AN: I mentioned earlier that Leroy is not gay in this story. I have nothing against anyone's sexual orientation. I apologize for any offensiveness towards anyone.
"Nurse!" I shouted. "She's awake!" I jumped up off the bed and slowly moved back, not wanting to scare Rachel with my sudden 'attachment' to her. As far as she knew, I was still just her teacher and show choir coach. And for now I intended to keep it that way.
Rachel was now looking around the room, confused at her surroundings, trying to speak but not able to because of the tube that was shoved down her throat. The nurse ran in, telling her to stop trying to talk and explaining to her what had happened. I leaned against the glass window that showed the hallway and crossed my arms.
"Don't try to talk. You've been in a coma for two weeks. You suffered severe head trauma. Can you squeeze my hand? Good. Can you follow my hand with your eyes? Good. I'll go get the doctor."
The nurse walked out and I texted Tim, telling him she was awake but not to run over here with the boys, telling him I would update him on the situation. I heard shifting on the bed and looked to see Rachel trying to switch positions when she saw me. And when she saw me, her facial expression went from confused... to sad?
Once they got the tube out of her throat and gave her water, I sat down on one of the chairs next to her. She was now propped up and I could see her staring at me while I pretended to be looking at my phone. I gave up and looked back at her.
"What do you remember?" She shrugged back at me. I couldn't tell if she was lying to cover or she was actually suffering from memory loss.
"Rachel you can tell me anything, you know. I've been sitting at your bedside for the past two weeks because I care. Your parents haven't even called and I- applied for custody of you, if that's okay."
She nodded slowly. I couldn't tell if she was actually registering what I was saying or if she was still in shock or whatever medical term described how she was feeling.
I grabbed her hand, and she jumped at the contact. "Your parents can't hurt you anymore."
We sat in silence for a bit until Rachel mumbled, "They didn't do it."
"Rachel you don't have to protect them-" I was cut off by my phone vibrating. Tim needed me to come home... And leave Rachel.
"My kids need me." I mumbled before getting up. "Are you okay?"
Rachel fixed her gaze in the opposite direction and I saw the slightest nod. I wanted to stay but she looked like she wanted to be as far as she could be from me. Tim said that I needed to rush home, that it was important. I took one last look at Rachel before walking out.
After my drive home, I walked up the garage steps into the house and opened the door. Nothing was out of place, then why...
"SURPRISE!" Jesse and Jonathan popped up from behind the counter. I jumped and smiled at them.
"You need a stress free night. Now. You haven't spent one night here in two weeks."
"But Rachel is all alone and-"
"No she's not. I'm going over there." Jesse offered before yanking the car keys out of my hand. Just because he got his license he really likes to rub in the fact that he can go places without my driving him.
Jonathan smiled blandly at me. "Are you okay?"
"Ye-yeah." I stuttered taking a step toward the kitchen table. I let my body fall into the chair and threw my feet up. The last time I did this was five months ago on the first day of school. Things had changed quite a bit since then.
-—-—-—-
"Did your mom send you here? Because she didn't want to bother to stay?" Rachel spat at me when she saw me walk into her hospital room.
"That's not true. We wanted her to go home. Rachel, she hasn't left this hospital since you got here. She only leaves to go to school, coach showchoir, and then she comes back here. She slept on this chair for two weeks Rachel. I'm pretty sure she wants to be here."
"Well what am I supposed to do? I hurt myself and my parents seem to not care and I wake up to find my teacher- a teacher I barely know- has been sitting with me. What am I supposed to think Jesse?"
I paused. "I don't know about your parents Rachel. But I do know my parents would do anything for you. They probably should be the ones to tell you... they're fighting to get custody of you."
Rachel bit her lip. "I don't what to think..."
I smiled and pulled out my guitar. "When you don't know what you feel, you can write a song."
Rachel smiled. "Only if we make it a duet."
-—-—-—-
Jesse left Rachel to go grab some yearbooks to show her. Rachel was humming her newly made tune when THEY walked in.
"Hi baby." Rachel shrunk back at the sound of Sue's snarled voice. Following her was Leroy.
