My-Serendipity.net - Echoes in the Silence

The children slept while Melissa tried to regain control of her body and emotions. Each time her thoughts went to Kona, hurt and trapped in the truck. Each time the dry heaves returned. In the end, exhaustion helped her to remain in bed, quickly becoming too weak to run for the bathroom. Sitting as she had when the kids had fallen asleep, she pulled her knees tightly against her chest and winced. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, it hurt to think but she needed to do all those things if she were going to get through this, whatever ‘this’ was.

Possibilities swam through her head like trapped fish in a cloudy tank. The yeller wasn’t the father and certainly not above violence. He had the kids before and then took her – but why? Did he recognize her and see an opportunity? Would Hayden be presented with a ransom demand or was it simply a case of chance? How did the kids fit in? Was it a custody battle gone badly or was it something far darker? Of all the things she couldn’t decide on, two were crystal clear and asleep across the room. They needed someone on their side. Right now, that was her.

Patting at her pants, she took stock of what she had, which wasn’t much. A twenty dollar bill folded up into the waistband pocket of her utility khaki’s. Designed to hold a key, she’d always put her emergency money there, not like it was enough to do much more than buy gas should she run out. The pocket on her right thigh held a small spiral bound notepad and a pencil, meant for jotting down notes when she was paged by Karen. In her left pocket was a tie-dyed bandana that she’d permanently borrowed from Eric on a search a few years ago. It had done everything from tie back her hair to tourniquet injuries.

Then, she spied her fingers.

Small slices had marred her hands, accident related she guessed, but her wedding ring remained unscathed and glistening from the sunlight peeking through the window. Had he seen it when he’d brought her in? Would he notice if it were gone? If he knew who she was, she reasoned, the ring would make no difference, but if he didn’t, she wanted it safely hidden. Removing it took some work over her swollen knuckle, but it finally came free. Wrapping it inside of the folded twenty, she zipped it carefully back into the hidden pocket. She had never had it off since the day Hayden placed it on her finger and almost instantly regretted the decision but before she could reverse it, the baby stirred.

As she suspected, the movement woke up the sister who immediately looked to where Melissa had promised to stay, looking relieved to find her there. "You stayed awake."

"I promised," Melissa tried to smile but it just wasn’t in her. "Would you like me to get the water hot so you can make a bottle for your brother?" The little girl nodded and watched carefully as she held her ribs walking to the bathroom. She ran the water and returned without a word, hearing more than seeing the little girl change the baby’s diaper, get a bottle ready and return when it was warm.

"You look sad," the girl offered while her brother drank. "You didn’t look sad when I went to sleep."

What do you say to a girl so young under such vague circumstances? The truth had worked so far and it required less thinking, so she went with that. "I remembered what happened before he hit me," she said softly. "I’ve been thinking about my family. I love them and I’m worried about them."

"Do you think they’re worried about you?" There is beauty in innocence. Melissa just nodded, trying not to dwell on how Hayden must be feeling right now, out of the country and not able to reach her. Did he know something was wrong? Did anyone? Who had told him? Had he come home? Had someone found her truck and…no, she couldn’t go there. "I know my Mommy is. She’ll look for us. She’ll come, I know she will." Looking at her brother for a minute, she looked back to Melissa. "Do you have a mommy?"

Hayden and Kona had filled her thoughts so completely that she hadn’t gone any further into her heartache. Swallowing hard she choked out "Yes, I do. She’s a nurse."

"Does she give shots?"

That lightened the mood a bit. "I’ve never really thought about it, but I’m sure she does."

"I hate shots."

"Me too."

They sat in silence again. Melissa back inside her head, wondering how she could play the hand she’d been dealt. The little girl watched as her brother ate before she spoke again. "What’s a good stranger?"

It had seemed self explanatory when she’d described herself that way, but to a small girl, apparently it wasn’t. "A good stranger is someone you don’t know but that you can trust," she explained. "They are someone who will keep you safe and try to help. When your mom told you not to talk to strangers, did she tell you it was ok to talk to a fireman or a police officer? They are good strangers."

"You’re a fireman?"

