Daughter of the Deadman III
Chapter 11: Presents & Powers
Two weeks later, Angel was getting better. She was happy and cheery especially since David had come down from Calgary. He refused to be there after his Mother had tried to go after Angel. He also decided that he was going to protect Angel the next time rather than just staying home. Angel herself was doing well enough that Doctor Kellon had put the wheels in motion for her to be transferred to Kindred Rehabilitation Hospital. The best part was that she wouldn't even have to leave the city since it was in Northeast Houston. Angel was nervous and anxious about the idea even though she knew that Taker would be with her as much as he could and so would everyone else. Her problem was that it meant more doctors and nurses and strangers who would be pinching, poking and prodding her even more until she got well enough to go home.
Taker was sitting next her, telling her that he had gone to the closest Kindred Hospital to their home and had toured it. It was a great facility and the people there were very nice. He had even taken Lea with him so that she wouldn't be scared about Angel going to a strange place. Every time they saw a doctor, Lea would ask if that was one of the angels that was going to make her sister better. It was then that Taker understood what Kristy had meant when she had told Lea two weeks ago that the place Angel was going that had good angels that would make her better. He answered yes every time and by the time they left, Lea was excited for Angel to come to the hospital.
"Daddy...you sure?" Angel said.
"I'm sure, sweetheart. I took Lea with me when I went and she's excited for you to go there now. She wants you better and so does everyone else." Taker said.
"You too?" Angel asked.
"Of course me too, baby girl." Taker said.
"Daddy...I try it. Want get better too." Angel said.
Taker nodded. He would have to tell Doctor Kellon when he came back to check on Angel in a few hours. Angel sighed and went back to her drawing. She was getting better with a pencil now and could do a bit more than just lines and scribbles. She was determined to learn to draw again. Just then, Kristy and the others came in. They had a mountain of presents with them. Taker teared up as he looked. They were all the Christmas presents that Angel hadn't had the chance to open. The only problem was that there wasn't one from Taker there. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to get Angel anything or that he didn't try to. He would go out buy presents for Lea and remember to get something for Angel, but as soon as he tried to, he would get emotional and not be able to. He wasn't sure what to do exactly. Then he got an idea. He kissed Angel and told her that he would be back soon. Then he stood up and left the room. David walked over and sat where Taker had been sitting. He took Angel's hand and she jumped.
"Hey, sweetheart." David said.
"David. Love you." Angel said.
"I love you too, sweetheart." David said, wrapping her in a hug.
She always said his name and told him that she loved him whenever he came around rather than saying hi. And her eyes always lit up when she said it. Kristy, Adam and Kane put all the presents on the table in front of Angel. She wasn't sure what was going on. She looked around for an answer.
"It's OK, Little Angel. We all talked and figured that it was about time you had your Christmas even though it's a bit late." Kane said.
"Get things?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, everyone still got you things even though you weren't with us. Except for Daddy. Daddy tried to get you something, but couldn't. Every time he tried, he got upset." Lea said.
Angel nodded. Then she told them that she wasn't opening anything till her Dad got back. They all agreed. They waited around for what seemed like a long time, but finally Taker came back. Everyone noticed that he was holding a small puppy in his arms. It was brown with a white chest and belly and white paws. There was a white line going up its face too. It looked like it was about six weeks old and it was squirming in Taker's arms. He walked over and placed the puppy on Angel's bed. Angel screamed at first when she felt something moving on the bed. The puppy walked up to Angel and started to lick her face. Then it barked.
"Dog?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, it's a dog, baby girl." Taker said.
"Mine?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. I'm going to work on getting him certified to be a therapy dog for you." Taker said.
"Thank you, Daddy." Angel said
"You're welcome, Baby Girl." Taker said.
"How did you sneak him in here, Papa Taker?" Wyatt asked.
"I didn't have to sneak him in. I asked Doctor Kellon if I could bring him in here." Taker said.
"Oh wow." Wyatt said.
"He need name. I name him Oz...call him Ozzie." Angel said.
"Daddy, what does a therapy dog do?" Lea asked.
"Well, they can do all sorts of different things for different people. In Angel's case he'll be an Animal Assisted Therapy dog. He'll basically help to encourage her and make her feel less anxious. But we need to get him certified and housebroken and all that stuff first." Taker said.
