Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty
Meanwhile in Florida, Doctor Johnson and the other Doctors did all they could to help the woman who got in the car accident. When she fell into a coma they knew there was nothing more they could do. She is in god's hands now.
"Did anyone call Annabelle's family?" Doctor Johnson questioned, as they began cleaning up. Brenda, a fellow doctor shrugged her shoulders.
"I had Lorelei do it but I don't know if she was able to get in contact with them or not because I've been busy with Annabelle."
"Alright I will go check," Doctor Johnson replied, and he walked out of the room and headed into the lobby to the hospital where the receptionist, Lorelei could be found. When he got there she looked up at him curiously.
"Hey Lorelei, were you able to contact any of Annabelle's family?"
"The only family I was able to find was her eight year old daughter. A friend of hers was watching her while she was at work. Her friend is named Rachael and I directed her toward the waiting room. Rachael has explained to me that her parents were murdered in an earthquake a year ago. Rachael is a childhood friend and is all she has."
"What waiting room?" Doctor Johnson asked, his heart immediately going out to Annabelle when hearing about her parents. He knows all too well what that's like.
"The one right down the hall." Doctor Johnson nodded and then turned and headed for the waiting room to deliver the news to Rachael that he really doesn't want to deliver — this right here has got to be the worst part of his job. At least she isn't dead…but he can't make her any promises. This one is out of his hands and it makes him feel so powerless — almost like how he felt when he tried to save his sister…
~FLASHBACK~
"Steve I am going to go pick up your father from work alright? Your sister is outside playing in the Tree House. I want you to keep an eye on her for me okay? It looks like it's going to rain, so as soon as it does I want her in the house. That cold she had may not be gone yet."
"Okay I will."
"Brandon is down the hall — he is grounded and has been trying to sneak out of the house all day so you'll need to watch him too." She added.
"Alright I'll take care of it. Love you Mom."
"Love you too," She replied, and she left the room to go retrieve her keys and it wasn't long until she left the house. Steven looked back at his computer screen and he finished reading the last of the page that he was reading. When he finished, he got up and walked down the hall to Brandon's room to find his little brother — the trouble maker, putting a pillow under his covers — most likely to make it look like he's under them and asleep. Steven rolled his eyes.
"The old pillow under the covers trick, Eh Bran?" Brandon jumped a little, as he didn't expect to find his older brother standing there watching him. He looked back at him and Steven was standing there watching him in amusement.
"Just cover for me okay? I told Lindsey that I would meet her at the lake."
"No can do little brother. If you haven't noticed, it's about to storm. AND, that's never going to work."
"That is so unfair! Why are you always sucking up to them? Why can't you be on my side JUST this once?" Steven rolled his eyes.
"It's about to storm Bran, otherwise I would. You aren't going anywhere, got it? So you might as well go make yourself comfortable in front of the TV…you are going to be doing a lot of that. Meanwhile, I'm going to go see if I can bribe Kayline into the house with some cookies or something." Brandon scowled and then stormed out of the room to go downstairs to the living room where the TV was and Steven shook his head and turned to follow him. When they were downstairs, he went outside into the backyard where he noticed his sister through the tree house window. He smiled a little bit and then went on over to it. He climbed the ladder. When he got up there he went inside and he smiled a little as he noticed her setting up the little table for a tea party — she has all of her bears and dolls seated around it and she's dressed up in a red dress and colorful pearls.
"HI Stevie. Are you here to have a tea party with me?" She asked, smiling big when she noticed him.
"Not right now sweetie, we need to get you inside the house. It's going to storm soon." Kayline frowned a little.
"Not until me and the bears have our tea party," She insisted stubbornly.
"No Kaylie I am serious. If we don't go inside we are going to be caught out here in the storm."
"But…"
"Come on honey, I'll give you some cookies if you come in. We'll play tea party in the house, how about that?" He offered, and he scooped her up into his arms without waiting for an answer, as he noticed the wind outside was getting heavier by the minute. He started to carry her toward the ladder when suddenly he was stopped.
"WAIT!!!" She shouted in a panicked voice.
"What? What is it?"
"We can'ts leave teddy out here in the storm! Stevie you HAVES to get him!"
"Alright, alright, I will get him." He reassured her, and he turned and went back to the table. He grabbed her favorite teddy bear and handed him to her. She hugged it close to her and he carried her back to the ladder. When he got there, he began climbing down it.
"Hold onto me tight Kaylie."
"Kay," She replied, and she did as told and held on tight as he climbed down. When he reached the ground he looked around and noticed for the first time, that there was a tornado in the distance and that there are stuff flying all over the place.
