𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 - c. cornell

chapter twenty six (final)

1994
chris

The next day was the weekend and that meant that Moni was done school. For the first time in a while Ollie wasn't next to me, and I didn't want to leave my bed, but I had to for Moni and my well being I guess. I feel so lost with out Ollie here...

I went to Monis room and she was already awake in her bed singing to her self as she laid there, looking at her hands. As she sang her little I waited outside listening in on her.

"I wanna... be older and live with...in a candy castle, with maman...and daddyyyy...someday..." she sang and I smiled lightly to myself. I just hoped someday she would put her talent and imagination to use and make music of her own. I walked in and she stopped her singing, looking over to me with a smile as she continued. "Hey potato" I smiled and she laughed. "Hi daddy"

" ...maman's not back" I nodded at her confusion and she sighed. "Can we see her?" She asked and I shook my head. "Mommy needs her sleep"I said and she nodded. The rest of the morning I made Moni some food and we watched cartoons together. She was having a good time smiling and laughing, and I enjoyed her laughter knowing she was ok but I still felt a sad about yesterday.

"Papa!" She scolded me when I sneakily hugged her. "Monique!" I said back like her and she giggled. "Monique guess what?" I said and she turned her head. "What?" She sassily replied. "I love you" I smiled and and laughed again. "Your funny" that shocked me a lot that she picked that up. Who knew she was very independent. "Your funnier" I said tickling her. She screeched, and laid her head back on my chest.

The telephone beside the table suddenly rang and I rushed to get it. I set Moni down and got the phone. "Hell-" I didn't get to finish when yelling in my ear was made clear. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO OLLIE!" Stephanie yelled. "Steph calm down" I told her and she laughed. "Calm down? Stone told me and Eddie what did you do?!" She yelled and I shook my head. Did they really think it was my fault?

"We got into an accident-" being cut of again from Steph yelling. "How could you let that happen?!" She said and a tear began to well into my eye. "Don't you think I know? Don't you think I'm just as mad as you are?! Because I am! I've been sitting here with Monique the whole time keeping my shit together and I can't! good bye!" I hung up the phone slamming it back onto the receiver. I stood against the wall with my head into my hands till I heard Moni.

"Daddy?" Moni asked and I looked down at her. "Your mad?" She said and I shook my head. "No...daddy is just frustrated" I told her and she looked at me like I had three eyes. God love her. "What does that mean?" I didn't want to admit to her that it meant the same thing as angry so I picked her up and sat with her on the couch. "Daddy is just sad about mommy...mommy got hurt and daddy doesn't want her to be" I explained and she nodded.

"Mommy will be ok" she said putting her hands on my cheeks. I smiled and she looked her little blue eyes into mine really closely. "Okay!?" She asked. "Okay!" I said  and she sat back down next to me.

I know she was only three, but she's a smart little toddler. She knows when someone is hurting, she understands things that any ordinary toddler wouldn't understand. Parents now a days bubble there kids to only know the basics like shapes, colours, numbers, and words. Moni knows those things but she gets more then that too; feelings and kindness. Not saying we will introduce her to too much, that she will grow up stressed, but that she will understand how things play along in life, and that it isn't always easy.

...

After a while I got Stone to come back to watch Moni for me, while I went to visit with Ollie some more. I drove to the hospital scared of what was going to happen when I was there. Seeing her in such a way was horrible for the both of us. "Chris Cornell, I'm here to see Ollie Manèl" I said and the nurse nodded. "The receptionist nodded and told me to go to room 202 on the 2nd floor. I went on my way and found the room at the very end of the hall. I went in and a nurse sat with her.

"Chris!" She said smiling. "Hi babe" I smiled and walked over to her, kissing her  head. "The doctor should be here to discuss a little more to you guys" the nurse said as she got up. "I'll see you later Ollie" she smiled and left the room. "You look a bit happier" I smiled holding her hand. "I am, for a reason" she said and I nodded. "Oh yeah?" I said and she nodded. "I was thinking about the baby, and I decided what I would like...that we could keep it"  my eyes widened and she gave me a reassuring smile.

"You would do that?" I said and she nodded. "Of course, if I look ugly after, I wouldn't be surprised if you left me or-" I cut her off and shook my head looking into her eyes. "What? Ollie to me you are the prettiest person I've ever met" I smiled and she tried her best to aswell. "Thank you honey" she said and I kissed her head again.

A knock on the door was heard and the rather tall doctor stepped into the room. "I'd like to inform you on some..shocking and exciting news" he said and I nodded waiting for him to continue. As he talked about her current status I got antsy waiting for this 'big news'. "Your back is not broken Ollie, it's looked so in the x-Ray but we were wrong" I was completely shocked, and mad at the same time. How could they slip that up. "Now that doesn't mean everything is solved, we found this out from when you were born your back took to a different shape from the womb you had lived in, and when you came out some how it made your back form differently" he paused. " So with that you should be free to go in a few weeks, what still needs to be done is more tests, memory, and 5 senses test, and your neck is still very sore"

I smiled and I wanted to hug Ollie so bad. The fact that she was going to be home in some weeks was a relief for me, I was thinking with the broken back she would have rehabilitation in a few years.

I suppose Monique was right. Ollie would be okay, and so would I. It was just one of the other obstacles in life that we would get through, and I see it differently now. What ever seemed hard would only be worse if we didn't believe, we didn't have a few cries about it or to not have some one with me. The people I had were Ollie and Monique. And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way...