Chapter 24: "I don't need you crowdin' up my space"

The next day Summer waited impatiently to pick up her daughter from school. She had missed her so much the night before. It took her cigarette to keep her calm. She had picked up the habit on her time away. She had stopped for the most part, unless she was under a lot of stress. Summer tossed the butt aside when she saw her daughter approaching.

"MOM!" Ella said running over to her. She practically knocked her over when she jumped on her.

"Hey baby!" Summer said as she kissed her on her forehead. "I missed you." She said.

"I missed you too." Ella said still not letting go of Summer. "Are we going to get banana splits and then go visit daddy and see a movie?" Ella said looking at her mother hopefully.

"I'm not sure that we have time for all of that sweetie. You have to be back with Nana and Pop-Pop at five." Summer explained.

"I'm not gonna go." Ella said "I'm gonna stay with you!" She said

"Ella but you have to-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Ella said cutting her off stomping her foot angrily. "I WON'T GO!"

Summer could see it all clearly then. Ella was more affected by Seths condition then they all thought. She got so used to one thing and then got it ripped away from her again… She was angry, more angry than a six year old should ever be.

"Alright Bam." Summer said holding her. "It's okay." She said as she cradled the now sobbing girl.

Summer led Ella into the hospital room where Seth was staying.

"Are you ready baby?" She asked before she opened the door

"Uh huh." She said

"Remember he can't talk. It's just like he's sleeping. You have to be very careful with him baby. Alright?"

"Yeah." Ella said as the two entered.

Ella stood and took in the sight of her father before she approached him.

"Hi Daddy." She said climbing on the bed. She twisted her hands in his hair. "I miss you." Ella frowned

"What is it Bam?"

"He always told me that I wasn't supposed to talk to him when he's asleep because he needs his rest." Ella said looking over to her mother.

"When people are in a coma it's a little different." Summer said as she scooted her chair closer to Seth bed, taking his hand in hers.

"Can he hear me?" Ella asked whispering.

"Yes he can. He likes to hear you talk." Summer said

Bam looked down at her father for a second and then kissed him lightly on his forehead.

"I love you daddy." She said.

Right then Summer felt Seth squeeze her hand. It was light, but he definitely squeezed it!

"Oh my god…" Summer whispered. "Um, Ella, stay right there, I'll be right back."

Summer rushed out into the hallway, trying not to scream from excitement. She quickly found a nurse.

"Um, excuse me. A friend of mine is in a coma, and I think that he is starting to wake up. He squeezed my hand!"

"Alright, what room is he is?"

"um, 226." She said bouncing nervously from foot to foot.

The nurse and Summer returned to see Ella on the bed telling Seth about her day in school.

"Come here baby." Summer said to Ella. She climbed off of the bed and into her mothers arms as the Nurse checked Seth's vital signs. She then turned to Summer and Ella smiling.

"It seems that he is coming out of his coma."

Wide smiles spread across Ella and Summers faces.

"Now it is up to the doctor whether or they can come out fully. I can call you tonight and let you know any news, but right now the doctor should probably see him." The nurse said

"Alright." Summer said nodding. "The doctors going to check out Daddy Bam, but we can come back and visit tomorrow."

"Okay." Ella said, putting a picture that she had drawn that day in school next to her bed.

"Bye daddy. I love you." She said kissing the top of his curly head.

Summer smiled at her daughter as she carried her out from the hospital. When they got in the car the radio came on, it was on full blast. Summer glanced at the clock when she turned it down… it was 5:15. She was supposed to have returned Ella to the Cohens.

"Where are we going now?" Ella asked from the backseat smiling.

"I have to go drop you back off with Nana and Pop-Pop." Summer said driving trying not to meet her daughters eye.

"Why do you hate me?" Ella asked

"What honey? I don't hate you, I love you." Summer said

"Then why don't you want me with you?" She asked

"I do. I could just get into a lot of trouble if I don't drop you back off." She tried to explain as they pulled up to the house.

Summer opened the door expecting Ella to climb out.

"Come on Bam, we've gotta go."

"NO! I don't wanna!" Ella screamed, Summer covered her ears. That girl had a set of ear drums like no-one else

"Come on El. The really is not funny. I have to take you inside!" Summer insisted.

Right then Ella looked her mother dead in the eye.

"You do hate me." She said as she climbed past Summer out of the car and up the walk to the Cohen Mansion.

Kirsten and Sandy were waiting for them when they got there.

"Where have you been? We were worried sick." Sandy said trying to pick up Ella, but she ran to her room.

"I took her to see Seth." Summer said.

"You did what?" Kirsten said becoming angry

"I took my daughter to see her father!" Summer said a little louder

"Summer, the LAST thing that Ella needs right now is to see her father in a hospital bed." Kirsten said

"She needed to know that he was okay." Summer said

"But he's not." Sandy said

"I saw him, he moved, he squeezed my hand."

"That's nonsense." Kirsten said

"Has Ella had her dinner?" Sandy asked

"No not yet-" Summer said before she was cut off

"I think that you should go." Kirsten said

"I want to at least say goodbye to Ella." Summer said

"I think that you have upset her greatly right now Summer." Sandy said

"What!" Summer said

"Did you see how upset she was when she came in here?" Sandy said

"Yeah, because she didn't want to come here! She wants to stay with me!" Summer yelled. "And you know what? I want her too! You don't even know how much I love her and how much it hurts me when she thinks that I hate her. I love my daughter more than anything and I am going to prove it to you." She said as she stormed out of the house.

Little did any of them know that she heard the entire thing… or for that matter she had slipped into the backseat of Summers car where she could not be seen.

Summer was crying hysterically when she started her car and drove back to her house, alone. Or so she thought.