Chapter 12
November 19, 1994
It was 3 AM; the sound of someone screaming woke Tad up. When he realized who it was he ran to the next room, Blair was screaming her head off. Tad woke her up and she stopped screaming, but started crying.
"Shh, your OK now." Tad soothed. "You just had a bad dream."
Kelsey, who was on the other side of the room, had also been woken up by Blair's screaming.
"Is Mommy OK?" Kelsey asked.
"She'll be fine, go back to sleep." Tad said.
Kelsey went back to sleep as Mrs. Garrett entered.
"Is she OK?" Mrs. G asked.
"She'll be fine." Tad said. "She just had a bad dream, go back to bed."
Mrs. Garrett went back to bed as Tad continued to hold Blair who had calmed down a little but was still crying.
"Are you OK now?" Tad asked.
Blair nodded.
"Lay down and go back to sleep." Tad said.
Blair lay down and Tad went back to bed. Blair never went back to sleep but continued to cry silently.
~*~
It was 7 AM; Tad had already left for work. Blair continued to cry as Mrs. Garrett helped her get dressed.
"I hate it when you cry." Mrs. Garrett said. "Please stop crying, you don't want Kelsey to see you crying do you?"
Blair shook her head and stopped crying. Mrs. Garrett woke up Kelsey and told her to get ready for school. Mrs. Garrett and Blair went downstairs to wait for Jo. Mrs. Garrett wasn't going to give Blair a tube feeding because the therapists were going to teach her how to eat on her own. Jo walked in the door fifteen minutes later.
"Hey Mrs. G, what happened last night?" Jo asked.
"How did you know something happened last night?" Mrs. G asked.
"We heard Blair screaming from our apartment." Jo said.
"She was that loud?" Mrs. G asked.
"Yeah, even Natalie and Tootie heard her." Jo said.
"Well, I'm sorry about that, Blair had a nightmare and she's still pretty upset about it." Mrs. G said.
"It's OK." Jo said. "We better get going, come on Blair."
Jo and Blair left as Kelsey came down the stairs.
"Where is Mommy going?" Kelsey asked.
"Mommy's going to see some nice people who are going to help her do all the things she can't do right now." Mrs. Garrett said.
"Is it like going to school?" Kelsey asked.
"Yes, it's kind of like going to school." Mrs. Garrett said.
~*~
Natalie brought Blair home around 3:30 that afternoon.
"What did the therapists say when you picked her up?" Mrs. Garrett asked.
"They said she seemed upset most of the day but when I picked her up she seemed fine." Natalie said.
"She had a rough night." Mrs. Garrett said.
"I heard." Natalie said. "Anyway they also said she kept breakfast down but not lunch and to give her a tube feeding at dinnertime."
"Anything else?" Mrs. Garrett asked.
"They said they will see her on Monday." Natalie said.
"OK, where is Blair?" Mrs. Garrett asked.
"On the couch." Natalie said.
"Good." Mrs. Garrett said. "I'm going to see if she will take a nap, she has been up since 3 AM."
~*~
Ten minutes later it was apparent that Blair was not going to take a nap. Kelsey had come home five minutes earlier and spread her coloring books out on the coffee table. Annie, Jamie and Tisha were also coloring. Natalie supervised while Mrs. Garrett started dinner. Kelsey gave Blair a coloring book and told her she could color too. Ten minutes later Annie looked over at Blair's coloring book.
"You are older than me and you can't stay in the lines." Annie said. "Do you know what happens to people who can't stay in the lines? People who can't stay in the lines can't color."
"Annie, be nice." Natalie said.
"Well she can't." Annie said. "She's coloring things the wrong color too. I've never seen a green cat before."
"So what, you used to do the same thing and we still let you color, so apologize to Blair." Natalie said.
Annie sarcastically apologized to Blair.
"That's it young lady, get upstairs. I want to talk to you." Natalie yelled.
As punishment Annie had to buy Blair a coloring book and a box of crayons.
~*~
November 26, 1994
One week later
Every night for the past week Blair had nightmares. They were so bad that even Kelsey didn't get sleep. It was when Kelsey fell asleep at school that Tad decided Kelsey should sleep with Mrs. Garrett. After each nightmare Blair never went back to sleep and instead cried alone in her bed. Blair's screaming was so loud that everyone in the apartment building next door could hear her. Tonight was going to be different though because Jo had a plan.
"A teddy bear?" Tootie asked. "Blair's too old for a teddy bear."
"I know, but it worked for Jamie." Jo said. "Besides you can put this one in the microwave and it will stay warm for two hours."
"It's worth a try." Natalie said. "Do you want to sleep tonight or not?"
"If you think it will work, do it." Tootie said. "I still think she's too old for it."
~*~
The next morning Mrs. Garrett and Tad were sitting in the kitchen when Kelsey entered.
"Good morning Princess." Tad said. "Is Mommy still sleeping?"