"No, but my brother is," she sighed at the thought of Eric. "I’m not a police officer either, but I have a partner and together we help the police and the firemen." The wheels were turning as her young mind digested the words. "Did your mom tell you anything else about bad strangers?"

"Yes. She said to yell as loud as I could if anyone tried to make me go with them," her voice dropped to a whisper. "I did that but…" The sniffle preceded the first tear and Melissa’s heart broke even more. These two had been ripped away from their life as she had. They were all in the same boat and no one seemed to have an oar.

Moving to her knees on the floor, Melissa scooted slowly toward the pair, giving them time to signal her to stop if it was unwanted. When she reached the other bed the sad hazel eyes rained with tears onto the baby playing with his bottle. "You yelled as loud as you could?" Without looking up the blonde head nodded. "Then you did your very best and that’s what’s important."

"You’re a good stranger." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes."

Puffy, red eyes looked up then to plead to Melissa with tears racing down her rosy cheeks. "I wanna go home. I want my mommy."

Very gently she lifted the baby from his place in his sister’s lap without protest and laid him next to her on the bed, still intrigued with his bottle. Melissa held out her arms the small body flung into their waiting embrace and sobbed. Stroking her hair she tried to soothe her while fighting the urge to join in her sadness. It was in that moment that Melissa’s heart spoke without consulting her head, when it committed her to a course of action that didn’t exist. "I promise you sweetheart, I will get you and your brother back to your Mommy."

If there had been any way to back out, they would have been lost, cancelled out by the hope in the little girls eyes when she pulled back to look at Melissa’s face. "Really?"

"Well, I don’t know how yet, but we’ll figure it out together. I know I’m not your mommy, but I’ll look out for you and your brother, if you’ll let me."

"Like a big sister?"

"Yes, just like a big sister. Is that ok?"

With a tiny nod, the girl was holding onto Melissa like her life depended on it and there was a part of her newly appointed protector that wondered if that wasn’t exactly the case.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the University Veterinary hospital, Kona’s family waited for her to come out of surgery, anxious for word that she was going to be ok. Eric held onto Beth’s hand, their fingers entwined. Hayden absentmindedly twisted his bracelet while Tove watched. For as many times as he wondered what was going through his brother’s mind, his own recalled the party and Melissa. The way she felt, the way she looked, even the way she smelled brought him comfort. He was the last to see her, to talk to her, to touch her. His brother didn’t have that and no matter how often he wished for it, there wasn’t a way to transfer those moments to him.

Dr. Taylor walked out soon after, his resident by his side, both meeting an already in motion Hayden. "How is she?"

"She’s going to be just fine," he smiled, not only at the news but at the collective sigh in the room. "It will be a while before she’s on her feet again, independently anyway. She had a fair amount of damage and it will take time and patience to heal her up, but I think she’s got a lot of love and motivation in her corner. I want her to spend the night and then you can take her tomorrow. Where are you staying?"

"We’ve been staying in Port Huron, but nothing closer…yet." Eric answered.

"Can I see her?" Hayden couldn’t bear details until he saw her and the doctor seemed to understand that.

"She’s still under the effects of the anesthesia but I don’t see why not since she’s our resident VIP…and we’ll set something up so you can stay here tonight. I can’t promise comfort, but I get the feeling that she’ll do better with her family here. Miss Pillars will take you back," he nodded to his resident before turning his attention to Beth. "You’re a doctor, correct?"

"Yes, a pediatrician."

"Would it be possible to go over the details with you? You’ll know the best way to relay information to everyone involved and to their level of understanding."

"Of course," she answered looking at Hayden who nodded his approval.

"I’ll call the Ranch," Eric volunteered, "and Karen."

"I’ll call Kate as soon as Dr. Taylor and I are finished," Beth added.

"Is there a contact for campus security you need me to talk with?" Tove asked. "They were great when we arrived, I just want to make sure they know what to expect."

"Motivation in spades," he smiled. "Yes, talk to Reanne at reception. She’ll call them over for you."

Everyone parted as they were becoming accustomed to doing. Hayden walking briskly next to Miss Pillars though the maze of halls and doors. She was mentioning something about what to expect as Kona came too, but it ended up sounding more like a hum thanks to lack of concentration on anything that wasn’t getting to where she was. Good thing it was Beth talking to the doctor and not him.

