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*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lizzie's throat seemed to collapse upon itself; a sound couldn't escape her throat. She threw herself forward, shoving past the by standers. With a break in the crowd, Lizzie saw the horrific scene, her small daughter laying only inches away from the looming bumper of the car.
"Tori!" she screamed, flinging herself forward. Tears of anguish streamed down her face.
The asphalt dug into her knees as her fingers gently grazed her daughter's hair. She knew better than to move her. Any number of things could be wrong and moving her could do unspeakable damage.
Behind her, she was vaguely aware of Gordo demanding a cellular phone, then making the call. But the focus of her attention remained on her sweet daughter laying on the pavement. Never in her life had Lizzie felt so unbelievably hopeless, never had she felt at such a loss as to what to do. ***
Lizzie stared blankly at the stark white walls, her heart still pounding in her chest. Each passing second was unbelievably agonizing. Her mind was unable to tell if she'd been there for years or only mere minutes.
"Lizzie," the soft whisper of Gordo's voice called. His hand gently placed on each of her shoulders.
She turned sharply on her heels and shoved him against the wall. "Don't touch me," she snapped.
Gordo's face fell as he stepped away from her and lowered himself into a chair.
The waiting room door swung open, the familiar figure of the raven haired girl rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Have you heard anything?" Miranda asked.
"How is she?" The soft voice of Matt called as he joined Miranda's side, patting his sister gently on the back.
Before Lizzie could answer, the door swung open once again, this time a doctor in green scrubs stepped forward.
The pounding in Lizzie's heart drowned out most of the doctor's words besides the fact that she could see her daughter in moments.
Miranda released her grip and Lizzie followed the doctor. Down the sterile hallways, down the corridors that so often only saw pain and misery. She forced these thoughts out of her mind as she turned the corner into the small room.
Tears immediately welled up in her eyes but she bit down fiercely upon her lips. She would not cry, not now, not tonight. She stepped forward, her heart thumping against her chest. Slowly she reached out and tenderly brushed aside the wisp of hair from the child's beautiful face, marred with bruises.
Lizzie's eyes gazed over her daughter's bandaged face, the cuts hidden beneath dressings, her frail body starkly against the white bed sheets.
The first forbidden tears slipped down her cheeks as she bent to kiss the lifeless little hand. She heard the door open. She wiped at her eyes and turned quickly around, facing her brother. As she struggled to fight back the tears, she took a deep breath and shook her head. "In only a matter of seconds...it all happened so fast..."
"She's going to be all right, Lizzie. Look to that, not to what happened, or what could have happened," Matt stated softly. "Be happy that you still have her." ***
"Look," the small girl called cheerfully from the bed. She held up a crayon drawing, showcasing the small girl with and taller figure. Lizzie smiled, as she took the portrait from her daughter and hung it up with several of the others adorning the walls.
"It's so pretty," Lizzie grinned, handing the girl a new piece of paper.
The door to the room opened as a nurse entered with a checklist. "More pictures, Miss Tori?" she grinned, taking the child's temperature.
Tori grinned as she selected a new crayon.
The nurse continued through with her checkup. "I bet you're excited to go home. After three weeks inside the hospital, I bet you can't wait to go home."
Lizzie sighed as she slowly shook her head. "Three weeks," she echoed. Almost every day for three weeks, she stayed at the hospital, never leaving the girl alone. Miranda and Matt had faithfully alternated, Gordo staying with one of the others, being that Lizzie refused to stay with him. She had not talked to him since the day of the accident.
Upon her request for a leave from work, Danny had discovered what had happened and have made frequent visits to the room. Many times he brought flowers or balloons.
A soft knock on the door drawled their attention forward. Around the corner, Danny smiled, a soft brown bear tucked under his arm. "Is there a little girl in here who would like to give a home to a lonely old teddy bear?"
Tori suddenly climbed up onto the bed, a large grin spreading across her face. "Me! Me! Me!"
Lizzie stood quickly beside the bed, her hand gently upon the girl's arm. "Tori, honey, please sit down."
Danny quickly handed over the bear. "Now, you better sit down quickly."
With a grin, Tori plunked down on the bed, the bear clasped tightly within her grasp. "I a big girl, Mommy," Tori announced proudly.
Lizzie gently pulled the child onto her lap. "Yes you are," she hugged her tightly. "Almost three years old."
"Go home now?" Tori pointedly asked the nurse.
"Your doctor is going to have to see you one more time, sweetie," the nurse smiled. "But I'll com e see you before you go." The nurse started towards a door.
Lizzie smiled broadly as she wrapped her arms around her daughter planting a gently kiss on her small cheek. "I'm so ready to have you home again."
Tori gently ran a hand through her mother's hair and tilted her cherubic face to the side. "Mommy, where Gordo?"
Lizzie glanced uneasily around the room, gently sitting Tori back onto the bed. She licked her lips and took a deep breath. "Tori, we have to talk."
