The Shadows Fall: Chapter 45

Todd was on his cell phone, "Make sure the headline in the special edition reads, 'MAYOR FINN:  555-CALL HER' on the front.  In the bottom corner, be sure to put 'The Sun Welcomes New Son' and run that photo I sent of the baby."  He hung up.


Walking back to the nursery window, he, Viki and Addie were still watching Raymond in his little cart.  "Todd, he's so cute,"  Addie said.


He said, "I'm going back to see Blair.  It's feeding time, and she's going to be needing me to hold him."


Viki hugged him.  "I'm proud of you, Todd.  You made it through this.  And look at that beautiful son you have."


"Thanks, Sis."


She watched him go.  Turning to Addie, she said, "He's coming along."


Addie said, "He seems fine to me.  Look at that baby, he is so perfect!  He's better than any of the others."


Viki said, "I guess it would seem that way, doesn't it?"  And they both laughed.


In Blair's room, which he had filled with the most fragrant flowers he could order, everything was quiet.  She was sleeping, one hand over her belly, and her head lolling to the side.  He sat by her, taking her hand gently, and holding it.  He was hungry, and thirsty, but he didn't dare leave her.  He waited for her to wake, looking at her, watching her sleep and breathe.  He thought about how just a few hours before, she could have been lost to him, for always.  He had to push that away, because thinking of it, as Sister Rebecca said, was not something he could deal with, even in image.  She stirred.


Opening her eyes, she met his.  "Todd."


"Hi."


"The flowers.  There are so many.  It smells like heaven in here."


"Because my angel is here, couldn't have it any other way."  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed each finger gently.


"How's our little piece of moonlight?"


"He's great.  He's gorgeous.  Addie and Viki are mooning over him, as a matter of fact."


"Oh, those two.  Momma's here?"


"She was.  She has visited a few times, but she never woke you."


"Poor Momma."  She looked at him.  "Poor you.  Are you all right, Todd?  You look so tired."


"I'm okay.  Now."


"What do you mean?"


"I thought I was losing you, and Moonbeam.  And after Ray was born, and I held him, I thought I was past it, until I almost lost you again.  I was so scared,"  He said, shaking his head.  Stifling tears, he said, "I was more scared than I ever was in that chair.  I threw up, I was so afraid.  But you made it.  I can't tell you how dark those minutes were when I didn't know whether I'd hold you again, and hear you sing to me."


She touched his cheek, as always, feeling for his scar.  "I'm here.  It's okay.  You can't really get rid of me."


The nurse brought the baby, and handed him to Todd.  When he held him, he likened the feel of him to a bag of flour.  So light but also weighty, but different from the flour, he was so warm and had a sweet small breath.  He let him rest on his chest, head on his shoulder, as he readied the bottle of her milk that the hospital helped her express for him.  She was still too weak to hold him properly.


Todd held Ray and fed him carefully, and Blair watched, putting her hand on her baby's head and talking to him.  Seeing her disappointment, he crept into the bed next to her, and put his arms around both of them, so that the baby could be in her arms as it was feeding.  He supported her arms as she held Ray, supported her as well.


The nurse came in and said, "Well, that's quite ingenious, Mr. Manning.  You seem to have that down to a science."


He looked up and smiled, but could barely take his eyes off his son's face.  "He's drinking a lot."


"He's hungry," the nurse answered.


Blair said, "Look at him, Todd, he's so strong and so healthy."


He kissed the top of her head.  When Ray had finished the bottle, Todd took him back, and put him into the cart.  Blair said, "No, please don't take him."


"He's not going anywhere.  He's going to hang out here for a while with us."


She smiled, weakly, and fell into sleep again.  He leaned over the baby and said, "See, your mommy's tired.  But, that's okay, we can hang out and have boy time."


***


Natalie stood by John, watching him take control of the surrounding forces.  As he was barking orders, the FBI showed up and pushed their way in.  "Lieutenant, Joe Simons, FBI."


In the commotion, Natalie realized that reporters were in the mix, and she and a few other policemen tried to get them away, which was almost impossible.  The televisions, still blaring, were showing local news items, which included the prison riot and eventual break.  Many of the inmates had been returned to their cells, others were contained in larger areas, because it helped keep track of them and avoid transporting them back to cells where they could make a break for it.  Several of the automatic locks had been tripped; and the count was somewhere in the mid teens for missing prisoners.  Those in the lounge area were seeing the first-hand reports of themselves, and viewing the reports as they came in regarding the escapees.  She longed to get her hands on the list of escaped inmates, but knew it would not be available until later.  The newscast took a turn to a different tone, and it caught her attention.


