Misery
Chapter One
Two months earlier inside Unit 42 of Gladys Gale housing, a jumble of apartments that's basically glorified projects, a six month old baby is being rescued by a frantic firefighter. Frantic because she's so small and there's so much smoke, but she's still breathing and screaming her lungs out and if he can just save her--
Success. He's descending the ladder now with the dark eyed baby girl cradled against his chest. She's still crying, but that's good, he thinks. If she's crying she has a chance. There had been so much smoke and no sign of her parents or anyone other than her, really. It was a miracle and as the paramedics carry her into the ambulance, the firefighter hopes that the miracle baby will hang on.
The baby girl is Lorelei Tyler, the daughter of Brenda and Mitchell Tyler. The social worker only knows that after returning to Gladys Gale and speaking to the landlord. She also finds out as she's leaving that all of the surviving neighbors had seen Brenda and Mitchell enter the tiny unit that night and not come out. Two days later, the social worker is informed by news that two charred bodies were found in the rubble of Unit 42.
Lorelei who is doing fine and didn't need to stay in the intensive care unit, is an orphan now at less than a year old. The social worker does her best to find out if the baby had any living relatives, and nearly fell into a depression until an old photo of Brenda Tyler is discovered. The woman bares a striking resemblance to Eliza Law, a hot shot lawyer in Los Angeles. It's uncanny and the social worker knows she shouldn't act on a hunch, but Lorelei is so small and needs a mother to care for her.
Eliza Law picks up on the first ring. "Eliza Law, how may I help you?" Her voice is nonchalant and lacking warmth, the social worker can hear the TV in the background.
"Hello, Ms. Law--
"Mrs." Eliza sounded almost annoyed that the social worker had made such a slight.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Mrs. Law--My name is Candace Grace and I am the social worker assigned to Lorelei Tyler's case--
"I think you're talking to the wrong Law, I don't have a kid."
The social worker's heart thuds in her chest. She wonders if this will end in tears. Hers of course.
"Yes, I am aware of that, but earlier this month, a Brenda Tyler and her husband Mitchell Tyler, were killed in a fire,"She paused, hoping for some sort of reaction. To her surprise, a sharp intake of breath was delivered. "After seeing the late Mrs. Tyler's photo, I realized she looks--looked very much like you. Honestly the resemblance is uncanny--
"She was my sister. We were estranged, but she was still my sister. God, I didn't even know she was married."
Despite the circumstances, the social worker wanted to jump for joy. "Yes, so, your sister and her husband had a child who is in need of a proper guardian--
"Okay."
"O-Okay?" The social worker was honestly surprised at the agreement without question or worry. More concerning was the lack of mourning at hearing that her sister had died, estranged or not, it was unsettling.
"How could I not take in my orphaned niece?"
Success. He's descending the ladder now with the dark eyed baby girl cradled against his chest. She's still crying, but that's good, he thinks. If she's crying she has a chance. There had been so much smoke and no sign of her parents or anyone other than her, really. It was a miracle and as the paramedics carry her into the ambulance, the firefighter hopes that the miracle baby will hang on.
The baby girl is Lorelei Tyler, the daughter of Brenda and Mitchell Tyler. The social worker only knows that after returning to Gladys Gale and speaking to the landlord. She also finds out as she's leaving that all of the surviving neighbors had seen Brenda and Mitchell enter the tiny unit that night and not come out. Two days later, the social worker is informed by news that two charred bodies were found in the rubble of Unit 42.
Lorelei who is doing fine and didn't need to stay in the intensive care unit, is an orphan now at less than a year old. The social worker does her best to find out if the baby had any living relatives, and nearly fell into a depression until an old photo of Brenda Tyler is discovered. The woman bares a striking resemblance to Eliza Law, a hot shot lawyer in Los Angeles. It's uncanny and the social worker knows she shouldn't act on a hunch, but Lorelei is so small and needs a mother to care for her.
Eliza Law picks up on the first ring. "Eliza Law, how may I help you?" Her voice is nonchalant and lacking warmth, the social worker can hear the TV in the background.
"Hello, Ms. Law--
"Mrs." Eliza sounded almost annoyed that the social worker had made such a slight.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Mrs. Law--My name is Candace Grace and I am the social worker assigned to Lorelei Tyler's case--
"I think you're talking to the wrong Law, I don't have a kid."
The social worker's heart thuds in her chest. She wonders if this will end in tears. Hers of course.
"Yes, I am aware of that, but earlier this month, a Brenda Tyler and her husband Mitchell Tyler, were killed in a fire,"She paused, hoping for some sort of reaction. To her surprise, a sharp intake of breath was delivered. "After seeing the late Mrs. Tyler's photo, I realized she looks--looked very much like you. Honestly the resemblance is uncanny--
"She was my sister. We were estranged, but she was still my sister. God, I didn't even know she was married."
Despite the circumstances, the social worker wanted to jump for joy. "Yes, so, your sister and her husband had a child who is in need of a proper guardian--
"Okay."
"O-Okay?" The social worker was honestly surprised at the agreement without question or worry. More concerning was the lack of mourning at hearing that her sister had died, estranged or not, it was unsettling.
"How could I not take in my orphaned niece?"