Chapter 1
"Young Insurance," Michelle's bored voice answered.
"This is Leah Farmer," Leah answered when Michelle transferred the call.
"Give her some room," Cecil ordered as he broke open the vial of smelling salts and waved it under Leah's nose.
"George's Garage, This is John," John breathlessly answered the ringing telephone.
There was no way around it; he was going to have to hire some help. It was becoming overwhelming. Working on cars, answering the telephone, greeting customers, keeping the books. He had no idea how George had done it. And he managed a sometimes quite hectic social life as well.
"Oh, my God no," John moaned into the telephone.
----
The ambulance screamed down I-10, heading toward University Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Inside, the paramedic worked on stabilizing the girl's vital signs.
"Pupils constricted, non-responsive," he said into the data recorder strapped to his upper arm. "Breathing shallow but steady, blood pressure..."
----
The sound of the surf came to Theresa and she actually smiled. In the early dawn, the water was a dark green capped with white foam. A bird called out and she turned to see if she could see the bird in the early morning light.
The overwhelming beauty of the beach lifted her spirits and she raised herself off of the sand and looked all around at the pristine beauty. She laughed aloud and walked into the gentle surf.
"I wish Lilly was here," she murmured as she delighted in the wonderful warmth of the ocean waters.
----
George's truck raced toward UMC. John drove as carefully as he could, but it was hard not to jam his foot to the floorboard of the powerful vehicle. His daughter, his precious daughter was waiting for them.
Leah sobbed and prayed as they barreled down I-10. By the time they pulled into the parking lot of the brown brick building, her sobbing was a keening wail.
----
She felt light, almost floating. She felt happy, an overwhelming happiness enveloped her. The light was dazzling, blinding, but she felt no pain from the blinding light as she looked into it.
----"Flat line, administering adrenaline," Dr. Moorehouse said.
----
Thomas and Britney sat in the noisy front lobby of the hospital and waited. The noise and hubbub around them did not enter their consciousness.
"Be right back; got to pee," Britney whispered and walked to the ladies' restroom.
Thomas woodenly got to his feet and asked the flustered girl behind the thick pane of glass if there had been any news about Mary Farmer.
"What room she in?" the girl asked.
"She's not in any room; they brought her in an hour ago. Got hit by a car?" Thomas asked, trying hard not to get upset.
"Oh, I don't know," the girl said, scanning the ER database.
"Fine, fine," Thomas sighed.
"But I'll let you know anything changes," the girl promised.
"Uh huh," Thomas said. And walked back to his seat.
"Oh, anything?" Britney asked hopefully.
"No, not yet," Thomas mumbled and sat down heavily.
"Thomas, do you believe in God?" Britney asked.
"Yeah, of course I do," Thomas, said.
"Let's pray," Britney begged and grabbed his hand in a fierce grip.
----
Grace Breaux smirked as the two police officers showed up in the doorway of her second period class. They scanned the now murmuring students and locked eyes with her.
"Bye 'Big Bird,'" she heard Hillary Clark snicker as she coolly got to her feet and walked toward the police officers.
She smiled in satisfaction, even though she was sure that her wrist was sprained. Hillary wasn't snickering now as she held a hand to her swelling jaw.
"Yeah, whatever," Grace said as one of the police officers read her her rights and the other handcuffed her.
Chapter 2
"Baby, I hope you can hear me," Leah tearfully whispered to the small girl that lay in the bed.
"We're here, baby," John said and clutched the girl's hand tightly.
"And Thomas and Britney are waiting outside; they've been praying and praying for you," Leah told her.
"Baby, I hope you can hear me," Thomas said as he looked at her bandaged head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't see Grace there, I'm so sorry I wasn't fast enough to save you."
Oddly enough, Mary looked serene, almost peaceful as she lay in the bed.
"I love you so much, I really don't think I can live without you," Britney whispered into Mary's ear. "I know I don't want to."
----
The motel clerk took her money and didn't ask any questions. Theresa took the offered room key and listened to the mumbled instructions on how to find the room she'd rented.
It was reasonably clean and nice and dark and cool. More importantly, there were three clean towels and a couple of small bars of soap.
She stripped out of her tee shirt and bra and shorts and got into the lukewarm spray. It only took a couple of seconds and the lukewarm spray was suddenly scalding hot.
She cursed bitterly; her momentary happiness violently wrested from her by the hot water that threatened to burn her skin. The motel clerk, his pimpled face, loomed in front of her eyes. Theresa blamed him for her discomfort as she hurriedly tried to readjust the taps.
----
She felt so light, almost floating. It was dark all around her, but she was unafraid; there was nothing to fear.
Quiet. It was so quiet as she ebbed and flowed.
"Baby, I love you," Leah whispered to her daughter. "I know I don't tell you that enough. I know I don't tell you how proud of you I am, but I am. I am very proud of you."
She gripped her daughter's hand tightly.
Mary felt something in the darkness, warmth a liquid feeling that enveloped her and she smiled happily.
----
"Eat, eat," Allison encouraged her daughter.
"Not hungry," Britney mumbled.
"Baby, I know you're upset, but you have to eat," Allison encouraged.
"Mom, you don't understand!" Britney screamed and slammed the fork down.
"I bet I understand a lot better than you think I do," Allison said and hugged her daughter tightly, despite Britney's struggling to get free.
