Madison's Journey

Chapter 16

“Bill, Bill, I think she’s waking up.” Madison could hear Lisa’s voice as she tried to open her eyes. Her lids were heavy as she struggled to lift them open. “Maddie? Sweetie, are you awake?” Madison felt pressure on her hand as her eyes fluttered open and she focused on Lisa who was sitting beside her. She had tears running down her cheeks.

“Lise…” Madison’s voice was raspy.

“Yes, Maddie, it’s me. Bill’s here too.”

Madison moved her head to try to locate Bill but was met by searing pain. “Ow,” she hissed in shock.

“Sweetheart, don’t move. We’ll get the doctor.” Lisa glanced over at Bill who rushed out of the room.

“Gracie? What happened?” Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled the car barreling towards Grace.

Lisa squeezed Madison’s hand and touched her cheek gently. “She’s okay, Maddie. You saved her.” A wave of relief passed over Madison’s face and she shut her eyes again. “Maddie, honey, you need to stay awake for the doctor. Can you do that?” Lisa’s voice was gentle, and Madison’s eye lids fluttered open again. Lisa was smiling brightly at her, and she tried to smile back but her face and head hurt too much. “That’s great, Maddie. You’ve been sleeping for two days, it’s time to wake up now.” Lisa continued talking to her, trying to keep her awake until the doctor arrived. A few minutes later, Dr. Collins entered the room, a stethoscope around his neck and a great big smile on his face. Bill followed close behind.

“Good morning, sunshine. What beautiful eyes you have!” He started checking the machines. “You gave us quite a scare. You must think you’re Wonder Woman!” Madison smiled, and then winced from the pain. “Careful there, young lady. You have a lot of healing to do.”

“What happened?” Madison’s eyes flashed from the doctor to Lisa.

Dr. Collins was checking her and the machines she was hooked up to as he spoke. “Do you remember anything?”

She shook her head and winced again. “Ow. Just that the car was going to hit Gracie, then nothing.”

Bill stepped towards Lisa and put a hand on her shoulder. “You saved her, Maddie.” Madison gave them a weak smile and laid her eyes back on the doctor, waiting for him to speak.

“Okay, well, you took quite a hit, Madison, but we’ve put you back together, and now it’s just going to take some time to heal.” Madison nodded and looked down at her body. The doctor continued, “You have three broken bones in your arm and a broken wrist, a broken ankle, broken hip, a couple broken ribs,” Madison exhaled as she listened, “and two wounds on your face that required stitches.” Madison released Lisa’s hand and touched the bandages on her face. She looked up at the doctor with concern in her eyes. “Everything will heal. And those scars will fade. You may have a limp, but with physiotherapy you should be almost as good as new.” Dr. Collins smiled at the young girl in the bed. “You’re a lucky young woman, Madison.”

“Thank you.” Madison lifted her good hand towards the doctor who took it and held it tightly for a moment.

“You’re welcome, Madison.” She could see moisture in his eyes as he turned towards the door. “I’ll be back to check on you in a little while. Get some rest.” Madison nodded and her eyes slowly closed.

Madison woke up a little while later, and Bill and Lisa were sitting on either side of her. “Hi.”

Bill smiled and leaned forward in his chair. “Hi yourself. How are you feeling?”

“Sore, tired.”

Bill nodded, still smiling. “I bet.”

Lisa leaned closer to her. “Do you need anything?”

Madison shook her head, then suddenly, she thought of something. Her hand flew up to her neck and she started patting herself. Her panic filled eyes looked at Lisa. “My necklace?”

“It’s here,” Lisa stood up, and grabbed a bag from the closet in the corner of the room. She rummaged through it and pulled out Madison’s elephant necklace.

Madison’s eyes filled with tears, thankful that it hadn’t been lost. “Thank you.” She reached out and took the necklace from Lisa and held it against her heart. Lisa and Bill smiled down at her as the door opened and a young woman, with her hair in a tight bun and wearing a business suit, came walking in.

“Good morning, Lisa, Bill. I heard our heroine here is awake.” The woman stepped close to the bed so that she was in Madison’s line of sight. “Hello, Madison. How are you feeling?” Madison didn’t move her head, instead she just said ouchy, causing everyone in the room to laugh. “I bet. Madison, my name is Kaitlyn Spring. I’m a social worker.” Madison’s eyes went wide. “I’ve been trying to contact your mother but can’t seem to find her. I don’t want to press you too much, but I’m wondering if you know where we can find her.”

Madison closed her eyes. She knew this was coming, and fear grew inside her like venom spreading through its victim. She didn’t know what would happen to her now, but she knew she couldn’t hide it any longer. Opening her eyes and focused them on Ms. Spring, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “Gone.”

All three adults in the room looked at her with raised eyebrows. “What do you mean, gone?” It was Ms. Spring that asked the question.

“She left five months ago.”

A gasp escaped Lisa’s lips as her and her husband exchanged a worried look before focusing back on Madison. Ms. Spring was equally surprised. They all stared at her, waiting for her to explain. She took another deep breath and slowly began to tell them her story.

