A Series of Unfortunate Events

Chapter 24

Andy carried Sharon to the SUV and got her settled in the back seat. For a few minutes while they waited for Provenza, he just held her and they cried together. The tears were a catharsis for the both of them. They were tears of grief for the time they'd lost together. For even though it was brief it was a terrible time for them both. Andy cried tears of relief that Sharon was not dead but alive and if not well, at least in one piece. Sharon's tears of relief were of no longer being in the psych ward and in constant danger of Cora's cruelty and wrath, but mostly for finally being in the arms of the man she would love for the rest of her life.

They both knew it wasn't the end of their trial. Sharon was already starting to feel the effects of withdrawal from the medications she had been given. Colleen had mentioned that she could experience nausea, headaches, visual hallucinations, and several other withdrawal symptoms she didn't want to think about. As their tears mingled together they kissed needing the closeness. The kisses were not as passionate as they were from a need to connect with each other. It had only been the better part of three days but it felt like a lifetime.

After getting supplies from the head nurse in the emergency room for Patrice to use for Sharon, Provenza got in the car and programmed the GPS the address for the Three Palms B&B. The shortest route was forty-five minutes. "Okay, you two, seat belts and please, no more PDA. I've had all I can stomach for one day."

Sharon and Andy quickly pulled apart, guiltily. "Sorry Louie, we didn't realize you came back already," Andy said. Sharon looked at him sharply. Normally Andy would have come back with a snarky comment. She noted a softness to Provenza that hadn't been there before always seemed to irritate each other when they were together.

"Well, I can certainly understand why, considering everything that has happened, but I'm here now, so knock it off. Now that she's back, alive, like I said she would be by the way, you'll have plenty of time for hanky-panky in the privacy of your own bedroom." When Sharon raised an eyebrow at him, he raised one back at her. With that Provenza started to drive away from the Desert Hot Springs Medical Center. Sharon never looked back. She laid her head on Andy's leg, and closed her eyes.

Andy texted Rusty that they would be arriving soon about forty minutes into the drive. Rusty mentioned it to Grace and she made sure no one was outside but the immediate family. Meaning, Sharon's parents, children, and Grace who had brought a transport wheelchair outside for their use. Once that had been done she slipped away so the family could have their reunion. Andy helped Sharon out of the car but as he about to lift her she put her hand on his chest, bent over and promptly started making sounds like she was throwing up. It was a case of the dry heaves since she had nothing in her stomach to bring up. When she was finished she leaned against him sweaty and shaky. "Are you okay now?" Andy asked with concern.

Sharon took a couple short breaths. "I'll be fine, but I'm so nauseous. I guess it was the meds, and being in the back seat didn't help. Neither did having an empty stomach."

"We'll take care of that soon, with some soup. Can I pick you up now?" She nodded in answer to the query about picking her up. Andy lifted her and came around the car. He started towards the door and saw the wheelchair. Andy whispered to her about the chair as he tried to put Sharon in it but she clung to him for dear life.

The medications that Cora's goons had used to sedate her, the Midazolam was starting to cause her to have hallucinations or actually , having them stopped cold turkey was causing them . The chair looked to her like a devouring beast. Her reasoning mind knew it wasn't possible but it didn't help her reaction to it ! No! Hold me please, Andy. Don't let him get me!" she cried out involuntarily.

"What is it, Honey? What do you see?" Andy asked confused, looking around for a visible threat. Seeing none he realized she was having a hallucination and wondered what she had seen that had frightened her so badly.

Sharon realized that she was the only one that saw what she had just seen, which had been a great big alligator poised to strike. Trying to explain that seemed too much trouble right at that moment. "Nothing just… just take me inside, please." she pleaded quietly.

The family group was too far away to hear this exchange but seeing their mother/daughter so uncharacteristically clingy caused all three kids and their grandparents to raise their eyebrows in consternation. Tears came to their eyes. Even Provenza who had heard, had tears in his eyes, as they all realized how bad things must've been the last three days. They knew without being told it was going to be a difficult time for Sharon Raydor as she dealt with the aftermath of her ordeal. Her parents were glad they could be there to help, but were becoming increasingly aware that Sharon may not want them there to see her in this state. The kids, well Emily and Ricky anyway did not seem to be at all aware that their mother might not want them there. Their mom had always put on a strong front for them no matter what was going on in her life. Seeing her clinging to Andy for dear life, was something that their grandparents could tell was affecting them strongly. Of course, this was why Sharon's choice would have been to keep them away until she was more like herself, but there had been no stopping them once they made up their minds that they were coming.