As they passed through the doors to the large room, all work halted to catch of glimpse of the celebrity in their midst. The tech assigned to Kona introduced herself as Lisa and took over from Miss Pillars. "Don’t be alarmed by what you see Mr. Christensen, she’s really doing very well."

"Please call me Hayden," he smiled at the young student. "I’ve had so many people call me mister the last couple of days that I’ve stopped looking for my dad and now just feel like him."

"Fair enough," she smiled back. "We’ve faxed Kona’s updated records to her regular vet, so they can be ready to take over her care. We’ll send another additional update tomorrow when she leaves. She’s resting right over here." The big dog looked just as she had yesterday in the middle of Esters converted patio complete with blankets and a disappearing IV tube. "Did Roz go over with you what to expect as she wakes up?"

The bashful half smile he gave the tech made her go visibly weak for a fraction of a second. "Heh," he tried to cover, "why don’t you tell me again and this time I’ll try and follow." Being in the same area as Kona helped his concentration and by the time Lisa went on her rounds, he was confident in his ability to not panic if Kona began to act strangely.

"Hey girl," he whispered to her. "I’m here. They got you all fixed up, so just rest. I’m not leaving" and he didn’t. She woke up a while later with her head in his lap and a reassuring smile. One of his girls was safe. Out in the lobby, armed with updates and care instructions, the remaining trio made their calls and began working on plans for the next day.

As the day turned to night and the hospital wound down, they all gathered around Kona while Beth filled Hayden in on what Dr. Taylor outlined and suggested for both the immediate and long term care that was going to be required. She needed stability, constant care, and therapy facilities. Beth knew what she wanted to do, but she needed him to come to the same decision.

He knew they were watching him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, just as sure that they probably didn’t want to know. He held onto Kona with one hand and Melissa with the other as they dangled over a cliff, not strong enough to save either without first letting one go. He was in hell and while he knew what had to be done, admitting it felt like giving up.

They all watched as he ran through scenarios in his head, searching for other options, until only one remained that made sense. "She needs to go home," he spoke softly, knowing all that those words entailed. "I promised her I wouldn’t leave her and I won’t…I can’t. I can’t do this alone."

"You aren’t," Beth choked. "I’ll be with you. You and I are going to drive her home in the morning. Karen’s working on a route."

"Your brother and I are staying here," Eric added. "We’ll make sure everything that can be done, is."

"We won’t stop looking," Tove assured him.

"I can’t ask…" Hayden started but was cut off.

"You aren’t." Eric was kind, but adamant. "She’s your wife, but she’s my baby sister. I promise you…I won’t rest."

"Lean on us," Tove reminded him. "We’re here to help."

Rubbing Kona’s head, he nodded, not trusting his voice once again.

"Thank you," he finally whispered, both to the people who loved them and to the blessing lying against his legs. While his life had suddenly turned into a bad dream, there continued to be these amazing points of light that kept him going.

With the sun long gone and the hospital closed, the overnight crew came on. Lisa opted to remain, looking out for both her patient and her family. A near by dorm brought over cots, another brought over food, the chapel offered a midnight prayer service. Campus security kept the surrounding area clear even after the press release hit the news wire. Melissa, Hayden, and now Kona were the top local news story on every network. No amount of planning was going to make the next day easier.

With everyone settled in for the night, Hayden’s cot remained empty. On the floor, he spooned into Kona, his hand on her chest over the soothing beat of her heart. Together in their slumber, they dreamed of better times to come and wished for happy endings.

Taking a blanket from the unused cot, Lisa carefully draped it over the pair as they slept, genuinely touched by the level of dedication and love rarely displayed so openly. As she vowed to Melissa to protect those she loved for as long as they were in her care, hundreds of miles away the same vow was being whispered to a mother without her children.

Melissa covered the sleeping kids with a second blanket and watched their deep slumbering breaths. "They’re safe with me," she whispered before returning to the other bed. She looked out the window and longed to be back in their hammock under the stars, wrapped in Hayden’s arms. There would be no other dreams for her that night, just the hope that she could make good on her promises.