Part 15
Those words rang out clearly…I’m sorry to tell you, but one of the ladies didn’t make it’….and he’d kept it from the others. What if it was Chelsea? How would he tell Annie…and Alex? They were both going to be devastated if it was her. But there was what the trooper said too. He’d said Chelsea and Monique had survived. Kevin had to know if Chelsea was okay.
"Daddy, why are you frowning?" asked a very sleepy Annie.
Kevin smiled as he looked down at her. Damn! She was a carbon copy of Chelsea…except for her eyes. She had his eyes. "I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to frown. Go back to sleep, okay?"
"I wanna see Mama," whimpered the little girl.
"I know, baby, but we can’t just yet. I promise, if you’ll go back to sleep, I’ll take you to see her in the morning."
"Daddy, are Mama and Aunt Moni dead?"
"Why would you ask that, Annie?"
"Because….Mama was talking to me and to Alex and all of a sudden she stopped talking and Aunt Moni NEVER talked. Please, Daddy, I want to know."
His dad had always been honest with him and Kevin wanted to be just like his dad. Taking a deep breath, Kevin said, "Annie, I don’t know what’s going on with your mom and Aunt Moni. The only thing the doctors have told us so far is that only family can go back with them."
"But Aunt Moni and I are the only family Mama has."
"That use to be true, sweetheart, but tonight, you, your mom, and your Aunt Moni got an extended family….me, Alex, Brian, Howie, and Nick." Kevin heard a commotion down the hall, someone shouting orders. "I’ll be back in a minute, sweetheart."
Kevin stood and went to the door to see someone being wheeled in on a stretcher but he couldn’t make out who it was for all the activity around them.
Going back to Annie, he said, "Baby, go back to sleep. I’ll find out about your mom and Aunt Moni but not until you’re sleeping."
"Yes sir."
Annie rolled over and as she closed her eyes, Kevin rubbed her back. It didn’t take long before the little girl was asleep again and Kevin whispered, "I hope you can see them both in the morning."
As Kevin continued to sit with Annie, her doctor returned to release her. "She’s going to be sore for the next couple of days but Children’s Tylenol will ease that. Just make sure she rests. You also need to fill out the paperwork for her."
"Thank you, Doc." Kevin hesitated before asking, "Doc, Annie’s mother and her best friend were in the wreck too. The EMS told me on the phone that one of them didn’t make it but the officer who met us at the door said they both survived. Can you tell me what’s going on? What do I tell Annie about her mother?"
"I take it Annie’s mom isn’t your wife."
"No sir. In fact, I just
found out tonight that I had a daughter…when Chelsea brought her to our show."
"I’m technically not supposed to give out any information but since you are
Annie’s father and she’s family, I’ll make an exception. One of the ladies was a
DOA and they just brought the other one in but I can’t tell you which one is
Annie’s mother."
"Annie’s mom’s name is Chelsea Whitlock. She’s about 5’5", long, brownish-blonde hair and she was wearing a pair of jeans with a white T-shirt. She also had a star pendant on a gold chain."
"Sounds like the one they just brought in."
Kevin felt his heart skip a beat. If they just brought her in, she was alive. "I need to see her."
"I’m sorry, but only relatives are allowed in with the patients. Her parents will be here soon according to the trooper who came with her and I’m sure they will let you know how she is."
"That’s just it, Doc. Chelsea hasn’t spoken to her parents in seven years…since she was four months pregnant. Having her father here is not a good thing." Kevin watched as the doctor took in what he’d said and then added, "At the wreck, Chelsea called her boyfriend, one of my friends….not her parents. That should tell you something."
"Tell you what, come with me so you can tell Annie that you’ve seen her mother. If she’s coherent enough to make a rational decision, then I’ll let her tell me how to deal her parents.
“Give me two minutes. I don’t want to leave her alone…in case she wakes,” said Kevin as he looked at his sleeping daughter.
“I’ll wait here for you.”
Anxious to find out about Chelsea, Kevin rushed to where the others were waiting. They were all on edge wondering what was going on and when they saw Kevin, they were on their feet.
“Is Chelsea okay? Where is she? Can I see her?” AJ was the most anxious of all, a sure sign he’d fallen.
“Slow down, ‘J’. They just brought her in and I’ve told the doctor about her dad. He’s gonna examine her and see if she can make a rational decision and he’s letting me go with him, so I can tell Annie that her mom is okay.”
“If she can make a decision?” asked Howie.
“Then he’ll let her make the call about her parents.”
“Then he’ll let me see her?”
“Probably.”
“Then why are you out here?” asked Brian.
“I need someone to sit with Annie. She’s asleep but I don’t want her to wake up and be alone.”
Marcus, who had remained silent as he stood behind all the guys, spoke up, “I’ll go sit with her, Kevin.”
There was one person Kevin had forgotten in all this….Marcus. The big, burly black man had known Chelsea longer than any of them and had been the one to introduce him to her.
“Let’s go then.”
Kevin started to leave but Nick stopped him. “Kevin, what about Monique? Any word on her?”
Frowning, Kevin said, “Yeah…there is. She didn’t make it.”
“Dayum,” whispered Nick as the others remained silent.
Seeing AJ’s reaction to the news about Monique, Kevin said, “I promise, I’ll come get you as soon as I can so you can be with her.”
AJ simply nodded his head and once more watched as Kevin headed back down the corridor. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Howie standing beside him. “It could have been her, Howie.”
“But it wasn’t. Let’s go sit back down and wait.”
Together, the two friends took their seats again to wait, silence once more taking over.
