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Chapter or Story
Around noon the next day Sydney, Broots, Michele, and Catie went to visit Miss Parker in the hospital, but when they arrived they found an elated Dr. Smythe and Mr. Parker.
“What’s going on?” Broots asked when the doctor smiled happily at them.
“She woke up.” Mr. Parker said grinning from ear to ear. “She opened her eyes, staring choking on the breathing tube, and pulled the tube out of her nose. The doctor has examined her and says she will make a full recovery. I have to go tell Lyle and the Triumvirate.”
He ducked his head and thinking he was unheard he whispered, “They will be pleased that we can continue on with the Jarod pursuit soon.”
With that he pushed past a shocked and very angry Sydney and rushed to the elevator. As soon as he was gone, Sydney let out a huge sigh of anger and felt Michele’s calming hand on his arm. She had heard as well, but now was not the time or the place. Knowing she was right, he placed his hand over hers and turned his attention to the still smiling Dr. Smythe.
“When?” Sydney asked.
“About twenty minutes ago. It was a complete shock, but a very pleasant one. To tell the truth I don’t know what happened. It was like a miracle or something,” the kind doctor said sounding almost giddy.
“It was something all right!” Sydney said the man’s happiness contagious. “Can we see her?”
“Sure, but be very quiet. She is surprisingly alert, but I would like her to rest.” The doctor said and shooed them towards the room. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Sydney, Broots, and Michele all moved to go in, but they noticed that Catie hung back. Michele turned and knelt down to the little girl’s height. “What’s wrong, Catie? Don’t you want to see your mother?”
Catie shook her head emphatically and stepped back.
“What if she remembers that it was my fault? What if she doesn't love me anymore?” she whispered staring at the door as if a monster was on the other side.
“Oh, Catie. Why don’t we let the men go see your mama first, while we have a little talk?” Michele said and took Catie’s tiny hand into her own. She motioned for Sydney and Broots to go in and Sydney nodded, knowing that Michele would convince Catie to see Miss Parker.
Broots went in first and Sydney quietly followed him. The room was lit by sunlight that poured in through the window, most of it falling on the pale woman in the bed. Miss Parker was propped up by two pillows and seemed to be resting. Sydney was about to suggest to Broots that they come back when she turned her head slightly and smiled when she saw them.
“I'm not going to bite.” she said her voice soft and raspy.
You sure about that?” Broots said jokingly and she gave him glare reminiscent of her old ones before laughing slightly. Sydney walked over to her and kissed her cheek lightly.
“You scared me, Parker.” he said gruffly his voice full of emotion. “This is the second time you have done this to us. Two times too many, I say. Don’t ever do it again.”
“I’ll try to avoid it in the future, Freud,” she said, giving him the same glare she gave Broots, but her soft smile betrayed her happiness to see him. Michele’s head appeared in the doorway and she smiled when she noticed Sydney holding Miss Parker's hand.
“Is this a private party or can anyone join in?” she joked.
“Hi, Michele.” Miss Parker said smiling at the woman in the doorway. “Come in, please.”
“I brought a special guest, if that’s okay?” she said and then stepped out of the way so that Catie could be seen. Miss Parker’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes teared up.
“Catherine.” she whispered.
Catie wouldn’t meet Miss Parker’s gaze and clung to Michele’s hand. Miss Parker looked at her in confusion, not understanding why her daughter was behaving his way. Catie finally looked up and Miss Parker saw the tears streaming down the child’s face.
“Oh, Catie, what’s wrong?” Miss Parker said pressing her hand to her heart at her daughter’s pained expression.
“I...” Catie stuttered. “I...I’m sorry, Mama. I didn’t mean it. I love you so much.”
Tears choking off the rest of her words, she flew at her mother. Miss Parker ignored the flash of pain she felt when Catie launched herself into her mother’s arms and hugged her daughter to her tightly.
“Shhh, Baby. I know. I love you, too.” Miss Parker said into Catie’s soft hair. “I missed you so much. I was so worried about you.”
“I missed you too. I don’t want you to go away like that ever again. Pop-Pop says you did this two times too many.” Catie said into her mother’s stomach and Miss Parker laughed at her daughter’s repetition of Sydney’s earlier words.
“Pop-Pop was right.” she said and looked up at Sydney in amusement. Thank you, she mouthed. He nodded and wrapped his arm around Michele, drawing her into his side.
“Nicholas would have come, but he is away teaching children in Mexico. Catie and I called him before coming in. He sends his love and will see you the second he gets back, hopefully at home and not here.” Michele told Miss Parker and squeezed the young woman’s hand when Miss Parker reached out.
