Daughter of the Deadman III
Chapter 8: Coming Back
Angel sighed as she watched her family and friends. Not only was she watching them, but she could hear them too. Down there, five months had already gone by, but in the In-Between it was like she had just arrived there. Bethany and Leanna had been with her the whole time. She didn't mind watching everything, but it was hard to watch what it was doing to everyone. Kristy was right. Every time something happened to her, everyone else seemed to crumble and fall apart.
"Mom...Grandma...what is it about me? Every time something happens to me, the others fall apart." Angel said.
"Because they can't stand the thought of you being hurt, Angel Baby." Beth said.
"Well, I don't like it! I hate doing this to them." Angel said.
"It wasn't you that did this, sweetheart." Leanna reminded her.
"I know, but it feels like it was me." Angel said.
"Angel Baby, no one knew this would happen. It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Beth said.
"I know, Mom." Angel said.
"But you still feel bad because of what it's doing to everyone else." Leanna said.
"Especially Daddy, Lea, Wyatt and Kristy. They're taking it really hard. I mean, Lea and Wyatt have been having constant nightmares, Kristy broke her hearing aids and could care less if she ever hears another sound...and Daddy is...trying to put on a brave face, but it's not working so well..." Angel said.
"I know, Angel Baby." Beth said.
"Mark's always been that way. He always tries to put on a brave face, no matter how tough things get for him. It's the way he is, sweetheart." Leanna said.
"I know..." Angel said.
"What else is on your mind, Angel Baby?" Beth said.
"I wish I didn't always have to hurt them." Angel said.
"Angel Baby, what are you talking about? It's not because of you that they get hurt sometimes." Beth said.
"No, but they're hurting because I'm hurt!" Angel said.
"Sweetheart, it's because they love you. If they didn't love you, they wouldn't be hurting." Leanna said.
"What about David and the others? They left me." Angel said.
"They had to get away for a bit. It's hard for them to see you like that all the time. Think about it, time passes differently there. It's been five months down there and nothing has changed." Beth said.
"Well...when you put it like that...I guess I can see why they left..." Angel said.
"Honestly, I'm surprised that Kristy hasn't left yet. That girl is stronger than I thought she was." Leanna said.
"Seeing me that first time was really hard for her, but once she did that I think she felt better. But I would have understood if she didn't come to visit me at all." Angel said.
"She never would have been able to go all this time without seeing you." Leanna said.
"She'd have broken sooner or later, Angel Baby." Beth said.
"Mom...if I wake up...do you know what I'm going to be like?" Angel said.
"What do you mean?" Beth said.
"Will...I still be me?" Angel asked.
"I can't tell you that, Angel Baby. Every person is different, so it all depends on you." Beth said.
Angel nodded. She looked down to where she could see everything. She saw Lea come running in with her backpack on. Adam and Wyatt came in behind her. Angel guessed that the two of them had gone to get Lea from school since Taker didn't want to leave unless he had to. Angel watched broken hearted as Lea's hopeful expression disappeared and she burst into tears. Angel sighed. This was something that had been happening ever since the doctors had taken the bandages off her eyes. Lea ran to Taker and hugged him.
"That poor girl..." Leanna said.
"She's been doing that since they took the bandages off my eyes..." Angel said.
"She thinks that someday she'll come in and your eyes will open." Beth said.
"She's not the only one. Wyatt thinks that too." Angel said quietly.
"They don't really understand, sweetheart. They just know that you're hurt and you've been in a really deep sleep for a long time." Leanna said.
"My little Warrior thinks you're sleeping beauty." Beth said.
"Mom...how come you call him that?" Angel asked, curiously.
"That's what his name means. Little Warrior. I always liked the name Wyatt for a boy." Beth said with a smile.
"Oh...I wonder what he thinks right now...I mean...David kissed me before he left and nothing happened." Angel said.
"Angel, how do you know about that?" Leanna asked.
"Because I felt it. I'm essentially in two places at once. My body is there...but my spirit isn't. And it's really strange, but sometimes I can hear and feel things that happen. I know that seems odd..." Angel said.
