Our Hope

45 - Hope

"Colton Donaldson?" She woke to the black deputy searching through the crowd. "There he is." He pointed at Cole. He had remained laying on the floor with his head rested in her lap. His eyes were open, and he stared up at the ceiling.

"Don't worry Cole, everything is gonna be OK. Your Uncle Timmy is here," His disheveled uncle appeared from around the corner, wearing black jeans and a wrinkled black long-sleeve collared shirt. He lowered himself and hugged Cole. Cole did not stop staring not even when his uncle arrived.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Jackson," the deputy startled her. A hologram of the judge that presided over their divorce trial stood in front of them. She rose and dragged Cole up with her.

The judge stated," I wish I was her under different circumstances but that is not the case. I am sorry for your loss."

She paused for a minute and bowed her head. Cole would not stand on his and she had to lay him on the ground like before.

"Now, let's get to the reason we are all here. I read through Julie and Michael's Last Will and Testament and they requested for Cole to be placed in the custody of Dr. and Mrs. Anderson and I only go against the parents wishes, if there has been a major change to his current living conditions, like his parents dying while living in the same conditions, and I believe that Colton staying with a different person would be beneficial to him."

The judge shifted toward Hopes family and asked, "Please tell me why I should place Colton in your custody?"

Hope expected her mother to speak yet she drifted off and missed the question.

"Angie.?" her dad shouted and repositioned himself to speak for them when her mom recovered.

"The reason you must put Colton in our custody, is because we are his real family." She used her hand to encircle the four of them. "Me, my husband, Cole, and Hope. Always have been. We spend every minute of every day together and we swore to his parents that if anything ever happened to them, we would take care of Cole. Also, he has just been through hell and is going to need us around to help him recover., His mother is my best friend."

Her mom began crying again and Hope understood that she had over-exerted herself with that statement. Her father moved closer and lowered her back down to the floor.

The judge stated, "Thank you, for your statement Mrs. Anderson." Then she shifted toward Cole's uncle. "Timothy, please tell me why I should place Cole in your custody."

Dr. Bettencourt moved into the spot where her family stood a few moments ago. When did he get here?

"Because I am his closest family member and I had warned my brother about the dangers of working with Space Travel and Bettencourt. Enterprises, we knew something like this would happen, and if they would have listened to me, they would still be alive. Also, I promise that if you place Cole in my custody, I will do everything I can to keep him safe."

The judge said, "Thank you for your statement." Then she addressed everyone. "OK. I will need some time to deliberate my decision. Do not worry, I understand to urgency of your predicament."

Her hologram disappeared. And all of them waited there in silence.

She considered the different ways this could play.

Her father blurted out, "We forgot to mention that he is a former drug-addict."

She had thought about saying that before she appeared.

The judge's hologram appeared a few minutes later.

Her father raised her hand.

"Do you have more to add?"

"Yes. We did not mention that Timothy was a former drug addict and spent time in rehab."

"Yes. I am aware. I read through his file before we began."

The judge faced Hope's family and said, "While, I agree with the parents believing that you are the best people to raise Colton..."

The judge shifted and faced Timothy. "I also believe that his safety and livelihood takes precedence over that, which is why I am ruling in favor of Colton staying with his uncle Timothy."

He got to her feet, eye to eye with the judge. "No!" you can't! He won't let him go to Mars!"

"I am sorry Hope, but that is my final decision. Again, I wish we had met under different circumstances. Now, I have to go. I have a busy day."

The judge's hologram disappeared.

Hope said to Dr. Bettencourt who still waited next to her, "Please you have to help. We're your top students! You cannot let Cole go with his uncle! He hates everything about you and Mars. He will never allow Cole to go."

Dr. Bettencourt said, "Hope, I wish I could help. I already asked my lawyers and there's nothing I can do to stop this. I understand your concerns with his immediate family, yet this is a battle you cannot win. If you get in the way and get physical. They will put you in jail on Earth. We still need you on Mars and when Cole can join us, he will need you there too.""

"Dr. Bettencourt!" A woman called out from around the corner. "Stephen, help me!"

He hurried to assist that person.

Hope fell back down next to Cole and shouted, "Cole," she clapped her hands in front of his face. "Snap out of it!"

His eyes were still open but did not respond to her attempts.

Then she declared "I want to stay with him."

"Stay where?" Her father said, "He's right. We can't stay here, he gestured at the docking station. "And going back to Earth will not change what's happening with Cole. Our future is still on Mars."

Hope tried her mom, "Mom! What do you think?"

"I feel the same way you do, but your dad's right. We must keep going. We can't stop now."

"To hell with all of you." She yelled. "We can't leave him!"

She slumped on the ground and returned to her position next to Cole against the wall. She lifted him off the ground, put her arm around him, pulled him closer, and kissed the top of his head.

"I love you," she whispered into his ear, "I have always loved you."

Cole did not react; his eyes were open. He was sullen with slouched shoulders.

Her parents sat back down next to them. She continued fighting for him. "We can't leave him! He's going to need his real family."

She remembered what happened and cried again, pressing her face against his shoulder. She was a mess, dealing with losing them, and they were not her parents. He must be devastated.

He used to space out a lot during the strenuous trials. "I know you are going through hell but I'm still here." She placed her forehead against his and said, "They're taking you back to Earth with your uncle. We don't have much time. Please snap out of it for me."

She paused, but no response. She grew desperate. She remembered all the times she woke in the middle of the night, scared, terrified by horrible nightmares, he was always there to calm her down and joke with her She could not fathom living without him.

"Please give me a sign...something, so I know you're still there."

She waited, nothing.

Then he squeezed her hand.

She grinned, momentarily. He was still there somewhere.