Shining Armor

Recovery

After being discharged from the hospital, Colby returned to the house in Tennessee. Lindsay met him with Arlette and the girls.

"So," Arlette said.

"What's on your mind, Arlette?"

"Do I have to watch the overgrown baby too?" Arlette asks.

"No, I've got him." Lindsay says.

"Good, I'm liable to choke him." Arlette says.

"Don't do that unless I ask you to, Lettie."

"You know, since you started calling me Lettie, the girls call me that too."

"The babies call you Lettie?"

"Elena calls me Let and Niella calls me Ti."

"So, they do call you Lettie. My little girls..."

"Yeah, dealing with the man problems you have doesn't let you see what your girls do behind the scenes. Elena and Niella kiss Gisela good night. They play with their blocks nicely. They actually looked at some chick named Paige and stuck out there tongue at her and she laughed."

Lindsay smiled a bit but saddened when Arlette mentioned one thing.

"Niella always looks at the door waiting for Colby to come home. She sees Randy. Hell, she even sees Norm and some part of her is a little more crushed than a baby should be. It hurts me to see your middle baby sad. I do have a question for you though, Boss Lady,"

"What is it, Lettie?"

"Is the fact that Niella misses Colby so much the reason you took her with you to the hospital?"

"Yes, in part, and no. Yes because Colby doesn't see her as much but no because Niella's the quietest one and I knew I could do a lot while she was."

"I understand. She gave me a kiss two nights ago. She's a lover."

"She's the only one."

"Elena never does smile or anything and Gisela is too little." Arlette says.

"I worry about Gisela. She is way behind on a lot of things."

"Was her birth mom into drugs and shit?"

Lindsay looked Arlette in the eye.

"Yes."

"I would make sure Gisela is tested before we go diving off the deep end. Colby's home with you. Talk it over and see what he says."

"I will."

Arlette took Niella into the other room to Elena and watched them toss a balloon. It was there Lindsay watched the twins having fun before she checked on Gisela. Gisela's little body was in her sleeper in the bassinet. No blanket to cover and it was warm in the room. Gisela slept peacefully on her back as Lindsay looked down to kiss the infant.

"I wonder about you, sweet girl. I hope you're alright."

Lindsay left the room to check on Colby, who watched tapes of the shield.

"Why the hell did Paul expect me to turn on the two best men in my life?"

"The business. Y'all needed to be out on your own and strike it big for them."

"It sucks."

"I understand, Love."

Colby looked at Lindsay for the briefest of moments.

"Love?" He asked.

"What would you like me to call you? Your choices are love, piece of stinking crap or cripple."

"I'll accept love."

"Good, I thought so."

"I assume you're mad."

"Colby, mad was never the word for what you did. The word I'd use would equate to the phrase 'Hell's fury compares not to that of a betrayed woman'. I loved you for the longest time and this is what happens; you use me, you leave me and find that Nazi loving white supremacist whore. I don't get you and I don't think I ever will. Randy was a..."

Colby sat intently listening to what Lindsay had to say.

"...Release and a mistake. He's got too many people in his life and I'm not in the front of it. He has his ex, his daughter, Paul, his family and everyone else guiding him that I won't be a priority for a long time. So, I'm going to ask you, politely, do you want to work things out or do you just want to throw in the towel and give up?"

Colby looked at her, nearly crying.

"I won't give up on you, Bug."

"I won't on you either, Soldier."

Lindsay walked over to Colby and hugged him gently. He placed his arms around her as Arlette broke into the room.

"Sorry but there's something wrong with Gisela. She's not breathing and I can't get her to respond to me. I don't know what to do."

Colby grunted as Lindsay sprang to the nursery. She picked up Gisela and felt nothing.

"Arlette, call 911. Where are the other two babies?"

"In the living area, what do you want me to do with them?"

"I don't know!"

"Bug, bring them here by me."

"Arlette, take them by Colby."

Lindsay tried to get Gisela to breathe. The frail infant's lifeless body refused to accept air. Colby, in the other room with the twins, called Clarissa.

"Hey, hon, I have a situation. Can you possibly come and bring Maxie with you?"

A muffled voice at the other end of the line agreed.

" Thanks."

Paramedics arrived shortly after and rushed both Lindsay and Gisela to the hospital.