"Can he be a pet too, Daddy?" Lea asked.
"When he's not working with Angel, he'll be a pet, so don't worry, Lea." Taker said.
"Lea is jealous." Wyatt teased.
"I am not jealous, Wyatt. Angel didn't ask for this! She didn't deserve it!" Lea said.
"Take it easy, Lea." Taker said.
"Why does Wyatt think I'm jealous of Angel? I'm not. Angel didn't ask for a dog or for all this attention! She didn't ask to get hurt Daddy. And...if anything, all this attention and everything she is getting right now is showing that we care about her very much." Lea explained.
"I'm sorry, Lea." Wyatt said, hugging his friend.
Lea hugged him back. Angel grinned. She knew what was happening even though she couldn't see it. She was glad that Lea felt that way. The last thing she wanted was for Lea to feel left out or to feel jealous of her because of what had happened. Everyone watched as Ozzie walked down to the end of the bed and curled up. He went to sleep. Angel got started on opening up the presents. There was art stuff, new jeans, new tank tops, her charm bracelet that Taker had given her, now with her father's picture inside instead of Amber's. She even got a new dress, dress shoes, a new pair of sneakers, and some dressy clothes. When she got to the last present, she opened it and stuck her hands in. After a minute or two, she stopped. Then she looked around. She looked at her Daddy, determination in her eyes.
"Angel? What is it?" Taker asked.
"WWE." Angel whispered.
"Whose bright idea was it to get her ring gear?" Taker growled.
"In my defence, I bought it before all this happened, big brother." Kane said.
"Oh...OK then." Taker said, relaxing.
"Not worry, Uncle. I get back to WWE! I wear someday." Angel told him, looking determined as ever.
"Kane..." Kristy said.
"I screwed up. I know. Geez. Rub it in, why don't you?"
"No, Kane. You didn't screw up. I think you may have given Angel just what she needs to get better." Kristy said.
"How do you figure?" Kane asked.
"Well...one thing first...Angel, do you remember being in the WWE before all this happened?"
Angel nodded. Most of her memories had returned now except for about the last twenty four hours or so before the accident actually happened. She remembered being a WWE Diva and how much fun it was and how much she had loved it. She figured she had lost that, but now she was hell bent and determined to get back in the ring so that she would be back where she fit in. Not to mention, she wanted to wear the ring gear that her Uncle had given her to make sure it didn't go to waste.
"I...in WWE with everyone. I work really hard. And I going back there!" Angel said.
"But Aunt Angel, you can't see! It's too dangerous." Wyatt said.
"No, Wyatt. I get back there! Kristy do it and she not hear! I do it too!" Angel said, looking determined.
"See, Kane? Now she's got a reason to get better. Whereas before, she probably didn't feel as though she had much to hang on for. Besides, at least in the WWE she won't be a black mark on society." Kristy said.
Angel nodded. Kane grinned and gave Angel a hug. Angel hugged him back and thanked him. He smiled. Meanwhile, Taker was grinning in spite of himself. Part of him didn't want her to get back into the ring for safety reasons, but he also knew that it was in her blood because of him and if there was a way to get back in the ring, she'd figure it out.
Just then, the phone in the room rang. Taker sighed and reached over and picked it up. He got a huge shock when he heard Triple H's voice on the other end. He rolled his eyes, figuring that he was calling to ask about a return date for him or a Wrestlemania match or a return date for Angel.
"Look, Hunter, my daughter is hurt. And I mean, really hurt so if you called to ask for a return date for her or a Wrestlemania appearance for me, you can forget it right now! Right now Angel and the rest of my family are my priority. Not being in the ring, even if it is at Mania." Taker snapped
"Deadman, take it easy. I called to say sorry. I jumped the gun a bit. But I've talked it over with Vince...and Steph kind of yelled at me. She told me to stop and think about what it would be like if it was one of our children. It made me realize that you're probably stressed with all this going on." Triple H said.
"Well, in that case, I accept your apology." Taker said.
"And I've thought a lot about it…don't worry about Angel's medical expenses. It'll be on the company's dime." Triple H said.
"Hold on, are you sure about this? Did you clear it with Vince?" Taker asked.
