Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
She did not receive any news about Jason after their last argument at the Condo. She came home one day to find a jewelry box on the front steps of her apartment. There was no note that came along with it. When she opened it, she found a beautiful silver necklace with a heart charm. The inscription was small but she could make out Jason’s name. Without thinking she put it over herself.
For the next few months, Liz stayed away from Jason. She didn’t answer any of his calls nor did she bother to return his calls. She began to grow use to not having a boyfriend around. Her stomach began to show a little more. Nancy would often come visit her and she knew it was hard on her friend to be in the middle of this war.
“You’re going to ignore him forever?” Nancy knew the subject was too sensitive but she couldn’t bear to see her friend so sad. Despite Liz’s words, she knew that Liz missed Jason tremendously.
“If that’s what it takes for me to forget him…yes.” Liz stuffy voice answered without feeling. She was peeling an orange to eat, she wasn’t allowed to take any medication due to her baby’s health.
Nancy glanced at her friend “He really misses you.”
Liz peeled a slice of orange as she popped it in her mouth “Don’t try to make him the good guy, you know how he is not. I mean, how could I blame him? He worked hard for his money and he wants to make more…I guess some people are just superficial like that.” She was still bitter about his reaction to their pregnancy.
“Lizzie, you know he loves you…” Nancy tried again.
“If he did, he would be here right now.” She popped another orange in her mouth when the doorbell rang. She quickly sat up and glanced at her friend “If it’s him, I don’t want to see him.” She whispered.
“Liz, don’t do this to yourself.” Nancy shook her head as she went against Liz’s glare and answered the door. Indeed it was Jason.
“Hi…” he nodded to the girls but his gaze lingered on the pregnant Liz. “I heard that you were sick and I know you can’t take medicine, so I brought you some soup.” He showed her the container he was holding in his hand.
Nancy smiled “Well, you finally did something right.” She watched as Jason walked over to Liz “Hey guys, it’s getting late, I think I’ll go home now.”
Liz ignored Jason completely as she got up and rushed over to her friend “It’s only 8’oclock!” she then whispered “Don’t you dare leave me alone with him. I don’t know if I can handle it.”
Nancy shook her head “You two need to work this out.” She whispered back. “Bye Jason.”
“Bye.” He looked up in time to see Liz pulling at her friend’s sleeve. He sensed that she didn’t want to see him but he knew she had some things that she needed to get off of her chest. “You can’t hide from me forever, that kid is half mind too.”
She rolled her eyes and took a seat furthest from him “What difference does it make if you don’t want the child?”
“It’s not that I don’t want it…it’s just…” he began to feel frustrated again. It was too hard to explain to her what he believed in. He knew whatever he said would only end in yelling.
“Just what? You know Jason, if it’s so hard for you to even talk to me, why do you even bother calling?” the hurt tone in her voice was easily found.
“I want to do the right thing.” He said without much convincement.
“Really?” She asked sarcastically “You mean you would cut your hours short at the office? Stay by my side when I go to the doctors? Take care of the baby when I’m sick or too tired? Change the diapers before you go to work? Because that is the ‘right’ thing to do.”
Her words sunk in slowly and he knew the answer would still be same as their last conversation “Couldn’t we hire a full time Nanny?” he offered. His point was that he didn’t want her to be too tired yet, it also meant that he was not willing to give up the time to take care of this child he help make.
Liz snickered as she shook her head “You’re making this so much harder. I was beginning to feel that I would be better off alone. And then you come stumbling along to tell me the same thing you told me before, you’re not ready to be a father.” She was calmer this time, maybe because she expected the worse from him.She got up and took a seat next to him on the couch. Liz leaned in as she took his hand in hers “Jason, I do love you. Very much, maybe even more than you’ll ever know. I also understand that you are not ready to be a father nor do you want to be one anytime soon. So why do we even bother to continue this relationship?”
She was talking about the unthinkable to Jason, surely he had not thought about them ever breaking up. At that second, he knew she was the one for him. Yet the timing was all wrong. He gripped on her hands “No, I don’t want to break up if that’s what your telling me! I love you Liz.”
Liz pulled her hands slowly away from him. “You love me? I don’t know what you think love means but I know it means caring for the other person to your best ability. You’ve never done that for me. You couldn’t even give me a few hours a day let alone your love. Tell me Jason, what do you think love means?”
He looked away searching for an answer “I…I guess it’s something you just know?” he said weakly.
It only made Liz cry as she turned away from him “Go away. I don’t want to see you right now.” Her vision blurred as the tears filled up her eyes. He didn’t notice that her fingers were touching the silver heart necklace that he had given her. She was going to give it back to him but something inside of her stopped her from doing it.
He knew it was useless, she was too emotional. He decided to give her more time but he was willing to give up on her just yet. He would try again in another month, he promised himself. As he got up to leave, he heard a soft whisper. Did she just say good bye?
*********
A month later, Liz decided once and for all that she would leave Hong Kong. Maybe not forever but for as long as she takes to forget Jason. Her stomach was obviously bigger now as she could no longer fit in her own clothes. She wore a black loose top and black skirt, it was a comfortable outfit that she often wore during her pregnancy.
