Chapter 7
Well this is the last chapter I have so far so hopefully I can get more up sometime soon. Till then Enjoy!!
Early the next morning Eliza parents arrive at the hospital to find everyone still sitting around waiting for news. "How is she?" Marianne asks before anyone can get word out otherwise. "She is still in surgery," Sophie says as she hugs them both. "What happened?" Nigel asks as Sophie winces at the question. Not sure how either of them will handle the news "a bear attack, they think it is the same one as Donnie's accident," Sophie says trying to explain it to them. They both just gasp at the words being thrown at them. Marianne basically falls to a chair feeling dizzy she has to calm down but she feels so weak that her legs could give out at any moment. "Marianne! Both Nigel and Sophie shout at the same time running over to her. "Are you alright?" Nigel asks holding her hands. "I…I think so," she responds still feeling dizzy. Not quite sure what happened she is pretty convinced it has to do a lot with the last month. Starting with the pregnancy, her son and now her daughter just a week later. A few moments later the doctor comes in/ "Excuse me is this the Thornberry family?" he asks them. "Yes," they all say expectantly. "How is she?" Sophie asks quickly. "Eliza has just come out of surgery and is in critical condition. However she is stabilizing so you can go see her now," he finishes as he guides them to her room.
As everyone makes their way into her room she is hooked up to wires, stitches, and bandages running throughout her little body. She looks dead but monitors are blinking alive. Everybody crowd around her bed trying to stay calm wondering why this had to happen a second time. Debbie on the other hand is just beside herself not able to believe that a loser would do something like that. "She's going to be ok isn't she dad?" Debbie asks just above a whisper choking back a sob. "Of course honey," Nigel says hugging Debbie trying to make her understand that things happen for a reason. That night everyone goes home except for Debbie and Marianne to make sure things are going to be ok. Around 1:30 A.M. Debbie is still watching her sister and mother sleep peacefully. She just can't believe that this happened to her sister .Her father did say things will be fine but she just can't believe him. She isn't sure if he even believes that she will be ok. This is all my fault I should have been with her and she wouldn't have dashed into the woods to get hurt. Debbie then starts to cry and as she does she lets one single teardrop fall to Eliza's hand. Suddenly she reaches out he hand to Debbie's and she just gasps at the sight. She grabs Eliza's hand and doesn't let go, everything in the room grows still by the minute as she holds on. Eliza just looks so beautiful with her cute green dress and her pigtails. Eliza quickly runs up to her sister and they dance on the open floor when suddenly Debbie feels a tap on her shoulder.
She swings around so quickly she nearly knocks over her mother. "Is everything ok mom?" Debbie says trying not to giggle. "Of course honey, I was just wondering what you were doing" she says as Debbie is still holding the railing of her bed. "I was just comforting her," Debbie fibbed as reality starts to come back. Her eyes start to get watery again," mom what if she doesn't get better?" Debbie says starting to cry as they sit back down on the couch. "Well the doctors are giving her a 50 chance at survival but I truly believe that she will be just fine. I just know it. Debbie something like this won't stop her from being Eliza. People have survived at a much less rate then they are giving her. I mean if she can survive that fall don't you think she can survive this?" Marianne finishes making Debbie smile a bit. For the rest of the night they both just watch her progress every now and then Debbie would just burst into tears hugging her mother. 2 weeks later Eliza is finally released from the hospital with a broken leg. It is now Christmas morning and everyone is crowded around the tree at Sophie's place. Eliza watches as her family as they receive their gifts. When her turn comes around she rips open her gift like a little child on her birthday. She opens it and freezes; she feels the room spinning and it feels as if all the air in the room has been sucked out. As she holds up her gift of a heart- shaped necklace she bursts into tears. Feeling a shortness of breath she reads her note lying neatly inside.
Dear Eliza,
I am so sorry what I did to you nearly a month ago. I will never forgive myself for that. I honestly did not mean to hurt you and I hope you can accept this gift.
Love,
Ashton
She then quickly runs to her room in tears while on crutches. She just doesn't know what to think as she ponders in thought with the necklace dangling in her face. "Why did she go running off like that?" Nigel asks as everyone gives the "well duh" stare "Well obviously her boyfriend gave her that gift and she has mixed feelings about him," Debbie said rolling her eyes and heading off to comfort her sister. Eliza is just lying down on her bed watching her necklace dangle in front of her like she is being hypnotized. Debbie knocks on her door hoping she is ok. "Come in," she mutters from her bed. "Hi," Debbie says as she sits down by her little sister giving her a back rub. "Why is he being so nice to me?" Eliza wonders aloud. "Well it could be a number of things: he could be sorry, covering up feelings, or regretting what he did," Debbie says trying to comfort her sister. They sit in silence for awhile as Eliza thinks d about what her sister said. Before another thought Marianne peeks in and it looks important. "Girls, your father and I got word for another mission set for the 5th and we are going to need to leave by the 1st," she says. "But it's the holiday season," Eliza says softly not looking from her necklace. "Ya mom can't we stay just a little longer?" Debbie says hoping her mother would give in. "Now girls I understand how important staying here is for you but we are going to really need your help," she finishes. "But what about Ashton?" Eliza says still more interested in the necklace. "You know sweetie, Marianne says sitting down with them both. "If he can treat you that way he is not worth it," she says," but now he is acting all sorry," Eliza says bringing up a point. Debbie chimes in "well you are going to have to make your own decision on that one" Debbie finishes. The three of them sit in silence for the next few minutes.