"We heard you woke up. Just remember that if you say anything you won't live to see the light of day."
Rachel nodded slowly, holding back tears. Why was she the one forced into a life like this one? What would her life be like if she was raised by different people? If she were a Corcoran, she'd probably be an athletic guitar playing popular kid. She could've even been a cheerleader. Who knows...?
"We'll be in the cafeteria discussing your punishment. You're not getting off easy about this."
-—-—-—-—-—-
I was almost slightly relaxed on the couch when my phone rang. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was Jesse. Had something bad happened?
"What's wrong Jesse?" I almost cried into the phone.
"Rachel's gone! I went to go get her yearbooks to look at and when I came back she was gone!"
I jumped up, grabbed my keys and coat and dashed to the car, leaving Jonathan sitting in his room without a clue.
"Where is she?" I almost ran into Jesse in the pediatric hallway. "Was she taken or what?" I was practically screaming at the top of my lungs. This was the Ice Queen about to explode.
"Mom.. Calm down!"
"How do you expect me to calm down? My daughter-"
It came out. Just like that. I had never out loud addressed her like that. It felt good. But then it felt bad. Rachel is not mine. She had never mine. She would probably never be mine.
Jesse gave me a sad look. I felt hot tears coming down my cheeks and turned in the other direction, and I ran. I ran and turned and ran and turned until I found a storage closet with the door slightly opened. I needed to vent, like right now.
I opened the door and was shocked.
"Rachel! Give me that!" All those emotions of anger disappeared and turned to sadness. I wrestled the blade out of her hand, struggling to throw it across the room. I heard the satisfying clack against the floor, and just hugged the girl. She struggled to get out, but eventually realized it was worthless and dug her head into my chest. I rubbed her back as her sobbing somewhat subsided. She pulled back to look up at me, I pushed the bangs out of her face, and she winced.
"Why? Why are you so afraid of losing me? I'm just a student... and as far as I'm concerned nobody cares about me. I'm worthless. Especially you. I thought you wanted me, but apparently you don't."
I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "I had a daughter. Her name was Juliette Elizabeth. We were going to call her Leezl like from the Sound of Music. I only got to see her for a moment. Dark eyes, brown hair. She was beautiful. And then, they rushed her out of the hospital room. That was the last time I saw her. She stopped breathing... and... I can't afford to lose you too, you're my Rachel... And whatever's bothering you, just tell me!"
"My dad he he he hee..." Rachel muttered between sobs.
"Rachel, what did your dad do?"
Rachel wasn't going to lie.
She couldn't.
Not here.
And not with her.
"He hit me, really hard. Told me I was a fat useless bitch that needed to die. That's when I..." She swallowed. "Fell down the stairs." My stomach twisted into a knot. That asshole was gonna pay for what he did, even if it meant losing my job.
"Rach..." I inched closer to her.
"You can't tell anyone! He's going to hurt me worse! He already hates you as it is! You can't risk your job... your life... for me!" Rachel started hyperventilating and going into a panic attack. I didn't know what to do but I wanted her to trust me.
"Breath in breath out," Her breathing slowed and Rachel stretched before shoving her face into her knees, crawling tightly into the corner. "Why does your dad hate me? He's never met me..."
"You're my show choir coach and the fact that I made contact with you bothers him." She shifted awkwardly in position, and I felt a pang of guilt for forcing the information out of her.
"Look... it's illegal to abuse your kids like that... I can't not report it!" I tried not to explode into a speech about how she deserved more and kept my cool.
" I'll quit show choir and transfer out of your class! After that I will be out of your hair! You'll forget I existed! Please don't report it..."
"You're not quitting show choir and you are certainly not dropping out of my class. But I would just like to clarify that I won't forget you existed. Ever."
"Ms. Corcoran?"
"Yes?"
"What happened to Juliette?"
"She died five minutes after she was born. She would be twelve next Monday."
"Monday's my birthday..."
"Rachel..."
"Where was Juliette born?"
"Lima Community hospital."
"Ms. Corcoran?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm your daughter."