"Not really, Angel Baby. And Wyatt is convinced that David is not your Prince Charming." Beth said.
Angel giggled. She would have to fix that when she woke up that was for sure. She was standing there, watching what was happening, when suddenly, things seemed to get dark around her. She looked around, evidently scared.
"Mom...Grandma...what's going on? Is something happening to my...body? Why is it so dark all of a sudden?" Angel asked.
"It's getting time for you to wake up, Angel Baby." Beth said.
"But...I just got here!" Angel said.
"You've been here for five months, Angel." Leanna reminded her.
"Oh...right...the time is different here..." Angel whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"Hey, don't do that, sweetheart." Leanna said.
"But...I don't want to go yet..." Angel said, bursting into tears.
"You're still needed, Angel Baby. Kristy, Lea, Wyatt, and your father need you." Beth said, wiping her tears away.
"But...you both need me too." Angel sobbed, flinging her arms around her Mom's neck.
"Angel Baby, your Grandma and I are always around you. You know that. Trust us, OK?" Beth said.
"But...I want to stay with you." Angel sobbed.
"I know, Angel Baby, but you have to go back." Beth said.
"Everyone needs you, Angel. They would be so very broken hearted if you didn't go back." Leanna said.
"But...what about you two? Won't you be lonely?" Angel asked.
"We'll be alright here, Angel Baby and if you need us, you just have to call. Just like you do all the time." Beth said.
"Don't be scared, sweetheart. No matter what happens, everyone will be there for you." Leanna said.
Angel nodded. She let go of her Mom and flung her arms around her Grandmother. Somehow, she had known that Angel was afraid to wake up. She let go of her Grandmother and waited.
"Baby girl, can you hear me? It's Daddy." Taker's voice said.
"Is...he calling me back?" Angel asked.
"Yes. It's time for you to go, Angel Baby." Beth said.
Angel nodded. She closed her eyes.
Everyone had been sitting in the hospital room when Angel had squeezed Lea's hand, making the little girl scream out loud. This was immediately followed by her turning her face toward the sound of Lea's screaming. Taker stood up and took hold of Angel's other hand.
"Baby girl, can you hear me? It's Daddy." Taker said.
Angel turned her face toward him. Even though her eyes weren't opening, she seemed to be able to hear what they were saying. Adam sighed and walked over to Kristy. She still couldn't hear and hadn't bothered to even repair her hearing aids. She said she wouldn't until Angel woke up. He knelt down.
Hey, sweetheart. I think she's waking up. Adam signed.
Very funny. Leave me alone. Kristy signed.
"Taker, can you tell her what's going on? She'll believe you." Adam said with a sigh.
Taker nodded. He let go of Angel's hand. He walked over and knelt down in front of Kristy. He wasn't really surprised by her reaction, given that it had been five months and nothing had changed. Angel had even missed Christmas and Wyatt's birthday because of this.
Little Krissy, he's not joking. Angel really might be waking up. He signed.
You said that two days ago. Kristy signed back.
Taker sighed. He grabbed Kristy's hands and pulled her to her feet. He literally dragged her over to Angel's bedside. Kristy just glared at him angrily, wondering what he was doing. Wyatt was staring at his mother in shock. She had the exact opposite reaction that he had expected. He had expected her to be excited and happy.
Take hold of her hand and talk to her. Taker signed.
This isn't funny. Kristy signed.
Mommy, just do what Uncle Taker says. Wyatt signed.
He had picked up on sign language pretty fast. Lea and Sienna had worked together to teach it to him and it wasn't long before he was easily carrying on full conversations with his Mom. Kristy sighed as she looked at Wyatt. He was ready to cry. She glared at Taker one last time before doing what he said. She took her best friend's hand.
"Ang...they're...all saying...you're waking up..." Kristy said.
Just as she had done the first two times, Angel turned her head toward the sound of Kristy's voice. Not only that, but Angel squeezed her hand. It wasn't very strong, but Kristy felt it. Tears started rolling down her face.
Told you, Mommy. Wyatt signed with an Adam like grin on his face.