Later in the day Eliza gets the courage to straighten this out with Ashton, just to see what he is thinking. She slowly walks up to his door hoping her won't be there. As soon as he opens she gets the strongest urge to run the other way and fast, yet it's as if her feet are glued to the porch. He walks out and lets the screen slam shut. "Hi," he says quietly. "Hey," she says barely above a whisper. "Look I swear I had no idea that I hurt you so badly. I didn't want to hurt you," he says with pleading eyes. "Oh ya?" Eliza said leaning on her crutches. "What a way to show you care so what am I something to use for your girlfriends?" she asks shaking her head with tears in her eyes. For a long awkward moment neither speaks and Ashton is at a loss for words. "Well?" Eliza finally says pushing on waiting for his lame explanation. "Eliza it's like this, I was trying to show Amanda what a jerk she was being," he said trying to explain getting nowhere fast. Eliza really wants to be his friend again but after a performance like that she just doesn't know if she can be. "Eliza! Please! You have to trust me!" he says on his knees begging her. "I want to trust you but you used me. Do you recall that look you gave her? How do I trust someone who hurts me?" she finishes. He just takes a couple of steps back shaking he head. "Alright Ashton I'll give you a second chance but if you ever do anything like that again…" she begins. "I know…I know it was a mistake," he says and then they hug each other. They then go and talk for what seems like forever. "So exactly how did you go over?" he asks her striking up conversation. "It was the same bear that almost killed my brother," she says sitting on a rock. "My parents got an assignment for the 5th and so we have to leave in a couple of days," she says getting teary eyed. "Oh man Eliza I'm so sorry isn't their anyway you can stay?" he asks hoping it's a joke.
"Nope I said everything I could to talk mom into letting us stay but they are going to need us more than ever with a baby on the way," Eliza finishes sighing. "Oh that's right how do you feel about that?" Ashton asks hoping to liven up the conversation a bit. "Well a little better then when we found out a couple of months ago. It's just a new baby is going to slow us down with a hectic lifestyle mom and dad live," she finishes sighing again. "Well I'm sure it will be incredibly cute," he says with a chuckle. "I just hope I get a brother though, one Debbie is bad enough," she says making them both laugh all the harder.
On January 1st 2003 everyone loads up saying their goodbyes. Eliza and Ashton are sitting in the car just talking. Eliza gives him her favorite feather from the Galapagos Islands. "Ashton, I want you to have this feather I got from South America," she says as she sets it into his palm of his hand slowly closing it. "I am going to miss you so much," he finally speaks after what seems like forever. "I'll be back soon we will probably show off the baby when it's born anyways," she says trying to cheer him up some. "It's time to go sweetie," Nigel says as they all pile into the car. They hug one last time before hopping back into the car. Heading back to a "normal" life is one of the hardest things Eliza has ever done. She is glad that Ashton is back to himself but she isn't sure if he is being real.
Late that night on the plane ride back to Antarctica she finally goes to sleep having a terrible nightmare. She is walking down the streets of Thailand enjoying the culture with her boyfriend, Ashton; he is just looking in awe at the street dancers. She wants to kiss him badly and reluctantly she does. He looks shocked like he saw a ghost and starts to slowly back away in fear of this stranger. "Ashton?" Eliza calls after him by his puzzles reaction. "Do…Do I know you?" he asks still backing away from her. "Ashton! I it's me Eliza your girlfriend," she cries out panic in her voice. Only 5 minutes earlier he was looking at her with love in his eyes. She screams for him while he makes a mad dash into the crowded streets. She watches him disappear with tears in her eyes she suddenly see's him with that girl Amanda kissing each other and loving each other. She suddenly awakens with a jolt in her tiny seat on the plane. "Eliza? You ok," she thinks she hears her dad say but she doesn't answer him. She figures he must have already been awake because she wasn't that loud. Without answering him she turns to her left and buries her face into her pillow.Sobbing she feels a gentle touch on her shoulder not sure who it is she grabs it with own hand figuring it must be her father's gentle touch. He has the softest touch in her family. The next evening they land on the ice filled runway in Antarctica's summer chill. Sliding a little the plane makes it safely to the ground and terminal. Everyone files out single fine into the chilly evening air.
To be continued, this is all I have at the moment but hopefully I will be able to add a few more chapters sometime in the next couple of months. School is keeping me pretty busy though.
