The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 83: Unfortunate

Chapter 83: Unfortunate

Finally, he's able to get on a plane to leave this God-forsaken island to go home and find his son. Daryl's mind is bogged down with questions and nothing can calm him by the thought that he needs him safe and sound for their family. His flight is making him jumpy. He usually doesn't have problems with planes, but tonight, he does. At first there was a delay cause of winds, and then possible hurricane coming in from the southeast. But they passed, or so they had. Turbulence is not a friend to Daryl at this moment. With the whole plane rocking and children crying for their mothers or fathers to hold them- Daryl feels sick thinking that He might not even make it home to say goodbye to Beth one last time. Never to kiss her lips. Never to hold her again. Never to tell her how much he loves her. In the back of his mind, tonight might be his last.

Standing in her yard watching heavy grary smoke fill the misty morning and the charred edged of what used to be her house still crumbling away, Beth holds herself tight. She lost everything. Family photos, her grandmother's blanket, all her memories- Ozzie. Looking near the steaming entrance, which a few days ago was actually a wall, two firefighters bring out the charred corpse of her beloved dog. The whole scene just looks appocolyptic. The wooden burnt carcass still sizzles with the morning mist that envelopes the whole country side. Firefighters still try to cool down the whole area and Beth just cries. Where is her son? Who does this?

"Mrs. Dixon?" At first she doesn't turn around because that's not her name...oh wait, yes it actually is.

"Yes?" She turns to the fire chief and he removes his safety helmet.

"We're sorry to inform you that we infact know this was arson. It was started with four cantainors of grade A gasoline, and a firetourch- all items were found down the street in a ditch. As for your dog, my men are taking him to the vet to be cremated and they'll send you the ashes."

"My son? Did you find my son?" She gets closer to the man and he rubs the back of his neck.

"We looked under everything and even got down to the basement. He wasn't anywhere inside, which is a bless in one hand and terrible in the other. I've informed police of the arson and the missing child. They'd like to speak with you when you have time. I'm terribly sorry about everything Mrs. Dixon. I hope you find your son."

"Thank you." She watches him walk away and can only feel her whole stomach twist and flop about inside of her. She wishes she had a clue as to where they would have taken him- who they are and what they want with a seven month old?

"Mommy!" Turning she searches the small crowd for her dauther. Suddenly through the group, her small daughter comes stumbling across the wet grass and Beth chases her down and into her arms. They both cry and all Beth can do is hold her closely and kiss her until her lips are sore and Kensi's face pink from contact.

"I love you sweetie. I got you. I'm here, Sweet Pea."

"Teddy gone!" The small girl cries and soon Merle and Carol come running to them. "Unky!"

"Beth, I'm so sorry. Honey, we..."

"It's okay. Merle, it's alright. Thank you for just getting her out..." Tears brew in her eyes and so many thoughts pass through her mind, but none are important to share. "Are you alright?"

Looking down at Merle's arm, he's missing his whole hand and part of his forearm. Gazing down to where her eyes are, she shrugs it off.

"Beam came down and smashed it as I grabbed Kensi from her bed. They couldn't reset it, so they took it. Happened right after the EMT's got here, hurt like you know what."

"But are you okay?"

"Yeah, on pain meds." Beth looks at Carol, who's obviously empathizing with Beth losing Teddy than Merle and his arm.

"What exactly happened?"Nervously asking, they lead her to the tent someone set up and they sit at a, ironically, small fire to keep warm as they sit down into camping chairs.

"Well, we took the kids out to eat after ya'lls left and then a movie. We got home about 10:30, both kids went straight to sleep and I let Ozzie out." Merle starts to speak and Carol leans more into the back of her chair as if she was being pushed. "Carol was upstairs getting ready for bed and I was in the kitchen getting a glass of water to take my old man pills. Ozzie started barking from the pourch, so I opened the door and let him inside. Going upstairs to bed, I checked on the kids again and then shut their doors half way. When we laid down to go to sleep, Ozzie was barking again so I got up, shut the kids doors and went down stairs to let him out again."

"He wouldn't stop growling at Merle, so he put him in the back room with the sliding doors." Carol adds mournfully.

"If I'd of known there was a fire coming, I wouldn't have."

"It's okay, Merle, please continue."

"Well he eventually calmed down and I went back upstairs to bed. We slept until 2:30. That's when the smoke alarms started going off and we felt the house heat up. I ran to Teddy's room and jumped through the flames looking for him, but he wasn't there. I searched his whole room until it got engulfed. We both went to Kensi's and that's when I lost my arm. They stairs were giving way as we ran down them, I shoved Carol and Kensi out the door cause I couldn't leave Ozzie, but when I got to the backroom, the sliding glass doors, bolts were melted to the wall and inside was a ferno. I tried to break the glass but it wouldn't shatter for me. I had no choice but to get out and find safety."

Sitting in silence, Beth just stares at the firepit and feels the burn deep in her soul. Who sets a house on fire with people inside?

"I'm so sorry Beth. I searched the woods for a culprit and Carol went up and down the road too. We had to stop looking when the shock passed and my arm was bleeding out and Kensi was coughing badly from the smoke. We called for three days straight, but no one answered."

"That's my fault. I told Daryl no technology...I should've kept them on."

"Speaking of Daryl, where is he?" Carol asks concerned as Kensi looks up at Beth.

"He's on a plane coming home. We had to seperate to get her. But he's on his way."

"Good."

They all stare at the smoking house and have the same question.

Where's Teddy?