(Not) written in the stars!

Chapter 2: Dreams and broken bones

The ambulance ride is a blur; I keep coming in and out of consciousness, and the only constant is Sammy's small hand holding mine. I wish I could give up, but her hand is my anchor, telling me I must fight for my life again. 

I know Malachiah's attack won't kill me, but I can tell I probably have some fractures or minimum cracked bones. 

 The EMT is trying to keep Sammy calm, and I greatly appreciate it.

I can barely register, but Selene, the nice paramedic, tells Sammy she has the most beautiful eyes. That is true. She has mesmerizing dark blue eyes that sometimes have traces of gold or purple, depending on the lightning surrounding her. 

I have never seen eyes like hers, and it is evident she didn't get them from Mandy's genes since hers were brown.

I can't believe Mandy is dead; that was never part of the plan. I feel guilty but must push those thoughts away as I struggle to stay conscious. My therapist will have a field day at my next appointment.

Once we made it to the hospital, I asked Selene if Sammy could stay with me, but she told me to trust her and that she would watch Sammy while the doctors examined me. 

Sammy is calmer now, and her adrenaline levels have crashed, so they will put her to sleep beside me. 

Once Sammy is out of my room, I finally give up and stop fighting the tiredness in my body. I just need a bit of rest.

It is cold and dark, and I am lost and frightened. I am sweating, and the hairs on the back of my neck are rising. Something is lurking; I can feel the beast about to pounce on me. Suddenly, a little hand holds mine.

"Evelyn?"

"Ava, is that you? Oh, my sweet baby, I am so sorry I failed you!"

"Evelyn, I am fine. I am happy and free here. Look, Mommy is with me, and now we have a new friend. She said she knows you."

Weirdly enough, when I turned around to face the person Ava was referring to, I noticed that everything around us had changed. Now, it is a glorious, sunny day, and we are in a field full of wildflowers. There is so many colors here.

Mom, Ava, and Maddy are smiling and bringing me into a group hug.

"Look for the good dragon; he will protect Sammy!" says Maddy.

They start vanishing, but I want to stay with them, "no, please don't go!"

I am back in the dark cave, and now I can feel a warm breath behind my neck. "Hi, sweetheart. Are you OK?"

I try to jump up my bed, my eyes wide open as I gasp for air.

"Hey, hey, calm down, sweetheart. You are safe. You are in the hospital," says a woman who is evidently a nurse, but if she used that endearment one more time, I will vomit.

"Stop, please, need a minute," is the only thing I can blurt out of my mouth that feels raspy and dry.

"Oh, sure, let me call the doctor so he can examine you. You have been out for almost 24 hours."

Wait, 24 hours? Where is Sammy? 

I guess the nurse understood my frantic reaction because she immediately changed to a soothing tone.

"Your little girl is better. Your friend came and is talking with her outside. I will ask them to come right after the doctor speaks with you."

A tall, skinny guy walked through the door as if summoned by her words. In a very technical and sanitized, unemotional voice, the doctor went through the list of my injuries. From lacerations and bruises across my body to a fractured wrist, two cracked ribs, and a mild concussion.

That last one scares me. Without anyone at this hospital having my previous medical records, I wouldn't know how much damage this concussion can cause. The doctor commented he would request a CT scan and some painkillers and that if I was still OK after another 24 hours of observation, he would sign my discharge papers.

I need to call Olson to inform him what happened. I might also need to change my annual visit to the Brain Injury Institute, where Dr. Sullivan treats me, and see if he can see me sooner. 

But for now, I will take it day by day. Maybe the concussion was mild enough that it didn't mess me up as much. 

I need to be strong and ready so nobody can question that I am fit to keep Samantha for a few months until I help find her a safe, loving family. 

I could adopt her; God knows I have come to love her these past months. But my two-year rotation style is not what a kid this age needs. I can not stay in one place for too long. The dragon will find me, and I can't let him hurt Sammy. 

He already took too much from me.

Before I can cause my headache to become a migraine from all the thinking I am doing at a light-speed rate, I hear a knock on the door. The door opens slightly, and I can see Carla, the DCF social worker whom I befriended last year during a seminar, coming in with Sammy in her arms.

"Alexia, I am sorry!" says poor Sammy, who looks lost and fragile.

"Come here, my sweet girl. I am the one who is sorry I couldn't protect you better. I promise you that you will not be alone," I purposely look into Carla's eyes while saying this.

She needs to help me secure temporary custody of this child before DCF puts her in the foster system. Sammy is already terrified and traumatized from seeing her mom's murder. She doesn't need to be shoved in a chaotic new scenario.

I painfully scoot my body a little, creating enough space for Sammy to lie with me in the bed.

"Carla, talk to the doctors. She stays with me until I am let out, and you are the only one allowed to be in this room."

"I already explained the situation to the authorities and the hospital administration. I am just glad you are awake. Never thought becoming your friend would be such a wild ride. Are you sure you are not an MMA fighter in disguise?"

I appreciate Carla's attempt at making this a bit lighter. It is a challenging situation; in reality, we are not this close for her to feel obligated to help. 

She is a good woman, and I am glad we crossed paths. I am really hoping she can help me for Samantha's sake.