The Sound of Music
Chapter Seven
She was staring out the window. This wasn't unusual. She had spent most of her waking hours like this, curled up on her bed, teddy bear in hand, staring out the window.
A brilliant red cardinal flew up to the windowsill and perched there for a moment, fluttering its wings. It opened its beak and Chloe could almost imagine the chirping that issued forth. She had to imagine it, for she couldn't hear it. She was deaf. The cardinal regarded Chloe for a moment with one wary eye. And then, as quickly as it had come, it flew away again.
Chloe moved closer to the large window so she could see more of the world outside. Kids were playing in the empty field next door. She didn't have to hear them to know they were screaming and giggling, laughing as they played Red Rover Red Rover, Duck Duck Goose, and many other noisy games. She knew this because of the many times she'd heard their squeals of laughter while she was trying to sleep in on a lazy Saturday morning, or during a rare afternoon nap.
She almost smiled at the irony. How many times had she crammed her pillow over her head, wishing their noise would just go away? Now she'd give anything to be able to hear their piercing screams and loud laughter.
She turned away from the window and looked around her room. She was back in her bedroom at home. The Wesleys had brought her home to Salem the moment she was released from the hospital. There was no point in staying in New York. {It's not like I'll be able to go to Julliard now,} she thought bitterly.
So she was now back home. She looked at the stacked boxes that still held most of her belongings. She hadn't been able to bring herself to unpack, nor would she let anyone else do it for her. She knew that unpacking meant finally facing the fact that she wasn't going to Julliard, that all her dreams had been shattered. And she wasn't ready for that yet. As long as the boxes remained then she could pretend she was still going. She was only taking a little break. It wasn't permanent.
Her eyes wandered over her room, carefully avoiding the corner where her stereo and CD collection stood. The first thing she had done when they moved her stuff back in was cover her stereo and CDs with a sheet. She didn't want to look at them, and still couldn't bring herself to acknowledge their existence.
Those CDs were her prized possessions; many of them dated back to her pre- Wesley years when she was shuffled around from foster home to foster home to orphanage. Those CDs had gotten her through the worst years of her young life. She would close her eyes and listen to the beautiful music and for a few precious minutes, she was someone else, living another life. For many years they were all she had and she had lost them. She couldn't face that loss. She didn't think that she ever could.
Her bedroom lights flicked on and off, bringing Chloe out of her thoughts. She got up and knocked on her bedroom wall. She turned to see her bedroom door open as Nancy slowly entered the room.
Nancy smiled brightly at her daughter, but could not hide the sad pity in her eyes. Chloe smiled back and watched her mother's mouth, waiting for her to say something. Nancy spoke slowly and clearly, using a bare minimum of words.
"Just checking in. Do you need anything? Food? Water?"
Chloe shook her head and turned away, ending the conversation. Nancy gave one last sad smile and left the room.
"How is she?"
Nancy jumped and spun around. "Oh, Craig, you startled me," she whispered lowly. She looked sadly at Chloe's closed bedroom door. "She's the same. Oh, Craig, I wish."
"Nancy," he interrupted, "you don't have to whisper. It's not like Chloe can hear you."
Nancy nodded. "I keep forgetting. I find myself talking to her back only to realize she can't hear me."
"I've done it a few times myself. Hard to believe that only a week ago Chloe left to begin her life at Julliard. It just doesn't seem real that so much could happen in such a short amount of time."
So many changes had to be made when they brought Chloe home. They brought in an electrician who hooked up the doorbell to the lights in the house. He also installed a light switch outside Chloe's room that connected to her bedroom lights, so instead of knocking on her door, they would just flick the switch. Craig and Nancy also got her a cell phone with text messaging, but Nancy noticed sadly that Chloe wasn't taking calls nor had she returned any messages.
But these changes were minor, superficial. They had yet to think about how Chloe's loss would affect their lives. Nancy would be giving birth soon; she had planned on Chloe leaving the nest and beginning her own life. Now she was back at home, and she would need a great deal of love and care to get through her trauma. Nancy suddenly found herself being the mother to two children, both of whom would need her. It was more than a little overwhelming without the extra emotions that came with Chloe's loss.
Nancy looked up at her husband's tired, pale face. "Craig, if it's this hard on us, how hard must it be for Chloe? I wish she would open up to me. I wish she would open up to someone. She hasn't talked to anyone; all her friends are worried about her. There are a ton of unread emails on her computer. She hasn't even talked to Brady and you know he's always been the one she turned to. And it's so. quiet now; you'd hardly know she was in there. She hasn't spoken a word since finding out." Nancy blinked back tears as she rubbed her round stomach.
Craig caressed her cheek. "Give her time, Nancy. It's only been a week since her accident and only a few days since we brought her home. She needs time to adjust to all the changes. Marlena says she's still in shock; she hasn't even begun to deal with this huge loss. It could be some time before she's ready to open up."
"God, Craig, how can this be happening now?" Nancy asked, tears falling down her cheeks as she gave into the sadness in her heart.
Outside Craig tried to comfort his sobbing wife, while inside Chloe lay curled up on her bed, staring blankly out the window, her own silent tears tricking down her face.
