Ashyla

Chapter Five

Denise was absolutely screwed after hearing from Miles that Avis was in Coma, she knew it wouldn't be long until her secret was found out. She had never meant to hurt any of those kids, she had no idea that the lights Avis sold to her were radiation lights. As soon as she realized that her foster kids were getting sick, she confronted him about it. But he denied having any knowledge of her claims and sent her away.

She kept an annoying close eye on Felicia after that when she realized that the girl was stealing. From what Denise knew the girl was troubled and quite rebellious, but most importantly she reminded her of Emily. This made her treat Felicia horribly jealous of the fact that Emily had managed to win Cordell's heart, when she hadn't. Even though she was married now, her husband was a bumbling idiot and she wasn't happy with him. So after the multiple surprise cancer diagnosis and death of her foster children, she realized that Avis had set her up.

Denise cornered him in house and screamed at him blaming him for making her look like a criminal. But Avis remained cool headed and said that she was the one who chose to place her trust in the wrong person. After that Denise realized that he had enough evidence to black mail him, but when she threatened to go to the police, he turned the tables and reminded her that she had blood on her heads. Wanting to keep herself out of jail she agreed to work for Avis, and in return he would pay her so she could get her family home back.

"What's the damage?" Denise asked as she paced the room.
"He's got more wires attached to him than jail has criminals," Miles answered on the other end. "But he'll live." Denise almost signed in relief thinking she would finally be free. But quickly remembered that Miles could easily blackmail her if she tried to back out of the deal. Keep Felicia and Cordell from finding out the truth no matter the cost, or the DA position is going to get even shadier.
"I'll be in touch." she answered and hung up the call. After she sat down on her couch and ran her fingers through her hair, it was the only way she could keep herself sane.

Someone knocked on her door and she jumped wondering how could be looking for her at this time.
"Texas rangers open up!" A female voice called out on the other side.

***

Felicia eventually fell asleep exhausted from the days events, Cordell was reluctant to leave her but realized he should let her rest. After walking back to his room, a sense of nostalgia hit him when he saw a young couple being rushed into the maternity wing. That had been Emily and him three times, it saddened him as he remembered he would never be able to tell her about reuniting with Felicia. She would have been so happy and taken her home the first chance she got, Emily had always been selfless like that. It stung to think about her and it probably always would, he didn't think there would ever be at time he didn't miss her.

He heard footsteps behind him and sure enough his two children were standing there.
"Dad there you are!" August exclaimed giving him a hug. "We've been waiting for you to call us, why haven't you left?" He asked.
"Sorry buddy I was under strict bed rest and couldn't leave," Cordell answered. "So I decided to just get up myself, I was tired of being told what to do," he continued. "How did you guys get here so fast anyway?"
"Dad its been four hours and I drove us," Stella responded. She wondered how he hadn't realized how much time had passed, had he been unconscious? The doctor never said he was. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I want to say yes but I don't think I am." Cordell admitted. He couldn't lie at this point he was just too tired after finding out the truth behind Avis. The ranger almost felt bad for how far his former classmate has fallen. Stella and August looked at him with sadness, concern and confusion.
"Dad this isn't just about some case is it," August said. "What's going on?" What wasn't going on was the real question, but Cordell couldn't hold anything back anymore. He was being pulled in so many directions that he felt stuck.

People wanted him to bring Felicia in because she was criminal, he didn't want to because he cared about her, but did that make him a hypocrite? He locked up Hoyt because he knew his friend had done something wrong, but even though Hoyt got set free. He is still the one who put his best friend there, their relationship hadn't changed after that but yet it got him killed. Now Avis who was an insane millionare was going to go after his family and so many others because he didn't cooperate. But could he share that burden with his children? And the possibility that Felicia was there sister?

He didn't get a say as Stella began questioning him on his silence and knew she wouldn't stop. Cordell sighed to hold back tears and explained everything.
"Wait are you saying?" Stella asked being unable to ask the rest of the question.
"The Ashyla girl we met is the girl you saved and she might be our sister!?" August exclaimed. Cordell simply nodded and his children didn't know how to react, they talked with each other about how they could prove it. The three of them were interrupted by an older man brushing past them with a baby in his arms. Cordell narrowed his eyes feeling the sense of familiarity again.
"Dad?" Stella asked wondering what he was thinking.

"Stay here with Felicia, I need to do something I should have done a long time ago." Cordell responded. His children obeyed and walked inside Felicia's room, while he followed the man down the hall. The man had his back turned and was talking sweetly to the baby boy in his arms.
"We are going to get you cleaned up and all better," he said. "Then we can see Mommy and Daddy." Cordell froze recognizing that rough voice as the man who told him his first born had died. The ranger continued to follow the elder doctor down the hall until he reached the nursery. The doctor placed the baby in a cradle and began running vitals on him. A bunch of the other babies began acting up when Cordell cleared his throat.

"Afternoon Doctor," Cordell said. "I haven't seen you in awhile." The doctor turned around and was surprised to see that he had been followed.
"What is this?" He asked. "You can't be in here." He whispered. Cordell held up his badge signalling that he wanted to question the doctor. He sighed and held his hands up thinking that Cordell was going to arrest him.
"I won't unless you give me a reason to," Cordell answered. "Your brought my first daughter Ashyla Walker back here twenty years ago, I want to know everything that happened." The babies around him began crying again as the doctor's mouth formed an o shape.