The Knight is Still Young

Chapter 19

Ashley stayed in the hospital for two more weeks, she was taken off the critical list and was no longer in intensive care, but many of the doctors and nurses watched her to see how she was getting on and making sure she was alright.

Many of their hearts went out to her as they watched her duck and flinch when every a light flashed in her face and listen to her when she would wake up in the middle of the night screaming.  While at the FLAG mansion Michael was doing the same, Bonnie was now in the habit of going to bed with him and waking up to his screams around midnight then she spent the next hour or so trying to calm him down and go back to sleep.

'Hush Michael.... It's ok.... I'm here....' She soothed, wrapping her arms around the now sobbing man.

Every night it was a new nightmare, a new torment and they could see it was affecting him terribly.  He was changing and not for the better, he was becoming angrier and angrier everyday and he was depending on Bonnie constantly for comfort.  He had become secluded often keeping things to himself more than he had before and he was staying out late with KITT like he had before Ashley had moved in with them.

Bonnie was getting more and more worried about him with each day that passed and she had this awful feeling that he was going back to his old ways and that he might be seeing someone else.  She had seen him come home late and he looked slightly ruffled, she had even seen lipstick on his shirt once and it wasn't hers!

This made her upset; not only for herself, but also for Ashley.  How would she cope knowing her father refused to come and see her because he thought she was dead?  Even if he did go and see her what would she think about how he had changed?  Especially since he was now bent on killing the man who had shot her, but Bonnie couldn't blame him for wanting revenge now that they knew it was Durant.

Ashley, however, remained unaware of what her family was going through and she was still unable to contact them as she couldn't get hold of her comlink after it was taken off her arm during surgery and they refused to give it back to her until her father came to see her and take her home.  She wished there was some way she could get it back, but the only time she was allowed to leave her room was to go to the toilet or shower and unfortunately they were both fairly close to her room so she didn't get to see much of the hospital.

She planned to try and sneak out of her room and get her comlink, but she still didn't know where they had out it or if one of the doctors/nurses had it and that complicated things. So that day she had been trying to go to the bathroom a little more often and she walked slower than usual, trying to take in everything that was going on around her.

So she nearly shrieked with joy when she saw her precious comlink being out into a draw in a desk only a couple of metres from her room.  So she then went back to her room ready to try and get her comlink back, then she could call KITT and ask what was going on.  She'd missed hearing the AI and was looking forward to taking a ride in him again.

Just as she got back into bed the doctor came in and walked over to her bed with a slightly worried expression on his face.

'Good afternoon Miss Knight, I....  I have some people from the media who want to see you.'

'What?'  She asked confused.

'They want to talk to you about the shooting.'

'How did they find out about that?'

'Well-'

'Allow me to help.'  The nurse came in and switched on the TV, changing it to the news where Ashley instantly recognised the reporter standing out the front of the FLAG mansion!

'This tragic occurrence happened here at the Foundation for Law and Government, as you can see behind me.  Investigations are still being held as to how the shooter got past security and got into the grounds where the birthday party was being held.  The police are still questioning those who were present at the part to try and find out more about the horrible turn of events while the young girl's family and friends mourn her death.  I only hope that this horrible killer is brought to justice, back to you in the studio Brian.'

'And now that they've heard you're alive they want to talk to you.'  The doctor added once the nods turned the TV off.

'But I can't talk to the press!  Not without my family! Have they even approved of this?!'

'We are working on getting them to come and I agree that you shouldn't be made to appear on television without them, however I'm afraid the media won't wait....'  Ashley then gasped as the man was then pushed aside as a camera was forced into the room!

'Hiya sweetie, how are you feeling?'  The reporter asked coming in behind.

'I....  I won't talk to you!'  Ashley growled and hid beneath her hospital blankets.  'Doctor, Sir, can't you get them out of here?'

'I tried, but I need my superior's help, they will only listen to him!'

'Oh come on precious, everyone wants to know how you survived the shooting.'

Then something clicked in her mind, during the news report they said.... She died!?

But when? How did she come back to life?  Why didn't anyone tell her?  All questions that now swirled endlessly around in her head, but the biggest question she had was where was her dad when she needed him?