The Backbone

Chapter 24

Edna's POV

I knew when I left with Andy that dad wasn't right and after we had dinner and we went to bed I pulled my phone out and was about to dial Papa's number when Andy asked me what I was doing so I told him I wanted to say goodnight to them both.

When he told me, what had happened I burst into tears as I really thought dad had died and I was going to lose papa as well. Andy pulled me into his arms, and I cried myself to sleep in his arms.

When he came and told me that they were both fine I couldn't help the tears of joy that came to my eyes to hear that as I also had a dream that dad and papa died and Uncle Tim and Uncle Ant didn't want me either so I had to go back and live with my bitch of a mother as I was too young to live by myself. Andy told me to get dressed as he was taking me to see them.

When we got to the hospital I pulled my phone out and tried to ring papa but it went straight to voice mail and I said to Andy "I just tried to ring papa but it went straight to his voice mail". Andy looks at me and says, "ok try your uncles as it was Anthony that rang me so maybe try him"? I nod my head and ring Uncle Ant and he answers and tells me where they are.

Andy and I got out of the car and ran towards the hospital and towards where dad and papa are. I stop dead in my tracks when I walk into the room, there lying in the bed was papa with his leg raised up a bit and he had a massive bruise on his face. I look down to see dad sitting in a wheelchair holding papas' hand in his. Dad was looking loving into papas' eyes and papa said to dad "baby you don't need to worry I will always be here for you. I love you my sexy glitter baby". I must have made some noise as 4 pairs of eyes looked at us. I ran into Uncle Tim's arms when he held them open for me.

When I was in Uncle Tim's arms, I just cried at seeing my fathers that way and for not being here when they needed me the most. I should have been here for papa when he found out about dad. I maybe could have saved him from this pain. What if he gets a brain injury from the fall? I turn back when I hear a doctor walk in the room, and he asks us to please wait outside as they need to do some tests on papa. I see dad get up from the wheelchair and he says "I am not leaving this is my husband and I am not leaving him when he needs me. He is there for me, so I am doing the same". The doctor goes to argue but papa says "I want my husband to stay. There is nothing he hasn't seen before". The doctor nods his head, and we all walk out of the room and next thing I know I am in Andy's arms again and he says, "they will be ok beautiful they are both fighters". I look up at him and say "yeah I know it's just seeing them like that, I can't stand seeing them like that. I should have been here for when papa needed me, but I was selfish and wanted to do something else". Uncle Anthony must walk up to me because I feel his arms around me too and he says "baby girl don't think like that. You were so lucky that you weren't here you would not have handled it. Uncle Tim saw Addy's accident and he didn't handle it well. He went into shock at seeing that and when I saw Tommy laying on the bathroom, I could hardly handle that I felt myself turning but I talked myself out of it because I knew that they both needed me. I couldn't do that to my best friends when they needed me". I turn to see Uncle Ant and he had tears in his eyes at seeing me like this and probably all of the stress that they both went through yesterday as well. I say to Uncle Ant "who found dead on the bathroom floor"? Uncle Ant says to me "I did baby girl I wanted to see if he would talk to me as we have gotten pretty close the past few months and I think of him like a brother". I hug him and say "thank you for finding dad and for you both for helping them. I had a nightmare last night that I lost both of them and that you and Uncle Tim didn't want me, so I had to go back and live with my bitch of a mother because I am not 18". I broke down again as I finished saying that. I feel Andy turn me around and he says, "was that why I heard crying last night because you had a nightmare"? I nod my head and he looks at Uncle Anthony and uncle Tim and he says "Edna slept in the spare room last night which is down from mine and I thought I heard her crying but I didn't want to get up to see if she was ok because I didn't want my parents to find me in her bed last night and I knew her dads wouldn't like that either. I am so sorry that I didn't come to see if you were ok last night. I should have but I was too worried about what my parents would say. Can you please forgive me beautiful"? I look up at him and say "there is nothing to forgive babe. I was ok. You were there for me when I needed it the most and you are here for me now and for that I love you". As those words came out of my mouth, I went to turn to Uncle Tim but before I could Andy grabbed my hands and he said to "I love you too beautiful". I lean forward and kiss him and hug him.