Angel of Mine (28 page)

We get to the centre to find a reporter hovering over Ally with a microphone and looking into a camera. “If you’ve just tuned in folks, we’re here live with Ally Chambers, the eighth wonder of the world. She is out in full force healing the masses today. Come on down to Smith’s fresh grocers, on the corner of Anne and Jones streets, in Saxton, to shop for your health needs.”

What the hell did he just say?
All I see is red, and my blood starts to boil. I’m going to knock this bastard out. My right fist clenches by my side before I pull back and pound it straight in to his face. Tiny pieces of glass that are still embedded in my hand from the TV dig in deeper. The pain searing my hand only adds to my satisfaction as I realize the same glass that’s hurt me has torn up his face.
So worth it, how’s that for news, jerk?

“Theo, get over here.” I whirl around to see Alex catching Ally as she sways backwards and her eyes roll to the back of her head. I swoop in and pick her up, pulling her close to my chest to provide her as much protection as possible.

“Get us out of here Alex.” When we reach the car, I throw the keys to him and keep Ally cradled in my arms in the back seat. I take off my cap and glasses that sit on her head and stroke her affectionately, trying to offer some sort of comfort.

“Sorry,” she whispers looking contrite. “I had to. It would be selfish of me not to bring others joy when I have the ability to do so. I’m not going to be around much longer, so while I had the chance…,” I cut off her thought with a finger pressed to her lips and try to taper down my anger. It won’t help her any to argue. What’s done is done. I don’t like it, but I can’t turn back time.

“Shh Ally. Save your energy. Rest. Close your eyes. I’m going to take you home to bed and get a doctor out to the house.” She willingly agrees, I don’t think her body is giving her a choice anyway. Within seconds, she drifts off to sleep as we make the rest of the journey home.

At the sound of the car pulling into the driveway, Mum, Dad and Carol rush out to meet us. “Ally,” Carol wails. “Ally what have you done?” Alex wraps an arm around Carol’s shoulders to help steady her and guide her inside.

“She’s just sleeping,” he assures her as I follow them through the door.
I wish
. If only this was just a nap and she was going to wake up refreshed and okay. But Alex and I both know how much damage the flu can do when you already have leukaemia and your immune system is almost non-existent. Why did she do this? She could have had a fighting chance. Now I’m not so sure.

“Mum, can you call Dr. Stevens’ direct line and have him come straight over please?” I’m not a religious man, but I pray now. If God exists, surely he can’t let anything bad happen to such a beautiful soul. Please let there be a suitable donor.

“I’m already on it,” she replies with her phone to her ear. In the bedroom, I lay Ally down and place a kiss on her forehead. Intense heat penetrates through my lips and I suck in a breath. Her temperature is through the roof.

I feel Carol’s presence behind me and turn around trying to keep my features schooled. “She’s a bit hot I’m just going to get a cool wash cloth. Can you take off her sneakers and put her in a tank top?” She is biting down hard on her lower lip to stop it from trembling, and silent tears fall from the corners of her eyes. “You can do this Carol. The doctor will be here any minute, in the meantime, Ally needs us.” I squeeze her shoulder, and she nods back at me. “I’ll be right back.”

Before I get the washcloth, I grab the old sippy cup I used to keep my fluids up when I was too sick to hold a normal cup. Anything I can use to lower Ally’s temperature will help. I grab a wet cloth, and Mum follows me back to the room pausing by the door. I have no idea where Dad and Alex are, I assume the front door waiting for the doctor.

By the time I reach Ally’s side again, Carol has done what I asked, but is a sobbing mess. I look up at Mum for some help.

“Come on Carol, come sit down a moment. Theo can take care of her until the doctor gets here.” I’m glad one of us thinks so because I’m barely holding it together myself. She takes Carol out of the room, and I wipe the washcloth over Ally’s face and down her arms until the doctor arrives.

When Dr. Stevens arrives he is able to get Ally’s temperature back down, and she wakes up and becomes more coherent. He gives her an injection of antibiotics to fight off any infection she may have received from the flu. It also appears she has gotten a sprained wrist somehow and has aches all over her body. He gives her pain relief and leaves more with me to administer through the night.

He tells us his concerns for her platelet count. The results from her tests at the hospital were already dangerously low. Combine that with the bleeding he found on her gums while observing her and everything indicates the platelet levels have dropped even lower. He informs us that he would like Ally to go into the hospital tomorrow for a transfusion, although, if her temperature rises again we are to bring her in immediately. With nothing more to do, he says good-bye and is on his way.

As I gaze down at Ally, I lightly run my fingers over the bandage on her wrist, wondering what happened. I hate seeing her like this and not being able to fix it. I’m emotionally and physically drained, a complete wreck. I wish I could express how much it kills me that she has to endure this pain instead of me, but really, what good would that do? We can’t change it now.

“Thought you’d be mad.” She is barely able to speak through dry lips and her words come out scratchy. I press the sippy cup to her lips, remembering how demoralized it used to make me feel back when I had to use one. The plastic contraption made a mockery of my dignity. I’ll always be there to help her, but that doesn’t mean that pain won’t lace my actions when I have to aid her at this level. I breathe out a heavy sigh, resigned that things will only get worse.

“I’m more than mad, I’m furious. But what is that going to achieve now? Every second that you have left, I want to concentrate on showing you the difference you made to my life.” A lump is forming in my throat, and I push it down. My best efforts are used to hold back tears, and my dry eyes strain in the battle. These words are important; I need to get them out before I break down. “The impact you have made on my world, will forever leave a mark. No matter how hard I try, even if I had eternity, it still wouldn’t be enough time to show you just how much you mean to me.” As the first tear starts sliding down my face, I crawl in to bed beside her and hold her tight.

