A/N: Thank you to those who read and reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad that you guys are still with me. Here is the next chapter; enjoy :)
~ Chapter Fourteen ~
~~ Sleeping Beauty ~~
The sun shined brightly through the windows, illuminating the loft. Amy sighed, turning her head into the pillow. How could the weather betray her by being so perfect, when her life right now was far from it? Ty's arraignment sentencing was still replaying over and over again in her head. She couldn't believe that he had to wait for his trial in jail, instead of being housebound, like they had been planning on. She had stayed in the barn loft, where she and Ty had been staying while they were fixing up the ranch. Amy wasn't hungry for dinner last night. Ty refusing to face her when the cops were taking him back into custody haunted her. No matter how many times she called his name, he wouldn't turn around. Finally, she chased after them as they left the building, despite her dad and grandpa trying to stop her. Outside, Amy had called him one last time, and he caught her gaze as he bent to go inside the cop car.
Ty had nodded his head once at her and mouthed something to her that had her covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to ward off more tears. Always and Forever. And then he was gone, the police car disappearing down the street.
Amy sighed a loud, disgruntled sigh, throwing the covers off of herself and bolting up. Sitting here feeling sorry for herself and reliving those moments were useless. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and then realized that bolting up like she had might have been a mistake. A wave of nausea rolled over her. Amy grimaced, closing her eyes. She gripped the bed sheet in her fists, hoping the feeling would pass. After a second, it did and she was glad. However, Amy decided to go get a glass of water to ward off any more nausea. Skipping dinner last night might not have been a good idea, but after Ty's arraignment, she hadn't been hungry.
She stood up from the bed, smoothing down her tank top and pajama shorts. Amy took one step, and the nausea was back. And this time she couldn't keep it down. She ran to the bathroom, dropping to her knees in front of the toilet, and heaved the contents of her empty stomach into the bowl. Two minutes later, her stomach ached from the convulsions and she laid her head against the cold porcelain of the toilet. Then, she got up off the floor, and cleaned herself up and flushed the toilet.
"I need to eat something," Amy mumbled. She left the bathroom and went into the kitchen. Some scrambled eggs will do nicely. Opening up the refrigerator, she pulled out the eggs and set them down on the counter. Something caught her eye from the sink. She peered in the sink, finding a dirty coffee mug. The coffee mug Ty had used the last morning he was here. He had been rushing off to the vet clinic, and had plopped the mug in the sink, saying that he'd clean that up when he got home.
When he got home.
Now, Amy wondered when that was going to happen. She stood there frozen for a minute, then she shook herself and made a decision. Forgetting all about eating, Amy made her way back to her bedroom to get dressed.
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"I don't know how much to tell her," Lou said, sitting down at the kitchen table in the ranch house with a cup of tea, beside her husband. "How much of it will she really understand?" She spoke in a whisper, so that someone in particular wouldn't overhear.
"Well, we need to tell her something," Peter replied, after taking a swig of his own coffee. "Distracting her and evading the situation can only go so far."
"I don't want to scare her, but I don't know how to say it without crying myself," Lou admitted. She brought her mug to her lips, but couldn't make herself take a sip, so she set it back down.
"We'll tell her together; we'll make sure she understands..." Peter trailed off as they both heard footsteps coming closer from the living room. They both looked up toward the doorway to see who will enter the kitchen, a little worriedly.
It was only Jack. Lou and Peter both breathed a small sigh of relief. Jack glanced up from the newspaper he was holding in one hand, and saw their faces. "Any news?" he asked them.
"Uh, no, not since what we told you last night," Peter said. "Sorry, Jack, we thought you were Katie walking in."
Jack walked over to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup. "I take it then that you haven't told her about Georgie."
"No, not yet," Lou sighed, "That is what we were talking about; how to tell her about Georgie." Peter put his hand over hers comfortingly.
"Any ideas?" Peter asked, hopefully.
"Ah, can't say that I do," Jack shook his head, apologetically. "Just whatever you do say, be gentle and try to answer any question she has as honestly as you can."
Lou and Peter nodded in unison. Then, upon hearing cheerful singing, they all swiveled their heads in the direction of the hallway.