"Yes" Kelsey answered.
"Good" Tad said. "I'm glad she is getting some sleep."
"So the bear worked?" asked Jo as she entered the kitchen.
"Not exactly." Mrs. Garrett said. "Where are Rick and Jamie?"
"They are still over at the apartment." Jo said. "What do you mean not exactly?"
"Blair didn't want the bear." Mrs. Garrett said. "We gave it to her and she looked at us like we were crazy."
"Tootie said she was too old for it." Jo said.
"We left it on the table next to her bed and I believe it is still there." Mrs. Garrett said. "But you're welcome to go take a peek."
"I think I will." Jo said as she left the kitchen.
"Don't wake her though." Tad yelled.
~*~
Jo found the bedroom door cracked open just enough to peek in. Jo quietly stuck her head into the room and looked around.
"I knew it!" Jo quietly said to herself.
Blair had grabbed the bear after Mrs. Garrett had left the room last night and she was still clutching it tightly as she slept. Jo quietly left the room and went back downstairs.
~*~
Two hours later Blair came down the stairs.
"Good morning Sleepyhead." Tad said. "Did you sleep OK?"
Blair nodded.
"Are you hungry?" Mrs. Garrett asked. "I'll get you a bowl of cereal."
"Mrs. Garrett, can she use a spoon?" Jo asked.
"The therapists have been working on it and they want her to use a spoon at least once a day." Mrs. Garrett said.
Mrs. G and Blair went into the kitchen. Mrs. G got Blair a bowl of cereal and gave her a spoon. It took Blair almost 45 minutes to finish it and most of the cereal was on the table, floor and Blair's pajamas. When Blair was finished Mrs. Garrett asked if she needed the wastebasket and Blair shook her head.
~*~
Jo was upstairs helping Blair get dressed as Mrs. G and Tad talked in the living room.
"What's going on this week?" Tad asked.
"The kid's don't have school on Friday." Mrs. G said. "And Saturday is Tootie's play."
"I have to leave on a business trip Friday night and won't be back until Sunday night." Tad said. "If you are all going to the play, we'll need two babysitters."
"Why two babysitters?" Mrs. G asked.
"One for the children and one for Blair." Tad said. "She needs constant supervision and I wouldn't want to make one teenager take care of four kids and a severely disabled person."
"OK" Mrs. G said. "I'll call one of the girls that used to watch Kelsey while I was away and ask them if they could baby-sit with a friend."
November 19, 1994
It was 3 AM; the sound of someone screaming woke Tad up. When he realized who it was he ran to the next room, Blair was screaming her head off. Tad woke her up and she stopped screaming, but started crying.
"Shh, your OK now." Tad soothed. "You just had a bad dream."
Kelsey, who was on the other side of the room, had also been woken up by Blair's screaming.
"Is Mommy OK?" Kelsey asked.
"She'll be fine, go back to sleep." Tad said.
Kelsey went back to sleep as Mrs. Garrett entered.
"Is she OK?" Mrs. G asked.
"She'll be fine." Tad said. "She just had a bad dream, go back to bed."
Mrs. Garrett went back to bed as Tad continued to hold Blair who had calmed down a little but was still crying.
"Are you OK now?" Tad asked.
Blair nodded.
"Lay down and go back to sleep." Tad said.
Blair lay down and Tad went back to bed. Blair never went back to sleep but continued to cry silently.
~*~
It was 7 AM; Tad had already left for work. Blair continued to cry as Mrs. Garrett helped her get dressed.
"I hate it when you cry." Mrs. Garrett said. "Please stop crying, you don't want Kelsey to see you crying do you?"
Blair shook her head and stopped crying. Mrs. Garrett woke up Kelsey and told her to get ready for school. Mrs. Garrett and Blair went downstairs to wait for Jo. Mrs. Garrett wasn't going to give Blair a tube feeding because the therapists were going to teach her how to eat on her own. Jo walked in the door fifteen minutes later.
"Hey Mrs. G, what happened last night?" Jo asked.
"How did you know something happened last night?" Mrs. G asked.
"We heard Blair screaming from our apartment." Jo said.
"She was that loud?" Mrs. G asked.
"Yeah, even Natalie and Tootie heard her." Jo said.
"Well, I'm sorry about that, Blair had a nightmare and she's still pretty upset about it." Mrs. G said.
"It's OK." Jo said. "We better get going, come on Blair."
Jo and Blair left as Kelsey came down the stairs.
"Where is Mommy going?" Kelsey asked.
"Mommy's going to see some nice people who are going to help her do all the things she can't do right now." Mrs. Garrett said.
"Is it like going to school?" Kelsey asked.
"Yes, it's kind of like going to school." Mrs. Garrett said.
~*~
Natalie brought Blair home around 3:30 that afternoon.
"What did the therapists say when you picked her up?" Mrs. Garrett asked.
