Logan's Salute

Chapter 6

Kristin's POV

Every morning for the past two weeks, Kristin has felt fragile. She gets the shakes so bad that she looks like a leaf blowing in the Cape Town South Easter in spring. When she fainted during an assembly, the nurse instructed that she see a doctor as soon as possible, as it could be very serious. Matthew has offered to take her away to the doctor and she accepted. He has been standing by her since the day he found her in the bath and has been unnaturally sweet. He has promised that he will only be her friend, as she made him realize pressure from his side added to the decision she made that fateful Saturday. He was very understandable. 

"So, tell me," Kristin begins to ask him, " How did you come into my house Saturday?" She asks him the the Tuesday after her little episode. Matthew pulled a face that makes his dimples pop and smiles.

"Remember I used to sneak in when your parents went away some days," he says with a naughty smile. "Then we would have s*x till we would fall asleep? I just used that method of entering." Kristin shakes her head at him. She giggles as she remembers the wild days they had together.

"What?" Matthew asks her.

"We were reckless," she says and he chuckles with a nod. She eyes him as they sit together in the living room, alone in the house. Matthew came to check up on her every day after that Saturday, to 'keep an eye' on her. He catches her eyeing him and he smiles. 

"You were right," she says.

"Of course I was," he says with a cocky tone and she giggles again. "What was I right about?"

"I did place you on a pedestal," she says and reaches for his arm. "I am so sorry."

"Was that so difficult?" he asks, and she laughs aloud. "You were right too, you know. I should have communicated. I could have handled it better."

"Oh my goodness," Kristin says and Matthew pulls a face at her. "Matthew Gabriels admits he was wrong! That is a first as in ever. The world will come to an end"

"I did not admit I was wrong. Let us just get that straight," Matthew says lifting a forefinger into the air. "I simply agreed that you were right at one point. Once and it will never happen again." Kristin laughed and so did he. 

Three weeks later, after she fainted at school during the assembly, Matthew and Kristin sit at the doctors office. He held her hand tight. When they called her name, they made eye contact before she stood up to go see the doctor. 

"I will be here for you," he says and kisses her hand before releasing her. She nods and walks into the consultation room. She sits there for what seemed like hours and then the door swings open with the doctor entering. 

"Good day," he says and looks at her name on the card. "Kristin. What seems to be the problem?" He sits down opposite her with a table between them and makes eye contact with her. Kristin takes a deep breath and explains her symptoms. The doctor was middle-aged with a little grey in his hair. He was a healthy slim with a moustache on his top lip and a kind face. He listened to her as she spoke as she spoke, nodding. 

"When was the last time you had s*x?" He asks without blinking. Shocked by his question Kristin blinks a few times. "You are turning eighteen this year, right? Have you been sexually active recently?" Kristin then sits and recalls her last s****l encounter, With that she remembers Logan. 

"Just over three weeks ago," she answers finally.

"When was your last period?" he asks and starts scratching in his drawer. Kristin, again, sits and think.

"I don't know," she says, still feeling thrown by the line of questions. "A month ago." 

"Here," he says, passing her a pregnancy test. "Go into that toilet over there," he says and point to a door at the side. "drop some urine onto this stick and come back here." Kristin takes the sealed test and does as he asks. She returns minutes later and sits back down as the doctor places the test on a sink behind him.

"Now, can you please move over to the bed," he says. "I would like to examine you." Kristin does as he says and he checks her blood pressure, her pupils and her abdomen. He silently gestures back to the chair and he reaches for the test on the sink as she sits back down. He gives a sigh of relief and smiles.

"Well, you are pregnant," he says and takes out a pad from his desk. Kristin did not hear anything further as those words, as it resonated in her head. She watches as he walks out of the room with the note in his hand, leaving her alone. Kristin was completely lost in thought and did not even notice as Matthew sitting on his haunches in front of her.

"We have to go, Kris," she hears him say and she nods blankly. Matthew eyes her curiously as he guides her out of the doctor's office and into his car. He says nothing on the drive back home, but she knew she had to tell him eventually. They sit in front of her house for fifteen minutes before she spoke. 

"What time is it?" she asks him. Matthew checks his wrist watch and says, "It is a little after four. Your parents will be home soon." Kristin's blood pressure spikes and she gets a sudden head-ache. She did not even think about her parents. 

"Here," Matthew passes her a plastic bag with medication in it. "The doctor said you need this for your condition." Kristin reaches for the bag, but he does not let go. "What is wrong with you?" He asks as she makes eye contact with him. "Because, what ever it is, I will be here for you."

