into the Livingroom and didn’t come back that night.

Hazel then wasn’t feeling well. She ran for the bathroom and did her business. When she got up she looked in the mirror and saw the red lines from where he hugged her so hard it hurt. She grabbed the an extra pillow on her way back to the bedroom and tried to sleep. The next morning, she woke up and was so sore. She was going to get up and shower thinking the hot water would help with the soreness. As she pulled back the covers and the sheets were covered in blood. She started to panic, She called out “Oliver!, Oliver! Come quick!” He got up and came in the bedroom quickly.

“What, what is wrong?” he said startled

“I need to go to the hospital something is very wrong. Will you help me to the shower I can’t move very well.” She said scared and nervous.

He helped her to the shower and got her some clothes and helped her down to the car.

“Are you ok? What is going on.” He said.

“I don’t know, My stomach is black and blue and I am bleeding.” She said scared and crying at this point.

When they got to the emergency room, they took her back and examined her. Asked questions and ran some tests. Oliver had disappeared at this point she didn’t know where he had went but she was scared. Then she saw her O.B. walk in and she looked at Hazel and said “How are you feeling after the medication we gave you?”

“The pain is dull but I’m on the verge of wanting to throw up. What is going on? I followed everything you said to do.”

“I’m sorry you lost the baby, the tumble your husband said you took last night must have done it.”

“What?” Hazel was so confused.

“ I’m going to give you some medicine to take home with you and that should stop the bleeding. I can put you in touch with people if you need some counseling or any after care.”

The doctor’s words trailed off and the tears started to form. Her journey home was like walking through a thick fog. She took her medicine and crawled into bed. When she woke up Oliver was no where to be found. Her stomach was cramping, and the bleeding continued for what seemed like weeks. She called the Doctor again and was put on another medication. The doctor asked her If she was doing bed rest. Hazel told her, that she hadn’t. The Doctor told her she was to be on bed rest and have someone help around the house. This was difficult as she needed to work and keep the bills paid. She called her boss and explained what happened, they made special accommodations for her so she had minimal movement at work. Oliver over the course of her healing was getting more and more angry when she asked if he could do things to help her and help with the house. He would say things under his breath and leave for what seemed like days. He didn’t check up on her, he barley talked to her.

A few months later the Doctor gave her the all clear and said she was very lucky to have healed so well. She said she had started to developed an infection and that was the reason for the second medication and bed rest.

One night came where Hazel had come home from work and the apartment had thumping music again. She knew she was in for a wild night, it was as though it was her warning to be quiet or go elsewhere. She came in the door and was immediately met with a fist to the face. She fell to the floor. As soon as she opened her eyes, Oliver was looking at her with daggers in his eyes. Not paying attention to what he was doing she felt a kick to the gut. She lay there gasping to catch her breath , before she could catch her breath there was another kick to the gut and a few quick punches to her face and arms. She lay there and passed out from the pain. When she woke up she was in bed. Her body let her know that she didn’t imagine what had happened. Very Slowly she looked around and looking to see if Oliver was anywhere in the apartment. She managed to get up wincing in pain with every little movement and made her way to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and started crying. She immediately locked the bathroom door with the lock she had installed a few months ago. She slid down the wall and lay on the bathroom floor and just cried. While she was there she had heard the front door open and close. Terrified at the sound knowing it was Oliver coming home. She gathered her strength and got up and very slowly took a shower trying to bring down the swelling of her face and stomach. She heard a tapping on the door.

“Baby, are you ok? You have been in there for hours and I have a surprise for you.” He had said with a concerned tone.

“I’ll be out in a minute.” She said angrily

She opened the door cautiously knowing she needed to proceed with caution. As soon as she did she saw at the kitchen table there were flowers and a teddy bear with a card and Oliver sitting there with a smile. He got up and helped her to the kitchen chair where he told her to sit and put his hand on her shoulder and made her sit down hard.

“Baby I know you have been having a tough time and I have been giving you space, but I wanted you to know how much I love you and want you to feel the same way I do. Do you love me?” he said

Scared of what was to come if she had said the wrong thing she smiled as best she could with a swollen face and said “of course I do.”

“So happy to hear that. I have our day planned out of things coming to the house for us to do to make you feel better.” He said with enthusiasm as if nothing had happened the night before.

This vicious cycle of beathing Hazel and making it seem as if everything was ok and that it didn’t happen, went on for about a month.