Once it had been had established that Sharon was alive and coming back to the B&B. Rusty was told he could call Emily and Ricky to let them know what had happened, and that she was alive. As soon as they heard what had happened, they had booked flights from Palo Alto and New York. They in turn had let their grandparents know and Emily had booked a flight with a layover in Utah to pick them up. They all had arrived just about two hours ago, and had settled into the suite that Grace had moved the Flynn's to, across the house from the one they'd been in when Gary had made his appearance. It was a great deal bigger. With three bedrooms, several pullouts, and air mattresses making it possible to sleep twelve comfortably.

Sharon continued to hide her face in Andy's chest and neck as she clung to his shirt. Andy was worried about her; this behavior was completely unlike her. As he carried her towards the door of the B&B he started to notice the people standing there mutely watching them. Andy's face took on an impassive mask, to hide his surprise and dismay at seeing practically everybody in Sharon's immediate family had shown up. His eyes found Rusty's and his eyebrows shot up. Rusty shrugged and looked away. When he had called his brother and sister he had tried desperately to convince them to wait a few days before they came, but neither one would budge on their decision to rush there to be with their mother. "She's our mother and we want, no we need to see her Rusty!" they had both said.

"Sharon, Honey look who's here," Andy said, resigned. She turned her face a little and saw her parents, Emily, Ricky, and Rusty who was holding the baby asleep in his arms. She gave them all a weak and tremulous smile then buried her face in his neck again. She was not up to this and she wished they hadn't come. She felt guilty for feeling that, they were her parents and her children after all, but she needed time. Time to assimilate back to real life, time to start to feel herself again. How was she going to do that if she was surrounded by people? Albeit well meaning, loving family people.

Sharon's parents were not surprised by her less than enthusiastic response. They knew her well, being her parents. They had known she would need some time to get through this experience, but they had let Emily talk them into coming. They suspected Emily needed them for moral support more than anything and let's face it they were in their eighties. Eileen was eighty-five and Richard was eighty-eight. They hadn't seen much of their daughter since she had gotten the new job. The last time they'd seen her was a trip she'd made to Utah for the holidays the third year she'd had Rusty. Emily and Ricky had not been able to make it that year. The trip had lasted for two weeks not too long after the escape of Philip Stroh from jail. It was as much an attempt to stay away from LA and keep Rusty safe as it was to see her parents.

They had enjoyed getting to know their new grandson, but Sharon had been ill at ease, jumping at every sound and waking up several times a night with nightmares. After the first few days she had finally relaxed and enjoyed the trip once she realized that Philip would not find them there. It also helped that Andy had texted her about sightings of Stroh way over in Europe and then showed up on her parent's door step with a duffel bag in his hand. He had been invited by her parents, with Rusty's help of course. They thought that their daughter might feel better if he was there. She had been surprised and secretly pleased by his presence. He had told her Taylor had sent him to help protect the witness, and the assistant chief had done that after Andy had presented the idea to him at the request of her parents.

The O'Dwyers knew showing up here was a selfish act on their part but they were old and who knew if or when they'd see her again. Of course, there was the wedding, but it wasn't a given they'd be around then. It was another ninety days before that event. When you hit your eighties, each day that you wake up is a surprise. "Sharon, Honey, we're not going to apologize for showing up unannounced. We're your parents and we're old. We needed to see you. You could have died and in fact it's my understanding that for a time Rusty and Andy thought you had. We needed to see you, to make sure you were alive and in one piece. It's okay, you're not enthused about us being here and we probably should have waited. Except when your child goes through something traumatic and life threatening, no matter how old they are or how old you are, you want to be there for them," said Eileen Jane O'Dwyer.

Richard stroked his daughter's messy hair. It had come out of the French braid when she fell and then more of it had come out when she had grappled with Cora. "We'll try to give you some space, Honey and help care for our new granddaughter, but please don't be mad at us for needing to see you."

Sharon pressed her lips together and sighed. She hadn't meant to make her parents or her children feel unwanted by her. She hugged each of them from Andy's arms, "Mama, Daddy, I'm not mad. In fact, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to see you. It's been so long since we've seen each other in person and I needed to see you too. It's just that I've been shot full of drugs for the last three days and I don't know how my body will react to coming down from them cold turkey. It's most likely not going to be pretty and I don't want you to have to witness that."

"Sharon, we're your parents! We're family! The wonderful thing about family is that they love each other no matter what. You need to heal from this experience and we can help. So, let us help you!" Her father said sternly but also caringly.

Andy now knew where Sharon got her commanding tone from. He looked from Mr. O'Dwyer to her again as they all waited to see her reaction. She listened, paused, then turned to look at her father. Neither backing down until she resolved that she had no choice and finally nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly and simply. Sharon then buried her face in Andy's neck again and whispered, "let's go in."

TBC...

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