"That's not possible Rachel. She died right after she was born."
"That's where I was born... here..."
"Rachel... you are your parents' daughter. There is no denying that." I bit my lip. Should I lie to her? I had thought the exact same thing as she did since the day I met her four months ago. But getting her hopes up? False hope was worse than not having hope at all.
But Juliette is dead. She has lived on with me since I saw her being rushed out of the hospital room. I used to pretend that Rachel was her, but that was only hurting myself as well as her.
"No... I'm not. I found papers when I was looking for... something." She hesitated, as if deciding whether or not she wanted to tell me something. I guess not.
"They never told me, and I don't think they were ever planning on it. It wasn't a legal adoption, they paid people so they could take me home."
"How do you know this?" Rachel sat up, and pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper which she handed me folded up. I slowly opened it, not really wanting to know what it said.
Dear Mr and Mrs Berry,
The deed is done. Its all yours.
"Their baby died and they couldn't even try to adopt, so they faked my, errr, Elizabeth's death so they could take me home. My father Leroy is a doctor. He could have easily done that without you knowing.."
"Rachel...?"
"Yeah?"
"You can't tell anyone about this. Plus, it might not be true!"
"Then let's do a DNA test! What do we have to lose? Please? You want Elizabeth back, I want my mom back! I need you and you need me! We need each other! Please tell me you actually care about me and this hasn't just been one big fat lie! Has it?"
"Your- her name was Juliette Elizabeth. I wanted to call you by your middle name though, I wasn't really a fan of the whole J pattern thing." I smiled. "Now that I think about it, I think she would have not wanted to be excluded from her brothers,"
"Juliette Elizabeth..." I heard Rachel mutter under her breath. Here goes nothing.
"Rachel, I've cared about you since the day I saw you in my class. I knew you were special. But this, getting a DNA test, what if the others find out? And what if it's not true? Do you really want to put yourself into that position?"
She glared at me, and I could see that I had made her mad. She sniffled before turning her back to me. I walked over to her, nudging her.
"You have to go back, you know."
Rachel took a deep breath. "I know."
Several hours later, I sat down on the edge of the bed, double checking to see if anyone was watching, then stroked the hair out of my daughter's eyes. I felt her stir and continued stroking her hair.
"What happened?" Rachel coughed, and eventually her eyes fluttered open.
"Your parents are here..." I mumbled
"Don't do that." Rachel mumbled back.
"Do what?"
"Pretend like you're not my parent." Rachel looked up at me with a certain amount of annoyance in her eyes. She clearly was sick of bullshit.
"Rachel I-" I started only to be cut off.
"Save it. I don't want to hear it. Go find my parents. Please." I shut my mouth, lingering out of the hospital room.
I left Rachel to go into the waiting room and see if her parents were there. Not that I was looking to that conversation or anything like that. The Berrys sat in the corner. Her father looked down at his cell phone, appearing to be playing candy crush. His hair looked as if it hadn't been brushed in weeks, and his shirt looked like it was from the 80s. I took a deep breath.
"Hi. I'm Rachel's... show choir coach; I was the one they called when she was rushed to the hospital, unlike you." They both looked up at me. He seemed to glare, but I completely ignored it. I had done my part. I turned to walk away, but her father grabbed my wrist, tightly. He spun me back around.
"What did you say your name was?" I turned red. Did they know who I was? What would they do to me? More importantly, what would they do to Rachel?
"Shelby. Shelby Corcoran. We've never met." I tried to sound pleasant and smile as I reached my hand out to shake his.
"We were out of town on a small getaway. The neighbors were watching Rachel." This statement made my jaw tighten. They must have known something. Rachel never mentioned these people, apart from the fact that they threw her down the stairs. They knew she would talk.
"So are you and Rachel close?" He smirked at me, and again my jaw tightened.
"She is a student in my math class and also a member of my show choir." That was not a lie.
"Are you sure that's it? You're her mother aren't you?" It came out like a slur. It sounded like an accusation. One I was not ready for.
"What?" I said in a huffy voice.
"You look just like her."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't act like you don't know."
