Chapter Thirty-Six
The Advocate
Finally, it was our turn. Three days alone in this room; no Chromes, no indigo, no parents, no siblings, no crazy but lovable friends. Just Ali and I. After the Ascension Ceremony and the consummation of the final contract we needed rest. Everything for weeks had been just crazy for us.
We laid in the bed both on our backs with our feet in the air playing footsie. We decided that I would take the semester off from school and work on my training. There were a lot of rose petals which meant, that I had a lot of days of training I had to go through.
I was really surprised that we just keyed down and relaxed. It was not about sex. And that was a good thing because I was really sore. We talked and just enjoyed the quiet without interruptions.
When you are alone and naked with someone you love, time does seem to fly by. Before we knew it the butler was bringing us clothes that had been delivered to us by my personal advocate. When time was up, we would know who that person was.
We dressed and tried to appear presentable. It would have been nice to have our things from home, but we were going straight home, so it really did not matter. The door was unlocked, and we were met by Yolanda. I smiled but she acted with an urgency. “Come now child we have to go now, there is not time for pleasantries.” Her face solemn as she turned to lead us.
We followed and, Yolanda told us what was happening that Ian and Julian are already at the plane and they had packed your bags. We are to go directly to the air strip. Then she stopped. “Your parents and the twins were in a horrible accident. You have to get to Indiana now. Jillian and Hilda are already on their way there to be with the twins.”
I looked at Ali, “Are my parents, okay?” My voice cracked as my mind raced. Yolanda spoke up, “I do not have all of the details child, I just know that you need to hurry and get on that plane.” Ali grabbed my hand, and we ran out the door.
I was in tears. Ali was on the phone with Ian trying to make sense of what was going on. “Ian, slow down, you are hysterical. Put Julian on the phone.” But instead of Julian he put Rita on the phone.
“Master Julian is on the phone with Mistress Jill. Master Ian handed me the phone.” Ali sighed, “I need for you to tell me what is going on.” Rita explained, “Master Ian got a call 45 minutes ago from the Indiana State Police. They were looking for Della. Master Ian told them you were on your honeymoon, and he was your advocate, held your Power of Attorney, and could handle anything that needed to be handled.”
“They informed him those immediate decisions had to be made on the twins. Both were being air lifted to a major trauma center in Indianapolis. Both of them needed emergency surgery. Master Ian gave instructions to them to do whatever it takes to keep them alive. Then he asked about Oscar and Priscilla. The police informed him that they were dead on arrival.” Ali hung up the phone and held me in his arms. My head buried in his chest as sobs racked my body. They were dead and the twins were in surgery.
As soon as we got to the plane Ali was able to get information about the accident from Ian and Julian. Immediately he started making calls. Julian helped me get the hospital on the phone so I could check on Nicholas and Marta. When I finally managed to get through to the surgical wing, they informed me that Marta was still in surgery but was stable for now. Nicholas was still in surgery and in critical condition. I asked them to update me every 15 minutes.
Ali was still on the phone with the State police trying to find out what happened. Three hospital updates later and Ali was able to tell us what happened. His eyes held mine as he reveled his discoveries.
“The police and fire investigators are sure that it was a small bomb of some kind. They said it triggered when your parents cut on the lights. Your parents took the brunt of the blast; they were in the doorway. They were killed instantly. The twins were on the porch and the blast knocked them into the field. The fire investigators are trying to gather parts of the bomb to see if it has a signature.”
I was not able to process all of the information that Ali was giving me, I had to focus on the twins one thing at a time. Ali walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Mom and Grandma are an hour ahead of us. I will arrange for a car to meet them at the airport and take them directly to the hospital.” He held me for a few minutes longer and then a call came in.
Marta and Nicholas were still in surgery. Marta remained stable, but Nicholas was still in critical condition. I paced and prayed. I couldn’t lose them too. My mind raced with questions. How? A Bomb? My mom. My dad. Why? And finally who?
Ali was on the phone again and he sounded angry. But I could not focus on that. I had to focus on the twins.
Hilda and Mrs. J had made it to the hospital and were there waiting. The staff called to get my permission for them to get information and Hilda took over calling me with updates.
“One hour until we land, you need to get dressed. You look horrid in Yolanda's clothes.” Ian handed me one of my own outfits to put on. Then he pointed at my makeup case. “It will make you feel better?” Rita helped put me back together and Ian was right I did feel a little better equipped to deal with everything.
“I do not care what it costs, I want the best working on this. It's not any family, it is my family.” Ali was still on the phone going off on someone when I returned from dressing. He motioned to Julian, who started making more calls.
Hilda called when we were about 30 minutes out. “Marta is out of surgery. Stable, and in recovery. Jill is in there with her. She will not wake up alone. Nicholas is still critical, and they have no idea how much longer his surgery will take. They are bringing in another surgeon, a specialist.” I relaxed a little knowing that Marta was stable and in recovery, focusing my thoughts to Nickolas.
I went to update Ali, but he was still on the phone. When my phone rang again, and id didn’t know the number I answered quickly.