"I'm pregnant," she blurts out and Matthew's face looses all its colour. His once emerald eyes looked like grey fog as he stares back at her in disbelief. He releases the bag and faces the front. 

"Is it Logan's?" He asks softly.

"Yes," she admits in a whisper. Still facing him, she watches as his eye become watery and he swallows hard. He remained silent for minutes as he absorbed the news.

"In the back of my brain I knew you must have...," Matthew's voice breaks, and he clears his throat. "I was just hoping, wishing that he didn't. That you didn't..." He close his eyes and grabs the steering wheel tight. After a while, he side glances her and asks, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," she says and faces the front. 

"Are you going to keep it?" he asks. 

"I don't know," she echoes.

"Are you going to tell him?" he asks.

"I don't know," she answers once again.

"You need to know something, Kris," He shouts at her in frustration. "Soon everyone will know! This is not exactly something you can keep quiet!" 

"I know!" She shouts back, equally frustrated. "I didn't plan this, Matt!"

"Then why didn't you use a condom?" he shouts at her, anger flaring in his eyes. "I mean, you always made me wear one, but with him, you just didn't care." Matthew knocks the steering wheel in frustration. Kristin drops her head into her hands and begins to sob. "No, Kris, please don't cry." His voice was so tender that she sobbed more. With a sigh, Matthew reaches for her and pulls her into his arms. He held her until she stopped crying. 

"I tell you what," Matthew says and kisses her forehead. "Tonight, don't tell your parents just yet. Sleep and think about it. Then tomorrow, we will have a picnic, here in the garden, weigh the pros and cons and make a decision, together. So we can face it, together." Kristin smiles up at him and his eyes focuses on her lips. Before she knew what was happening, Matthew bends down and very gently captures her lips with his. He pulls away abruptly and apologizes. Kristin moves away from him not making eye contact.

"It's okay," she whispers. "We can talk again tomorrow." Kristin exits the car and walks into the house. Matthew drove off with screeching tyres.

The next day came and Kristin slept like a log. Matthew fetches her for school and he hardly allows her to be on her own the whole day. Kristin noticed that Logan was no longer watching them or lurking in the smoking area as he normally does. She wondered where he was, but did not want to ask Matthew, as she preferred to avoid another confrontation. Matthew drops her off at home and promises to return with the picnic he promised. Kristin cleans as she normally does and finishes as Matthew returns. He smiles at her as she opens the door with a smile that would have knocked any woman's socks off. She smiles back and invites him inside. He helps her set up for the picnic outside, in the garden. He chose to sit under the same tree where Kristin and Logan had their first s****l encounter. Not aware her face displays her emotions as she helps him set up. 

"What is the matter?" He asks, observing her face.

"Nothing," she says and gets up.

"Wait!" he says abruptly and rushes to her side. "Please sit. I will get the basket." He pecks her on the cheek and jogs into the house, where he left the picnic basket. Kristin sits down on the hard ground, thinking maybe she should fetch a pillow. Matthew return with a pillow under his arm and the basket in the other hand. "Here, you bottom might be more comfortable on this," he says and passes her the pillow. A chilly wind blows and Kristin grabs at her arms. "Cold?" he asks and she nods. He jumps up once again.

"If I knew that this is how you would have reacted to me being pregnant, I would have fallen pregnant a long time ago," she says, jokingly as he walks pass her. He stops and turns back to tickle her and she laughs boisterously. 

"If I was the father," he says in her ear. "we would have to leave the country. My father would make us enemy number one." Matthew says as a joke and Kristin laughs again. He then walks in the house to fetch her a cover for her exposed arms. Kristin knows he was joking, but knew that Matthew's father did love him, but had a different way of displaying affection. 

Kristin remembers the day she met the infamous Mark Gabriels, business tycoon and one of the richest men in South Africa. Kristin then realized that Matthew must have his mother's features, as Mark Garbiels was dark and Matthew is light. He had black hair with blue eyes and a strong brow with a square jaw. He looked at Kristin as if she was a speck of dirt on one of Matthew's designer suits, but did compliment his son on choosing such a gorgeous specimen of woman.

"She is a nice little toy for you, my son," Mark Gabriels said in a tone that made Kristin feel dirty all over.

A movement in the corner of her eye catches her attention and there she sees Logan, dressed in his running attire, placing his hood on his head and stretching, not too far from her home. He heart leaps at the sight of him, but it is short lived as she watches him run back home. Her eyes become filled with tears.