"Oh SHIT!" He shouted, and he began running toward the house with Kaylie holding on tight.
"Stevie what? What is it, what is it?" She asked, becoming scared. Suddenly Brandon appeared at the door and looked just as panicked.
"STEVE HURRY AND GET IN HERE! A TORNADO WARNING JUST CAME ON THE TV!" He shouted.
"I know Brandon, I see it!" Steve replied, and he continued running. Suddenly he noticed a piece of car part flying toward him. Steve dodged it, narrowly missing it and Kaylie screamed shrilly and began crying.
"It's okay, Its okay sweetie I've got you." He promised her and when he finally got to the house, Brandon grabbed him by the hand and pulled him in. He slammed the door shut and Steve ran toward the basement.
"Come on Brandon lets go!" Brandon obediently followed, as he saw that the tornado was just right outside the house now. He ran into the basement after his brother, slamming that door shut too and they ran down the stairs. Steve grabbed him by the arm, threw him to the ground, and dove down beside him, being careful not to hurt Kaylie. He placed her underneath him and he pulled Brandon near and covered him also, just on time as something came flying at the small window to the basement, completely shattering it.
~END OF FLASHBACK~
Doctor Johnson wiped his tears from his eyes and waited a few moments until he could gather himself and make himself look presentable. When he was, he pushed open the door to the waiting room and went inside to find Rachael sitting there waiting patiently, tears streaming down her cheeks and worry in her tired eyes. There is an eight year old girl lying huddled up in a chair next to her asleep — an eight year old girl, who coincidentally, almost looks like his own seven year old baby sister. His seven year old baby sister who by now would have been nineteen.
"Hi…Rachael?"
"Yeah that's me…" Rachael replied, sitting up slightly, and she wiped at her teary brown eyes.
"Hi I'm Doctor Johnson…and I was working on your friend." Doctor Johnson began.
"Is…Is she going to be okay?" Doctor Johnson sighed heavily, ran his fingers through his hair nervously, and he went over and sat on the coffee table in front of her, as he began explaining to her what's going on.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, everybody was still sitting around in the living room at the Littrell House talking, when suddenly Kori's cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and took a look at it to see that it's the last person she wants to talk to — her ex boyfriend. Kori groaned and looked over at Spencer who is sitting on the floor with Elenore and the two of them are playing with Lil' Rok. They played Mouse Trap, and then the kids all came downstairs to see what the grownups are doing. Sarah is snuggling in Ashley's lap, Ryan is sitting next to Howie with his arm linked with his and he is glaring over at Elenore, and Josh is sitting in Brian's lap half asleep because he was playing with his hair and slowly rubbing his finger over his eyebrows. Kori got up and went outside in the backyard and Wiley got up and followed her protectively. There is no way in hell he is letting her go anywhere alone. Ashley isn't the only one Sean is after, and from the looks of things, she's not very happy about this call. When she got outside and the door was closed, she opened the phone and placed it to her ear.
"What do you want? I can't even go over a hundred miles away and get away from you?"
"You had a son with me…I'm afraid you are forever tied to me, Kori." Scott replied, and she can just tell that he is smirking on the other end.
"That can be changed you know," Kori threatened. "And lets get something straight here Scott. I didn't have Spencer with you. You didn't want any part of him remember?" She added, as she felt Wiley wrap his arms around her from behind and rest his chin on her shoulder.
"Yeah and we have already established that I was young and stupid…I've grown up now and I want everything apart of him." Kori rolled her eyes.
"Is there a point to this phone call, or did you just call to argue with me?"
"Actually I just called to talk to our son, I don't even want to talk to you."
"Weeell that's not happening," Kori replied stubbornly.
"Kori you two are over a hundred miles away! If I can't just drop in and see him, the least you can do is let me talk to him over the fucking phone! Are you really that selfish?"
"I'm the selfish one here? Oh don't even get me started on that, Scott."
"Just let me talk to Spencer."
"I told you, it's not happening."
"If you don't let me talk to him, I'll drive all the way up there and show up at the door. I know you don't want that." Kori growled in a low tone. "What's it going to be Kor?"
"You are an asshole."
"Maybe so, but I'm an asshole who wants a relationship with my little boy." Kori sighed heavily, and then lightly pushed Wiley away, before going back inside the house. When she got in there, everybody looked at her — including Spencer.
"Hi Momma, what were you two doing outside?"
"Scott wants to talk to you on the phone baby…are you up for it?" Spencer's eyes grew big in excitement.
"Yeah! I wanna talks to him!" Kori brought the phone over to him and handed it over reluctantly. He placed the phone to his ear then.
"Hi Scott! Guess what! We're in Kentucky!"