"No, but you're one of the biggest stars in this company and Angel has earned her keep, so don't worry about it." Triple H said.
"I don't know about this, Trips…." Taker said.
"Listen, Taker, Vince has done some extravagant things to help his Legends before. Now it's my turn. As for return dates, you call me you want to come back, however long it takes. We'll bend over backwards to accommodate." Triple H said.
"I….just….I don't know what to say…um…" Taker said, tearing up.
"No need to say anything, Deadman. We'll talk soon. Bye." Triple H said, disconnecting the call.
Taker hung up the phone, still feeling a bit stunned. Everyone looked at him questioningly. Kane was the one who spoke first.
"Who was that, Big Brother?" Kane asked.
"Hunter." Taker said.
"What the fuck did Big Nose want with us now? Wanting to know when you and Angel are coming back so he can put you both through hell again?!" Kristy said, trying not to explode.
"Kristy stop." Angel said, "Daddy talk."
"Triple H wanted to let me know that the WWE is funding any and all medical expenses for Angel. They do support their legends after all." Taker said.
"But….Angel's not a Legend, Papa Taker." Wyatt said.
"Not me. Daddy." Angel told him.
"Papa Taker's a legend? What does that mean?" Wyatt asked.
"A legend is someone who has been in the WWE for a long time and is popular with the fans." David explained.
"Like Uncle Bret?" Wyatt asked.
"Well…" Kristy said.
"Grandpa?" Wyatt asked.
"Um…" Bret said.
"Let's put it this way, Wyatt. Daddy has been in the WWE for a long time—he's kind of old—and WWE want to thank him by looking after Angel." Lea said.
"Hey! Less of the old, Little One." Taker said.
"She's got a point, Big Brother." Kane said.
"Hey! Daddy not old!" Angel said.
"Oh….I think I understand. Is Papa Taker a legend because he works hard or because of the fans?" Wyatt asked.
"Both. The reason the fans love me is because I work hard." Taker said.
"Oh. Do you think Aunt Angel will be a legend too?" Wyatt asked.
"I think she's going to try her best." Taker said.
Angel nodded. She would do her best once she got back in the ring. First thing was first though. She had to get back the ability to walk and talk properly and that could take a while depending on how hard she worked.
"Daddy…..I not feel like self." Angel said.
"What do you mean, Baby Girl? Do you feel sick?" Taker asked, looking concerned.
"No. Not sick. Something…..gone. Something that there not there now." Angel tried to explain.
Taker nodded. He was sure that he knew what Angel meant. Her powers had yet to make a return since she had come to. Everyone else seemed to understand too, but they weren't sure what to say to Angel or how to explain it. They were spared this by Doctor Kellon coming into the room. He checked Angel over and then Taker told him that Angel wanted to move on to Kindred Hospital as soon as she could. He smiled and said he would get things going and she would be there by the end of the week. Then he left. Angel sighed and stretched in bed. Then she asked for her special drawing board. Taker set it up for her and Angel began to draw. Lea and Wyatt watched, fascinated. They were learning all sorts of new things through all of this.
"What are you drawing, Ang?" Kristy asked.
"You see." Angel said, not looking up from her paper.
It seemed to take a while, but when Angel stopped drawing, Taker's eyes widened in total amazement. Then he teared up. He leaned over and hugged his daughter. Before anyone could ask what was happening, Taker took the paper and held it up for everyone to see. Everyone's jaw dropped. She had drawn Taker and it was just as good as it would have been had she been able to see.
"How….?" Bret asked.
"Still remember." Angel told him.
"You still remember what I look like?" Taker asked.
"Yes." Angel said, yawning.
"Why don't you rest for a bit, Little Angel. We'll be here when you wake up." Kane said.
Angel nodded. She closed her eyes and within a few minutes, she was sound asleep.
When Angel opened her eyes again, she was back in the house in Houston. What was more was that she could see perfectly. She looked around her, feeling confused.
"Is anyone here?" she called out.
Just as she finished speaking, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw her Mom. Angel ran to her, bursting into tears and finally letting all of her pent up emotions that she was unable to express out. Bethany just hugged her daughter and stroked her hair, looking concerned.
"It's so hard, Mom." Angel said before Beth could actually say anything.