“Della, Walter here." my sigh of relief was audible. "I wanted to check in on you and make sure you were okay. Yolanda said there had been an accident. I was calling because your indigo Karla came to us worried about you and your safety. Yolanda said that Ian did not give her many details, just that he needed her to take you clothes and make sure you got to the air strip, that there had been an accident.”
I swallowed having to face the details, “The police said that someone put a bomb in the house. When my parents turned on the light it triggered an explosion. They were killed instantly. The twins have been in surgery, Nicholas still is and is in critical condition.” My voice cracked on the last part.
I heard Walter relaying the details to Yolanda and Karla. Then he returned to me. “Do you mind if I speak to Alejandro dear. I need to get some information from him.”
Ali was still on the phone, but Walter insisted that he had to talk to him immediately. “Ali, Walter said he needed to talk to you now.” I stressed the now interrupting his call. Ali dismissed the other call and took the phone from me.
Ali listened for a few minutes, “As soon as possible, please?” Then he hung up. I looked at him and he tried to smile to reassure me, but he was too angry to pull it off. “What's going on Ali?” My eyes were full of worry. He put his arms around me “Do not worry about that, you worry about the twins, I have this under control.”
The plane landed and within 30 minutes we were at the hospital. The surgical staff updated me on Marta's surgery. They had to put pins and plates in several bones in her arm and leg and removed lots of shrapnel from the left side of her body. She had a few burns, but she had not been as close as Nicholas was to the blast. Nicholas' surgery was progressing, and he was starting to stabilize, but he was far from safe.
A couple of hours passed before Marta started to stir around a bit. I took her right hand which was unhindered. “Ssh Marta, don’t move.” My voice brought her attention to me and with foggy eyes she looked at me.
“Alex?” She looked around slowly, seeing her leg elevated and realizing her arm was in a cast. “What happened? I hurt everywhere!” I took a deep breath before I spoke to ensure my voice was calm and steady.
“There was an explosion, Marta and you were thrown into the field. You have a broken leg and arm. So don’t try to get up or anything.” She didn’t hesitate, her questions started flying. “What are you doing here?”
Where’s mom and dad? Alex where’s Nick? She looked around again as if they were all hiding from her a moment before. When her eyes returned to me, I answered her, "you’re hurt, and you need me. That’s why I’m here. Nickolas is still in surgery because he was hurt too." I hesitated, fighting back tears. “Do you remember anything?” I asked her. She closed her eyes, her little burnt nose wrinkled in thought. “We were unloading the car, Nick and I. We had just got home. I was tired and mom was excited to see what y'all had done to the house. Nick and I had all the packages, and we were putting them on the porch. Then nothing. It’s like I forgot what happened next.” She squeezed my hand then her eyes opened again. She looked at me, questions behind her calm. “Marta, mom and dad,” I paused chocked back my tears, and watched as they welled up in her eyes too. “They didn’t make it.”
Marta started crying. I held her as she let it out. I had to stay strong for her and for Nicholas. When she finally cried herself to sleep, and I asked Rita to sit with her.
I went to get an update on Nicholas, they were almost done with the surgery, and he was stable, still critical, but at least stable. I would have to answer the same questions for him when he finally comes to.
I went into the waiting room, and everyone was there discussing something. I just needed coffee. I went over to the machine and started making a cup and Ali's arms wrapped around me. “Ali, I really need this cup of coffee, please do not take it from me.” He grabbed the pot and poured me a cup.
I took two sips of it and turned to face him. “Marta woke up and I told her about Mom and Dad, she just cried herself back to sleep. I have to do this again after Nicholas wakes up.” I walked over and sank into a chair. I could not think past having to repeat that experience.
Ali took my hands “We will make it through this Della. I promise we will; together as a family.”
Nicholas came out of surgery and recovered slowly. After three days in intensive care, he woke up and I had to face those demons all over again. While the twins recovered Ali and Ian arranged to have our parents cremated and salvaged what little that they could from the farmhouse. Most of it was a loss from the fire, that engulfed the old farmhouse after the bomb went off.
Ian worked his legal magic and had everything in order before the twins were released from the hospital. Ali and I were granted full custody, and since the trust for the twins was already set up the courts let the trust and trustee stand. Ian became their advocate as well as mine.
Three weeks passed before Nicholas was released from the hospital. Julian arranged for a simple memorial service in our hometown so we and the community that loved them so much would have some closure.
Ian arranged for the twin's cars to be transferred to New York and he arranged for the sale of the farm to Mr. Smith for one dollar. Mr. Smith had been badly burned trying to drag my parents out of the blaze. He was the reason that Nicholas survived.
The police and investigator reports came back, and the bomb did have a signature that they matched to another home bombing in Los Angles four years earlier. That bomb claimed a woman's life, she had also just had work done to her house. But those are things that we had to put aside to start living new lives again.
We all took things one day at a time never considering what we had to do next. Just wake up and do what needed to be done. We did not understand that our lives would be forever changed.
Chrome & Indigo Book Two: Charred Chrome will be available on Patron in 2022.
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