The London Paradigm (book 4 of Adopted by the Josephs)

56. Tyler

We spent the weekend in the hospital with Samantha. Brendon went home and brought us clothes and pyjamas for Sam if they'll let us change her out of a gown. He brought a speaker and music.

Everyone came to visit her over the weekend. Erin, Philip and Jill, Jake, Officer Davis, Greyson, Zack and Kala, Debby and Josh. My brothers and sister. My parents. Everyone held her hand and talked to her. Everyone tried to encourage her to wake up.

I couldn't help but look back to last October when she'd fallen into the river.

Samantha was wrapped in gauze in so many places where the glass had sliced her skin, some so deep they'd had to repair vessels too.

Monday morning I reluctantly left Samantha's bedside to go to the courthouse. I was seething when I saw Mark.

"Good morning," the judge by said. "I understand Mr. Greyson, you wanted to make a request?"

"Yes, Your Honor," he said standing. "My client's daughter, the subject of this custody case as you know, sustained an accident Friday evening and is currently in a coma in the hospital. The outlook is not looking good right now. My client has been by her bedside all weekend. We would like to petition the court to dismiss this case in favour of the Josephs. The court psychologist report indicates this has caused undue and unfair stress on this young girl. As we do not know the outcome as yet, but her condition is grave, my client would like to spend what remaining time he may have with his daughter."

I looked over at Mark. His face was pale. He looked shocked. I was glad. Maybe he could see what he was doing to my daughter.

"Your Honor," Ms Tanner stood up. "My client sympathizes with the Josephs, but he has flown across an ocean to be here."

"Are you aware, Ms Tanner, that Mr Greyson just said this young girl that you are fighting over, may not survive this current crisis? Has your client no heart?"

"You did this!" I stood up and shouted at Mark. "She's been so stressed by what you're putting her through. After you promised you weren't going to disrupt her life!"

The judge was banging her gavel. Tears were streaming down my face. Someone grabbed me and pulled me out of the courtroom. It was Brendon. He wrapped me in a hug as soon as he got me out into the hallway. I clung to him and wept.

Greyson came out into the hallway.

"We're in recess. That guy is a piece of work. He still wants to fight for Sam. I don't know if he's delusional or thinks you're lying. But we're going to take your friend's statements and testimony. You don't have to be here. You can go be with Samantha."

I nodded.

"Mr. Urie, would you be willing to testify today?"

Brendon nodded.

"I'll stay. I'm not giving him the satisfaction. Let him see what he's doing."

Greyson nodded and we went back into the courtroom.

After a while, we were back in session and Brendon was called to the stand.

"Mr Urie," Greyson started. "How did you first meet Samantha?"

"Our friend Josh put together a little party for us to meet Samantha the weekend their adoption was finalized. We flew in early and met her on the Friday night."

"And what was your impression of her?"

"She was timid and skittish, but once she warmed up to us, she was funny. We played Fortnite together, which she'd never played."

Brendon's voice cracked.

"And after that weekend, what happened?"

"Well, we got to know her pretty well, and I gave her my cell phone number. We would text back and forth. Same with my wife, Sarah. In fact, when we heard she'd been kidnapped, Sarah and I flew out to be with Jenna and Tyler. We stayed through after her recovery and until just after Christmas."

"What was Samantha like when she was returned after the kidnapping?"

Brendon sighed. His breath hitched as he tried not to cry.

"She was so scared of everything. She had terrible nightmares that woke us all up. She would scream so loud. It was the only time she made any sound. If she was skittish when I met her in October, this was skittish on steroids. But she started to get better. We all reassured she was home and safe. She worked with Doc. She wasn't speaking, but she stopped hiding from everything. The doorbell could set her off. At first if Jenna left the room she chased after her. She wouldn't be left alone with anyone. Except Jenna."

"But by the end of your visit she was talking again?"

"She was. She was still a little nervous but her nightmares had abated some, and on Christmas morning she wrote a beautiful letter to Jenna and Tyler. And spoke her first words in three weeks."

"You and your wife had recently lost a child, correct?"

"Yea," Brendon said, tears forming in his eyes. "Jess. She died a year ago this last May."

"How did Samantha react to that?"

"She's one of the most compassionate and sympathetic people I've ever met. She told us she was sorry and that she bet we were great parents to Jess. She reminds me a lot of her."

"How so?"

"Her compassion, she's smart and funny. She can be bitingly sarcastic. By coincidence they share a birthday."

I smiled, remembering when we were on tour and they surprised Sam in Chicago.

"How would you describe the Joseph's relationship with Samantha?"

Brendon looked right at me, then at Mark.

"If I didn't know they'd adopted her, I would have thought she was their biological child. Their relationship is just amazing. And Sam's relationship with her sister is indescribable. There's something between them. Sam was the only one who could get Rosie to settle when she was teething. When Rosie was born, Samantha had had her accident in the river. Tyler put Rosie in Samantha's arm, even though she was in a coma, and Rosie settled immediately. She woke up soon after.

Tyler and Jenna have been by Sam's side from the minute she landed in their back yard. They've weathered more than any parent should have to. And their relationship comes out stronger every. Single. Time."