“Well, um, it was in October and mom and I had a fight, her boyfriend Mark was there. And she was really upset with me, and ended up throwing me out of the house.” She paused for a moment to catch her breath. A lone tear escaped from her eye as she began to relive that day. She was staring at her hands, which were folded in her lap, she couldn’t bring herself to look up at the adults for fear that she wouldn’t be able to continue speaking. “It was cold, and I didn’t have my shoes or sweater or wallet, so I went and hid in my neighbour’s treehouse. Then I heard voices. I looked out and my mom and Mark were getting into his truck. My mom had a suitcase and then they left.” She finally looked up at Lisa and saw tears glistening in her eyes. “That was the last time I saw her.”

“Madison…” Lisa spoke first but couldn’t find the words.

Ms. Spring looked at Madison, the shock evident on her face. “That’s quite a story. Did you hear from her? Try calling her at all?”

Madison nodded and then winced at the pain. “Yes, and she did answer once but hung up right away. I stopped calling after a couple months.” Her words were emotional as the feelings of abandonment came flooding back to her.

Kaitlyn nodded and Lisa wrapped her arms around Madison. “Maddie, honey. I’m so sorry.”

When Lisa pulled away, Bill bent down and gave Madison a hug as well, his eyes were shimmering with tears. “Maddie, I don’t know what to say.”

Madison let out a long, deep breath. The feelings of abandonment were replaced with feelings of relief. The weight of her secret had been heavy on her heart, and she suddenly felt freer that she had in five months. “It feels good to get that out in the open.” She smiled faintly and Kaitlyn nodded.

“I bet. You’re a brave young woman, Madison.” Kaitlyn turned to Bill and Lisa. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go make some calls. Madison, I have some more questions, but they can wait.” Madison nodded and then her eyes began to close, and she started dozing again, and Bill and Lisa left the room behind Ms. Spring.

Madison woke up a while later to the sound of whispering. When she opened her eyes, Amy and Mrs. Fernie were standing at the door to her room. Amy had tears running down her cheeks. “Mads?” Her voice was full of fear.

Mrs. Fernie put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders and helped guide her into the room. “Amy, you need to be strong. Maddie’s going to be okay.” Amy nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks. 

Madison smiled up at her friend, wincing slightly. “Amy.”

Amy smiled back, trying to control her emotions. She rushed to her friend’s side and gave her the best hug she could without hurting her. “Mads, I love you, and I’m so sorry!” Tears fell from her cheeks onto Madison.

“I love you too, Aim.” Madison’s voice was just above a whisper.

“How do you feel?” Mrs. Fernie came up on Madison’s other side and kissed the top of her head.

“Like I was hit by a car,” she winced as the laughter sent a wave of pain up her body.

“Madison,” Amy scolded.

“Too soon?”

Mrs. Fernie smiled at her daughter and her best friend. “We’re just so glad you’re okay.” She looked over at Amy. “Hey, kiddo, let’s let Colin and dad come in and say hi real quick.”

“But, mom, I don’t want to leave.”

“I know, but you heard what the nurse said, only a few minutes each.”

Amy kissed her friend’s forehead. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

Madison’s mouth curved into a smile as her eyelids started to droop. She was exhausted, and she was being kept pretty heavily medicated. Colin and Mr. Fernie entered the room next and walked quietly to either side of her bed. Colin grabbed her hand and her eyes fluttered open. She greeted Colin with a smile. “Hey, Col.” 

“Hey yourself, Mad. Or should I call you Super Mad?”

She laughed and then winced. “Ouch.”

Colin cringed. “Oops, I’m sorry.”

She squeezed his hand in reply, and then moved her head slightly so that she could see Colin’s dad. “Mr. Fernie, hi.”

“Hello, Madison. We’re so proud of you! You’re incredible!”

“Thank you.” She turned back to look at Colin again. “Did they tell you about my mom?”

Colin’s face grew serious, and he looked over at his father, whose face turned a deep shade of red. “Yes, Bill and Lisa filled us in, but let’s not worry about that right now.” It was Mr. Fernie who spoke, he was careful to keep his voice neutral. “We need to focus on you and getting you better.” He motioned to Colin. “Come on, Maddie needs to rest. We can come back later.” Colin was reluctant to leave, like his sister, but he kissed Madison’s hand and slowly followed his father out of the room. Madison was asleep before the door closed behind them.

Madison was awake later that afternoon when Ms. Spring entered her room, followed by two police officers. A wave of panic bubbled to the surface when she saw them. “Am I in trouble?” Her eyes were wide, and her voice trembled when she spoke.

“Not at all, Madison. I’m Officer Stevenson and this is my partner, Officer Carlton. We’re just here with some questions about your mother.” Officer Stevenson smiled at the young girl. “Sounds like you’ve been living quite the secret life. Not to mention your superhero skills.” They all laughed.

“Well, if I was a real superhero, I don’t think I’d be lying here with all these bandages and broken bones.” 