Watch it, young man. Kristy signed.
"Angel...if you can hear me...squeeze my hand." she said out loud.
Angel squeezed her hand in response. It was stronger this time. Kristy resisted the impulse to yell at her best friend to just open her eyes already. She knew that it may take some time for Angel to actually open her eyes since she was pretty sure all of Angel's strength was gone. She also resisted the urge to shake Angel awake.
What is it, Kristy? Taker asked.
I told her to squeeze my hand and she did. I'm trying as hard as I can not to yell at her or shake her awake. Kristy said.
She may not be able to yet. Taker signed.
I know. All her physical strength is gone. Kristy said.
"Aunt Angel, are you really there? Can you really hear us?" Wyatt asked.
Angel turned her face toward Wyatt now. Everyone watched as his face lit up like they hadn't seen in almost five months. He was beaming from ear to ear. Lea was even smiling even though she was crying too. Adam and Taker just watched, but both of them were smiling.
"How come all her strength is gone if she's been sleeping this whole time?" Wyatt asked.
"Because the accident weakened her, Bubby." Adam said.
"It did?" Wyatt asked.
"It's kind of hard to explain, Little Man." Taker said.
"OK." Wyatt said.
"Baby girl...I know that it might be hard for you, but can you try to open your eyes?" Taker asked.
Angel didn't move for a second. Then she let go of Kristy and started reaching out, trying to find her father's hand again. It took a minute for Taker to realize that she hadn't moved at first because there was no way for her to turn her head toward him because of where he was standing. Kristy moved aside and Taker took Angel's hand. Then all of sudden, Wyatt screamed. Everyone looked and saw Angel's eyelids fluttering. After a minute they stopped. Angel sighed as if she was telling them that she didn't have the strength needed.
"Come on, Angel. You can do it." Lea said.
"Please, Aunt Angel. Otherwise I'm going to tease Uncle David again about not being a real Prince." Wyatt said.
"Ang...don't do this to me...don't you...dare! You're...so close..." Kristy said.
"She means that, Angel." Adam said.
"Come on, baby girl. I know it's not easy, but keep trying. I know you're in there." Taker said.
Angel's eyelids began fluttering again and after a few tense minutes, her eyes opened for the first time in five months. Everyone waited to see if she would say something, but nothing happened. She just stared straight ahead. Taker left the room and went and got the doctor. He came back a few minutes later. He examined Angel quietly. First he asked her to squeeze his hand, which she did. Then he asked her to look at him, which she did even though she wasn't actually able to see him. They were sure that she had simply figured out where his voice was coming from and looked that way. When he asked her to speak, Angel shook her head.
"Doctor...?" Taker asked.
"This is just the beginning Mr. Calaway. Angel has a long road ahead of her. She's going to have to relearn a lot of things over again. Speaking, walking, feeding herself, that sort of thing. It's going to take a lot of work. This is just an idea, but putting her in an institution might be for the best." the doctor said, as Lea and Wyatt translated for Kristy so she would know what was being said.
Did he just say put Angel somewhere?! Has he lost his mind?! Uncle Taker, you're not putting Angel anywhere! Not as long as I'm standing! Kristy signed back, glaring at the doctor.
"Unless it's a rehabilitation hospital, my daughter is going nowhere near any sort of institution!" Taker growled.
"Mr. Calaway, a rehabilitation hospital would be of some help but not much. She's going to need a lot of looking after." the doctor said.
Listen, you bastard, if you open your mouth one more time about putting my best friend in some sort of nut house, I'll personally lock you in a Sharpshooter for so long that your children will feel it. Kristy signed to the doctor.
"In case you didn't understand that, my God Daughter just told you if you open your mouth one more time about my daughter in some sort of nut house, she'll lock you in a wrestling move for so long, your children will feel it! And believe me, you wouldn't want her doing that to you." Taker said with a chuckle.
"It would be in her best interest..." the doctor said.
"Any looking after that Angel needs, I can provide!" Taker growled.
