Justice
Chapter Eighteen
I didn’t like hospitals. They were too quiet in the wrong ways and too loud in others.
The buzzing and the beeping, the antiseptic that stung my nose mixed with all the human smells, made it unbearable.
It was also a dangerous place for shifters.
It was too easy to be found out because a hurt beast was an erratic one.
Worst of all, they were unpredictable. You never knew what was going to happen: someone rushing in with an injury or losing it on a doctor, someone else sobbing in sorrow, and others with tears of joy. It was all here in this chaotic mess, but this was exactly where Bonnie needed to be.
This was where her mother was.
No, not her mother—the woman who pretended to be her mother. But she was the only one Bonnie had ever known, and that made her important.
The original plan was to go to the hospital and try to get into records that could help dig deeper into her birth family. But once we found out Marie was there, talking to her became the primary goal.
I planned to find some time to sneak away to see if I could track down records. But first, we had to get to Marie’s room.
Bonnie walked beside me, her hand in Archer’s, with Dallas behind her. We wanted her to feel as protected and loved. Instead, she was nervous to the point her free hand was visibly shaking. It was like she was expecting the worst, and I got why. So far, most of her life had been the worst.
I lied at the front desk and managed to get us all in. I was surprised how easy it was because there was a posted limit of one visitor, and somehow, they let all four of us come in. When we stopped outside the room, we gave her the chance to make the decision for real.
“We can go with you, or we can wait out here,” I reminded her. “Or we can do both—give you some time alone first.”
“I think I need you with me,” she said. “All of you.”
The way they’d made it sound when I found Marie’s name while digging for information on Bonnie’s birth parents, she was one step from the grave. That had probably been true at the time, but now, she looked old, tired, small, and frail, but also like she had a lot of life left in her.
“How’d you know I was here?” Marie asked.
Bonnie held her head up. “Can we not talk about that?” She rushed over and hugged the woman, who looked shocked by the affection.
Marie had messed up. She’d handled the situation poorly, but she did save Bonnie’s life.
And if I was feeling this conflicted, I couldn’t imagine what was happening inside Bonnie’s head.
Bonnie pulled away and looked at us with a nod. We came over to stand with her, to give her strength. Not physically but emotionally.
“I’m sorry,” was all that Marie said, and the room was silent except for the heart monitor going beep , beep , beep .
The three of us watched. This wasn’t our conversation, but Bonnie wanted us here, and here we were. It took a few minutes before Bonnie said anything, and when she did, her voice was soft and her words surprised me.
“You don’t need to apologize.” I could hear the truth in her words.
She meant it. “It wasn’t easy. I’m not going to say I agree with everything you did, and I won’t lie and say I don’t wish it was different.
But if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here, having this conversation.
I wouldn’t have read all those books. I wouldn’t have made my miniatures.
I wouldn’t have learned to ride a bike or taken my first steps, or how to talk or sit up or even crawl. I wouldn’t have made it that long.”
Tears flowed down Marie’s face and Bonnie’s too.
“Are you really okay, Mom?” she asked, emphasizing the word Mom. She then turned around and gave us a nod, letting us know that she was fine to be alone now.
“We’re going to go get some coffee,” I said. “We’ll come back in a little bit. Marie, did you want anything?”
She looked completely shocked by the offer. We needed to do better, to make her believe she had people in her corner who would put her first.
We hadn’t even been introduced yet, but she had to have sensed something about us. She told us she didn’t want anything. When we left, Dallas and Archer stayed right outside the door.
I found a nurse and sweet-talked her into getting me some coffee, while I “accidentally” got her computer badge without her realizing. From there, it was nothing to get to a supply closet near the nursing station where the traveling computer carts were kept.
I broke into one that wasn’t in use and accessed their locally saved documents.
I found what I was looking for easily. I’d been right about who my mate’s parents were based on dates and information that lined up with what Bonnie had told me the night before.
I sent all the important information to my cloud so Bonnie could look at it when she was ready.
Today was a day of healing. She didn’t need that now. But when she did, when she wanted it, it would be there. I made sure to “drop” the badge near the coffee station on my way back.
Eventually, Bonnie came to get us. After she introduced us to Marie, we said our goodbyes.
“I’d like to see you again,” Marie said. “I don’t want to not be in your life.”
“Okay, Mom. We can figure it out.”
It wasn’t a promise of anything in particular, but it wasn’t a goodbye, either. It was something in between. You could sense the difference in Bonnie. She was lighter, happier, more confident.
Once in the vehicle, I told Bonnie that when she was ready, I had information on her birth family, but that it was unlikely any of them would be looking for her.
She closed her eyes. “Oh, my gods, so this is what it feels like when you’re not running from a past you don’t understand but you know has the potential to destroy everything. Thank you. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
I didn’t know what we’d have done without her either.