Chapter 3

Shannon opened her address book and found the number, dialing it with shaking hands.

"I've got it darling, finish up dinner will you?" Victoria Mallard picked up the phone, wondering who could be calling on the holiday evening. Donald had promised that he wouldn't have to work tonight, but if he got a call from the hospital, he'd have to go. "Happy New Year, Mallard Residence."

Shannon sniffled when she heard the British lady. She loved the lady's voice. "Mrs. Victoria, it's Shannon Kendall. I done something awful and I could use you and Dr. Donald's help."

It took just a moment for Victoria to place the young girl's voice. She had given the young waitress her phone number, just in case she ever needed help, but never expected her to use it. "Darling, what happened? I thought your boyfriend was going to be home and that you and he were going to be spending the New Year together. Did he do something to hurt you?"

"Not exactly, Mrs. Victoria. I got myself in some trouble and someone is hurt and going to the hospital." Of course the woman wouldn't want to help. Who would? She was just a stupid high school dropout hick from West Virginia. "Was silly of me callin' you like this on a holiday. Sorry, Mrs. Victoria. You come in next week and I'll make you an apple caramel crumble pie special."

"Are you hurt? What hospital are you going to? Your Jethro, he didn't hurt you, did he Dear?" Victoria was making motions at her son to stop what he was doing. She could drive over herself, but if Shannon was hurt, she wanted her son to be there to make sure that she was ok. "Donald and I will meet you there. If it's your boyfriend, you will come home with us tonight until he's gone. I won't see you hurt anymore, Darling."

"No, Ma'am. I hurt someone. My boy's ... boy. He was hurt in the bombings and I..." She started sniffling. "They hurt me and I hurt them and now it's a big ole mess and I..."

She thrust the phone toward the woman and buried her head in her hands, sobbing.

"Hello?" Emily said into the telephone.

"What just happened to Shannon? Is she hurt? I told her that my son and I would meet her at the hospital, and it seemed to upset her." Victoria wasn't sure what was going on, but her young friend seemed to be honestly distressed. "She's a good girl, but easily upset at times. I had hoped that her boyfriend coming home would help her emotions."

"She's young," Emily allowed. "Shannon got some very upsetting news from Jethro this evening and she's taken it very badly. Much as I'd like to support her, my son is injured and I think she could use the support of someone who she knows and who isn't so distracted by circumstances. She really shouldn't be alone. Would you be willing to sit with her for a short time?"

"Of course I will. Are you on your way to the hospital? Tell me where, and Donald and I will be there to take care of Shannon. You're quite sure she's not injured?"

"Only her spirit. I'll look after her until you arrive." Emily had Shannon give the name of the hospital and stood nearby as she hung up. "Would you like to go back to your home and get changed, my dear? You look very cold in that beautiful dress."

Shannon nodded. "That would be nice. Mrs. Cora helped me learn to knit some sweaters. I have some and dungarees at home."

"Then we'll run you home. You'll have to tell me where you live; I'm not familiar with the area. Just came in to find MacKai, then I assumed we were going home. I guess we'll be staying a little longer."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Emily. I'm so sorry." Shannon sat quietly, giving the woman directions. When they got to the apartment, she turned to the woman. "Will you come up with me? I can get some of Jethro's stuff for your boy."

"I think that's a great idea. Mac isn't going to want to stay in a hospital gown for long, so sweats and a t-shirt if you have one of Jethro's around. It will be too big, but it will still make him feel better." Emily followed Shannon up into her apartment and was impressed with how well kept it was. It wasn't the most extravagant place in the world, but it was still homey. She was sure that had more to do with the girl with her than Jethro. "You have a lovely apartment, Shannon. I never would have guessed, knowing Jethro that he'd live someplace so cute."

"Jethro doesn't live here, Mrs. Emily. I live here all alone." Shannon automatically put on some water for tea for the lady. "I have to put my roast in the trash. I cooked for the boys. And then I burned the milk for Mac's hot chocolate."

"When the water boils, Mrs. Emily, we can take you some tea along. My Mama wouldn't forgive me if I didn't offer tea."

"You go get ready, I'll deal with the water and let me look at the roast. It may not be so bad off. May be able to salvage some of it at least." Emily had assumed that Jethro had lived here, to help take care of the girl. She was going to give that young man a talking to. "I'll make us both a tea, and if you have some to-go mugs, we'll take it with us to the hospital. It's going to be a long night I fear."