"I know, Angel Baby. I know it's not easy for you right now, but it will get better. I promise." Beth said.
"But what am I supposed to do? How do I deal with losing my sight? How do I deal with communicating? It's all so….difficult and confusing. I mean—and I just thought of this—I'm never even going to be able to see my own children, Mom." Angel said, fresh tears running down her face.
"Angel Baby, you can do whatever you put your mind to, blindness or not. You're only as disabled as you let yourself be. As for communication, mobility and everything else, that will all come with time and a lot of effort on your part." Beth said.
"Just remember, my precious granddaughter, you don't have to do any of this alone." Leanna said.
She walked down the stairs as she spoke. Angel beamed from ear to ear and ran to her, giving her a hug. Somehow, her Grandmother had known how she had felt and had put it into words when she couldn't, just like Taker did.
"Mom, I told Daddy that something was missing, but I couldn't tell him. It's my powers. Where did they go? What happened to them? Are they gone?" Angel said.
"No, Angel Baby. They aren't gone." Beth said.
She extended her hand and Angel took it and closed her eyes. A second later, Beth told her to open them. When she did, she was outside of the power shrine. As usual, the Druids stood guard all around the place. Angel followed Beth to the door. Beth placed her hand on the door and it opened. As soon as they were inside, the door closed. Angel immediately looked to the wall where the symbols of her Dad, Uncle, Baby Sister, and Angel herself were. Three of them were glowing brightly and Angel's was extremely faint, almost as if she was close to death. Angel gasped. She had no idea what had happened, but she hoped it was fixable.
"Come this way, Angel Baby." Beth said, walking behind the throne that sat in the room.
Angel followed. Two Druids were standing in front of the door. Beth nodded and they moved aside. Bethany opened the door. Angel stepped in and followed behind her mother. Torches lit up as they walked. When they got to the end of the room, Angel gasped. Her Dead Girl side was encased in a crystal and looked like she was in a permanent sleep.
"I don't understand….what happened? Did I do something wrong?" Angel asked.
"No, Angel Baby. You did nothing wrong." Beth said.
"You might not remember, but when you had the accident, you were thrown from the car. As soon as that happened, your powers kicked in because you wanted to get back to the car and make sure Lea and Mark were alright. You didn't make it, obviously, but when you went into your coma, your powers went dormant and your Dead Girl side collapsed over here. We did this so she'd be safe in case something happened here." Leanna said.
"So…where the paramedics found me wasn't where I started out?" Angel asked.
"No, it wasn't. Your thought process was "Get to Daddy and Baby Lea and make sure they're OK", she could sense that and because of that, your powers kicked in." Beth said.
"Can we fix it?" Angel asked.
"Yes, but it's your choice, my precious granddaughter." Leanna said.
"I want my powers. I...well, this is going to sound downright odd, but even though my powers seem to get me into a lot of trouble at times, I'm…not myself without them." Angel said.
Beth and Leanna nodded. The Druids broke the crystal open. Angel watched as her Dead Girl side stood up. She opened her eyes and stared at Angel.
"Ah, I see you are better again." She said.
"Not quite, but I'm getting there." Angel said.
"Now before we do this, you two need to realize something. This isn't going to give Angel everything she had before. It won't heal her mobility, memory or eyesight, but it will help." Leanna said.
"I know, Grandma. My powers can fix a lot of things, but this isn't one of them. Daddy can't even fix this." Angel said.
"Yes, Mistress Leanna, I know I can't fix Angel, but I can at least help her cope with this situation." She answered.
Leanna nodded. Angel walked over and took her Dead Girl side's hands. Both of them closed their eyes. A wind whipped through the room. When Angel opened her eyes, her Dead Girl side was gone and light surrounded her. Just then, she heard Wyatt's panicked voice.
"Aunt Angel! What's wrong with you? Wake up!" he said.
"Uh-oh. Looks like I have to go. Wyatt's worried." Angel said.
Leanna and Beth looked at each other with grins. Angel sighed and closed her eyes.
Angel opened her eyes again and looked around. She was back in the hospital. She had a feeling that everyone was concerned about her. Suddenly, Kristy spoke up.
"I feel….different…" she said.
"So do I. Something just changed. I can't quite figure it out…" David said.
