Success Is the Best Revenge {Book 1} **Watty Awards 2012**

Chapter 18: The Bomb Drops

We had stayed at the hospital for about an hour just sitting and talking with Bridget. She was still acting rather strange, even when we were about to leave.

"Leaving so soon?" She asked sadly.

"Yeah. The twins seem to be getting restless."

"Oh." She gazed out of the window and then looked at me. "Are you guys coming back?"

"Yeah, we will tomorrow. You need your rest. Anxiety attacks are no joke."

"Right...anxiety attacks. Well hey! When you guys come back, I should be feeling a lot better. "

"I hope so." I picked up Devry and he started crying, reaching for Bridget. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and almost dropped him.

"Awww." She said frowning. She noticed the pained expression on my face. "Alea, you know he can stay with me. You really don't look so good."

"No, I'm fine. They probably won't allow it anyway. You need to gain your strength back."

"Mama, what's an anxiety attack?" Ryan asked.

"Well it's like my body was really tired and it went to sleep before I could find a bed." Bridget said, as if she were telling a fairytale.

"Oh. Why don't you take your vitamins to make you feel better?" Ryan asked.

She looked over at me. She didn't know that Chris had showed me her "vitamins".

"Um, I don't think vitamins will work this time, sweetheart." She said, scratching her wrist.

"Bridget you alright?" I looked more closely at her risk and noticed there were several marks on it. Had she been cutting herself? Or was it from the needles?

"Yes, I'm fine." She said nervously, slowly moving her hand away from her wrist.

"OK? Well, we're going to go."

"Alright, love you all. Goodbye. Thank you again Alea." She seemed to rush us out.

I looked back weirdly at her. "Bye Bridget. Feel better soon."

"I saw mommy!" Tamara said, pulling on my arm.

"Be careful sweetie. I'm holding Devry." I said, struggling to keep from dropping him. I wonder where that random stomach pain came from.

Ryan seemed rather quiet on the way to the car,

"Ryan, are you alright?"

He looked at me and nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Are we going to get some lunch?"

"Yeah. What do you want?" I said, opening the door so the kids could get in.

"McDonald's would be fine." He got in.

I put Devry in his car seat and helped the twins get buckled in. I got in.

"Alright, to McDonald's we go." I said, starting up the car.

"Is my mom going to be OK?" Chris asked quietly.

"Of course she is." I tried to believe my own words.

"When is she coming back?"

"I'm not sure. As soon as she's rested up and the doctors say she can go home, she'll be back."

"Stop asking about her Chris, she'll come back when she feels like it." Ryan said bitterly.

"I just want to know." Chris said.