Lizzie's throat seemed to collapse upon itself; a sound couldn't escape her throat. She threw herself forward, shoving past the by standers. With a break in the crowd, Lizzie saw the horrific scene, her small daughter laying only inches away from the looming bumper of the car.
"Tori!" she screamed, flinging herself forward. Tears of anguish streamed down her face.
The asphalt dug into her knees as her fingers gently grazed her daughter's hair. She knew better than to move her. Any number of things could be wrong and moving her could do unspeakable damage.
Behind her, she was vaguely aware of Gordo demanding a cellular phone, then making the call. But the focus of her attention remained on her sweet daughter laying on the pavement. Never in her life had Lizzie felt so unbelievably hopeless, never had she felt at such a loss as to what to do. ***
Lizzie stared blankly at the stark white walls, her heart still pounding in her chest. Each passing second was unbelievably agonizing. Her mind was unable to tell if she'd been there for years or only mere minutes.
"Lizzie," the soft whisper of Gordo's voice called. His hand gently placed on each of her shoulders.
She turned sharply on her heels and shoved him against the wall. "Don't touch me," she snapped.
Gordo's face fell as he stepped away from her and lowered himself into a chair.
The waiting room door swung open, the familiar figure of the raven haired girl rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Have you heard anything?" Miranda asked.
"How is she?" The soft voice of Matt called as he joined Miranda's side, patting his sister gently on the back.
Before Lizzie could answer, the door swung open once again, this time a doctor in green scrubs stepped forward.
The pounding in Lizzie's heart drowned out most of the doctor's words besides the fact that she could see her daughter in moments.
Miranda released her grip and Lizzie followed the doctor. Down the sterile hallways, down the corridors that so often only saw pain and misery. She forced these thoughts out of her mind as she turned the corner into the small room.
Tears immediately welled up in her eyes but she bit down fiercely upon her lips. She would not cry, not now, not tonight. She stepped forward, her heart thumping against her chest. Slowly she reached out and tenderly brushed aside the wisp of hair from the child's beautiful face, marred with bruises.
Lizzie's eyes gazed over her daughter's bandaged face, the cuts hidden beneath dressings, her frail body starkly against the white bed sheets.
The first forbidden tears slipped down her cheeks as she bent to kiss the lifeless little hand. She heard the door open. She wiped at her eyes and turned quickly around, facing her brother. As she struggled to fight back the tears, she took a deep breath and shook her head. "In only a matter of seconds...it all happened so fast..."
"She's going to be all right, Lizzie. Look to that, not to what happened, or what could have happened," Matt stated softly. "Be happy that you still have her." ***
"Look," the small girl called cheerfully from the bed. She held up a crayon drawing, showcasing the small girl with and taller figure. Lizzie smiled, as she took the portrait from her daughter and hung it up with several of the others adorning the walls.
"It's so pretty," Lizzie grinned, handing the girl a new piece of paper.
The door to the room opened as a nurse entered with a checklist. "More pictures, Miss Tori?" she grinned, taking the child's temperature.
Tori grinned as she selected a new crayon.
The nurse continued through with her checkup. "I bet you're excited to go home. After three weeks inside the hospital, I bet you can't wait to go home."
Lizzie sighed as she slowly shook her head. "Three weeks," she echoed. Almost every day for three weeks, she stayed at the hospital, never leaving the girl alone. Miranda and Matt had faithfully alternated, Gordo staying with one of the others, being that Lizzie refused to stay with him. She had not talked to him since the day of the accident.
Upon her request for a leave from work, Danny had discovered what had happened and have made frequent visits to the room. Many times he brought flowers or balloons.
A soft knock on the door drawled their attention forward. Around the corner, Danny smiled, a soft brown bear tucked under his arm. "Is there a little girl in here who would like to give a home to a lonely old teddy bear?"
Tori suddenly climbed up onto the bed, a large grin spreading across her face. "Me! Me! Me!"
Lizzie stood quickly beside the bed, her hand gently upon the girl's arm. "Tori, honey, please sit down."
Danny quickly handed over the bear. "Now, you better sit down quickly."
With a grin, Tori plunked down on the bed, the bear clasped tightly within her grasp. "I a big girl, Mommy," Tori announced proudly.
Lizzie gently pulled the child onto her lap. "Yes you are," she hugged her tightly. "Almost three years old."
"Go home now?" Tori pointedly asked the nurse.
"Your doctor is going to have to see you one more time, sweetie," the nurse smiled. "But I'll com e see you before you go." The nurse started towards a door.
Lizzie smiled broadly as she wrapped her arms around her daughter planting a gently kiss on her small cheek. "I'm so ready to have you home again."
Tori gently ran a hand through her mother's hair and tilted her cherubic face to the side. "Mommy, where Gordo?"
Lizzie glanced uneasily around the room, gently sitting Tori back onto the bed. She licked her lips and took a deep breath. "Tori, we have to talk."