"And do it as soon as possible," Jack added, listening to his great granddaughter's innocence. Then, he walked to the door with his coffee and newspaper. "I'm going to the barn, help Amy out."
"Ok, Grandpa, be careful," Lou murmured, standing up slowly with Peter's help, feeling more than six months pregnant. She moved toward him, knowing they both needed some comfort right now. Lou hugged Jack tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her in return. "Georgie is going to be fine," she whispered.
Jack nodded into her shoulder, sniffing back his emotions. The hug ended right before Katie walked into the kitchen. Lou gave him a reassuring smile as he opened the door and went outside. When the door shut behind him, no one noticed how Jack took a moment to gather himself because a piece of his heart was lying in a hospital bed with an uncertain future.
Back in the kitchen, Katie came in quizzically. Peter murmured a good morning to his daughter, kissing her hair, as she pulled out kitchen chair and climbed onto it. "Momma, where's Georgie? Is she still at her sleepover?" the four year old asked, mentioning the story she had been told to explain Georgie's absence over the past two days. Has it really only been two days since their lives were splintered part? Time seemed to cease, with no meaning at all.
"Um," Lou pushed Katie's hair back out of her face, glancing at Peter over her daughter's head. They both came to a silent agreement to just go for it. "No, she's not still at her sleepover. Do you want some cereal?" She told the little girl carefully.
Peter got up to get Katie a bowl and a spoon and the box of Cheerios.
Katie started to get excited. "She's back!" she exclaimed. "She's outside with the horsies. I want her to take me for a pony ride." She started to climb back down off the chair, but Lou quickly stopped her. She placed her hands on Katie's lap, stilling her, and sat down in her own chair. Peter sat back down, too, with the stuff and the milk, too.
"Actually, sweetie, Georgie isn't here," Lou corrected her, softly.
Katie started to pick up on her parents somber dispositions. She looked between them both, confusedly. "Where is she?" she asked, her eyes widening with worry.
Lou stared at her daughter and she was suddenly afraid that she was going to start crying before she could say the words to Katie. She glanced up at her husband for help.
Peter took the reins. He placed his hand comfortingly on Katie's back, and turned to face her more fully. "Remember the first time you fell off Pogey and scraped your leg?"
Katie nodded, so Peter continued.
"But mommy was so worried that we took you to the hospital so that the doctors could check you out," Peter added.
Katie giggled behind her hands, because it had only been a long scrape that only required some antiseptic and a bandage. Lou smiled a tiny smile at the memory of her over-protectiveness.
"Well, sweetheart, Georgie got hurt and she's in the hospital right now," Peter finished, and just like that the mood was grim again. Any hint levity vanished in a flash.
"She got hurt?" Katie repeated, trying to understand. "Well, that's ok. The doctors will fix her up, just like they did to me. And when she comes home, she can have ice cream, too." Then, she jumped down from her chair, skipped over to the freezer, and pull it opened with all her might. "Good, we have her favorite ice cream."
Lou turned away, wiping away the tears threatening to fall. Peter took Katie's arm gently and pulled her back over. "Katie, Georgie was hurt really bad. She's going to be in the hospital for a while," Peter explained to her.
"She's gonna get better, right?" Katie asked.
Lou breathed out shakily, reaching out to take Katie's hand. "We don' t know," she told her daughter honestly. "But we can hope and wish Georgie to get well soon."
Katie looked down at the floor thoughtfully, maybe a little sad, too.
"Are you okay?" Peter asked her, rubbing her back in circles. "Do you have any questions, Katie-Cat?"
Katie looked up at both of her parents. "Can I go see her?" she inquired, "I tell her to get better soon and we can have ice cream when she comes home."
Whether or not it would be harmful or beneficial to take Katie to the hospital to see Georgie, Lou and Peter agreed that taking her one time would help her to understand the situation. Seeing her big sister in the ICU might scare her, but it was a necessity.
"Ok, baby," Lou answered her, stroking Katie's soft blond hair. "We'll go see Georgie right after breakfast."
