CHAPTER thirty - FOUR

The day went well and of course Tai was the hit of the political party. I had a longsighted conversation with Jennifer and Jim Saint Thomas about Tai and how I had explained to Lexie that she was my precedence at the bit. I also explained what Lexie and I had resolved between us and what we expected moving forward.

The rest of the day I spent with Maw Maw and Pops who to be truthful I considered them as my grandparents. It was good to be in their caller again even though Maw Maw's ability to be mobile had dwindled some. But it was prissy to feel like part of a family again.

For the next few month things went along smoothly. Lexie had moved in with us and had become like a mother to Tai. They got along extremely well but Tessa seemed anxious around Lexie. I was not indisputable why, but it seemed like that to me. Maybe she felt that Lexie was replacing her and saw the kinship Lexie and Tai had.

Lexie had been true to her Christian Bible and our relationship was better than ever. Tai was still training but there were no competitions that would accept her to contend except for the annual one here which I had her already enrolled in. Lexie was training with me on a daily basis and had regained her rock-hard body. She was even getting hit on at the precinct on a daily basis.

Cody had served his six month in jail and had been let out recently. He was on house arrest for six months and then would be on probation. I found out from Jennifer, Lexie's mom because Lexie never talked about William Frederick Cody. Jennifer and Cody's mother had resumed talking but the relationship was still strained to say the to the lowest degree. A few weeks later I found out what had been bothering Tessa. She called me at the gym during one of her pause.

She had broken up with Jason Patrick after catching him cheating on her multiple times. But she completely caught me off guard when she asked if there was any way that we could get back together again. She admitted she made a huge misunderstanding, and she was cognizant of Lexie's history with William F. Cody. I explained that there was no way I would leave alone Lexie at this time. Tai and Lexie were very ripe together and I would never intentionally want to apply Tai any more grief.

That night in bed I told Lexie about my conversation with Tessa. I explained that I wanted to be completely reliable with Lexie. I did not want Lexie to ever distrust me. She appreciated the fact that I told her and said she understood Tessa's situation. Lexie stated that she had made the same misunderstanding but was able-bodied to correct it.

I dropped Tai off at school and went to the gym and knocked out my workout for the day. I was in the policeman doing paperwork when my phone rang on the desk. I picked it up and noticed it was Jennifer, Lexie's mom. The second I heard her voice I knew something was wrong.

"Chris… ... I have to narrate you something. Oh God……… Lexie's been iridescent. We're on the way to the hospital now. I don't know anything else…… please hurry. ”, she sobbed.

I told the employees what had happened and ran out of the doorway jump I to my car. I drove to the infirmary as quickly as I could. I went into the exigency room and explained to the nurse at the desk who I was. She told me three police officers had been brought in, but she had no news about them. She told me someone would be with me soon.

I was there for about ten minutes before a police ship's officer came over to me. He explained that three officer had been shot and two were in surgery now. He suggested I follow him to the waiting room where the families of the officers were. On the far sofa I saw Jennifer Lowell Thomas sitting alone. I walked over and she stood up and hugged me still sobbing.

"Do you know anything ? ”, I asked.

"No, other than she is still alive. She is in surgical operation right now. ”, she explained.

"No one knows anything ? ”, I asked.

After about XXX mo, a law master came over to us and explained the state of affairs. Lexie and two early police officeholder were executing a warrant on someone for domestic help force. Apparently, another person was in the house that was wanted for essay murder. When he saw the police officers, the defendant he thought they were there for him. He walked to the front door, opened it, and started firing on the three officers.

Ken Curtis was shot in the shoulder and cervix. Lexie was shot twice as well. Once in the second joint and once on her bequeath slope. The third gear policeman, Lewis Lyndon Johnson was shot twice in the head and was pronounced beat on comer. Officer Curtis and Lexie were still in surgery. Shortly after that conversation, Jim Thomas showed up in the waiting way. Jennifer filled him in in what was going on and that Lexie was still in surgery.

The waiting was agonizing and close to an 60 minutes and a half before the surgeon who operated on Lexie came out to update us. She looked exhausted but did have a slight smiling on her face.

"I'm Doctor Alvarez and I just finished with Ms. Dylan Thomas. She is in recovery right now, but you should be capable to see her in a lilliputian while. She has several issues going on, but I am optimistic that she will lay down a full recovery. She was shoot down twice in the face and once in the pep pill left hand thigh. ”, she started.

"The leg is fine and will cure quickly. Both her spleen and liver were damaged but not severely. We had to go and furbish up both, but I think she will be hunky-dory. We may have to go back in and remove her irascibility if it doesn't heal the way we think. We will monitor her closely. ”, she ended.

"Thank you doctor. ”, Jennifer said.