"Here," Matthew says as he returns. "This was the best that I could find." A single tear rolls down her cheek as he sits down beside her. "What happened?" he asks noticing her tears. Kristin wipes her face and shakes her head. "How am I supposed to make it better if you don't tell me what is wrong?" 

"You being here makes it better," Kristin says and places her head on his shoulder. Matthew places an arm around her and kisses her forehead.

"We will work this out together, Kris," He says tenderly. Kristin wished with all her might that Logan was holding her and speaking so kindly to her, instead of Matthew. This brings more tears to her face and she places her arms around his mid-section. 

Hours later, Kristin and Matthew still did not come to a conclusion, but full of all the food and were laying down beside each other and laughing at Matthew's silly jokes. 

"We need to get serious, Kris," he says with a little chuckle. "There is a reason we are here."

"You are the one making sad jokes!" Kristin exclaims with a little laugh. 

"Okay," he says and lays on his side facing her. "How about this? Do you want children?" 

"Yes," she says instantly.

"Really?" he asks with a smile. "How many?"

"I always wanted two," she says looking up at the tree hanging over them. "One boy and one girl. Like the Logan's." The mention of the name changes Matthew's face making Kristin's smile disappear as well. 

"I would love to see a little version of you running around here," Matthew says, trying disguise his emotions. "Lovely, dark, curly locks that flowed down her back, with beautiful chocolate brown eyes and your soft kissable lips." His gaze focuses on her lips at this point. Kristin's cheeks heat up. Matthew drags his gaze away and looks around. "I think we better go inside. It is getting cold now." Matthew starts packing up the basket and Kristin sits up to help. "No, go inside. I will do this." He holds her gaze for a while before she stands up to go into the house.

Kristin, later, makes him and herself some warm coffee and they sit in the living room, when it begins to rain. 

"We still didn't make a decision," Kristin says softly, breaking the awkward silence. Matthew eyes her and takes a sip of his coffee. 

"Do you love him?" Matthew asks and she shoots him a look. She shifts in her seat as he observes her.

"Why do you ask that?" she asks.

"Because I believe that this fact will ultimately sway your decision," he says. "So, do you?"

"I don't think that is the case," she stalls. Matthew sits forward in his chair and forced her to make eye contact with him.

"Answer the question, Kris," he says, sounding irritable. 

"Yes," she hears herself say. Matthew's face falls and he breaks eye contact. 

"Did you see a future with him?" He asks looking at his hands. "Before all of this drama, was he apart of your future plans?" 

"I don't understand," she begins to say softly.

"Just answer the questions!" He shouts at her, still not looking at her. 

"Yes," she whispers, tears roll down her face. 

"Do you want to keep this baby?" Matthew asks making eye contact again. "Logan's baby, do you want to keep it?" The pupils in his eyes were large as he stares back at her.

"Yes," she says and wipes her face. Matthew drops his eyes and places his head in his hands. She sniffs uncontrollably as he sits in silence. He stands up and walks to the door. 

"There is your answer," Matthew turns back to glance at her one more time and then leaves. Kristin sits there until she no longer hears Matthew's car and then gets up to go to her room. 

Matthew avoided her for a week and Kristin did not bother to make contact with him either. She knew that he was hurt and seeing her, knowing what he knows, might be much for him to handle. Logan was absent again, Kristin observed, but also did not see Gabriella, to ask about her brother. Kristin's dizzy spells increased as the week went on. Kristin makes her way home that Friday from school, feeling like she was about to die, when Melanie calls after her from behind. Kristin turns back to face her, almost falling over with the action. 

"Are you happy with yourself?" Melanie asks and Kristin's head spins. "Logan has left us forever."

"What are you talking about?" she asks Melanie and grabs her head. Melanie gives her an odd look.

"You don't know, do you?" Melanie says. "Logan left for the Army this week. His starting his basic training on Monday, in Pretoria." Kristin's head swings and she takes a step back to stabilize herself.

"Are you drunk?" Melanie asks her and she shakes her head. 

"I just need to lay down a bit," Kristin says and turns to walk home but instead everything around her becomes black. She hears Matthew and Melanie call her name as she goes down.

Kristin gets the scent of a hospital as she gains consciousness. Her eyes feel heavy as she tries to open them and she looks around. She had a needle in her arm and wires on her chest. Kristin clutches at her abdomen and frantically sits up.

"The baby is fine," Matthew says and she looks to her side to see him sitting in the corner. He was still dressed in his school clothes, with his legs stretched out before him. He sits upright, pulling his legs back and leans forward, checking his watch. " You have been unconscious for five hours now," he says. "your parents are on their way."