"In other news, Mayor Kathleen Finn will be holding a press conference to express what political analysts are assuming will be her resignation and withdrawal from the gubernatorial race.  During the May Crowning at St. Anne's earlier today, an attempt was made on the life of Jessica Buchanan, which was thwarted by none other than Sun publisher Todd Manning, his wife, Blair Manning, one Devon Kelly, who was a resident of St. Anne's, and Sister Rebecca Katherine Broderick.  This attempt seems to be connected, but is unclear how, to the news that Kathleen Finn will be brought up on charges of extortion and assisting to run and finance a local brothel.  She will be leaving her race for the governor's seat behind and will be addressing her public in a press conference slated for tomorrow.  In an interesting human interest twist, The attempt on Ms. Buchanan's life was interrupted by labor pains.  Todd and Blair Manning, later became the proud parents of their third biological child this evening at Llanview Hospital.   Back to you, Monique."


"Oh my God," Natalie said, and John, who also had his ear and eyes caught by the broadcast, said, "There you go, Manning.  Be happy."


Carlo was one of the inmates sitting in the lounge as part of a large group of prisoners who were detained.  At the close of the broadcast, he was barely able to contain his anger.  He was seething, and every bone in his body wanted revenge against The Mannings for circumventing his plan.  His opportunity to return to the world and gain back respectability had been squashed by Todd Manning.  Once again, Todd Manning had won, over him, and his boiling point was reached.  He remained falsely calm, at least to the outside world, and to the inmates around him, so below him in stature, and the guards, in their stupidity.  He sat, waiting, incensed.


***


In the waiting room, Devon stood up and said, "I think it's time for me to go."


"It was time hours ago.  Why are you here?"  Jessica said.


"I got attached to you and your family.  I mean, after this, I feel like I am one of you."


"Well, you're not."


"Can ya two stop ya'r bickering?" Sister Rebecca Katherine said,  "I'm praying for the baby and his mother."


Jessica felt guilty that moment for interrupting the sister's prayers.  She folded her arms and turned her face from Devon.  He whispered, "Are you going to be angry with me forever for this?  I mean, I saved your life."


"So?  What does that mean?"  she whispered angrily.  "I wouldn't have needed saving if you didn't take that acting job to fool me and get information.  How much was acting?  We will never know."


He sat back down beside her.   "Everything was acting, okay."  She looked at him, viciously mad.  "Everything except every moment I felt something for you, and every moment we shared, and when I told you how I felt."


She looked up.  "Yeah, well, try getting someone else to believe that."  She stormed off.


He followed her, "Jess?" 


The nun was alone in the waiting room, and continued her prayers.  "Lord, help those two find some common ground so they can piece things back together," she said, "and protect that little babe and keep him and his mother safe.  And Lord, please look down on Todd Manning, and bring him some peace.  I am not certain what ails him, but it's very deep, Lord, and please give him comfort and deliver him from his pain.  Amen."  She crossed herself and stood, and turning around, she saw Todd, standing at the doorway.


"Sister.  I wanted to say thank you again."


"Oh was nothing, my boy, nothing at all.  Just doing what I do.  I like to help."


"It's more than that.  You were there for me....when...it was a very dark time.  I didn't know how to find the light.  You see, Blair is my light, and I just wasn't sure how to find it just then.  When I saw myself without her, you know what I saw?"


"No, I don't.  Tell me."


"Total black.  I couldn't even see me.  I saw nothing.  Just darkness."


"May I ask you something, lad?  Ya don't have to answer me if ya don't want to?"


"All right."


 "What has got ya so hurt?  Something's very deeply injured ya, it's as if your soul is tormented."


He sat down, because her words weakened his knees.  "I've not been a very good person."


"Nonsense, but even if it were true, has it stopped?  Are ya a good person now?  Were ya a good person before?"


"I guess I am now.  I'm working on it every day.  I was a good kid, when I was little, and something changed my life, but...I guess I'm trying to make a good life now."


"You said something changed your life.  I have a feeling that something is causing you such pain.  Did this thing lead you to do bad things to yourself or others?"


"Yeah, that's exactly what it did."


"Are you sorry for them?"


"Am I sorry for what?"


"The things that you did."


"Most of them, yeah.  I've been sorry for years.  It doesn't change things."


"You have not forgiven yourself.  Somehow, lad, you believe you deserve everything negative that has happened to you, don't ya?"


"Nothing good comes to me.  I'm always just waiting for the axe to fall."


"You forgive people who wrong you?"


"I do now.  More than ever.  I never used to, but I do, yes."


"Then you have to work on forgiving yourself, lad.  God forgives you."


He looked skeptical and started to respond, "I..."


"He does.  We are all his children.  He forgives ya.  You must forgive yourself."  She rose from the chair, "I've got to get back now, I've been missing for hours.  Everyone will worry."  She walked by him, and put her hand on his shoulder.  "One more thing, whatever happened to ya, it is over now, Todd.  No one will hurt ya anymore, and ya have to learn to comfort and love yourself enough to let go and forgive.  We all have our shadows, but they mustn't become us."  She walked off.


"Sister?"  he called, his voice cracking.  But, she was gone.


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