Chapter Seven
She was staring out the window. This wasn't unusual. She had spent most of her waking hours like this, curled up on her bed, teddy bear in hand, staring out the window.
A brilliant red cardinal flew up to the windowsill and perched there for a moment, fluttering its wings. It opened its beak and Chloe could almost imagine the chirping that issued forth. She had to imagine it, for she couldn't hear it. She was deaf. The cardinal regarded Chloe for a moment with one wary eye. And then, as quickly as it had come, it flew away again.
Chloe moved closer to the large window so she could see more of the world outside. Kids were playing in the empty field next door. She didn't have to hear them to know they were screaming and giggling, laughing as they played Red Rover Red Rover, Duck Duck Goose, and many other noisy games. She knew this because of the many times she'd heard their squeals of laughter while she was trying to sleep in on a lazy Saturday morning, or during a rare afternoon nap.
She almost smiled at the irony. How many times had she crammed her pillow over her head, wishing their noise would just go away? Now she'd give anything to be able to hear their piercing screams and loud laughter.
She turned away from the window and looked around her room. She was back in her bedroom at home. The Wesleys had brought her home to Salem the moment she was released from the hospital. There was no point in staying in New York. {It's not like I'll be able to go to Julliard now,} she thought bitterly.
So she was now back home. She looked at the stacked boxes that still held most of her belongings. She hadn't been able to bring herself to unpack, nor would she let anyone else do it for her. She knew that unpacking meant finally facing the fact that she wasn't going to Julliard, that all her dreams had been shattered. And she wasn't ready for that yet. As long as the boxes remained then she could pretend she was still going. She was only taking a little break. It wasn't permanent.
Her eyes wandered over her room, carefully avoiding the corner where her stereo and CD collection stood. The first thing she had done when they moved her stuff back in was cover her stereo and CDs with a sheet. She didn't want to look at them, and still couldn't bring herself to acknowledge their existence.
Those CDs were her prized possessions; many of them dated back to her pre- Wesley years when she was shuffled around from foster home to foster home to orphanage. Those CDs had gotten her through the worst years of her young life. She would close her eyes and listen to the beautiful music and for a few precious minutes, she was someone else, living another life. For many years they were all she had and she had lost them. She couldn't face that loss. She didn't think that she ever could.
Her bedroom lights flicked on and off, bringing Chloe out of her thoughts. She got up and knocked on her bedroom wall. She turned to see her bedroom door open as Nancy slowly entered the room.
Nancy smiled brightly at her daughter, but could not hide the sad pity in her eyes. Chloe smiled back and watched her mother's mouth, waiting for her to say something. Nancy spoke slowly and clearly, using a bare minimum of words.
"Just checking in. Do you need anything? Food? Water?"
Chloe shook her head and turned away, ending the conversation. Nancy gave one last sad smile and left the room.
"How is she?"
Nancy jumped and spun around. "Oh, Craig, you startled me," she whispered lowly. She looked sadly at Chloe's closed bedroom door. "She's the same. Oh, Craig, I wish."
"Nancy," he interrupted, "you don't have to whisper. It's not like Chloe can hear you."
Nancy nodded. "I keep forgetting. I find myself talking to her back only to realize she can't hear me."
"I've done it a few times myself. Hard to believe that only a week ago Chloe left to begin her life at Julliard. It just doesn't seem real that so much could happen in such a short amount of time."
So many changes had to be made when they brought Chloe home. They brought in an electrician who hooked up the doorbell to the lights in the house. He also installed a light switch outside Chloe's room that connected to her bedroom lights, so instead of knocking on her door, they would just flick the switch. Craig and Nancy also got her a cell phone with text messaging, but Nancy noticed sadly that Chloe wasn't taking calls nor had she returned any messages.
But these changes were minor, superficial. They had yet to think about how Chloe's loss would affect their lives. Nancy would be giving birth soon; she had planned on Chloe leaving the nest and beginning her own life. Now she was back at home, and she would need a great deal of love and care to get through her trauma. Nancy suddenly found herself being the mother to two children, both of whom would need her. It was more than a little overwhelming without the extra emotions that came with Chloe's loss.
Nancy looked up at her husband's tired, pale face. "Craig, if it's this hard on us, how hard must it be for Chloe? I wish she would open up to me. I wish she would open up to someone. She hasn't talked to anyone; all her friends are worried about her. There are a ton of unread emails on her computer. She hasn't even talked to Brady and you know he's always been the one she turned to. And it's so. quiet now; you'd hardly know she was in there. She hasn't spoken a word since finding out." Nancy blinked back tears as she rubbed her round stomach.
Craig caressed her cheek. "Give her time, Nancy. It's only been a week since her accident and only a few days since we brought her home. She needs time to adjust to all the changes. Marlena says she's still in shock; she hasn't even begun to deal with this huge loss. It could be some time before she's ready to open up."
"God, Craig, how can this be happening now?" Nancy asked, tears falling down her cheeks as she gave into the sadness in her heart.
Outside Craig tried to comfort his sobbing wife, while inside Chloe lay curled up on her bed, staring blankly out the window, her own silent tears tricking down her face.
