I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In
Capter Twenty-Two
The next few days were a hazy blur to Isabelle. She spent the majority of her time awake talking to police officers, doctors and Beth. Beth separated her time between Isabelle's hospital room and Leland's. From what Isabelle heard, Leland had a nasty gash on the side of his head and required some scans to make sure there was no serious damage. The doctors had assured her that they didn't think there was anything seriously wrong, it was all just precaution. Her own injuries were minimal; two fractured ribs and some bruising on her face and shoulders.
She had been informed that Tim Hardy was now deceased. He had stabbed himself in the chest, high as a kite on ice, and was pronounced dead in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She had cried for Zahli's sake, although he had never been a model father to her, he was still her dad and she would never have the opportunity to get to know him if she chose to. She also cried for the man she met at 18, with his soft nature and unusual sense of humour. She realised that he would have never returned to that man; drugs had twisted him in ways that couldn't be repaired. Finally, she cried for the sake of her life. She could finally be free in life; put Zahli into childcare, start working again, not worry about locking every single window and door.
Zahli stepped solemnly into the room, staring at her mother with wide, blue eyes. Beth nudged her slightly as she hesitated in the doorway.
"Mommy?" she whispered, looking intensely at her mother's bruised cheek, "Mommy, are you okay?"
Isabelle nodded, pressing her lips together and trying to stop the tears from falling, "Yeah sweetheart, I'm okay."
"Can I give mommy a hug, grandma?" Zahli averted her gaze to Beth, who hoisted her up on the bed.
"Just watch your mama's belly, baby. She's a bit sore," Beth smiled, stroking Zahli's hair gently.
Isabelle let her daughter curl up beside her, resting her head on Zahli's brown hair, delicately kissing her.
Zahli sunk closer to her mom, "Can I come and live with you and Daddy now?"
The breath she was inhaling caught in her throat, causing her to cough slightly. She winced in pain, "You know mommy and daddy don't live together anymore, baby. Your daddy is-"
"I meant Leymand. He said I could call him daddy, 'member?" Zahli cut her mother off, hastily. "I want Leymand to be my daddy."
Isabelle softly chuckling, nodding her head, "Of course you can, baby. Mommy can't wait 'til you come and live with us."
Zahli nestled her head on her mother's chest, and there was a pause before she spoke again, "Can we go see Daddy?"
Isabelle glanced up at Beth, who nodded, "He's just come out of the scans."
"Okay, just let mommy get up," Isabelle smiled, watching Zahli jump into Beth's outstretched arms. Beth settled her on the floor and offered her hand to Isabelle, who took it and slowly sat up. Isabelle looked down at her grey trackpants and loose white shirt, "Do I look okay?"
"Honey, after what you've both been through, he's just going to be thankful you're walking into his room. You could be wearing a sack and he'd still look at you like you were the most beautiful girl in the room," Beth laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. Isabelle lowered her gaze shyly, before nodding. She took Zahli's hand and they slowly made their way to Leland's hospital room.
His eyes immediately lit up as she walked into the room. Isabelle smiled, feeling tears sting at the corner of her eyes. She kissed him, only breaking away when she heard Dakota chuckling beside them. She followed his gaze, seeing Zahli attempting to jump up onto the bed, but failing miserably. A laugh left her mouth as she bent down to pick her up.
"I'll do it," Dakota smiled, getting out of his seat and propping Zahli on the bed. "Here Isabelle, you can sit here."
Leland smiled proudly, "Thanks son."
"Daddy, can I cuddle you, or are you sore like mommy?" Zahli whispered, looking at him timidly.
"You can cuddle me, baby," he grinned, as Zahli wrapped her tiny arms around his waist and squeezed him, lovingly. "How are you feeling?" he asked; his eyes studying Isabelle.
She smiled, kissing him again, "I'm okay. Fractured ribs and bruises. Nothing compared to you."
"I'm tough," he smirked, resting a hand behind her neck and pulling her gently towards him to kiss her again. He glanced down at Zahli, "Are you excited to live with your mama again?"
She nodded excitedly, "And you."
"Mama might not want me there," he laughed; his eyes flicking towards Isabelle who slapped his arm playfully.
"Shut up."
Zahli watched as Dakota grabbed a second chair, placing it next to her mother. He smiled at her as she spoke, "Are you my brother?"
He laughed heartily. Isabelle went to speak, but Dakota answered first, "Not technically, but now my dad is your dad, so that makes me your brother."
"I've never had a brother," Zahli giggled.
Dakota smiled at her, "Well now you have two."
