The Search For Shattered Pieces *Complete*

Chapter Two: 30 Degrees and Falling

I was cocooned in warmth.  It was so nice.  As I was used to cold, cold, and more cold, this warm and comforting feeling was very...well, comforting.
"Ms. Crawford...can you hear me?"
Crawford? Who? What?
"Lee...her name, it's Lee.  Well, It's Crawford, but I don't think she'll respond to it, doctor."
What was going on?  Why were these voices disturbing my nice, warm sanctuary? I just wanted to stay here, in this cocoon and maybe pretend that everything would be okay...that I would be okay.
"Ms. Lee...can you hear me? Ms. Lee..."
Lee...Ms. Lee...that was me.  Yes.  My name was Lyra Scarlett Lee.  Someone knew me, they were calling me.  Why were they calling me?  "Why...why...I want to stay on the cloud."
"She's coming out of it, Mrs. Parrish.  Lyra, you need to open your eyes.  Take deep breaths.  You're okay."
I pried my eyes open.  The first thing I saw; a handsome older gentleman.  "Wha—wha—what's going on?" I licked my dry lips.
The handsome man smiled before speaking.  "I'm Dr. Benjamin Stanton.  You're going to be fine, Lyra.  You had a panic attack, followed by an acute asthma attack." He frowned.  "Do you have albuterol on you? Where is your inhaler?"
Huh? My brain felt fuzzy. "Dr?" I asked dumbly.
"That's right," his smile broadened.  "You're going to be fine.  You gave us all a scare."
"Us?" Gah.  I was reduced to speaking like an imbecile again.
"Mrs. Crawford-Parrish was very worried..."
I turned my head to the side, and sure enough Bethany, my father's wife was standing right next to me.  "I'm sorry," I murmured.  I felt monumentally stupid now.  Who the hell had a panic attack over learning they had a new family?
"Oh my, Lyra, don't apologize.  I just want to know if you're okay.  You are okay right? She is okay, right Dr. Stanton?"
Dr. Stanton smiled.  "Yes.  She's going to be fine.  She had a panic attack, Mrs. Crawford, and it acerbated her asthma, her asthma hasn't been watched over...now I don't have to warn you about—"
"—No, you don't" I cut the doctor off.  "It was stupid of me.  I'm usually totally on top of it, Dr, and uh, Bethany.  I have my albuterol and uh, my Azmacort, my preventive, that is, and I even have my treatment, if it gets that far.  Trust me, I'm fine.  I've been, well, distracted lately and I didn't take my Azmacort." I sighed. "Stupid, I know.  It won't again, I promise." I looked between Bethany and Dr. Stanton, and I could tell they weren't 100% convinced that it wouldn't happen again. Well, I was overwhelmed...I'd just have to keep a better "lock" on things from now on.
"Okay, Ms. Lee.  Please, don't hesitate to call me if anything..." he gave me a searching look, "...anything seems to be bothering you."
I nodded. "I will, Dr. Stanton, thank you."
"Thank you, Benjamin.  I don't know what I would have done without you," Bethany gushed.
I watched as Dr. Benjamin Stanton left the room, but not before he tossed a very searching look in my direction.  I quickly looked away and looked up at my new stepmother.  She looked upset, genuinely upset.
"Seriously, I'm sorry if I caused any...problems.  I didn't mean to.  I...well...you took me by surprise when you mentioned...uh..."
"...my sons?" Bethany finished quietly.
"Yeah. Uh, your sons.  I...well...it has been really chaotic and crazy since my mom..." I couldn't finish.  I felt the burn, the sting of tears rush to my eyes and I forced them back.  I wasn't ready to "let this out" with my absent father's wife...my stepmom. 
"I'm so sorry, Lyra, I...I thought Stefan told you."
"Told me what?"
"Well...about..." Bethany sighed, "...about us."
Could this be any more awkward? Probably not.  Should I lie to make her feel better? Should I lie to make myself feel better? What would my mom have done in this situation? "Lyra, trust your heart. Your heart always knows." I sighed.  Thanks mom, that's actually not a huge help. "Uh, well, I didn't know much, well, anything other than mom and dad couldn't make things work.  Uh, they, weren't uhm, capable, I didn't know I had anywhere to go until after my mom's death.  When I tried, uh, well went to settle mom's affairs, I was told that since I wasn't quite legal yet I had to go live with my nearest relative." I snorted.  "I, well I tried to argue with them.  But they produced undisputed proof that I had a legal guardian...a close relative."
"Your father," Bethany
said quietly.
I nodded.  "Yeah." I gathered my thoughts before continuing. "I...everything was gone, the house, and...well...not like we had much, but it was all gone. And the next thing I knew I was on a plane headed here." I laughed, but it was a bitter laugh. "They gave me one of those pins, you know the wing pins...like I was five." I shook off the memory.
    "Lyra...I'm so sorry."
    "For what?" I was genuinely puzzled. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything?"
    Bethany took a seat on the side of the bed. "I didn't, you're right, I didn't do anything. I didnt' ask Stefan what was happening. I didn't ask him if he had told you anything...if he had notified you of what you were going to come...well...into. I just..." She ran a hand through her lush white, blonde locks, "I just trusted him...I just...left it up to him, to deal with, well, everything. I've always left it up to him."
    I bit my lower lip and frowned. I had come here completely anticipating hating my new stepmother. Hell, my father had left my mother for this beautiful, perfect, blonde Barbie. He had left my mom without a backward glance. She had raised me, alone, with nothing. He had never sent a card, a letter...he had never called or left a message. When he left my mom, he had also left me. He had moved on and effectively cut us out of his life. God. I had spent most of my childhood and early teenage-years hating not only my father, but also the woman he had left us for. But now, staring into her doe eyes, I couldn't muster up one ounce of the hatred I had harbored for her all of these years.
    "It's okay...Bethany." I said softly. "I can't imagine that it's easy, well, dealing with a husband and, uh, sons, and then...well...being told you're getting a new stepdaughter." I felt heat crawl up my neck and rush to my cheeks—God, I hated the 'Asian Flush.' It was awful. I couldn't keep anything 'secret,' or even have more than one drink without a horrible red flush taking over the upper part of my chest and infecting my face.
    I gasped when Bethany grabbed my hands and smiled widely at me.
    "You are a treasure, Lyra. I'm so glad you're here."
    "I...okay..." I slowly pulled my hands out of her grasp. I couldn't help it. I was getting really uncomfortable. "So...uh...when is my father coming home? I assume he's at, uh, work?" I watched as Bethany's face fell into a drawn mask. Okaaay, that was...strange.
    "I'm not exactly sure. He said he'd be home by 7:00, but, well, sometimes it's later. It completely depends on last minute meetings and conference calls. Sometimes he has international conference calls...so the hours can be...strange, and difficult."
    I nodded, and swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Well, uh, maybe you could show me the rest of this place?"
    Bethany grinned. "Yes, of course. But are you sure you're up to it?"
    "I had a mild panic attack and slight asthma attack...which, by the way was totally stupid on my part, yeah, I'm fine. And I'd love a tour, if you're up to it." I couldn't help the small smile that spread across my face when Bethany jumped up and began talking a million miles per minute.