“If it’s even half the impact you have made on my life then I understand entirely just how impossible it is. I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you too,” I reply, before we fall asleep, completely exhausted in each other’s arms.

A sharp elbow jabs into my side jerking me awake. I blink my gritty eyes a few times, and it takes me a moment to realise where I am. I’m in my bed with Ally, whose body spasms awkwardly in her sleep. I untangle our intertwined legs, and then rewrap myself around her, trying to soothe her.

“It’s okay Ally, I’m right here.” It takes a few minutes for her to settle and I hold her tight until she relaxes into me.

We must have been asleep for hours now. Through the window, I can see the sun is starting to set, and it casts shadows around my room. Muffled voices sound from the living room and I scrunch my face up in concentration, trying to figure out what’s going on in there.

One unfamiliar male voice clearly stands out from the rest. “How is she doing?” I gently peel my body away from Ally’s and sit up in bed. I know whom that voice must be. My jaw locks and my muscles are instantly wound tight. Ally’s father is here.

Careful not to wake Ally, I climb out of bed to go and confront him. Before I leave, I switch on the bedside lamp and stretch my limbs that are stiff and sore from lying in bed too long. My fist involuntary clenches and unclenches a few times in preparation, just in case
. I have things to say to this moron. He’d better watch his P’s and Q’s.

As I walk into the room, dead silence descends and four sets of eyes focus on me. The mystery man’s back is to me, but he soon turns around to see what all the fuss is about.

“Hi, I’m Jeff, Ally’s dad.”
You’re not her dad; you’re her sperm donor.
I keep that thought to myself though. As much as I feel the urge, Ally doesn’t need us all fighting out here.

I’m sure my family is probably worried about how easily I punch people as of late. They all know I think very little of this man. Their eyes dart back and forth between the two of us
. Chill guys, I’m not going to hurt him.
Not yet anyway.

I walk over to the couch and stand tall above him, trying my best to intimidate him. He needs to watch that his face doesn’t ‘accidentally’ get too close to my fist.
Jerk.
I don’t take my eyes off his face, and he doesn’t cower from my scare tactics. He’s either very brave or very stupid. No one messes with Ally on my watch, and I plan to make damn sure he understands that.

When he stands, we come to about the same height, with only an inch or so difference. He reaches out and takes my hand in his to shake it. Heat engulfs my palm, and I look down. My jaw goes slack. Jeff’s hands are glowing.

Shocked, I look up at him and then to everyone else, and then back to him. I realise I’m still shaking his hand. I drop it and try to form words.

“What the hell man? Your hands are glowing.”
Hello, captain obvious
.

“Yes, it’s because I know Ally is only ten meters or so away from me and is very sick. Why don’t you take a seat Theo? I was just explaining a few things to Carol and your family. Let me catch you up to speed.” I stay where I am and cross my arms over my chest, trying to see any sign of remorse on his face.

I’m not a fan of his past actions, but when I look at him, I see honest blue eyes, just like Ally’s. They share the same chocolate colour hair too; she looks just like him. Maybe I should hold back the interrogation and give him a chance?

“I thought it was in the girls’ best interest that I leave.” Incredulous, I snort and roll my eyes. I thought about being nice to him, but then again second chances are over-rated. “I didn’t know Ally had the same ability as me.”

“It didn’t occur to you to stick around and find out?” I narrow my eyes at him. There is no way he can explain his way out of this.

“I know what it must look like, but it’s true. It’s very hard to hide glowing hands. While Carol was pregnant, it was easier to keep up with hiding it because she was preoccupied. After that though, not so much. There was no way I was going to risk being caught and bring that type of media attention around my girls. I had to leave to keep them safe, but I never stopped loving them.” He hangs his head in shame, but I don’t buy his act. If he’d at least checked up on them over the years, he might have known that Ally and Carol faced the very same problem and needed his help.

“Are you going to put your gift to good use?” I quirk an eyebrow at him,
Come on buddy, time to finally stand up and be the father your daughter deserves.

“Theo, that’s enough,” my mum chastises.

Jeff raises his hand in the air to hold her off. “It’s okay. I know you are all wondering the same thing. The answer is yes. I know you don’t think I’m much of a man,” he looks directly at me while saying this. “But you will see how deeply I still care about my daughter. It takes a strong emotional connection to be able to cure an illness that consumes so much of the body. I have tried before and failed. I know it won’t be a problem with Ally though. I love her more than life itself.” I wonder, because our emotional connection and love was so much stronger, if
that
was how Ally was finally able to heal me in the end.

At this revelation, my posture finally loosens up, and I go to take a seat beside Alex. He always seems to be able to calm me down when I lose my cool.

Once I’m not so fixated on Jeff, I notice how visibly distressed Carol is across the room. A tight-lipped frown sits upon a face that has aged years in just days. She swallows hard repeatedly in an effort not to cry.

Mum moves to Carol’s side, holding on to her hands, trying to comfort her. She whispers something in Carol’s ear, but I am too far away to hear it.

Jeff goes to her side and shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. He reaches out to her, and at the last minute changes his mind and pulls his arm back. His hand hovers halfway in-between the two of them, indecisive.

“She still loves you too you know,” I admit on Carol’s behalf.

My mother’s angry eyes flash up at me, and her nostrils flare. “Theo shut your trap. You aren’t helping matters.”

Someone had to say something; we don’t have eternity to pussy foot around the issue. “It’s not like we have a lot of time here Mum. I’m just trying to help them out.” It looks like it worked too. Jeff sits down beside Carol and pulls her into his arms.