I watched Warner check on Jo, narrowing her eyes and her vitals. He also answered questions that weren't the answers we had hoped for. I called Warner and asked him to come by the room again when I woke up.
"Doc? The diagnosis?"
Warner removed his stethoscope from his ears and sighed as I watched Jo hold on to a bunny plushie I had Rex purchase from the hotel's gift shop. It was to calm Jo down once she woke up in a frenzy, asking for her mother. She was screaming so loudly that the other people in the room ran to witness something unexpected.
I had to explain to Effie and the others that Jo wasn't herself.
Warner sighed. "Well, sometimes this happens to people who suffer PTSD or Child Traumatic Stress based on what they have experienced that threatens or causes harm to their emotions, in which case, your brother did to her. But she's already an adult and not a child; the incident happened when she was a child. Thus, Ares's action leads to Ms. Walker being in that state. Now she is acting to the age the day she was abducted."
I exhale sharply. I can not believe this is happening during our vacation. We still have the itinerary for the next seven days, and Jo will be in child form for the rest of the week. I brush my hair back. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Right now, she's as fragile as a deer," Warner explains. I look over at Jo, hugging the plushie, and it is very eerie for us as if we are strangers. "I know you guys are on vacation, and this happened to your friend. I suggest you continue what you are doing and don't overwhelm her. Take it slow. Console her and play a role in her life to make her feel safe. Make sure you are one of the good guys. Whoever did this to her makes me sick."
"You and me both," I retorted.
"Did they ever catch the person?"
I cross my arms and sigh. "Sadly, no. Ares was too quiet about it, and Jo couldn't remember a thing. All my brother could say to the police was that the guy who tortured Jo has a snake tattoo around his neck up to his bald scalp."
That was the description Ares gave to the police that day. He didn't get a look at his face or other features to catch the guy, only a bald man with a snake tattoo. Once, Ares and Jo were found hiding in the large tube in the park. The first thing I did was go outside with my bike and search for those bastards.
But where to look? I was just a kid, unsure of what to do once I saw them. Ares couldn't tell me anything, and Jo wasn't herself.
"Well, if you can't find a thing or person. Your grandfather is the person you should seek," Warner says, pushing his glasses up his nose, then pulls a red lollipop to offer Jo. She takes it, removes the wrapper, and pops the sucker right into her mouth.
"Anyway, remember my words, Thea. Ms. Walker is delicate and needs a resolution from you or anyone she is close with." Warner stood up and looked at Jo, huddled on the bed, away from interacting with anyone. She sucked on her lollipop and hugged her plushie like a child.
"Effie, Claire, and I will be on babysitting duty," I tell him. "I can even ask Lily and Terry."
"That's good. Keep the men away from her, including your brother." He warns. "Your brother is the source of reliving her trauma. Since Ms. Walker feared men when she was a child after her abduction."
"She was afraid of you," I assured. "Jo had a hard time opening up."
"Yes, but I'm a doctor. I've dealt with adults like her before."
"Sorry about the scratches," I said, feeling guilty.
Warner looked down at his arm, where Jo had scratched him like a timid cat. He chuckled. "No worries," he grabbed his things. "If anything happens or you need answers, don't hesitate to call me."
"Thanks again, Doc." I ushered him out of the room as the others greeted him. I made eye contact with Rex, who nodded and walked Warner out.
I closed the door, and it was just Jo and me alone.
Jo has started to chew on the lollipop stick. She looks up at me with such curious and frightened eyes. When I sat on the bed, she flinched.
I licked my dry lips and smiled. "Did you give a name to your bunny?"
Jo gave me the silent treatment.
I don't blame her since I look like a stranger to her. I have to do what Warner instructed. I need to make her feel safe around me and not make me look like one of the bad guys.
"Jo, don't be afraid," I say in a low and sweet voice. "I'm not here to hurt you. What's the name of your bunny?"
"T-Thumper..." She replies.
That's the same name she gave to her old bunny plushie, the one her mother gave her when she was one year old. She named it after the character from Bambi - one of her favorite Disney films. Jo never left that plushie behind until her mother passed away.
"Thumper, that is a cute name," I smile.
"Where's my mom? My dad? My older brothers?" Tears formed in her eyes, and seeing her like this broke my heart. "Who are you? Where are they?"
Jo's mom died a few years after her abduction. It broke Jo's heart, and she stayed isolated from everyone, including her brothers and dad. Jo didn't care about anything and was picked on at school. She started to open up when Ares consoled her; my brother has become her light ever since.
"My name is Thea, and your parents...they umm...I'm your babysitter. Yeah, babysitter." I claimed on a whim so that Jo could trust me. "They hired me to care for you during their honeymoon."
"Honeymoon?" Jo says, puzzled. "But they already have one."
"On their second honeymoon," I hesitated. "You know when two people are very much in love, they-" I covered my mouth, realizing. Even with a twenty-five-year-old body, she has the mind of a child.
"I know what you mean," Jo blushes. "I'm not stupid."
I smile.
"Mommy says she and Daddy always wrestle on some nights," Jo explains. "Even when my brothers are out. I would hear lots of noise like a ghost and-"
"Whoa! That's enough of that." I chuckle and cut her off by covering her mouth and feeling the heat on my face. I know we are both adults, but while Jo is in child mode and speaking like one, talking about her parents' sex life is uncomfortable. I know children are honest, but talking about that makes me ashamed. Rex and I had sex once when Jacob was asleep, and we had to ensure he didn't wake. It was during the construction of more rooms and the addition of a nursery for my son. We had Jacob with us in our room, and it was one of those nights that Rex and I had silent and passionate sex. It was hard to hold my moans and cries when a baby was in the room.
