Ties (Book 1)

23. Foresaw

It was a Wednesday morning, and I woke up on the edge of my mother's hospital bed. I had pulled up a chair beside her and held her hand, as I talked to her. I looked at her for hours, just waiting for any kind of movement, but nothing happened. I cried and laid my head alongside her leg. It was almost a routine to cry myself to sleep.

When I stirred awake, I decided I could sleep more, so I placed my head back on the bed. A few seconds later, I felt something crawl on my arm. As a first instinct, I swatted at my arm quickly. I stood up and looked at the floor, in search of a spider or any kind of arthropod. I sat back on my chair with my legs to my chest; if the creature decided to come back, I would not let it crawl back on me. After looking around for another minute, I looked back at my mom, and she was staring at me with humor in her eyes.

My stomach dropped, and the blood drained from my face. I must be asleep. She was awake... and smiling. "Mom?"

"Water," she croaked after a beat.

I stood from my chair, carefully looking for the creature, as I made my way to pour water from a jug. I grabbed the plastic cup and helped my mother take small sips from it. "How do you feel? Do you remember what happened? Do you know who I am? Do you know where you're at?" I bombarded her with questions.

"Take a breath, May." Phew, at least she remembers me. "I feel... All right, under the circumstances. And I do... remember," her voice drops, and her eyes sadden.

Now she knew who she had married and what he was capable of. But seeing the sorrow in her eyes brought tears in to my own eyes. "I lied to the police officer," I said meekly.

"Lied about what, Mackenzie?"

"I told him that you slipped and fell back, not that... That you were pushed."

Her mouth gaped open in surprise. "I would have thought that you, of all people, would have tried your hardest to ruin... your father." The pain was evident in her voice; his name and anything synonyms to him was like poison in her mouth.

"I wanted to," I admitted. "But he begged, he was at my mercy. Crying at my feet, broken and defeated." I could picture his disheveled frame, next to my bed, with tear streaked cheeks... The rarest thing I had ever seen.

"And where is he now?" My mother snapped me out of my mind trip.

"He's probably home right now." There was no point in stalling from telling her the truth. "I forced him to get help." Her brow furrowed. "I hardly see him though; I'm here most of the time, and he works." I answer everything in a very matter-of-fact way.

"He never visited?"

I felt like I was torturing her with my words, so I had to change tact to ease her pain. "I don't think he could manage seeing you on the verge of death. He lost his mind, but he loves you and regrets what he did to you." The only reason I was trying to make him seem not so bad was for my mom, to break her heart a little less. "You were on the floor, and there was so much blood around you; it scared us beyond belief. When you fell, he became aware of his actions; he looked despaired and tormented at the sight of you, all bloody and unmoving."

"How... How is he?"

I shrug my shoulders. "We don't speak much. But whenever we meet up at home, I notice the bags under his eyes, and he looks thinner."

"Like you?" She shot me a pointed look.

I felt a little dizzy under her scrutiny; her gaze made me squirm nervously. "I eat..." Well at least once a day. "And I sleep enough."

"Don't lie to me. You look pale and fragile."

"You don't look too good yourself." She gave me that mom look that's between a scowl and are-you-serious. "Okay so maybe... you have an excuse. But I couldn't really make myself eat... Living everyday with the uncertainty of whether you were going to wake up or not." She was really awake, and her brain was functioning properly. She remembered everything; unlike in movies where they forget everyone... I hated those movies.

I buried my face against her stomach, as my arms wrapped around her waist and sobbed. It really dawned on me that she was out of the comatose state, making me cry more.

"I'm fine, dear. Don't cry now." My mother tried to alleviate my sorrow. But I think I was mostly crying like a little baby out of relief and gratitude. God was good to me. He gave us yet another chance to mend our improving relationship. I didn't know what was to happen with my father at that moment, but I foresaw a change.

________________________

She's awake! What's going to happen to Nick and Élisabeth's relationship???

Sorry it took a while for me to post something! Read on.