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"Good boy," Amy cooed to the black horse, stroking his neck in repeated movements. Spartan sensed her stress and sadness. He pushed his nose out toward her. She pressed her lips to his soft face in a light kiss, and then leaned her forehead against his head. Amy breathed in his sharp scent and closed her eyes. She let it wash over her, soothing her in ways it always did. Spartan understood what she needed. As she stood there in absolute stillness stroking his neck, he remained there as well, not moving or growing restless.
Suddenly, Amy felt another breath on the back of neck, ruffling her hair. She turned her head and saw Moonstone, the blind chestnut mare, at her stall door, her ears attuned toward Amy. The mare gave a soft whinny. Amy found herself smiling. Aside from their sessions together, this was the first time Moonstone took the initiative and approached Amy on her own. Amy got that feeling that she always got when a horse she was working with made progress; the feeling of joy and pride.
"Hey, girl," Amy murmured to Moonstone. She rubbed between the horse's eyes. Standing here between her favorite horse and latest client horse, the knot of fear in her stomach began to unravel and sense of peace washed over her. She breathed in deep, closing her eyes, trying to capture this feeling and keep it wrapped around her forever.
"Amy, good, there you are."
Amy heard her grandfather's voice, but didn't turn around. She kept her focus on the two horses in front her, though Moonstone was looking warily now, having taken a half a step back, ears moving back and forth quickly. Spartan, however, snorted a greeting at Jack.
Jack approached Amy slowly for Moonstone's benefit. She was tense, but she listened to Amy's comforting hand on her nose. Jack came up next to Amy, closer to Spartan. "How are you doing, sweetheart?" Jack asked her. He gave Spartan a pat on his neck.
Amy sighed, "Better now that I came down to these guys."
Jack smiled, glad to hear that she was feeling better. "Horses are the best kind of therapy, if you ask me," he said.
Amy nodded, still smiling.
Jack cleared his throat, and Amy got the feeling that he came to the barn for another reason. "I came to find you to see how you were this morning and to show you this," Jack held the newspaper he'd brought with him out toward her.
"What is this?" Amy questioned, her brows knitting together in confusion. She took the paper from his hand. It was folded over to one specific article, that she could tell.
"It's about that horse...from the other night," Jack told her, hesitatingly, unsure of how to speak about the night that changed their lives.
Amy's demeanor changed. She grew stiff and tense at the mention of that night, but her curiosity won out because of the horse involvement, especially with this horse; Spiridon. She read through the article, once, twice, trying to get all the info and understand it all at once.
"I'd thought you'd want to know about this," Jack mumbled, as Amy read. The article explained all about that night in black and white, turning a horrific night into an insensitive factual story. It said how a suspect was in custody and awaiting trial for the murder of the slain victim, and the other victim was in critical condition in the hospital. Amy got a little annoyed, wondering how the reporters could have gotten this information without interviewing her or her family. Not that they were up for answering monotonous reporter questions. At the end of the article was a short section about Spiridon. Amy gaped at what she read.
"It says that Spiridon is in the custody of the county and that he will be auctioned off at the next county auction in June," Amy read aloud. She lowered the paper in astonishment. "He's a wild mustang that has been treated horribly. No one is going to buy him, and then he'll..." Amy stopped abruptly, not wanting to think about what will happen to Spiridon if he doesn't get a buyer.
Jack nodded, having read the article. They were quiet for a heartbeat.
Then, Amy sighed, handing the newspaper back to Jack. "There's too much going on right now, grandpa," she said. "My husband is facing a murder charge and my niece is in a coma because of Spiridon. I can't think of that horse without thinking about them. I can't help him, grandpa."
Jack took the newspaper, watching his granddaughter move past him and toward the barn loft. Amy walked carefully, as if she was just barely holding herself together.
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The elevator dinged as it approached the sixth floor of Cross Bow Hospital. Lou held her young daughter's hand, apprehensive over what they doing. The doors slid open with a moan, revealing the intensive care unit.
"Watch your step, sweetie," Peter said, low, guiding both his wife and daughter off the elevator.
The nurses' station was right in front of them, in the center of hall and all the cubicle like rooms fanned out around it in a half circle. One of the nurses on duty recognized them, so they weren't stopped on their way to Georgie's room. Her room was on the right, all the way at the back. Before they were completely at Georgie's room, Peter picked Katie up his arms.