"What happened?" Kristin asks him.

"You fainted," he says and stretches his arms over his head. "Melanie was harassing you and you fell to the ground like a ton of bricks. You hit your head." He points to her head and she reaches for it. Kristin then remembers what Melanie told her.

"Melanie said Logan Joined the army," Kristin says and Matthew frowns. He looked shocked by her words.

"Here she is!" Paula says, looking behind her and entering the room. "Tintin, you gave us all a scare." Paula says, entering the room followed by her mother, father and Jacques. Matthew and her father make eye contact and Matthew stands up slowly. 

"What are you doing here?" he asks Matthew. Matthew drops his gaze.

"If it wasn't for my son, then your precious daughter would still be on the road, waiting to be rescued," Mark Gabriels makes his entrance. Matthew wide-eyed, clearly shocked by his father's presence, stares back at his father. "Hello, son. The bank informs me of large amounts being used from your account. I simply came down here to see if you were in another accident." Matthew's father looks at Kristin with a glint in his eyes and says, "This time your little girlfriend is the cause of me losing money." 

"Father," Matthew begins to speak and Mark Gabriels just lifted his hand into the air to silence his son.

"Spare me the drama," His father says. "And let us go home. We will talk there."

" I will pay you back, Mr. Gabriels," Kristin says. Matthew's father turns back to look at her. "Every cent." She adds, ignoring the scoff in his expression. 

"And how do you propose to do so, my dear? The last time I checked you don't even have a job?" He asks. 

"She is my daughter," Kristin's father says. "I will pay her hospital bills." Matthew's father eyes her father with contempt on his face. 

"I doubt, you can afford the needle in her arm," Matthew's father says arrogantly. "let alone the hospital bills." He points to her and adds, "Did anyone ask why she is here? Other than the little bump on her head, I don't see anything else wrong with her." Kristin and Matthew make eye contact. "So, please, little miss, enlighten us."

"Good, the whole family is here," the doctor walks in at that moment. "Who is her mother?" he asks and her mother steps forward. "Ah, yes. You need to ensure that she takes her medication on a regular basis as she has a very rare anaemic condition and it can affect her permanently in the future." Her mother looks at the doctor in confusion as he speaks,

"Rare anaemic condition?" her mother asks.

"Because of the pregnancy," the doctor says and all eyes fall on Kristin. Kristin, however keeps her eyes lowered.

"I am going to be an aunty?" Paula speaks first. Kristin glances at her sister, who had seemed delighted. 

"I am sorry," the doctor says, looking around the room. "I thought everyone knew. When Master Gabriels informed me of the patient's condition, I assumed her parents knew." Now everyone's focus is turned towards Matthew, who kept his gaze on Kristin. His father looked at him and then back at her. 

"Pregnant?" Her mother repeats softly. Kristin glances at her father, but he stares down in silence. She close her eyes as tears roll down her cheek. Kristin feels a knock on her cheek, so hard, that she almost fell off the bed. Her mother has struck her. "You are a disgrace!" her mother spits at her in disgust.

"No!" Matthew screams and leaps towards her. His father grabs him by his school jacket and pulls him back. 

"This is none of your business, son," his father says. "We can leave and let them handle their slutty daughter." 

Matthew shoots his father a look and says, "She is not a slut!" Matthew then rips away from his father's grip and makes his way to Kristin's side. She was rubbing her very red left cheek, as tears still flood her eyes. 

"Matthew, listen to your father," Kristin's mother says. 

"No, Mrs. Stevens," Matthew says and places his arms around her. "I can't, because I am responsible for her!" 

Shock takes over as the whole room goes silent. Kristin looks up at Matthew and he meets her gaze. Kristin's father steps forward and says, "Impossible!" Kristin looks at him, but he holds his gaze on Matthew.

"Sir, you might not want to hear this, but Kristin and I have been sexually active for more than three years now," Matthew says and Kristin closed her eyes in embarrassment. "You can ask her. This was not planned, sir. We messed up and we are very sorry, but Kristin and I have decided to keep the baby."

"Matt," Kristin whispers his name.

"They need to know, Kris," Matthew says, looking down at her. "I told you we could not keep this a secret for too long." 

"Is it true?" Kristin's father asks, finally looking at her. "All he is saying, is it true?" Kristin looks around the room and sees the disappointed faces and then looks up at Matthew. He nods at her and says, "Tell them." 