"Mr. Calaway, looking after someone like her isn't easy." the doctor said
"What does that mean? What do you mean by "someone like her"? That's mean!" Wyatt snapped.
"Look, Doc, my girlfriend is deaf, but she understood that. She's very pissed off. So I suggest you say your peace and get out because I can't be held responsible for what she does when she loses her temper." Adam said.
"Alright, Mr. Calaway. We'll keep her here for as long as possible and then she'll go to a rehabilitation hospital and they'll do what they can with her. After that, you'll have to take care of her." the doctor said, sounding as though he didn't think Taker could handle it.
He walked out the door. Kristy growled under her breath. Adam and Taker looked just as angry as she felt. Wyatt looked confused and Lea was startled by what the doctor had said. They looked at Angel. She was shaking her head, trying to tell her father that she didn't want to go to an institution. She wanted to be with him.
"It's OK, Angel. No one is putting you anywhere as long as I'm standing here." Taker said, hugging her.
"She may not be able to speak, but she seems to have an understanding of what just happened." Adam said.
"I'm confused, Uncle Taker. What did he mean by "someone like her"? Was that a mean thing?" Wyatt asked.
"Yes, Little Man, it was. It's not something that you need to know, but I want you to understand that just because someone is different, doesn't mean you treat them that way." Taker said.
"I don't care if Aunt Angel is different! I still love her anyway and I'm glad she's still here! Who cares if she's a bit broken inside?!" Wyatt asked.
"None of us, Bubby." Adam said.
"I agree with Wyatt. I'm just happy that Angel is alive...and awake. I don't care if she's different then she used to be!" Lea said.
We're all happy she's still here with us. And I'm going to help Uncle Taker look after her if that means that Angel can stay with her family! Kristy signed.
"Adam, can you stay here? I need to go and call everyone else." Taker said.
"Sure." Adam said.
Taker left and made phone calls to Kane, David and the rest of the Harts. They were ecstatic and said that they would be down to see Angel as soon as possible. When Taker got back, everyone was sitting there, trying to get Angel to actually speak to them. It wasn't working so well and Taker could tell by the look on Angel's face that she was frustrated.
"You guys...don't. She's starting to get frustrated. Let her be." Taker said.
"But we want Angel to talk, Daddy." Lea said.
"She will, Little One, but let her do it all by herself." Taker said.
"But that could take a long time!" Wyatt said.
"I know, Wyatt, but we have to let Angel relearn these things at her own speed." Taker said.
It's not easy to learn something new again, baby. Kristy signed.
"Oh..." Wyatt said.
"Is everyone else coming, Daddy?" Lea asked.
"Bret, David, Owen and my brother are going to come back and see her. Along with Davey, Nattie and Tyson. I didn't tell them she was awake. I just said I had a surprise for them and that it was good." Taker said.
"Daddy!" Lea said.
"I didn't want them thinking she'd left after all." Taker said.
"Dada...?" Angel asked softly, looking right at Taker.
"What the...? Where did that come from?" Adam asked.
"Aunt Angel said Daddy." Wyatt said.
"Dada..." Angel repeated, a little louder this time.
"I'm here, baby girl." Taker said.
"I don't understand where that came from." Adam said.
"She's trying to see if Uncle Taker is around. Honestly, Adam, even though you cut your hair off, you're still a blond." Kristy said.
"Aunt Angel's talking! But it's only one word..." Wyatt said.
"Give her time, Little Man." Taker said.
"Kristy, did you have to make a blond joke?" Adam asked.
Hush. Be thankful I didn't call you Damon again. Kristy signed with a giggle.
"Angel, we know you can't talk, but do you understand where you are and why?" Taker asked.
Angel just stared at him for a second. Then she shook her head. She didn't remember what had happened or how she had got there or even where she was. Taker felt worried. The fact that Angel had no memory of what had happened scared him.
"She doesn't even know where she is?" Lea asked.
"Apparently not and that worries me." Taker said.
"Ang...you...were in a car accident. You're...in the hospital." Kristy said slowly.
"Mommy spoke." Wyatt said.
"She can speak, Bubby. It's just it's easier for her to sign." Adam said.
