Chapter 9 Annabelle's Final Secret
Sam stood at the airport with Jordan two days later waiting for the flight from London, England to arrive. As she waited Sam kept wringing her hands nervously as if anticipating the worst to happen. Simone was at the hospital sitting with Annabelle and had promised to call Sam if anything happened to Annabelle while she was gone. The paperwork for the DNR had never been signed. Sam followed what Kara had said about waiting for her to arrive before she did anything.
A plane appeared on the concourse outside the window they stood next to and taxied down the runway to the gate they were waiting at. Passengers slowly started to disembark and come out of the tunnel to be greeted by family members or friends they knew. Sam and Jordan stood next to the window in front of a bank of seats and waited for Kara to emerge from the tunnel. To Sam's surprise, when Kara finally appeared from the tunnel she wasn't alone. There were an older couple walking behind her, the woman was holding the hand of a small boy about the age of five, and a girl Sam had only met twice was holding Kara's hand.
"Samantha!" the older woman smiled as they approached the two women waiting on them.
"Hi, Mrs. Montgomery! Long time no see!" Sam exclaimed as the older woman pulled her into a hug.
Over her shoulder Sam looked at Kara and shook her head. She should have known Kara would bring the entire clan with her if this was their final chance to say goodbye to Annabelle. Sam turned her head while still hugging Kara's mother to the little boy standing next to Kara now. He looked incredibly shy with his blonde hair and blue eyes standing there looking around the airport in awe.
"Who is this turd blossom?!" Sam exclaimed stooping down in front of him.
"Oh Samantha! Don't tease him so!" Kara's mother swatted Sam on the shoulder and laughed.
The little boy looked at Sam, shrugged his shoulders, and made a funny face at the same time. Sam laughed and scooped him up into a hug. It had been a year since she had seen him and she realized how much she had missed him. Jordan came up behind her and the little boy reached for her as well, so they stood there in a huddle hugging each other.
"Come on. Let's get the luggage and head for the car. Good thing I brought the Suburban, I didn't realize you were bringing the entire entourage from London!" Sam threw back at Kara as she led the way to the baggage claim area still holding the little boy in her arms.
"Ya know he does know how to walk right?" a voice behind them said and Sam turned to look at Kara's girlfriend.
"Ya know she does know how to punch right?" Sam retorted and continued on her way as Kara's girlfriend stopped talking and became red in the face.
When they reached the baggage claim area, Kara focused her attention on spotting all of their luggage. They each had two suitcases apiece with clothes to wear while they were staying here and had decided to buy whatever else they needed as they needed it. Once all the luggage had been collected, Sam excused herself long enough to go get the car and bring it into the loading zone. Sam helped put all the luggage into the back of the Suburban, and they all climbed in with Sam driving.
"Where are we going now?" Kara asked as Sam merged into the traffic exiting from the airport.
"I thought we would head for the hospital unless you want to head to the house first to freshen up and change clothes." Sam answered looking at Kara in the rearview mirror.
"The house?" Kara's mother asked sounding confused.
"You're all staying with us while you're here. I'm not letting you spend a dime on a hotel when we have plenty of room at the house for everyone." Sam explained waiting for Kara to tell her what they were going to do.
"Let's go ahead and go to the hospital. I want to see Annabelle." Kara decided and Sam nodded in agreement.
Just then Sam's cell phone rang and Jordan grabbed it to answer it. "Hello?" Jordan said and breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok thanks for telling me. I will let her know." Jordan said and hung the phone up.
"What is it?!" Sam demanded becoming anxious again.
"Good thing we are headed for the hospital. Annabelle just woke up." Jordan grinned at Sam causing her to let out a loud whoop of joy.
Simone sat in the padded chair next to Annabelle's bed and listened to the same monotous beeps Sam had listened to the week before when she sat in the same chair. Simone tried to keep her mind off of Annabelle but it was hard. She wanted to say so many things to her and wasn't sure where to begin or even if Annabelle would be able to hear her. Simone sighed and turned her attention back to the book she was reading. In the dim light that was shining from the light on the nightstand next to Annabelle's bed Simone thought she saw something move. Simone looked over at Annabelle slowly and her expression immediately turned into a huge smile. Annabelle's beautiful blue eyes were staring up at her.
"Don't try to talk. You have a tube down your throat helping you breathe. Let me get the nurse for you." Simone whispered to Annabelle and turned to go. A hand closed over Simone's wrist causing her to turn back to look at Annabelle.
"Your welcome, baby." Simone whispered again squeezing Annabelle's hand in reassurance and headed for the door.
"Nurse, the patient is awake." Simone said to the nurse sitting at the desk in the ICU before heading out into the ICU lobby waiting room to make a phone call.
"Jordan?! It's Simone! Annabelle woke up!" Simone joyfully cried into the receiver of the cell phone and laughed as the caller hung up.
Simone turned and headed back inside the ICU department and saw the nurses inside Annabelle's room removing the tube down her throat.
"When I pull the tube out, I want you to cough. Understand?" the nurse told Annabelle who nodded. The nurse counted to three and pulled the tube out of Annabelle's throat as Annabelle gave a deep cough. Annabelle slowly turned her head to look at the woman standing in the doorway and gave a small smile.
"Simone?" Annabelle whispered hoarsely her throat sore from having the tube down it.
"Yes sweetie. I'm here." Simone replied as she moved into the ICU room to stand next to the bed.
"I can't believe you're here." Annabelle said as a tear rolled from her eye.
"Don't cry. Everything is going to be ok." Simone assured her reaching over to hold Annabelle's uninjured right hand.
"It hurts." Annabelle's voice quivered as she tried to get the tears to stop flowing.
"I will bring you something for pain." the nurse said and exited the room.
"How long have I been in here?" Annabelle asked seeing her leg dangling in the air on a traction stirrup.
"A little over two weeks now." Simone replied truthfully stroking Annabelle's hair away from her forehead.
"That feels good." Annabelle sighed and settled herself into the feel of Simone's touch. She had missed this so much. She didn't know why they could never get on the same track and stay there.
"Hey!" a new voice called from the doorway and Annabelle knew without turning her head that it was Sam.
"Hey yourself!" Simone replied with a laugh seeing all the people standing in the doorway.
"Annabelle look who we got!" Sam said with a huge grin on her face swinging the little boy up in her arms and carrying him inside the ICU room.
"Nathan?!" Annabelle exclaimed as the light illuminated the face of the little boy in Sam's arms.
"Annabelle. Do you know this little boy?" Simone asked looking from Annabelle to the little boy and back again. It was pretty obvious who he was, but she needed to hear Annabelle say it to believe it.
"Of course I know who he is, Simone. This is Nathan Samuel and he's my son." Annabelle replied turning back to look at her sister and her son that stood next to her bed.