"What happened to you, Aunt Angel? Is everything OK? You were all glowing and shiny for a second." Wyatt said.
"Not…worry. I….just…got missing thing back…" Angel said.
"Missing thing?" Wyatt asked.
"Yeah. Missing thing." Angel said, looking lost in thought.
"Wait…Baby Girl, was it your powers? Was that the thing you were missing that made you not feel like yourself?" Taker asked.
"Yeah. But…got back now. Mama and Grandma help." Angel said.
"That's why Kristy and David feel different then." Kane said.
"What happened?" David asked.
"Six months ago when Angel had the accident, she used her powers at some point. She completely exhausted them. Then she went into her coma. Her powers went dormant and because of it, your Guardian powers did the same because they weren't needed anymore. Now that Angel has her powers back, so do you two." Kane said.
"How do you know all this, Kane?" Kristy said.
"I sensed it when I went to see Angel the first time. Something had changed with her." Kane said.
"But what was she doing that caused her to exhaust her powers so much that she'd make that happen?" David asked.
"She must have used her powers for something. And her body couldn't take it because of her weakened state." Taker said.
"I…try get to Daddy and Lea. Make sure they OK. But…not make it." Angel whispered.
"Wait…Angel are you saying that after you were thrown from the car you tried to crawl back there so you could see if Uncle Taker and LeLe were OK?" Kristy said.
"Yeah." Angel said.
"And her Dead Girl side must have sensed that and it caused her powers to kick in. Only her body could only take so much." Taker said.
"Remember….thinking…had to get to Daddy and Lea. I not care about other things. Just….that they OK." Angel said slowly.
"Even when Angel's hurt and near death, she thinks of others first." Lea said, giving her sister a hug.
Angel smiled. Taker shook his head, but he was smiling too. It seemed as though her personality was still there. She was still the selfless person she had been before this had happened, putting everyone before herself even when she knew she shouldn't. Just then, Doctor Kellon came in. He was carrying a bunch of paperwork. He set it down on the nearby table.
"Hello, Miss Calaway, how are you feeling?" he asked.
"Fine." Angel said, looking in the direction his voice had come from.
"That's great. I've heard from Doctor Sanders and Miss Evans that you're doing great. They think you're ready for the Rehabilitation Hospital." Doctor Kellon said.
"Special place with angels?" Angel asked.
"That's right, baby girl. The doctors think you're ready." Taker said.
"OK. When I go there?" Angel asked.
"Tomorrow, Miss Calaway." Doctor Kellon said.
Angel smiled at him. Then she gasped. Something strange had just happened. Taker noticed that her eyes had gone wide and then she had blinked a few times. Then she started to cry. Doctor Kellon looked worried and said he would come back to sort out the paperwork later. As soon as he left, Taker walked over and hugged her. She stared at him, still seemingly in shock about something.
"Angel? What's wrong, baby girl? Are you alright? You're still feeling OK, aren't you?" Taker said.
"Daddy….I….I see…" Angel sobbed.
"What? What do you mean you can see?" Taker asked.
"I…think….my powers do it. I see…but it look…strange…" Angel tried to explain.
"Strange? Strange how?" Taker asked.
"It look like baby picture thing." Angel said.
"Baby picture thing? What does she mean?" Bret asked.
"Hm. I'm not sure." Taker said.
"Baby picture thing." Angel said, pointing to her stomach.
"Sweetheart, do you mean an ultrasound? Is that what it looks like?" David asked.
"Baby picture thing." Angel repeated, nodding at David.
"That must be very weird." Owen said.
"Powers do it. I get new ones." Angel said.
"Hm. I think I've seen that before. Wasn't it in a movie or something?" Owen asked.
"The blind lawyer." David said.
"Isn't that from the movie Daredevil?" Kane asked.
"Yeah. He could see like night or heat vision and white blobs where people are." Kristy said.
Angel nodded. Then she started laughing. She could see that everyone was looking at Kristy and Kane with puzzled expressions. They both shrugged.
"What?" Kane asked.
"We watch superhero movies." Kristy said,
"That's just odd…" Taker said.
Everyone laughed at that, even Angel. Taker leaned over and gave her a hug. It was nice to see her laughing again since they hadn't seen it in awhile. They were looking forward to getting Angel to the rehab hospital and eventually home again.