"Up in the cupboard, Mrs. Emily. I got two thermoses."

She ducked into the bedroom and pulled on jeans and a sweater and pulled her hair into a ponytail. The uncomfortable shoes were replaced with sneakers. When she was done, she took an overnight bag and put two of Jethro's shirts in, some boxer shorts, a pair of sweatpants, and slippers he never used.

When she came out, Emily was looking at the cross stitch hanging on the wall. "My Ma made that when I was born. Shannon Marie Kendall. December 17, 1967. I was a small baby." She stared hard at the letters. "I can read my name but not the December, but I know it of course. What kind of tea do you like, Mrs. Emily?"

"It's beautiful Shannon, and if you give us a chance you'll be able to read December, alabaster and any word you want to. You'll see, Darling, the whole world is out there waiting for you to conquer it, and you just need a little assistance getting to where you can." Whatever it took, even if it meant selling her home and coming to where this young woman was comfortable, although that may be the only option with Mac being as sick as he was, she would do. "I'm not picky, whatever it is you have is fine."

Shannon's lower lip trembled. "Why are you bein' so nice when I hurt your son, Mrs. Emily?" The first thing she did when she got into the bedroom was to wash the blood from under her fingers. "I'm so bad. I'm sorry. How do I make it better?"

"I know you didn't mean to hurt Mac, but you were angry and scared. If I can make you less scared, then we're taking a step in the right direction. I have a lot of love to give, and only one son to spoil with it, so having someone to help is a wonderful thing for me. I know I'm not your mom, but I would like to be someone that you can turn to when you need help." So far, Emily hadn't seen anything inherently bad about Shannon, just a scared little girl. "You're going to have to talk to Mac, try to at least form a truce. Not tonight, but when he's feeling better. You two can't fight over Jethro, he's important to you both and you are both important to him. He shouldn't have to choose."

"When I get scared, Jethro hugs me. I miss that," Shannon admitted. "I gotta make it up to Mac but I don't know how. I don't wanna fight. I just don't wanna be all alone in the world. I'm scared, Mrs. Emily."

"You have a family with us now Shannon, you won't be alone. And I think I can find some appropriate young people for you to meet and hang out with. You'll see, things will be different for you. You've got a lot more people then just Jethro to take care of you now."

"Why do you wanna do this when I hurt your boy, Mrs. Emily? How good do you know Jethro? How come you wanna take care of him and me, Mrs. Emily? I don't understand."

"I just met Jethro, but he's with Mac. That makes him family. You are his family, so that makes you my family as well. But as my family, I have to ask you to not ever attack Mac again. I know that you feel he stole your boy, but Jethro is an adult who made a decision. I want to help you, but you have to know that if you ever do what you did tonight again, I won't be able to do anything more for you, Shannon. You are a good girl, but I have to put my son's well being first and foremost."

"I won't hurt your boy no more, Mrs. Emily. I promise." She solemnly crossed her fingers over her chest in a cross my heart motion. "I shouldn't have hurt him. I was terrible."

"I won't argue with you there, but you're going to turn over a new leaf. You'll apologize to MacKai, and try to make peace with him. I know it won't be easy, but you're going to have to try all the same. I'll speak to him as well; see if I can't talk to him once things settle down for him. My son is stubborn, but he'll understand given time."

"What will he understand? Why I did what I did? Or why I'm dumb?" She desperately wanted to ask for a hug but didn't know how. She'd been away from her ma for too many years to really remember what it was like to have a woman in her life.

"You're not dumb, and I don't want to hear you say that again. Young woman, you have a chance to turn everything around. But by continuing to put yourself down, you won't ever move past what you are." If they were ever going to turn this girl's life around, Emily knew she was going to have to insist that she stop putting herself down. "From here on out, you're just as smart as Jethro or Mac or even Keith. You might have more to learn, but nothing is going to stop you."

Shannon couldn't help crying. "Nobody ever believed in me like that, Mrs. Em. Nobody, not even Jethro, made me feel this worthwhile. I would love another mama. Jethro's mama wasn't even this nice to me."

"I would love to be that for you, Shannon. I would never assume to take the place of your mother, but I'd be happy if you could think of me as someone your mother would approve of to help take care of you. You're still such a young girl, you should be in school and going to football games and parties on Friday nights, not working all the time to barely make ends meet. If you allow us to help, you can be that girl again. Even if you want to work you can still do that. But you need to enjoy this time, because adulthood will happen sooner then any of us would like."