Dr. Smythe appeared in the doorway and smiled. “I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to break this little reunion up. Someone needs her rest.”
Miss Parker nodded and kissed Catie goodbye.
“You can come visit me later tonight, okay?” She said when Catie’s lower lip began to tremble.
“Promise?” Catie asked her lips beginning to turn up in a smile.
“I promise.” she said and kissed her again in reassurance. Catie grinned and took Michele’s hand.
“Mom-Mom Michele, I'm hungry. Can I have a hot dog?” she said chattering away happily.
“Of course you can, sweetheart.” Michele said bending down and hugging the girl to her tightly. She looked up at Sydney with tears in her eyes and smiled. “You can have anything you want.”
She led Catie out of the room after giving Parker a soft hug good bye. Catie turned before she disappeared out the door and wiggled her fingers good bye at her mother. She blew a kiss and grinned when Miss Parker blew one back and waved good bye. As soon as they were gone, Miss Parker looked at Sydney in confusion.
“What was all that about?” she asked in reference to Michele's reaction to Catie asking for a hot dog.
“Catie hasn’t quite been herself since the accident.” Sydney tried to explain. “She hasn’t spoken except to say her prayers at night nor has she smiled or laughed.”
He looked at the door that the other two females had just exited from. He smiled again and looked back at Miss Parker. “She’ll be all right now.”
“I think we all will be.” Broots piped up and looked embarrassed at what he had just said.
“Broots, where’s Debbie?” Miss Parker asked, letting him off the hook.
“She doesn’t like hospitals, but that reminds me. She sent you this.” He handed her a huge homemade card, with a drawing of eight people on the front. Underneath she had labeled each one and Miss Parker realized it was everyone from Catie’s prior birthday party. At the top were the words “Our Family”. She opened it up and felt her heart tighten at the words printed inside.
“Please get well. We need you to complete the picture. From the rest of your family.” she whispered reading the simple, but heartfelt words aloud. Broots cleared his throat and Sydney looked at his watch.
“We’d better go, before Dr. Smythe kicks us out,” he said blinking back tears of his own at the truthful words from a ten year old.
“Too late.” came the doctors strong voice from the doorway.
Sydney looked at him sheepishly and kissed Miss Parker’s forehead. Broots looked embarrassed, but determined as he planted a quick kiss on her cheek, before bolting out the door. She rolled her eyes, chuckled slightly, and waved goodbye as Sydney followed shaking his head at the younger man. She settled into her bed and slept, dreaming about her family.
“What’s going on?” Broots asked when the doctor smiled happily at them.
“She woke up.” Mr. Parker said grinning from ear to ear. “She opened her eyes, staring choking on the breathing tube, and pulled the tube out of her nose. The doctor has examined her and says she will make a full recovery. I have to go tell Lyle and the Triumvirate.”
He ducked his head and thinking he was unheard he whispered, “They will be pleased that we can continue on with the Jarod pursuit soon.”
With that he pushed past a shocked and very angry Sydney and rushed to the elevator. As soon as he was gone, Sydney let out a huge sigh of anger and felt Michele’s calming hand on his arm. She had heard as well, but now was not the time or the place. Knowing she was right, he placed his hand over hers and turned his attention to the still smiling Dr. Smythe.
“When?” Sydney asked.
“About twenty minutes ago. It was a complete shock, but a very pleasant one. To tell the truth I don’t know what happened. It was like a miracle or something,” the kind doctor said sounding almost giddy.
“It was something all right!” Sydney said the man’s happiness contagious. “Can we see her?”
“Sure, but be very quiet. She is surprisingly alert, but I would like her to rest.” The doctor said and shooed them towards the room. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Sydney, Broots, and Michele all moved to go in, but they noticed that Catie hung back. Michele turned and knelt down to the little girl’s height. “What’s wrong, Catie? Don’t you want to see your mother?”
Catie shook her head emphatically and stepped back.
“What if she remembers that it was my fault? What if she doesn't love me anymore?” she whispered staring at the door as if a monster was on the other side.
“Oh, Catie. Why don’t we let the men go see your mama first, while we have a little talk?” Michele said and took Catie’s tiny hand into her own. She motioned for Sydney and Broots to go in and Sydney nodded, knowing that Michele would convince Catie to see Miss Parker.
Broots went in first and Sydney quietly followed him. The room was lit by sunlight that poured in through the window, most of it falling on the pale woman in the bed. Miss Parker was propped up by two pillows and seemed to be resting. Sydney was about to suggest to Broots that they come back when she turned her head slightly and smiled when she saw them.
“I'm not going to bite.” she said her voice soft and raspy.
You sure about that?” Broots said jokingly and she gave him glare reminiscent of her old ones before laughing slightly. Sydney walked over to her and kissed her cheek lightly.
