Free SCARRED - Part 5 by Kylie Walker Page A

see that? He turned his head!”
    Yes I did. Dad’s as excited as if I just took my first steps. It’s cute...and scary. This must be really bad.
    “Yes, I saw,” the doctor said, indulgently. “Hello Derek. I’m Doctor Browning. Welcome back. We’re going to have your father step out while we take that tube out of your throat. Hopefully you’ll be able to talk to us then.”
    Yes, please. I’d love to know what happened. I want to see Chloe.
    “Derek, I’m going to just be in the waiting room. As soon as they’re finished I’ll be back, okay?”
    Okay, Dad.
    “I love you, son.”
    I love you too, Dad.

Chapter 9
    ––––––––
    A ugust 12,
    It’s been about a week now since Derek woke up. I thought every day when I was with him before the accident that I’d never experienced such joy...but today he caused me to surpass that. His dad was visiting him and he asked for me. He actually said my name! It’s the first words he’s said out loud since they took the tube out. He was able to breathe on his own right away, which is fantastic news and he seems to remember who we all are.
    He uses a tablet with text to voice to communicate and every morning when I go in to see him he says, “Good morning, I’m so happy to see you!” It’s a little strange that it’s in someone else’s voice, but still very nice to hear. His motor skills are shaky, but the doctor says that’s normal. The therapists have been exercising his legs and he’s starting to move them on his own now. That was another huge relief as they weren’t sure if he had any nerve damage or not that might cause him to not be able to walk. They’re going to get him up tomorrow and see if he can walk. They said most likely he’ll need to re-learn some things and walking might be one of them. That’s okay though, I’m staying positive...he’s alive. I never saw anything as beautiful as when he opened his baby blues and looked at me that first time about a week ago. My heart actually skipped...I thought that was just a wives tale for hopeless romantics.
    When he asked for me today, Kevin came out in tears. At first I was worried that he was upset because Derek was asking for me and not him. I quickly figured out that they were happy tears. He told me that hearing him ask for me was like hearing him say his first words all over again, thirty one years later. When I went into the room he actually smiled. His facial muscles hadn’t seemed to be working at first. He lifted his fingers off the bed and I took his hand and he said, “Chloe.” His speech was slightly slurred and his voice sounded weak and shaky.
    My name never sounded so sweet.
    He arranged his letters on the board and asked me what happened. We knew that would be coming and we had decided as a collective group to only tell him there was an accident. The police called Kevin last week and told him that the brake lines had definitely been cut and all the fluid drained. We know it was Jesse...but he was careful.
    No one saw him and there was not even a trace of the fluid in the driveway. There were no fingerprints or hairs or fibers like you see on shows like CSI. Jesse was too smart for all of that. It makes me wonder how elaborate his plan is for getting rid of my body once he finishes with me. If they ever do catch him, all he can be charged with is Chantelle’s attack. Kevin tells me that will be his word against hers because in that case there are no other witnesses or evidence either. Since she is my best friend...the defense attorney would try and make the jury believe he was set up. It’s not likely a jury would buy that, but when your father is the D.A. and your mother is still pushing for him to help you...you just never know. I can’t wait around for that to happen.
    The doctor said they’re hoping to move Derek out of the ICU by the weekend and into a regular room. He’s getting better every day although he has some problems that the doctor says he’ll probably