"I'm sorry?"
"Does she know?"
"Know WHAT?"
"That you're her mother!" They had known this whole damn time. My stomach collapsed. What would they do to me? Were they going to hurt me or what?
"Yes."
"You stay away from her! I'll sue!" I put my hands up in protest, beginning to take slow steps backwards. "I think I should leave now. Just telling you that I will put up a fight." I slowly declared.
"You should leave. And don't even think about taking this to court, I'll ruin you if you do." Her parents both crossed their arms at me, glaring. I felt like I had gone something wrong. But I hadn't. Even if she wasn't my daughter, I still would have probably bonded with her. I was getting that DNA test. I hadn't told Rachel that we were going to do it, but got the nurses to get the sample.
I walked out of the hospital just like that. It didn't feel like I was abandoning my daughter, but in a way I was. I was leaving her to the devils. Maybe they couldn't hurt her now, but that doesn't mean they were good! I knew they made her miserable. Rachel had never said a word about them, but I knew.
Once I was in my car, I threw myself back against the seat and cried. I had my baby yanked from me for a second time. I wanted to just throw myself off of a cliff. What was the point?
I cried in my car, staring out the window facing the hospital. What was I going to do? I had just lost the one person I needed. I only had one daughter, sure I had sons but sons don't need their mom like daughters do.
An alarm started going off. I looked up to see Rachel walking through the field in her hospital gown. I slowly got out of my truck and watched through the windows of my car.
Rachel's 'mom' followed after her, screaming her name. Rachel was paler than when she was in the coma. There was no way she was going to do that to my daughter!
I started running towards her, calling her name. I shot a glare towards Mrs. Berry. A group of bystanders had begun to form. Doctors were running towards both Mrs. Berry and Rachel with sedatives at the ready. I was not going to watch this.
"Hey!" I shouted toward the doctors. "Give me two minutes!" The doctors nodded, restraining Mrs. Berry back, who was screaming at me to leave her daughter alone. Her daughter. Snicker.
I turned towards Rachel, who was still speed walking towards the busy street. "Hey! Rachel!" She glanced back at me and continued walking. "Hey, talk to me!" I grabbed her wrist and slowly pulled her back.
"Let go, let go, I need to get out of here!" She screamed, trying to get out of my grip.
"What are you doing?"
"She's going to hurt me!" I tried not to wince at the fact she was so scared.
"Rachel... Is this because you want attention from me? Your parent-"
"They're not my parents! Don't you dare call them my parents!" She snapped and tried to release my grip on her wrist. I suddenly realized it.
"You did this because you wanted me to confront them..." I mumbled, dropping her wrist. I expected her to run, but she stood right by me.
"And admit to you that you were my mother. Which they did, did they not?" She said, crossing her arms.
"Rachel- I..."
"Mom. It's not worth it."
oh my god
"Look, I'm fine I promise. Okay?"
"Okay. You want a hug?" I opened my arms.
She took a deep breath. "Yeah." She mumbled before throwing herself into my chest. It was the whole I'm her protector and she needs me thing all over again. But once I released her, who knew what that woman who dared to call herself the mother of my child would do to her.
"Mom. Relax. There are nurses here, she can't pull any stunts or try to hurt me. I'm okay. I'll come visit you as soon as I'm back in school."
"There's no way I'm letting you spend another day with them!"
"What are you going to do?"
"Mr. Corcoran put in a report of abuse. Even if you don't come back with me you're not going back there. Don't try and stop me! You'll never stop me!" And we both laughed.
"Ready to go back in there?"
"Yeah." I put my arm around her shoulders and walked her towards the crowd of doctors, who didn't look like they were too happy about Mrs. Berry, at all. Rachel glared at her before walking into the crowd. Mrs. Berry sneered at me before turning around and following them.
Not exactly what I expected, but they're finally bonding!
currently debating whether or not to get a beta, i don't know much about them but i think it would be good for my story, so if any of you happen to know any about betas / want to be one...
I apologize if any of the terminology is bad and if the story is confusing, i know i suck. k thanks bye.