She promised that the nurse would let us know as soon as she was moved into a room in ICU. We all sat back down and waited with little to no conversation being had. It was getting late, and I had to run over to Tai's shoal and plectron her up but I promised to be back as quickly as potential.

I picked up Tai about forty-five minutes later and explained to her what had happened as we rode back to the hospital. We were in the lobby and about to accede the elevator when we ran into Tessa. I quickly explained what had happened and Tessa got on the lift with us. We rode to the fifth base and got out and headed to ICU. Tessa got us in right away and she ushered us in Lexie's room. I was not get up to see Lexie laying in that bed with tubes and hoses attached to her.

Tessa went over to the bed and checked a few things then went back out. She looked at Lexie's chart and came back and told me that everything was looking good at this meter. She told me that she would count at Lexie several times a day and keep me updated.

Tai and I sat on one of the small couch in the way to wait and be there when Lexie woke up. Tai had her leger bag with her and we started doing her preparation. After 30 minutes or so, Tessa came back into the elbow room and offered to take Tai rest home and let her kip over. Then Tessa could select her to school the following day and I could stay here with Lexie. Tai was fine with that, so I kissed her sayonara and Tessa left with her.

About an hour or a bit later, Jennifer and Jim went down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Jennifer told me that she would make for me something back with a washing soda. I moved over to the chair next to Lexie's bed and took her hired hand in mine. She appeared so small and frail laying in that bed. It was probably thirty minutes later when I felt her hired hand move in mine. Lexie's hand moved several times, but she had not regained consciousness yet. Jim and Jennifer came back about an hour later and I told them what had happened.

I went down to the cafeteria my self to get something to eat. I bought a sandwich and a drink and ate quickly. I took the lift back up to ICU and found Jennifer and Jim standing outside the room. I looked in and saw several hoi polloi working on Lexie. We were quickly ushered back to the waiting with very little information.

We waited for closing curtain to an hour before a doctor walked through the doorway. I carefully looked at his face and I did not like what I saw. Jim and Jennifer stood up immediately to see him. I could not tell a matter from his aspect as he stopped in front of Jim and Jennifer.

"Everything is fine for the moment. She had a slight capitulum in blood pressure, but it happens after that much OR. She is resting comfortably now. We are going to keep her sedated for the meter being. ”, he advised.

I pretty much lived at the hospital for the succeeding few days with Jennifer and Jim Thomas helping me with Tai. My employees stepped up at the gym and basically took aid of everything. I promised them all a bonus for the extra work as soon as I came back. Jennifer and Jim were there casual but Jim had to work, and Jennifer had Tai.

I had left the hospital and went home where I took a shower and alteration. I stopped on the way back and got Tai some volaille nuggets which she loved. I went back up and that allowed Jennifer to go home and houseclean up. She mentioned that the MD had told her that they were cutting back on the sedation. Possibly late tonight or in the first light Lexie would stir up up. Jennifer told me she would take a nap and then take back with Jim later that evening. Tai decided to stay on with me and toy on her IPAD.

Jennifer and Jim returned a little after six in the even, but Lexie was still departed. They stayed until nine o'clock and then took Tai and went back to their house. Jennifer would bring Tai to shoal in the morning and meet me back at the hospital.

I was sitting in a chairman next to Lexie's bed holding her left hand in mine. I must have dozed off because something started me causing me to arouse up. It took a secondment to focalise and I looked around the room, but I was alone. I looked over at Lexie, but she was still deceased. I leaned back into the chairman and closed my eyes once more. Several seconds later, Lexie's hand moved in mine. I sat up immediately and looked over at her.

I got up and leaned over the bed kissing her impertinence softly. I was still bent over the bed when the nurse walked into the room.

"Everything alright ? ”, she asked.

"Yes, she just moved her hand a bit. ”, I reported.

"Good, the sedation is wearing off. She should be awake soon. ”, she replied.

The nurse made her regular bridle of all the monitors and recorded a few resolution. She then promised to be back in about a half an hour. I had just sat back down in the death chair when I noticed that Lexie had slightly moved her head. I stood back up again just as she slowly opened her optic. She looked around the elbow room and finally into my face. She closed her oculus for a endorsement then reopened them with a smile on her face.

"Chris……… what happened. ”, she said weakly.

"You're ok Lexie……. This is ICU. ”, I replied.

"Am I going to be ok ? ”, she asked.

"Yes, you're going to be fine. ”, I answered.

"Did we get the guy…… ”, she asked.

"Not yet baby, but they are looking for him. ”, I promised.

"My partners ? ”, she inquired.

"Curtis is still here in recovery, but Lewis Johnson died on the scene. ”, I answered.

She closed her eyes and binge ran down her buttock. Thankfully just about that prison term the nursemaid came back in. She walked around to the other English of the bed and checked several monitor. She then leaned over Lexie with a grinning on her side.