"Yeah, I heard buddy, that's great." Scott replied, smiling some at the little boy's excitement. "What are you up to?"
"Nothing much right now. My friend Ellie an' I are playin' with her puppy Lil Rok!"
"The pug right?"
"Uh-huhs!"
"Wow, I remembered! It's a challenge trying to keep all of those puppies straight y'all got so many."
"Lil' Rok is the pug, Chance is the hyper golden retriever, Lily an' Tyke are the Chihuahuas, an' Abbie is the westie!" Spencer explained.
"Ohhh I see. So what all did you do today?"
"We went shopping at the store, and then we went walking around town an' Brian and Kevin showed us all of the schools, and fun places that they went to when they were little! An' AJ gave us lots of candy." Spencer explained excitedly. "AND we played jump rope too! An' Josh an' I played soccer."
"Well it sounds like you are having a lot of fun."
"I am, but I miss you. I wish you were here to plays soccer with us. You are good ats it." Tears rolled down Kori's face at those words, as she had been sitting there listening to her son talk to his father, and she got up and walked back out into the backyard. Wiley sighed and then followed her.
"Aww…well I miss you too buddy. But guess what?"
"What??"
"When you get back I am going to take you to a football game. Would you like that?"
"Momma says that Kevin and Nick have to come with us."
"Yeah I know, but that will just make it a whole lot more fun right? The more the merrier," Scott replied, while rolling his eyes some.
"Uh-huhs! Kevin and Nick are fun."
"I bet they are."
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kori what's the matter?" Wiley asked when he got outside, and he found Kori sitting on the swing out in the yard hugging her legs to her chest and she has her face buried in her lap. He went over and sat next to her, and he wrapped his arms around her, causing her to sink into his embrace.
"Scott is what the matter is," Kori replied, rubbing her eyes in attempt to make the tears stop falling. "I hate him Wi, I really do."
"I know you do darling, but he is Spencer's father…and he loves him. It's only right that you let him get to know him…"
"That's the problem, I don't want him to love him. How do you know he's not going to hurt him in some way? I don't trust him."
"He seems determined to get to know him, love," Wiley replied gently, and he rubbed his hand over Kori's arm, as he felt her shivering, and he pulled her closer to him, causing her to rest her head against his chest. "And I've seen the way he is with him…at the orphanage remember? When he stopped by unexpected? I have to admit he was really good and careful around him. I think he's serious about wanting a relationship with him."
"I guess…" Kori replied softly. "I just want what's best for Spencer."
"I know you do, and that is why I think you should let him get to know his father…and if things go great between the two of them, you should tell him who he is." Wiley explained gently. "But that is just my opinion. He's your son it's all up to you." Kori didn't reply, she only rested her head against his shoulder and looked up at the sky, as did he and they noticed the stars for the first time, and how easy it is to see them.
"Oh wow…how beautiful," Kori gasped.
"Mhm…" Wiley replied softly, though he wasn't looking up at the stars, he was looking down at her. "They are lovely." After a few moments, Kori looked up at him to find him already staring back down at her and she placed her hand to his cheek and gently caressed it.
"Are you even looking up at the stars?" She asked, a small smile on her face.
"Why do I need to do that, when I have you to look at?" He asked honestly, making Kori feel like she's going to melt. She stared up into his eyes for a few moments, and then she pulled his lips down onto hers in a soft kiss. She brushed hers lightly over his, as he enveloped her in his arms and kissed her back much deeper. After a few long moments, he realized what is happening and he pulled back from their passionate kiss breathing heavily.
"No…No… we can't do this," he insisted, shaking his head. "Ashley's blessing…we need her blessing first." Kori scowled.
"Screw Ashley…" She insisted, and she leaned up to kiss him again, only to have him pull further away.
"No…you don't mean that. You and I both know it's important for your sister to be okay with this."
"She'll be okay with it in time…I can't wait Wiley…"
"Yes you can, because I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
"But…"
"I'll work on it. I'll work on getting her blessing…I'll work on getting her to trust me. I promise." Kori looked up into his eyes eagerly for a few moments and then sighed, as she pulled away from him and she hugged her legs to her chest. She knows he is right. She knows she wants it more than anything for her sister to like the man she loves. It's important to her. She looked up at the stars again, and Wiley scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her, before kissing her forehead, and he whispered softly in her ear.
"I love you." Kori sunk into his arms weakly, and rested her head against his shoulder again, as she gazed up at the stars. How romantic is this…she and Wiley under the stars…sharing their first kiss — well, their first kiss that begins their relationship. She hopes he works really hard on winning Ashley's trust, because there isn't anyone she wants to be with more, then him.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
