Troubled: A Demi Lovato FanFic

Leaving

Most of Demi's house was packed into 4 suitcases. 4 suitcases contained everything we would need according to Demi. Kenzie disagreed. She wanted to bring everything. We were leaving a lot behind but Demi reassured us that we would come back to get the rest later. Being young, Kenzie threw a few random items in a suitcase and left the rest behind. I tried to help her pack the things she would miss, but she refused. I was sure there would be many tantrums over toys that she forgot here.

"Mommy are you crying? Mommy what's wrong?" Kenzie asked, as Demi locked the doors to the house and slid her sunglasses over her tearing eyes.

"I'm just happy baby." Demi bent down to Kenzie's level. "We get to start over in a new place now, and put this all behind us."

I glanced around the yard, and up at the house. The window stared back at me, menacingly. I didn't know if Demi was happy, or just overwhelmed..

"Mommy, can I go swing one more time?"

"You know we'll be back Kenzie..."

"Pleaseeee!" Kenzie leapt up and down. "Just one more time."

"I'll take her." I spoke up. I could hear Demi's voice cracking and I knew she needed a minute. This house was where she started her family. It was meant to be a happy home, but with all that occurred there things did not go as planned. There was darkness in this house, and I was happy to leave.

I guided Kenzie to the backyard where she sat and swung contently. I looked around at the pool, the playground, the sandbox. The sliding doors that displayed the dinner table.

It was a weird feeling leaving, leaving and not knowing when we'd be back. Leaving a house with so many horrors, yet so many good memories.

I had an eerie premonition that we were never going to be back.

We arrived at the hospital, where my parents had spent the night with Kenna. We took the familiar route up to Kenna's room, for the last time. We were all excited to have McKenna discharged from the hospital. I had this false hope, that when Kenna was well enough to leave the hospital she would look like herself again. But when I saw her my heart felt heavy with fear and sadness.

She was doing so well that they no longer had to monitor her vital signs, or give her constant medications. All that was left was a single tube that attached the portable ventilator to her so she could breathe, but even without all of that she still looked visibly injured. She was strapped into a wheelchair, and without the blanket covering her body it was visible how frail she had gotten. Her scrawny legs were buckled down and she had supports holding her torso up. Her mouth was drooped open in a grimace. I thought that it was the medical equipment making her look so fragile. Maybe that was unrealistic, and sure it was illogical. She was getting better. But I wanted her to get better faster. She was considered to be healthy, in a sense that there was very small risk of her actually dying from this incident. If we wanted to we could have just taken her right back to the house. But we wanted to give her a chance at fully recovering, so we were going to move to LA for her to rehab.

"Oh baby girl!" Demi rushed over to Kenna. "You're sitting up! You look great." She hugged her. "Aren't you excited to get out of here?" McKenna smiled slightly.

"Sissy!" Mackenzie ran up to Kenna's wheelchair and stopped. "Hi." She held her hand. This was one of the first times Mackenzie had been able to interact with Kenna. We had prepared her well to see her twin but she still looked alarmed. Kenna blinked a few times. "Mommy what's she saying?"

"3 blinks? That means she loves you."

"I love you too twinny."

Mackenzie and McKenna's relationship was definitely a strange one. There were major jealousy issues, coupled in with Kenzie's anger and Kenna's shame over not helping. There were so many unanswered questions.

"Are you feeling okay?" I whispered to Kenna. I knew that it hurt when she moved, and I wished I had been there when they transferred her to the chair. Kenna ignored me and turned her attention to the various people entering the room.

The nurses gathered around Kenna and presented her with a card and a stuffed elephant.

"You're the strongest little girl I've ever met."

"You're so brave."

"You're a fighter."

"We all believe in you McKenna."

The nurses lined the halls as we pushed Kenna to the elevator. They applauded for her. I had never seen Kenna so happy. Despite her situation she was clearly basking in the love that was surrounding her. The attention was all on her strength.

For once Kenzie didn't steal the spotlight.