CHAPTER 12
"Daddy," Christy called shaking T.C. in an attempt to wake him. He came awake finally, after a few more tries.
"Daddy you have to drop me to school remember?" she asked.
"I'm sorry. I kinda overslept. Go on down and get something to eat. I'll be down in a sec."
"Okay. Don't go back to sleep."
"I won't."
It was a couple of days later T.C. had come in just a couple of hours earlier from the hospital. Monica; thankfully had stayed with Christy.
The baby was doing fine and had made great progress. Chris; on the other hand had gotten much worse. Her chances of survival were even slimmer now. She was still unconscious and her heart rate had dropped gradually.
Apart from all that T.C. had gone to the hospital dutifully every day to see her and those sleepless nights were now taking a toll on him.
"Can I go see Mom today?" Christy asked as she sat on a counter top. T.C. hadn't taken her to see Chris or the baby yet and not a day went by that she didn't ask to go.
"You have school today remember?"
"Can I go Saturday then?"
"I don't know yet. When Saturday comes I'll see."
"No you won't. You said that same thing yesterday about today," she said raising her voice.
"Watch that tone of voice young lady," he warned.
"Why won't you take me to see her?" she asked getting down from the counter top. "Is she that bad?" she yelled again.
"Go get your back pack. You'll be late for school," T.C. said avoiding her question.
"I'm not liking you very much right now," she said stomping up the stairs.
A while later he heard a door slam and when he went up a couple of minutes later because she hadn't come down, he found her door locked. It was a long while before she finally came down and when T.C. saw her he knew she had been crying.
She was going to be late for school after all.
"How are they doing?" Cory asked when T.C. came home that evening. She had picked Christy up from school and had been at home with her since.
"The baby is fine. She came off the ventilator today. She held onto my thumb with all her
little fingers and stared at me with those piercing blue eyes; identical to Chris'. And what
could I tell her? That her mom was hit by a drunk driver and might not make it. Chris has gotten worse Cory. The strong Chris we've known for years. She might not make it Cory," T.C. said.
"Is that true?" Christy asked coming down the stair case. "You said she was getting better Daddy and you lied!"
"Christy come on let me explain." T.C. tried to reason.
"No! You lied! I haven't seen her Daddy and now she's going to die." She raved on.
"Chris isn't going to die Christy," Cory said.
"I didn't ask you!" she yelled at Cory.
"Watch it Christy," T.C. warned.
"I hate you!" she yelled at T.C. before running up the stairs.
"Can I be excused?" Christy asked later that evening as she, Cory and T.C. sat the table eating spaghetti and meat sauce which Cory had whipped up. T.C had to threaten Christy to get her to come down to eat. He told her that she would be banned from watching t.v. if she didn't come down.
"No you can't," T.C. said not even looking up.
"Why not?"
"You haven't finished eating."
"I'm not hungry."
"Listen to me Christy, Cory make this food for us...."
"I didn't ask her to," Christy interjected.
"But she did anyway so now you're going to eat it," T.C. said sternly.
"I'm not going to school tomorrow," she stated about a minute after.
"Are you sick?" T.C. asked dropping down his fork.
"No but I will be if I eat this."
"Don't start that now please. I told you once already Cory took her evening to look after you and to cook for you...."
It's only spaghetti Dad. You don't have to be a cook to make it."
"I want you to apologise Christy that wasn't called for."
"No it's okay T.C.," Cory spoke up.
"Can I be excused?" She asked for a second time.
"Yes you can. Go on and get ready for bed. I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in."
"That's okay I can do it myself," she said racing up the stairs.
"And leave your door open," T.C. yelled after her.
A while later he heard a door slam.
T.C went up to check on her a while later after he and Cory had left.
When he opened the door to her room he found that she wasn't there. Wild thoughts started going through his head. He ran to the nursery next and found it empty too. He went to his room next and found her lying on Chris' side of the bed, holding two pictures. It was one Chris and her and one of a man with a slightly younger Christy, T.C. noticed when he sat next to her.
"Where's Cory?" she asked
"She went home."
"I killed him," she said softly a moment later, "He came back in to save me from the fire."
"So this is Marise?"
"Yea that's my Daddy. I mean.... Well my other dad. They took him to the hospital and I never got to see him and now he's gone."
T.C sighed.
"Do you hate me?" she asked
T.C. sighed once more and brought her to sit on his lap.
"You're getting so big. In a while you might not be able to sit on my lap anymore."
"Don't worry. Your new baby will be able to sit here."
