The Judge's Daughter

Chapter Three-Second Chance

Paul and Lucy were exhausted by the time their car pulled up to an empty house. On the plane, the newlywed couple decided they would drop off their suitcases at the house before they went to the hospital. No matter how much he wanted to be there this instant, Paul knew it was the right thing to do.

As Paul was locking the house up when they were finished, the sound of a car pulling up the drive stopped him. They turned around and watched Alex and Zach step out of the vehicle with two duffel bags in hand.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Paul. "I thought you two would be stuck at Maddie's side until all of this was over."

"Your father kicked us out," said Zach. "We're just here to grab a few things that would make Maddie more comfortable."

Lucy and Paul exchanged a quick glance. "Why would Dad kick you out?" asked Paul.

Alex let a loud sigh escape his lips. "Long story short, we told your father that we wanted to date your sister." He didn't want to sugar-coat it or go into full detail right now. Alex just wanted to be up in her room grabbing her most valuable possessions. He was a little peeved that Paul and Lucy stood in his way, but the blank look on their faces told Alex that they didn't understand. So Alex went for it again. "Zach and I are lovers and we want to add Maddie as our third." Their faces were still blank. Alex threw his hands in the air and shouted, "Are you hearing anything that I'm saying?"

Paul nodded his head. "Yeah, but I don't understand why he would do that. Everyone knows about the two of you and what your feelings toward my sister are."

Zach and Alex just stared at them, dumbfounded. They knew? Everyone knew and yet they didn't say anything? Finally Zach shook his head and voiced his thoughts. "Was it that obvious?"

"Not at the beginning," stated Paul, "but things started clicking together and the two of you kind of stopped hiding after high school." He held his hands up when he saw Zach open his mouth to argue. "Now hear me out. I don't care what my father says, the two of you will be coming to the hospital with us and you will not leave my sister's side until she is awake and she tells you to leave. I am perfectly okay with your relationship and I hope that Madeline joins it. She deserves to be happy and she seems to always smile when she is around the two of you. Now go and get her things and we will follow you to the hospital." Paul grabbed Lucy's hand and towed her toward their car.

Twenty minutes later, the two cars parked in the hospital parking lot and the four occupants were walking up to the large building. When they got in the elevator and up to the sixth floor, the sound of machines beeping and nurses and doctors running into a room had them freezing at the sight. Stephen and Penny rushed out of the room with a nurse following close behind. The nurse closed the door behind the parents and then turned to close the blinds.

"Mom, Dad, what's going on?" The panic in Paul's voice was not missed as he stepped closer to his parents. Penny ran over to her son and threw her arms around his neck. She began mumbling into his shoulder but all that could be heard was her hysterical sobs.

Stephen blinked his eyes rapidly, keeping the tears at bay. His eyes wondered from his wife to Zach and Alex, who were standing a few feet away, staring at the closed door. Stephen stepped toward them and cleared his throat. "Can I speak with the both of you for a moment?"

Simultaneously, they looked at the Judge and nodded. When they were far enough away, Stephen ran his hand through his disheveled hair. "I owe the two of you an apology. I had no idea how your relationship started with my daughter until last night. I was never told of...that incident." He swallowed hard as he thought of what could have happened.