"Ms. Thomas, it's nice to see you awake. I'm Tonya and I have been taking care of you. How do you feel ? ”, she asked.

"I don't know yet…. ”, Lexie replied.

"Well, if you need anything for annoyance, please let me know. ”, Tonya stated.

She moved around Lexie checking her pulsation and blood pressure. She recorded all the monitor version on her chart then put it back at the end of the bed. She poured Lexie a chalk of weewee, put a top and straw on it then slid the bed tabular array as stopping point to her as she could. She informed us that she would send word the Doctor that Lexie was up, and he would be in as soon as he could.

I sent a text message to Lexie's mom Jennifer informing her that Lexie had come out of sedation. Although it was still very early in the morning, I think she would want to jazz. I set my phone back down and moved nigher to Lexie.

"How long have I been here ? ”, Lexie asked.

"Almost three weeks…… ”, I replied.

"How many times was I hit ? ”, she inquired.

"Twice baby, one in the leg and once in your side. The Dr. will explain it all to you. Just please relief baby. You have been through a lot. ”, I assured her.

Several minutes later Lexie was asleep again, so I went across the room and sat on the small couch. Around eight thirty that morning both Jim and Jennifer Thomas showed up to see their daughter. Thankfully, Lexie was awake and they spent some clock time together. I went abode and showered then changed and went back to the hospital a few hr later.

It took ten more 24-hour interval before Lexie was discharged to my family. I would run into the gym for a few hours in the daybreak while Lexie's mom would come over. I would return rest home a short after twelve and spent the repose of the day with her.

It took three months and a deal of MD's date and tests before Lexie was fully released from the doctor's care. She went back to process part time until the shooting was fully investigated. She also came back to the gym and started to workout again although on a much easier routine.

Two months later we were back to our convention life. I was leery of Lexie going back to make but I did not say anything. I almost lost her to some senseless act of vehemence and one officer had been killed. We did not require the money, but I couldn't expect Lexie to give up her life history. Lexie and Tai had really bonded and for all virtual purposes had become her secondment mother. We were laying in bed one night when Lexie brought up her job.

"Do you worry about me being out there ? ”, she asked.

"I don't think we should spill the beans about that. ”, I responded.

"Why not ? ”, she asked.

"Lexie, you know me as well as anyone ever has. You know I'm not scared of anything or anyone. But every time you walk out that room access, I'm scared you will never issue forth back through it. I'm not sure I could handle losing you. Even though I tried to fool around myself…… ... I have loved you this stallion metre. That's why no one could ever take your place. It's been you all the time. ”, I admitted.

"After everything that happened between us … ... you still were in love with me ? ”, Lexie asked.

"Afraid so…… I guess that why nada ever worked out. ”, I replied.

Lexie was unfeigned to her word, and we lived together for many yr although we never married. I had asked her a few multiplication, but she always said we'll do it soon. Soon never came but it did not diminish our family relationship. Lexie and I were best acquaintance, fan and business collaborator. After xv age on the forcefulness Lexie retired and became my business partner at the gym. We did everything together and rarely ever discord about anything.

Tai had grown into a beautiful Loretta Young cleaning lady who had excelled at everything she did. She maintained a perfect GPA through grammar school and private high school. She graduated at the top of her class both times with a plus perfect GPA.

She received a partial scholarship to Columbia University and we paid the repose. The acceptance rate at Columbia was only six percentage. Out of every one hundred applier only six were accepted. Tai entered the Postbac Premed Program which was one of the most rigorous in the body politic. She also received a Bachelor of Science degree in BSPS in the Pharmaceutical science Division.

Tai was recruited right out of school by a major pharmaceutical party with an amazing earnings and welfare software program. She worked in Maryland so we did not see her as a lot as we hoped but after all she was a grown womanhood. Later she met a great guy and got married and moved to California where they both had amazing line.

They blessed Lexie and I with two beautiful grandchildren which were named Sara and Skylar. Lexie and I flew to California several meter a year spending as much fourth dimension as potential with Tai and the girl. I sent up two immense combine funds for the girls so that when they reached twenty five they would deliver every opportunity that life had to offer.

Lexie died at lviii geezerhood of age from complication due to breast Crab. Thankfully she died peacefully in our bed with me lying side by side to her. Our last few calendar month together were most enjoyable and we were together constantly. After I buried Lexie, I sold everything I owned and moved across the street from Tai and her family. The last days of my life were wonderful and I was even able to witness my granddaughter giving birth to my great grandson.

My physical structure failed me a few years later but all in all I had a wondrous life surrounded by loving people. Tai was a great daughter, mother and married woman and she made me so proud. Tai held my manus, and I passed peacefully having absolutely no regrets .