"Are you ready, Katie-cat?" he asked her, gently. Katie nodded. "It might look a little scary, but that's still your sister in there."
"The doctor says only person can go in at time so that we don't make her any sicker, so we're just going to stay at the window," Lou added.
Katie seemed apprehensive now, as they stepped up to the window of Georgie's hospital room. Lou put her hand on Katie's back in a comforting gesture. Katie leaned forward in her dad's arms, toward the window to block out any glare. She put her hand on the glass, peering at her sister for the first time in two days.
"Georgie?..."
"Georgie?"
Katie stood outside her big sister's bedroom, knocking on the door frame quietly. It was the morning after breakfast, but Georgie hadn't come down to eat. Georgie lay across her bed, despondently and guiltily.
Can you play with me?" Katie asked, innocently.
"Not now, Katie," Georgie declined, without moving or looking at her.
"Please? You can be Butterscotch this time," Katie bribed, holding out the stuffed horse in one hand instead of the doll that was in the other one.
Georgie sat up. "No, I got too much on my mind for silly little games," she replied. Then, she climbed off her bed. "Actually, I'm going to go ride Phoenix, clear my mind."
"Can I come?" Katie asked, excitedly.
"No," Georgie said, rushing past her little sister and down the stairs.
Katie watched her back disappear downstairs. "Ok," she whispered, to no one.
Katie's blue eyes studied the scene in front of her. From her understanding, Georgie lay in the bed with her arms out by her sides over the thin blanket that was tucked up to her chest. She was asleep, with a tube in her mouth and different wires attached to her.
"How are doing, sweetheart? Are you ok?" Lou asked, quietly.
Katie kept staring at her motionless sister. "Georgie looks like sleeping beauty," she remarked.
Lou and Peter chuckled a little at Katie's innocent analogy. They stayed there outside the room for a couple more minutes, watching one daughter while tending to the other. If only a fairytale kiss was enough to wake Georgie up.
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"Alright, everybody, back to your cells!"
The booming voice of the guard echoed throughout the cell block. Ty lay on his back on his bunk inside his cell. He had wandered back here after lunch, having had enough socializing with the other inmates. The guards had showed him around the prison in the morning, letting all the inmates know that he was the new guy. He didn't make any eye contact with the other inmates; he knew they were all watching, sizing him up.
"Hey, knock it off, Rodriguez! Back to your cell!" the same guard shouted.
Ty closed his eyes, and let out a deep breath. He braced himself for the return of his cellmate. The guy he was sharing a cell with for the foreseeable future didn't say much to him last night, except for a curt nod of a greeting. If you could call it that. The guy watched him wordlessly for a while, until Ty fell asleep. In the morning, he still didn't say anything. Instead, when they were let out for breakfast, the guy shouldered past him, knocking Ty off balance.
Ty sensed someone standing in the doorway of the cell, but he didn't look. He knew it was his cellmate. The other man was tall, tan skin, and had a nearly shaved head.
"C'mon, Rodriguez, what are you doing? Get in!" the guard was outside the cell now, pushing the man inside with Ty. A minute later, the cell doors shuttered and clanged shut in unison. Then, Ty was looking into the brown eyes of his cellmate, Luis Rodriguez—an ex drug dealer-, as the man leaned down over him.
"How was your first day, newbie?" Rodriguez asked, tauntingly.
Ty returned the guy's stare, then he attempted to turn over on his bed. That was a bad idea. He was yanked up by the lapels of his prison jumpsuit, until he was off his bunk and facing his cellmate. Rodriguez was laughing, but there was an undertone of anger.
"Don't you ignore me, man," Rodriguez warned Ty. "I'm trying to give you a good old welcome here."
"Look, I don't want any trouble-" Ty tried to say.
The punch hit Ty in the right eye, the second landed in his stomach...
A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait. As you can see I didn't give up on this story, but I'm sorry if some of you did. I'm going to try not to go so long again. Please review; tell me what you thought of the chapter and that you are still interested in reading this story. :)