I know it seems inappropriate to have sex while an infant is in the room, but we couldn't help it. I was horny, and he was hard. It makes sense to relieve the itchiness of our pleasure.
I look over at Jo and can see her eyes sparkle when she mentions her parents. I guess taking baby steps to make her feel more comfortable with me isn't so bad.
I have to ensure nothing wrong happens for the rest of the week. But my gut is telling me something will happen, and I don't know when that will be.
"How is Jo doing?" asked Claire.We were all at the beach, just having a relaxing day. We decided to stop all activities so that Jo could have some time to adjust to the people around her.When I told everyone about the condition Jo was in, half of them didn't want to believe it, but Jo presented herself as a child holding a plush and clinging to me, afraid of strangers. Instantly, they saw how bad her condition was.I explained to everyone that I was her nanny for now while her parents were on their honeymoon, which Jo believed would give us time to bring back her old self. I specifically told everyone to be nice to Jo. I mainly aim those words at Seth because he is the most childish of all the men in the group.I pull my sunglasses down and spot Jo with my sister, Lily, and the twins.She hadn't gotten used to us because everyone else was a stranger to her. Yesterday, after Dr. Warner examined her. Jo was scared to meet the others. She clings to me like a monkey. Instead of followin
I watched Warner check on Jo, narrowing her eyes and her vitals. He also answered questions that weren't the answers we had hoped for. I called Warner and asked him to come by the room again when I woke up."Doc? The diagnosis?"Warner removed his stethoscope from his ears and sighed as I watched Jo hold on to a bunny plushie I had Rex purchase from the hotel's gift shop. It was to calm Jo down once she woke up in a frenzy, asking for her mother. She was screaming so loudly that the other people in the room ran to witness something unexpected.I had to explain to Effie and the others that Jo wasn't herself.Warner sighed. "Well, sometimes this happens to people who suffer PTSD or Child Traumatic Stress based on what they have experienced that threatens or causes harm to their emotions, in which case, your brother did to her. But she's already an adult and not a child; the incident happened when she was a child. Thus, Ares's action leads to Ms. Walker being in that state. Now she is ac
"How is she, Dr. Warner?" I asked the doctor as I closed the door behind me. A wave of emotions filled me. Effie and Claire are beside her, worried about their friend lying in bed.It's good. I asked Effie to call Grandpa's doctor and have him fly here to check on Jordan. It was better for us to have someone we knew who could keep this a secret."She's okay. I've sedated her," he says, closing his medical bag. "I'm not going to ask what happened, but Thea, is this her first episode?""No," I sigh. "But she hasn't had those in years. The last time was when she was in college. She dated this guy who went too far, and she panicked.""I see," Dr. Warner rubs his chin. "Well, I could look into her records, but I need permission from her previous doctors and family.""Doc, don't say anything to her family," I tell him, worried. "Her mother passed away when she was young. Her dad and brothers are very protective of her. They would not be happy knowing that Jordan's episodes had returned. I m
I couldn't believe what I saw, what everyone saw.After the commotion between Ares and Jordan, I discovered something unexpected. We ended our activity and returned to our hotel room. Everyone was in my room as we surrounded the one person who caused Jordan to break down—a glance at my room, where Claire and Effie were with her."Ate-""Shh..." I point to him and then mimic a gesture to zip his lips. "Don't talk."He shut his mouth and dropped his head in defeat. He knew he couldn't speak over me, his older sister. Although he may be at the age of not needing a guardian, he still needed to show respect to me as the head of this family."Ares, what were you thinking?" I finally snapped at him.He stays quiet, rubbing his swollen cheek. After what we saw, Jordan slapped him in the face hard."Ever since..." I inhaled and let out heavy breaths. I continue as everyone learns the truth about this secret past. I trust Rex and the others because they are family. "You do know what you did.""
The first whole week was our busiest. We ventured out throughout the island, sightseeing, visiting the Oahu Circle Island in Waikiki, the Pearl Harbor memorial, and the Dole plantation, where they have the tastiest Dole ice cream.Other activities on the list were going to the Kualoa Ranch with a two-hour submarine tour of Atlantis, an ATV ride for a Raptor Tour where Jurassic Park was filmed, and we did parasailing. Then yesterday, we all had dinner at Chief's Luau, where food and a Hula show were presented. I've seen Luaus, but nothing like this. We had a blast the first five days of our vacation, except for the constant argument between Jordan and Ares. No matter where we go, the fighting won't stop.Today, before we visit Rex and his brother's hometown, we snorkel with dolphins and sea turtles at Oahu Dolphin Watch Snorkeling, including a hula show and water activities. We booked the whole boat just for my family. We had lots of fun, and the boys kept driving while Terry and Effie
After an hour of gest, we all went to the buffet on the hotel's first floor.Since I had made reservations for a party of ten, we easily got our table. Once the waiter brought us to our table and asked for our drinks, the men all got up at once, stampeding towards the buffet line.I look at the girls, and we all shake and sigh. It was already embarrassing when a few people around our table looked like we couldn't hide our faces. The guys returned with two plates in each hand, mountain loads of food.The girls and I are not questioning their glutinous behavior since Effie and Claire cook three times more for the men and the kids. The kids are nothing to worry about. Leo isn't picky, and Zara can eat anything.We girls went to get our plates and came back with one dish."How do you eat all that and can't get fat?" Jordyn asks and watches the guys stuff their faces. Men's bodies are different from women's as testosterone is ninety percent lower in women on average. So, we build muscles f