The Knight is Still Young

Chapter 21

The next morning Ashley woke up to a throbbing headache, this was not a good start to the day, but she smiled to herself as the events of the previous night flooded her mind. She was being moved closer to home and it sounded like her family might come and see her. She hadn't been so happy since her birthday. Her mood dropped when she remembered why she had been in the hospital in the first place, how could she go back knowing that someone had tried to kill her in her own home?

'Urgh.' She attempted to sit up, but she flopped back down when she got a burst of pain from where the bullet had been. She then spent the next twenty minutes lying on her back staring at the ceiling. It must have been around 8:30 as she could hear the doctors and nurses start doing their rounds and soon it was her turn.

'Hello.' She smiled.

'Hi.'  Ashley replied as the nurse carefully changed her IV, the girl glared at it and her eyes slowly followed the plastic tube until it connected to the catheter which then disappeared into her arm.

'Did you sleep well?'

'Yes, I did.'  She gave her a small smile, though she didn't really have such a great night sleep....  Or at least not until after she had spoken to her family.

'Are you feeling any better?'  The nurse then helped her put her arm back into the special shoulder sling which she had taken off to sleep.  She sighed as she felt the straps go around her neck and over her good shoulder.

'Not really....  My chest still aches.'

'Well that's understandable considering how much damage was done, you really are a lucky girl Miss K.' She nodded and left.

'I wouldn't be so sure.'

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'Come on Devon!  We need to get to the hospital!' Michael urged his boss on as they all headed to their respective vehicles in order to go and see Ashley.

'Yes Michael, I am coming you know.' The Englishman replied coming out of his office.

It's needless to say that Michael hadn't slept much at all last night, partially because the guilt of thinking his daughter was dead and refusing to go and see otherwise made him angry with himself but also because he was anxious to go and see if she was alright.  So now he was in a hurry and nothing would be fast enough until they were sitting in the room talking to his daughter.

'Don't worry, visiting hours don't start for another half an hour, we'll get there in plenty of time to see Ashley.' Bonnie smiled as the two of them walked to see KITT waiting for them in the garage.

'Good morning Bonnie, Michael.'  The car greeted opening his doors for them.

'Good morning KITT.'  Bonnie replied happily.

'Hi pal.' Michael replied adjusting himself in the drivers seat. 'Let's get to the hospital KITT, I want to see Ashley ASAP!'

'Yes Michael!'  The car then put the pedal to the medal and drove to the hospital, determined to see that Michael was reunited with his daughter quickly. So as soon as KITT parked himself in the hospital's car park Michael was out the car and into the lobby, where he was then directed to Ashley's room.

'Ashley!' He cried as he stood in the doorway to her room. He grinned as the little girl looked up and their matching ice blue eyes locked.

'Dad!'

'Oh I missed you so much precious!' He went in, but before he could embrace her he saw that her arm has been placed in a black sling of some kind. 'What....?' He asked looking at it.

'It's just a shoulder sling....  Don't worry about it.'  She shrugged with her good shoulder and used her arm to reach around and hug him.

'I am so sorry that I didn't come sooner, it's just I was crushed after we were told you were....' He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence as his hold on her tightened instinctively.

'Dad, it's ok....  But I don't understand what is going on.  Why is everyone saying I'm dead?'

'I'm afraid you did....  There for a few minutes you were....'

'What?!  I....  I really was dead?!'

'Yes.' Ashley looked and saw the distinguished face of Devon Miles closely accompanied by Bonnie Barstow. The young girls eyes widened and her bottom lip trembled in terror as they all nodded.

'H-how? What happened? How am I still here?'

'They were able revive you.' Bonnie explained. 'However your father was so grief stricken that he didn't believe it and we weren't allowed to visit you until he came and saw you, not to mention he tried to forbid us from going anyway, but he believed you were alive after he talked to you last night.'

'Oh so because you thought I was dead no one could come and see me, so you just left me there by myself! Great parenting strategy!'

'I thought you were dead, how was I to know that they were serious?' Michael asked.

They're professional doctors Dad, I think they'd know if someone was dead or not! That still doesn't explain why other staff at the hospital thought I was dead.'

'That's strange.' Bonnie said. 'They work there, so why would they think that when everyone else knows you're alive?'

'I'm afraid that's my doing.... The board believes that Ashley should no longer stay with the Foundation and after what happened at the hospital you were announced dead to the public.'

'WHAT?! But I had the press here yesterday morning wanting to talk to me about how I survived! When did you.....?!'

'Yesterday, when I was able to confirm that you are indeed alive.'

''Devon you can't be serious.'  Michael said horrified.

'I am very serious.'

'Why?  She's family, she belongs here!'  Bonnie cried.

'Isn't there anything Jennifer can do?  She's on the board.'

'Jennifer can do nothing as the other members believed her view to be a conflict of interest.'

'Devon this is crazy!  I just got her back and now they want to take her away from me again!'  Michael fumed.

'Michael calm down, there's got to be something we can do.'  RC tried to calm his friend down.

'I don't like it either Michael, but there is nothing we can do, Ashley is to be given a new identity and she will live with a new family.'  Devon said sadly.

'B-but Mr Miles, I don't want to go.'

'I'm sorry Ashley, you have no choice in the matter.'  He said then he left.

'W-why?  What did I do?'  She asked starting to panic.

'Nothing, this is just a misunderstanding we will sort this out and you can stay with us.'  Bonnie said.

'I have to talk to Jennifer, there's got to be something she can do.'  Then Michael walked out angrily.