“You scared me, Parker.” he said gruffly his voice full of emotion. “This is the second time you have done this to us. Two times too many, I say. Don’t ever do it again.”
“I’ll try to avoid it in the future, Freud,” she said, giving him the same glare she gave Broots, but her soft smile betrayed her happiness to see him. Michele’s head appeared in the doorway and she smiled when she noticed Sydney holding Miss Parker's hand.
“Is this a private party or can anyone join in?” she joked.
“Hi, Michele.” Miss Parker said smiling at the woman in the doorway. “Come in, please.”
“I brought a special guest, if that’s okay?” she said and then stepped out of the way so that Catie could be seen. Miss Parker’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes teared up.
“Catherine.” she whispered.
Catie wouldn’t meet Miss Parker’s gaze and clung to Michele’s hand. Miss Parker looked at her in confusion, not understanding why her daughter was behaving his way. Catie finally looked up and Miss Parker saw the tears streaming down the child’s face.
“Oh, Catie, what’s wrong?” Miss Parker said pressing her hand to her heart at her daughter’s pained expression.
“I...” Catie stuttered. “I...I’m sorry, Mama. I didn’t mean it. I love you so much.”
Tears choking off the rest of her words, she flew at her mother. Miss Parker ignored the flash of pain she felt when Catie launched herself into her mother’s arms and hugged her daughter to her tightly.
“Shhh, Baby. I know. I love you, too.” Miss Parker said into Catie’s soft hair. “I missed you so much. I was so worried about you.”
“I missed you too. I don’t want you to go away like that ever again. Pop-Pop says you did this two times too many.” Catie said into her mother’s stomach and Miss Parker laughed at her daughter’s repetition of Sydney’s earlier words.
“Pop-Pop was right.” she said and looked up at Sydney in amusement. Thank you, she mouthed. He nodded and wrapped his arm around Michele, drawing her into his side.
“Nicholas would have come, but he is away teaching children in Mexico. Catie and I called him before coming in. He sends his love and will see you the second he gets back, hopefully at home and not here.” Michele told Miss Parker and squeezed the young woman’s hand when Miss Parker reached out.
Dr. Smythe appeared in the doorway and smiled. “I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to break this little reunion up. Someone needs her rest.”
Miss Parker nodded and kissed Catie goodbye.
“You can come visit me later tonight, okay?” She said when Catie’s lower lip began to tremble.
“Promise?” Catie asked her lips beginning to turn up in a smile.
“I promise.” she said and kissed her again in reassurance. Catie grinned and took Michele’s hand.
“Mom-Mom Michele, I'm hungry. Can I have a hot dog?” she said chattering away happily.
“Of course you can, sweetheart.” Michele said bending down and hugging the girl to her tightly. She looked up at Sydney with tears in her eyes and smiled. “You can have anything you want.”
She led Catie out of the room after giving Parker a soft hug good bye. Catie turned before she disappeared out the door and wiggled her fingers good bye at her mother. She blew a kiss and grinned when Miss Parker blew one back and waved good bye. As soon as they were gone, Miss Parker looked at Sydney in confusion.
“What was all that about?” she asked in reference to Michele's reaction to Catie asking for a hot dog.
“Catie hasn’t quite been herself since the accident.” Sydney tried to explain. “She hasn’t spoken except to say her prayers at night nor has she smiled or laughed.”
He looked at the door that the other two females had just exited from. He smiled again and looked back at Miss Parker. “She’ll be all right now.”
“I think we all will be.” Broots piped up and looked embarrassed at what he had just said.
“Broots, where’s Debbie?” Miss Parker asked, letting him off the hook.
“She doesn’t like hospitals, but that reminds me. She sent you this.” He handed her a huge homemade card, with a drawing of eight people on the front. Underneath she had labeled each one and Miss Parker realized it was everyone from Catie’s prior birthday party. At the top were the words “Our Family”. She opened it up and felt her heart tighten at the words printed inside.
“Please get well. We need you to complete the picture. From the rest of your family.” she whispered reading the simple, but heartfelt words aloud. Broots cleared his throat and Sydney looked at his watch.
“We’d better go, before Dr. Smythe kicks us out,” he said blinking back tears of his own at the truthful words from a ten year old.
“Too late.” came the doctors strong voice from the doorway.
Sydney looked at him sheepishly and kissed Miss Parker’s forehead. Broots looked embarrassed, but determined as he planted a quick kiss on her cheek, before bolting out the door. She rolled her eyes, chuckled slightly, and waved goodbye as Sydney followed shaking his head at the younger man. She settled into her bed and slept, dreaming about her family.