"But she can't sign to Aunt Angel because Aunt Angel can't see it." Taker said.
"Oh..." Wyatt said.
"Dada...bad...thing..." Angel whispered.
"That's right, baby girl. Something bad happened to you." Taker said.
"How did you get all that from three words, Uncle Taker?" Wyatt asked.
"It's hard to explain, Little Man." Taker said.
Wyatt nodded. Taker suggested that Angel try and rest because she still looked exhausted. She nodded. She felt tired too, she just didn't know how to tell them. It wasn't long before she dozed off to sleep. Lea and Wyatt were scared at first, but Taker reassured them that she would wake up again.
Several hours later, Angel was awake again. She seemed a lot better. The doctor had come back and checked on her several times and they were beginning to slowly take her off the ventilator. She still hadn't talked much other than saying "Dada" and a few other random words here and there. Suddenly, there was a stampede of feet outside the door. The next moment, Kane, Bret, Owen, Tyson, Nattie, David, and Davey all tried to push their way through the door. Angel was startled by the sudden noise. She hugged Taker and buried her face in his chest. None of the Harts noticed. They were all too busy trying to get into the room. Kristy smacked her forehead.
Can't you guys be a bit more quiet? Honestly, sometimes I wonder how it is that I'm related to you bozos! Kristy signed.
"You know, if you stopped trying to all get in here at once, you'd notice something different." Taker told them.
Everyone froze. Then they all stopped trying to force their way in. They all walked in one by one. That was when they noticed it. Angel was hugging her father, shaking out of fear. Taker just glared at them. Then he laughed at the fact that all of them looked completely shocked.
"When...did she wake up?" Bret asked.
Angel perked up and looked around. Taker smiled. He was sure that somewhere, she still remembered, even if she couldn't speak at the moment. Bret walked over and knelt down so he was at eye level with her.
"Hey, kiddo. You doing alright?"
"Dada...bad thing..." Angel told him.
"Huh?" Bret asked.
"She's trying to say "Daddy said something bad happened to me". She can't exactly speak right now. She says Dada and a few other little things here and there and she understands what we say to her." Taker explained to him.
"Oh, OK." Bret said.
"Angel, do you remember who that is, baby girl?" Taker asked.
Angel nodded. She knew that it was Bret and that he was her Godfather, she just couldn't say it. She looked at the spot where Bret's voice had come from. She looked sad as she stared at him.
"Know...but not say..." she told him.
"She knows who I am...but she can't figure out how say it?" Bret asked.
"You got it." Taker said.
One by one, everyone walked over so that they could see Angel. She hugged all of them. She still remembered who they were, but she couldn't say it. When David knelt down and hugged her, Angel had a different reaction. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.
"Angel?" David asked.
"She remembers, son. She just can't say it." Davey told him.
"Oh, sweetheart..." David said.
"Don't worry, David. We'll do our best to get Angel as close to normal as she was before." Taker said.
"I don't care what you do with her. She's alive. That's all that's important. And I know you can't say it back to me right now, sweetheart, but I love you very much." David said.
By the way, Kristy. Have you found anything out about Lexie? Owen signed.
Yeah...and none of it is good. Kristy signed.
Do I want to hear this? Taker signed.
Probably not, Uncle Taker. It would make that Nathan Jones guy look like he knows what he's doing. Kristy signed, making everyone laugh.
Alright, Kristy, jokes aside...what did you find out? Adam signed.
Well...between Aunt Beth's hit and run and now...she's been in a lot of accidents. Believe it or not, the reason she didn't get caught after what happened to Aunt Beth is because she took off. She left here, only coming back once a year to go to Aunt Beth's grave. Kristy signed.
Where did she take off to? Bret asked.
I don't know. I couldn't find anything about where. Kristy said.
But if she was involved in accidents... Taker signed.
I found out about those although it required hours of digging. One of them took out a whole family. A Mom, Dad, and twin girls. She...has a daughter too. The poor girl isn't that old either. She was born in 2009. But she was in an accident too. She's wheelchair bound now because of her mother. Kristy signed.