About a year ago, Liz was transferred by the hospital to go up to North China because they were short of nurses. She remembered the city of Shanghai like it was yesterday. Eventhought she only stayed for a few days, she remembered vividly the city was full of life yet the weather was so cold, but it didn’t stop the people from going outside. That’s what she loved about it. Her decision to go to Shanghai was quick and maybe irrational but she knew it was right for her to leave for she felt no remorse.
Nancy knew of her decision and she had promised Liz that she would not tell Jason. He still managed to pull it out of her. He was sitting in his office when Nancy came in with a file for him to sign “Thank you…” she said as she lingered by the door.
He must have sensed her nagging thoughts as he looked up “What is it Nancy?” he asked calmly but when she hesitated to answer, he knew it was more serious. He quickly got up to pull her into the office “Is it Liz? What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I…I promised not to tell you..” she whispered as she covered half her face with the file.
He yanked the file from her hands in frustration. Taking a hold of her shoulders he begged her “Please tell me, Nancy. Is she sick? Where is she?”
Nancy glanced at her watch “She’ll be on a flight in half an hour.”
“She what?!” he cried out loudly “Where is she going?”
Nancy pulled herself away from his tightening grip “No Jason, I can’t tell you. She’ll be mad at me forever.” Her heart softened when she saw the expression on his face “You might still be able to catch her if you hurry now.”
He barely waited for her to finish as he rushed out the door. The traffic was horrible but lucky for him he made it there in exactly 25 minutes. Rushing through the glass double doors of the airport, he ran down the corridors like a mad man looking for Liz. At one time, she was sitting in front of him yet he was so nervous and anxious that he didn’t notice. Her eyes were glued to the floor and when the flight attendant announced the flight to Shanghai was boarding, she got up slowly and took her luggage as she boarded the plane.
They could have seen each other face to face if not for the fact that Jason saw someone that was a splitting image of Liz. He rushed after the girl as he tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned, the disappointing look on his face could never be repeated “Sorry…” he muttered as the girl walked away. Spinning in circles as he knew it was over. She was gone. His only resort was Nancy, he swore to himself that he would find out from her if it killed him.
************
The flight to Shanghai was long and agonizing. Liz was tired by the time she got off the plane, she dragged herself to the luggage section. She shrugged the light headed feeling away as she found her luggage and pulled it along with her. When suddenly her legs gave way as she toppled back, she had no time to worry about falling on her back. Luckily for her a gentleman in uniform was close by to catch her. “Miss! Are you okay?” he saw her obvious pregnant stomach and guess that her husband might be somewhere around “Do you know this lady?” he looked around at any man he could find. They all shook their heads as they continued on their way.
Chris easily picked her up with his arms and with his free fingers he pulled her luggage along. Maybe it was fate that he had saw her earlier when she got off the plane. He was coming over to ask if she was feeling okay because she looked a bit pale. He only followed her slowly from behind to make sure she was alright, but luck would have it as she fainted into his arms.
His car was parked at the entrance as he placed into the passenger seat carefully and drove to the nearest hospital.
The people worked fast to recover her as they rushed her through hallways and hallways. Tests were done over and over to see if she was alright and they took her blood every hour to make sure the baby was still alive.
Chris waited patiently outside in the waiting room, he wasn’t about to leave her just yet. When the doctors came out, they announced that she would be okay “She’s just a little weak, but that can be fixed with a lot of rest. Don’t worry, your child is still healthy.” The doctor tapped him on the shoulder with a smile.
Chris looked up slightly “Oh no, she’s not my wife. She fainted at the airport and I took her here.” He quickly explained.
“Well, your friend is okay. You can visit her in a few minutes. She should be awake.” The doctor nodded before leaving the blushing Chris.
Inside the secluded room, Liz sat there staring off to space when there was a knocking on the door. “Come in.” she called out without looking up.
“Hi..” a warm male voice said to her.
She thought the doctor was checking up on her but when she looked up, she found a handsome young man in uniform smiling at her. “Oh, I’m sorry…do I know you?”
He smiled even broader “Not me, but you know my arms.” He joked. “I took you here after you fainted.”
Liz’s face clouded over as she recalled feeling faint “I remember…thank you, Mr…”
He pulled out his hand “Chris Lam. I’m a lieutenant at the Shanghai Police Department.”
“Well, I guess I’m lucky I fainted on you…” she joked. “I’m Elizabeth Wong, but everyone calls me Liz.”
He smiled at her warmly “Do you have family here?”
Her smile faded as she turned away slowly “No, no one.”
“I’m sorry.” He said sympathetically to her. “ If you don’t mind me being nosy, what are you doing here?”
“I…” she stuttered trying to find a better reason than ‘hiding from my boyfriend’ “I just wanted a new beginning.”
“Does the father know?” he nodded to her stomach. Normally Chris was not very open and not as nosy but there was an aura about the girl lying on the hospital bed next to him. He wanted to help her more than anything.
Liz shrugged “Yes.”
“He knew you left and didn’t stop you?” he was astounded by this guy. “How could someone be so cold hearted?”
Liz began to shake her head, he had misunderstood her as she did to him. “No no…he doesn’t know where I am, I thought you were asking if he knew I was pregnant.”
His face cooled down as he sighed with relief “Oh.” Her face hardened as the word reminded her of Jason. She yawned slightly from the long flight. “I’m sorry, you should rest.”
Liz smiled “Thanks Lieutenant Lam.”
He shook his head “Call me Chris.”