He sighed again.
"Christy listen to me. You're my daughter and Chris is your mother and the baby, you're her big sister. Chris may not have given birth to you and though you've been with us for less than a year, we're a family in every way possible. Just because Chris got into that accident, it's not your fault. You're her daughter and she did what she thought was right," T.C. finished.
"Do you hate me, yes or no?"
"No Christy I don't hate you for being sick and having Chris come pick you up. If anything, I love you even more and I thank God you're alive," T.C. answered kissing the top of her head.
"Are you gonna marry Cory?" she asked looking up at him.
"What?" he asked chuckling.
"If mom dies will you marry her?"
"Chris is one of the strongest people I know. She doesn't give up without a fight. I have a very good feeling that Chris is gonna be back home in no time. Cory and I, we are just really good friends we go way back, that's all. Okay?"
"Okay. I'm glad you're my dad," she said throwing her arms around his neck.
"I'm glad too sweetheart," he said hugging her tightly.
"Morning," T.C. said as he walked into the kitchen next morning.
"Morning," she replied through spoons of cereal.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she said shortly, "I'm gonna get ready for school," she said leaving the table.
"Christy?" T.C. called as she reached the stairs.
"Yea?"
"How about we skip school - - just for today and go visit Chris and your sister?"
"Really?"
"He if you wanna go to school..."
"No, no I could stay home. Thanks Daddy," she said running to him and hugging him tightly, "Thank you so much."
They went to see the baby first and she was wide awake. The doctors were amazed at her progress and Christy was amazed at how tiny she was.
They went to see Chris after. Christy stood at the foot of the foot of the bed and T.C. had to give a push forward.
Christy sat at the edge of the bed and told Chris how sorry she was and that if she woke up she promised she would never be sick again. She was crying all through and T.C had to hold back tears himself. She leaned her head on Chris' chest trying her best to hug her. Just then there was a continuous beep and when T.C. looked up at the heart monitor the line was becoming straight. He knew this wasn't good.
Doctors stormed in a couple of seconds later and before they knew it, T.C. and a confused Christy were outside the room. This was the worst thing T.C. could imagine happening.
2 days later.
Chris was still alive......thankfully. T.C. as always was by her bedside. His head was at the edge of the bed and he had fallen to sleep only moments before. He came awake, feeling a hand rest on his head.
"Chris?" he called taking her hand in his, "Sweetheart?" he said as her eyes fluttered open. "You're back," he said kissing her hand , smiling from ear to ear.
"Christy..." she started to say slowly.
"She's fine."
She then placed her hand on her now flattened stomach.
"The baby?" she asked alarmed, "Where's the baby. Is it....?" She asked unable to finish.
"She's fine Chris and she's so entirely beautiful."
"We have a daughter," she smiled weakly. "I wanna see them. Christy and the baby. Can you bring my babies to see me?"
Chris insisted on getting out of the hospital bed before Christy arrived. And she did just that. Although she was in pain and still very weak, with help from the nurses she got into a wheelchair and tried her best to be strong for Christy.
"Hi sweetheart," Chris said to Christy when they had arrived.
"Hi," she answered standing a considerably good distance away from her.
"Well are you gonna just stand there or come and give me a hug?"
She ran to her then and threw her arms around Chris, burying her face in Chris' neck.
"I missed you so much," Chris told her hugging her back, "Mmmm and you smell so good too."
"It's all my fault that you crashed."
"Oh no sweetheart," Chris began trying to reassure her. "It's that driver's fault. Not yours okay. You were sick and I did what any mother would have done. So I don't want you blaming yourself okay?"
"Okay," she said against Chris' neck.
I'm so glad you're okay. I don't know what I would do if I lost you or someone took you away from me."
"Would you get me back if someone took me away?"
"You bet I would. I won't stop 'till I do. K?"
"Okay."
"I love you so, so very much. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't"
Just then Cory, Monica, Russell, Jaime and Bobby walked in. There was an exchange of a couple of "How are yous" and "Glad you're okays." Before a nurse came in with the baby and placed her in Chris' arms.
"You know what this baby really needs?" she asked
"What?" everyone said together.
"A name. Any suggestions?" she asked
"How about...." And everyone gave their own name and started to laugh.
"How about Destiny?" T.C. suggested. "She never gave up so I think she's destined to be here."
"Yea. I like that."
"How about Faith for a middle name?" Cory suggested.
"Destiny Faith Kelly-Callaway. Like it?" T.C. asked Chris.
"I actually do." She answered.