Zahli's eyes opened wide as she looked at her mom, "Mommy! I have two brothers!" She held up three fingers excitedly.
Isabelle laughed, leaning forward and pushing one of her fingers down, "Aren't you the luckiest little girl?"
She had been informed that Tim Hardy was now deceased. He had stabbed himself in the chest, high as a kite on ice, and was pronounced dead in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She had cried for Zahli's sake, although he had never been a model father to her, he was still her dad and she would never have the opportunity to get to know him if she chose to. She also cried for the man she met at 18, with his soft nature and unusual sense of humour. She realised that he would have never returned to that man; drugs had twisted him in ways that couldn't be repaired. Finally, she cried for the sake of her life. She could finally be free in life; put Zahli into childcare, start working again, not worry about locking every single window and door.
Zahli stepped solemnly into the room, staring at her mother with wide, blue eyes. Beth nudged her slightly as she hesitated in the doorway.
"Mommy?" she whispered, looking intensely at her mother's bruised cheek, "Mommy, are you okay?"
Isabelle nodded, pressing her lips together and trying to stop the tears from falling, "Yeah sweetheart, I'm okay."
"Can I give mommy a hug, grandma?" Zahli averted her gaze to Beth, who hoisted her up on the bed.
"Just watch your mama's belly, baby. She's a bit sore," Beth smiled, stroking Zahli's hair gently.
Isabelle let her daughter curl up beside her, resting her head on Zahli's brown hair, delicately kissing her.
Zahli sunk closer to her mom, "Can I come and live with you and Daddy now?"
The breath she was inhaling caught in her throat, causing her to cough slightly. She winced in pain, "You know mommy and daddy don't live together anymore, baby. Your daddy is-"
"I meant Leymand. He said I could call him daddy, 'member?" Zahli cut her mother off, hastily. "I want Leymand to be my daddy."
Isabelle softly chuckling, nodding her head, "Of course you can, baby. Mommy can't wait 'til you come and live with us."
Zahli nestled her head on her mother's chest, and there was a pause before she spoke again, "Can we go see Daddy?"
Isabelle glanced up at Beth, who nodded, "He's just come out of the scans."
"Okay, just let mommy get up," Isabelle smiled, watching Zahli jump into Beth's outstretched arms. Beth settled her on the floor and offered her hand to Isabelle, who took it and slowly sat up. Isabelle looked down at her grey trackpants and loose white shirt, "Do I look okay?"
"Honey, after what you've both been through, he's just going to be thankful you're walking into his room. You could be wearing a sack and he'd still look at you like you were the most beautiful girl in the room," Beth laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. Isabelle lowered her gaze shyly, before nodding. She took Zahli's hand and they slowly made their way to Leland's hospital room.
His eyes immediately lit up as she walked into the room. Isabelle smiled, feeling tears sting at the corner of her eyes. She kissed him, only breaking away when she heard Dakota chuckling beside them. She followed his gaze, seeing Zahli attempting to jump up onto the bed, but failing miserably. A laugh left her mouth as she bent down to pick her up.
"I'll do it," Dakota smiled, getting out of his seat and propping Zahli on the bed. "Here Isabelle, you can sit here."
Leland smiled proudly, "Thanks son."
"Daddy, can I cuddle you, or are you sore like mommy?" Zahli whispered, looking at him timidly.
"You can cuddle me, baby," he grinned, as Zahli wrapped her tiny arms around his waist and squeezed him, lovingly. "How are you feeling?" he asked; his eyes studying Isabelle.
She smiled, kissing him again, "I'm okay. Fractured ribs and bruises. Nothing compared to you."
"I'm tough," he smirked, resting a hand behind her neck and pulling her gently towards him to kiss her again. He glanced down at Zahli, "Are you excited to live with your mama again?"
She nodded excitedly, "And you."
"Mama might not want me there," he laughed; his eyes flicking towards Isabelle who slapped his arm playfully.
"Shut up."
Zahli watched as Dakota grabbed a second chair, placing it next to her mother. He smiled at her as she spoke, "Are you my brother?"
He laughed heartily. Isabelle went to speak, but Dakota answered first, "Not technically, but now my dad is your dad, so that makes me your brother."
"I've never had a brother," Zahli giggled.
Dakota smiled at her, "Well now you have two."
Zahli's eyes opened wide as she looked at her mom, "Mommy! I have two brothers!" She held up three fingers excitedly.
Isabelle laughed, leaning forward and pushing one of her fingers down, "Aren't you the luckiest little girl?"