"Yes, daddy," she says and looks down at her lap, knowing she was unable to look her father's face. All the blood drains from his face at her words. 

"Excuse me," her father says and walks to the door. "I need some fresh air." he leaves and her mother follows, calling after him. Paula watches as Matthew's father slowly approaches the teenagers. 

"You have disgraced our family name!" Mr. Gabriels says, anger seething in every word he speaks. His gaze is fixed on Matthew. "You just could not keep it in your pants, could you? You and this sl..."

"Call her a slut one more time, " Matthew says and straightens himself, against his father. The two Gabriels men glare at each other for the longest time, before the older on finally speaks.

"We will discuss this at home," Matthew's father says and turns on his heel to walk out the door. When he left the room, Matthew sinks down on the bed beside Kristin with a sigh. "Matthew!!!" his father bellows from the hallway and he jumps up again. As Matthew prepares to leave, Kristin calls his name and he looks at her. 

"I will see you tomorrow," he says softly with his famous smile and winks at her. Kristin forces a smile and he walks out.

"Well, I am speechless," Paula says as she takes a seat near the bed. "I honestly thought you were carrying Logan's baby." Kristin looks up and catches Jacques' eyes watching her. He had a knowing look as he gazed upon her.

"Come, Paula," He says to his fiancé. "Let Christine rest. We see her tomorrow again." Paula glances at Kristin and agrees. Soon there after, they were gone. 

Two hours later, Kristin was still unable to sleep, so the on duty nurse made her a delicious cup of hot chocolate. It was welcomed, as the hospital was very cold, so, Kristin enjoyed the hot beverage. Soon after finishing the drink, Kristin drift off into a beautiful slumber. 

A noise or a disturbance in the room, wakes Kristin up. She looks around the poorly lit room and sees a silhouette of a man at the foot of her bed. Kristin clutches at her covers in fear.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Logan's calm voice comes from the silhouette.

"Logan," she whispers, dazed and confused. She was not sure if she was dreaming or if it was real. He moves into the light and smiles at her. She sits up in bed and asks, "What are you doing here?" 

"I was at your house and Paula said you were sick in hospital," he says. "Is it serious?" His eyes were filled with concern. He was dressed in his army uniform with a new haircut, looking very handsome. Kristin admired him in his attire. "I know I should have come earlier, but I was afraid," he says, after she does not answer him. Kristin remains silently eyeing him. "I am leaving for Pretoria today, but I wanted to see you first, before I go." He looks down at his beret in his hand. "I would like to apologize, for my horrible behaviour, with our last, uhm, meeting," He glances at her guiltily. "Maybe it's for the best that we don't see each other for a while, or at least this time apart will be good for us."

"Are you trying to say that we made a mistake?" Kristin asks him and he makes eye contact. "That you and I are better off being apart?" Logan gives her a guilty look. "Wow, Logan!" she begins to raise her voice. "You are truly a piece of work!" 

"Please, don't get me wrong," Logan begins to say. "All I am saying is that maybe time apart will give us a better perspective!"

"A better perspective?" She repeats. "You called me a slut in unspoken terms, by screwing me and dumping me! At your father's funeral!" Kristin's heart monitor was beeping insanely as she shouted at him. Logan reaches for her and she shouts, "Don't you dare touch me! Leave! Go!" He opens his mouth to speak again. "Goodbye, Logan!" Kristin shouts at him and a nurse rushes in and stops at the door on the sight of Logan.

"Sir, how did you get in here?" The nurse asks, rushing to Kristin's side. "You need to calm down, miss. This behaviour is not good for you." The nurse speaks calmly to her, but Kristin is too upset at Logan, to listen actively to her. The nurse turns to Logan, noticing that Kristin's focus was on him, and says, "You need to leave, now! You are upsetting the patient!" She pushes him at his chest, but he does not move. "Sir!!" She screams and he looks down at her. "Leave, now! Or I will get the security to escort you out!" She sounded as angry as Kristin felt. 

Logan gives Kristin another glance, before placing his beret on his head and walking out of the hospital room in silence. Kristin almost instantly becomes calm on Logan's exit. Feeling nauseas, she leans over to the side and throws up. The nurse gives a sigh and rubs her back. 

"Why do I get the feeling that was the baby's father?" She asks and Kristin stops. The nurse eyes her curiously for seconds and then says, "I will get a porter to clean this up and  I will bring you a nice cup of camomile tea." She leaves Kristin and does as she said she would. Just as the son came up, a few hours later, Kristin drifts off into sleep, exhausted from the emotional drama.