“True,” Officer Stevenson chuckled. “Do you mind if I sit down and ask you a few questions?”

“Um, yeah, that’s okay.”

“Great.” Officer Stevenson sat in the chair beside her bed and pulled out his notepad. Officer Carlton pulled his out as well.

They had been talking for about twenty minutes when a nurse opened the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but the patient needs to rest now.” 

Officer Carlton began to argue with the nurse, but Stevenson quickly shook his head. “It’s okay, Carlton, we can come back later.” Carlton frowned, they still had a lot to go over but as he looked over at Madison, her eyes closed reluctantly. She heard the officers and Ms. Spring leave and then sleep over took her.

Bill and Lisa and the Fernie family visited her again for a few minutes before they all left for the night with a promise to visit again later that evening.

Madison slept on and off that night. The pain killers they were giving her helped with her pain, but she was worried about her conversation with the police and Ms. Spring. She was thinking about that conversation when the door opened up and Lisa popped her head into the room.

“Good morning, Maddie.”

Madison’s face lit up. “Lisa. Hi.”

“Are you up for some visitors?” Madison nodded, but before she could speak, she heard a little voice from behind the door.

“Maddie! Maddie!” Grace came flying through the door but stopped short when she saw the tubes and beeping machines attached to Madison as well as the white bandages that were covering a large majority of her body.

“Gracie!”

Grace stood, motionless, her eyes wide as she surveyed the person in the bed. Bill picked her up, giving her some encouragement. “It’s okay, sweetie. These bandages are helping Maddie feel better, just like your cast.” He moved closer to the bed with Grace in his arms and Madison smiled. 

“I’m sorry I scared you, Gracie. But it’s me…honest.” Grace eyed Madison but made no attempt to move out of her father’s arms. Her lips, which were usually wide with a smile, were turned upside down as she stared down at Madison.

“Grace?” Lisa spoke to her daughter gently. “Why don’t you give Maddie her present?”

Grace looked at her mom and then at the teddy bear she held. Bill placed Grace gently on the bed beside Madison, keeping a tight hold on her so that she wouldn’t move too much. Grace held the teddy bear out to her. “It’s for you, Maddie.”

Madison took the teddy bear with a warm smile. “I love it. Thank you, Gracie.”

“You’re welcome.” Grace’s mouth curved into the familiar smile Madison was used to. “Look at my cast.” She held up her arm, showing off her cast that was decorated with bright colours and pictures. “Auntie Summer decorated it. I bet she’d decorate yours too.”

Madison nodded, and then glanced at Lisa and Bill. “Cast?”

Lisa shook her head. “Just a broken wrist.”

Madison’s eye brows raised, and she shook her head. “But I don’t understand, I thought she was okay?”

Bill touched Madison’s shoulder gently, and she turned towards him. “She is. She just fell on her wrist when you pushed her out of the way. It’s okay, Maddie. She’s okay.” His words were gentle, and Madison nodded with tears in her eyes.

“Okay.”

“Maddie?” Grace peered at Madison through questioning eyes.

“Yeah, kiddo?”

“Mommy and daddy and I wanted to ask you about George and Mary.”

Madison gasped, “Oh my god! I forgot.” 

Lisa touched her arm. “It’s okay, Maddie. It’s only really been a couple days. We were thinking, if it’s okay with you, we can go and pick them up and bring them to our house.”

“I promise to take really good care of them, Maddie. And Mommy and Daddy will help too.”

Madison let out a sigh of relief. “I would love that, if you guys don’t mind.” She looked at Lisa and then at Bill, who both nodded. She yawned then and Bill picked Grace up from the bed.

“Looks like someone is getting tired. Grace, why don’t you and I go get Mary and George?”

“But what about Mommy?”

Bill glanced at Lisa who nodded and then smiled at her daughter. “I want to stay with Maddie for a bit. You go with dad and then you guys can pick me up later.”

“Okay, mommy.” Grace turned to Madison. “I’ll take really good care of Mary and George, Maddie. I promise.”

“I know, kiddo.”

“And Maddie?”

“Yeah, Gracie?”

“Thank you for saving me.”

Tears sprang to Madison’s eyes. “I’m your babysitter, what else would I do?”

Bill gave Madison a kiss on her forehead, then she led Grace out the door. Grace was talking a mile a minute about Mary and George as they left. Once they were gone, Lisa sat down on the bed beside Madison, and Madison looked up at her. “Is she really okay?”

“She’s perfect. Just the broken wrist, but she’ll be good as new soon. It’s you we need to focus on.”

Madison glanced down at her legs. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“We don’t have to talk about that right now. Bill and I just want you to know that we are so…” Lisa paused for a moment, choking on tears. “We just don’t know how we could ever say thank you. You saved our world.” Madison’s eyes filled with tears at her words. Lisa hugged her tightly. When she pulled away, Madison yawned, and her eyelids began to droop. “You get some rest. I’ll be right here if you need anything.” Madison nodded and fell asleep.