My God. Owen signed, looking disgusted.
And there was a young couple. She ran them down one night when they were walking back from a movie theatre. They were both killed. And the baby that the girl was carrying died too. Kristy signed, tearing up a little.
Oh...my...god. Taker signed.
Tell me we're going to go to the cops with this, so that we can get her. Bret signed.
Already done. I called an old friend. He's coming by today. I don't think Ang will remember him, but he remembers us very well. Kristy signed.
Huh? Who is it? Taker signed.
Alex's Uncle Chad. He used to be a cop back home, but after what happened he moved down here and now he works for the Houston PD. I didn't even know until I went to the Sheriff's Office with the information I had found. Kristy said.
Why is he coming by? Bret signed.
When he found out about Ang, he told the Sheriff that he was the only one touching this case. Kristy signed.
I'm guessing he's coming to talk to Taker about what happened that night. Owen signed.
Yeah. He needs all the information he can get about that night. Kristy signed.
That's all well and fine, but I still don't really remember much. And Angel can't tell him anything. Taker signed.
He'll understand, but he's not coming by just for that. He wants to see Ang and I. Kristy signed.
OK. Davey signed.
I'll talk to him. Lea signed.
Lea? Wyatt signed.
Daddy doesn't remember a lot and Angel can't even speak, so we don't even know how much memory she has left...but I was awake for most of it, so I can talk to him. Lea signed, looking determined.
LeLe, you're only seven, but sometimes you act like an adult. Kristy signed.
Lea beamed. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Angel jumped at the sudden noise. She let go of David and looked around, wide eyed. Taker put a hand on her shoulder, telling her that she was alright. It wasn't Chad, but Dean and Liam. They looked stunned to see Angel awake.
"Angel! How are you?" Liam asked.
"Are you alright?" Dean asked.
Taker sighed and explained Angel's condition to them. They were stunned at first and then it turned to anger. Dean punched the wall and Liam began yelling that if he ever got his hands on Lexie, she would be deader than a doornail. Angel started shaking and she hugged Taker tightly.
"Liam, stop it. You can't make any loud or sudden noises. It scares her. I understand that you're angry, but there's already a cop working on getting her thrown in jail. Not only for this, but for Bethany as well. Take it easy." Taker said.
"You should have heard what that mean doctor said when Angel woke up! He said Papa Taker should put Angel in an institution because she's going to need a lot of looking after and that looking after "someone like her" isn't going to be very easy." Wyatt said, anger creeping into his voice.
"And he made it sound like I'm not going to be able to handle it." Taker said.
"He what?! My Granddaughter is not going into one of those places!" Dean said.
Of course she's not, Grand...oops...sorry...I mean, Dean. Kristy signed.
"Kristy..." Dean said.
"That was weird. She slipped." Taker said.
"That's OK." Dean said with a smile.
"I can't believe that stupid Doctor. So...what are they going to do with her?" Liam asked.
"They're keeping her here for as long as they can. After that, she'll be going to a rehabilitation hospital and then she's coming home with me even if I have to fight tooth and nail!" Taker said.
"And I'm gonna help look after her." Lea said.
I will too if it means Ang stays where she belongs. Kristy signed.
Kristy, why did you slip and call Dean Grandpa? Owen signed.
It just happened. Kristy said.
"It's fine, you guys. Really." Dean said.
Just then, there was another knock at the door. This time, the person at the door was a police officer. He looked vaguely like Alex. He looked around and when he saw Kristy, he realized he was in the right place.
Hi, Kristy. He signed.
Hi, Chad. This is my Uncle Taker. And of course you remember Ang. Kristy signed.
Chad nodded. He walked over to the bed and knelt down so that he was looking at Angel. He said hi to her and she jumped. Then she buried her face in Taker's chest. She was upset by the stranger that was there.
"She must not remember." Taker said.
"Angel, I'm not going to hurt you." Chad said.
"Dada..." Angel whispered.
"Ang, it's alright. It's Uncle Chad. Remember him? He used to take you, Alex, and I to the movies and for pizza on Friday nights." Kristy said slowly.