"They said she seemed upset most of the day but when I picked her up she seemed fine." Natalie said.
"She had a rough night." Mrs. Garrett said.
"I heard." Natalie said. "Anyway they also said she kept breakfast down but not lunch and to give her a tube feeding at dinnertime."
"Anything else?" Mrs. Garrett asked.
"They said they will see her on Monday." Natalie said.
"OK, where is Blair?" Mrs. Garrett asked.
"On the couch." Natalie said.
"Good." Mrs. Garrett said. "I'm going to see if she will take a nap, she has been up since 3 AM."
~*~
Ten minutes later it was apparent that Blair was not going to take a nap. Kelsey had come home five minutes earlier and spread her coloring books out on the coffee table. Annie, Jamie and Tisha were also coloring. Natalie supervised while Mrs. Garrett started dinner. Kelsey gave Blair a coloring book and told her she could color too. Ten minutes later Annie looked over at Blair's coloring book.
"You are older than me and you can't stay in the lines." Annie said. "Do you know what happens to people who can't stay in the lines? People who can't stay in the lines can't color."
"Annie, be nice." Natalie said.
"Well she can't." Annie said. "She's coloring things the wrong color too. I've never seen a green cat before."
"So what, you used to do the same thing and we still let you color, so apologize to Blair." Natalie said.
Annie sarcastically apologized to Blair.
"That's it young lady, get upstairs. I want to talk to you." Natalie yelled.
As punishment Annie had to buy Blair a coloring book and a box of crayons.
~*~
November 26, 1994
One week later
Every night for the past week Blair had nightmares. They were so bad that even Kelsey didn't get sleep. It was when Kelsey fell asleep at school that Tad decided Kelsey should sleep with Mrs. Garrett. After each nightmare Blair never went back to sleep and instead cried alone in her bed. Blair's screaming was so loud that everyone in the apartment building next door could hear her. Tonight was going to be different though because Jo had a plan.
"A teddy bear?" Tootie asked. "Blair's too old for a teddy bear."
"I know, but it worked for Jamie." Jo said. "Besides you can put this one in the microwave and it will stay warm for two hours."
"It's worth a try." Natalie said. "Do you want to sleep tonight or not?"
"If you think it will work, do it." Tootie said. "I still think she's too old for it."
~*~
The next morning Mrs. Garrett and Tad were sitting in the kitchen when Kelsey entered.
"Good morning Princess." Tad said. "Is Mommy still sleeping?"
"Yes" Kelsey answered.
"Good" Tad said. "I'm glad she is getting some sleep."
"So the bear worked?" asked Jo as she entered the kitchen.
"Not exactly." Mrs. Garrett said. "Where are Rick and Jamie?"
"They are still over at the apartment." Jo said. "What do you mean not exactly?"
"Blair didn't want the bear." Mrs. Garrett said. "We gave it to her and she looked at us like we were crazy."
"Tootie said she was too old for it." Jo said.
"We left it on the table next to her bed and I believe it is still there." Mrs. Garrett said. "But you're welcome to go take a peek."
"I think I will." Jo said as she left the kitchen.
"Don't wake her though." Tad yelled.
~*~
Jo found the bedroom door cracked open just enough to peek in. Jo quietly stuck her head into the room and looked around.
"I knew it!" Jo quietly said to herself.
Blair had grabbed the bear after Mrs. Garrett had left the room last night and she was still clutching it tightly as she slept. Jo quietly left the room and went back downstairs.
~*~
Two hours later Blair came down the stairs.
"Good morning Sleepyhead." Tad said. "Did you sleep OK?"
Blair nodded.
"Are you hungry?" Mrs. Garrett asked. "I'll get you a bowl of cereal."
"Mrs. Garrett, can she use a spoon?" Jo asked.
"The therapists have been working on it and they want her to use a spoon at least once a day." Mrs. Garrett said.
Mrs. G and Blair went into the kitchen. Mrs. G got Blair a bowl of cereal and gave her a spoon. It took Blair almost 45 minutes to finish it and most of the cereal was on the table, floor and Blair's pajamas. When Blair was finished Mrs. Garrett asked if she needed the wastebasket and Blair shook her head.
~*~
Jo was upstairs helping Blair get dressed as Mrs. G and Tad talked in the living room.
"What's going on this week?" Tad asked.
"The kid's don't have school on Friday." Mrs. G said. "And Saturday is Tootie's play."
"I have to leave on a business trip Friday night and won't be back until Sunday night." Tad said. "If you are all going to the play, we'll need two babysitters."
"Why two babysitters?" Mrs. G asked.
"One for the children and one for Blair." Tad said. "She needs constant supervision and I wouldn't want to make one teenager take care of four kids and a severely disabled person."
"OK" Mrs. G said. "I'll call one of the girls that used to watch Kelsey while I was away and ask them if they could baby-sit with a friend."