"No." Angel said.
"Angel...what do you mean no? Does that mean you don't remember?" Taker said.
Angel nodded in answer to his question. Everyone was stunned. Kristy growled under her breath. It wasn't Angel she was angry at. It was Lexie. She had caused this and made Angel forget. Owen walked over and gave Kristy a hug.
"Mr. Calaway, can you tell me what—if anything—she can remember?" Chad asked.
"Not much by the looks of things. She can remember all of us, but she can't say it. Except for "Dada" of course. That's about it." Taker said.
"And a few other random words. And she knows something bad happened." Lea said.
"Is that you, Little Lea?" Chad asked.
LeLe, you don't remember him, but he used to give Angel a hand with you. Kristy signed.
"I'm not little anymore! I'm seven!" Lea said.
"But the last time I saw you, you were just a little baby." Chad said.
LeLe, you were barely a month old the last time Uncle Chad saw you. Kristy signed.
"Oh...OK...well, I'm not little anymore. And...I can tell you...what happened that night if you need to know. Daddy doesn't remember a lot and Angel doesn't remember any of it...but I do." Lea said.
"OK, Lea. Well, why don't you tell me what happened." Chad said.
"Daddy had gotten into the habit of taking us out for family dinner so he could spend time with us. We did that and we were on our way home and we were laughing and talking...and then..." Lea stopped, fighting back tears.
"It's alright, Lea. You don't have to finish it." Chad said.
"No! I want to! We were on our way home and laughing and talking when we stopped at a red light. Everything was fine and then suddenly I heard Angel yell at Daddy to look out. There were lights coming right at us. That woman hit us...we rolled over a bunch of times. Then I heard Angel scream...and she was gone after that. I tried to talk to Daddy, but he wouldn't answer me.." Lea said.
"OK, Lea. That was very brave of you, sweetheart." Chad said.
"I don't even remember half of that. All I remember is one minute I was laughing and talking with my girls and then Angel was yelling at me to look out. I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew, Lea was screaming that Angel was gone and when I looked over at the passenger seat, all I saw was a broken seat belt." Taker said.
"OK. And you know for sure that it was this Lexie woman that did this?" Chad asked.
"She admitted it to the doctors and nurses here. And she kept asking them to apologize to Taker. As if that was going to help!" David said.
"Not to mention Kristy, who lost her temper." Adam said, making Chad laugh and give Kristy a hug.
"That's my Kristy Cat." he said.
"Does our information help?" Lea asked.
"It does a lot Little LeLe." Chad said.
That's what Alex used to call her. Kristy signed.
"What about a trial? Would you...need Angel to talk about the accident?" Taker asked, looking down at his daughter, who had dozed off again.
"Possibly. But we're a long way from that. We've got to catch her and get her to admit to everything first. In the meantime, I think you need to concentrate on getting Angel back up to par." Chad said.
Ha Ha. Uncle Chad made a joke. Kristy signed.
Oh, you know what I mean. Chad signed.
"Does...that mean...you'll take care of Lexie while we make sure Angel gets better?" Wyatt asked.
"Yeah. That's what I meant." Chad said.
Uncle Chad, this is my son, Wyatt. Kristy signed.
When you have a son? Chad asked.
January Twenty-eleven. Kristy signed.
Who's the Dad? Chad asked.
That...is a story that I'd rather not tell. Kristy signed.
Krissy Cat, this is me. You know this is me. Chad signed.
"A man did bad things to my Mommy and now I'm here." Wyatt answered, catching the upset look on his Mom's face.
"Oh. Now I understand..." Chad said.
Yeah, that's pretty much it. Kristy signed.
"Alright, well, I've got everything I need here. I'll pop in and check on you all in a few days and let you know where it is we're at with this. You had better look after her." Chad said, nodding at Angel.
We will, Uncle Chad. Don't worry. Kristy signed.
He nodded and left. Taker leaned Angel back into bed. They all looked at her. She may have been awake now, but she still had a long way to go to get back to where she was.