Nina's Got a Secret (12 page)

“Nina, where is Chrissy?”

Nina didn't answer. She lowered her head and walked away. Larry instantly knew that something was wrong. He barged into the triage area and started calling Chrissy's name.

“Nurse, I'm looking for my daughter, Chrissy; I mean, Christine Dennison.”

“Mr. Dennison, I need you to step into this room.”

“I want to see my damn daughter!”

“Mr. Dennison, please step into the room so that we can talk.”

The E.R. physician on duty accompanied Larry and the charge nurse into the small office.

“Mr. Dennison, I'm sorry to inform you that your daughter didn't survive the crash. She drowned. She was trapped in the backseat of your wife's SUV. I'm very sorry for your loss.”

Larry stood there in shock. He didn't move an inch as the doctor tried to ask him if he was okay. The hospital's chaplain walked into the room and introduced himself. Larry could see the chaplain's lips moving, but he didn't hear a word the man said. Images of Chrissy's lovely face were the only thing on his mind.

Nina and Val sat in the lobby, wondering what was happening.

“Nina, don't you think you should go in there and check on your husband?” Val asked.

Nina sat there like a statue.

“Nina!” Val shouted.

Nina finally looked at Val.

“You need to go and check on your husband!”

Nina finally nodded her head in agreement. “I'll be back. If the doctor comes out, make sure you get an update on Precious for me.”

As Nina stood up, she heard a heart-wrenching scream; a scream that would be embedded in her psyche for the remainder of her life. Reality had sunk in and had shaken Larry to his core.

When Nina entered the small office she saw her husband on his knees sobbing uncontrollably. That same heartfelt cry that had been lying dormant inside of Larry's diaphragm since Deidra's death eight years earlier had resurfaced.

Nina walked over and kneeled next to him. It was the first public display of affection she'd ever shared with Larry. Larry's body seemed to shrivel as he went from his knees and curled up into the fetal position. His pain reverberated throughout the emergency room. Larry's unrestrained pain was so moving that it caused otherwise callous and aloof nurses to seek out the nearest Kleenex box.

Nina sat there in the middle of the floor with him. She looked on helplessly as she pondered her contribution to his mourning.

C
HRISSY
'
S FUNERAL WAS ATTENDED BY MANY
of Larry's coworkers and clients. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as Larry struggled to control his emotions.

Anyone who knew anything about Larry's personal life recognized the bond between him and his daughter. He'd never hidden his devotion to Chrissy. That characteristic alone was
enough to overshadow his intellect and command respect from the people he associated with.

Nina sat next to Larry and held his hand throughout the entire funeral. Although she had never taken the time to connect to her now deceased stepdaughter, she also felt the despair of the moment.

Val sat on the pew behind Nina and Larry. Her broken arm was in a cast and secured to the side of her body with a black sling. She looked uncomfortable, like she didn't want to be there. Sitting to her immediate right was a caramel-complexioned, curly-haired black man with a clean-shaven face and a huge scar that ran from his left earlobe to the corner of his mouth. The mysterious man was Val's boyfriend, Tyrone. The scar that he wore like a badge of honor was one of his mementos from prison.

Nina had heard a lot about Tyrone, but had never actually met him. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Val sobbing, and could feel the intensity of Tyrone's stare. His stare seemed inappropriate considering the events of the moment, and the smirk he hit her with when their eyes met seemed downright creepy.

As the nearly two hundred attendees exited the funeral, Larry tried to appear strong so that he could receive everyone's condolences and thank his supporters for coming, but the weight of the heartache he felt made it difficult for him to stand, literally.

As Barbara escorted her younger brother to the limousine, Nina did her best to hold down the fort. She shook dozens of hands, but received the cold shoulder from Val as she walked past. Tyrone, on the other hand, made it a point to stop and express his sorrow to Nina.

“Nina, we've never formally met, but I'm Tyrone, Val's friend.”

“Hello, Tyrone. Thanks for coming.”

“No problem; I wanted to pay my respects. This was a tragic event. You must really be feelin' the pressure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'm talkin' about the pressure you must feel tryin' to keep Larry from finding out what really happened during the crash.”

“Excuse me?”

“Val told me how you watched poor little Chrissy drown. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me . . . for now,” Tyrone replied and then whispered into Nina's ear. “It would be a shame if Larry found out that you had a chance to save his little helpless handicapped daughter, but opted to let her drown.”

Nina looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Her heart rate sped up significantly and her eyes immediately filled with water. Her body trembled as she looked deeply into Tyrone's wicked eyes.

“Val told you that?” she asked.

Val stood a few feet away, leaning against a tree. She stared at Nina the same way she had done the night of the crash. The hatred in her eyes could be seen from afar.

“We'll be in touch,” Tyrone said and then gave Nina a soft pinch on her side. “Trust me, sweetheart; I'll definitely be seein' yo fine ass again.”

As he walked away, he turned around and attempted to give Nina a piece of paper.

“Here's my phone number. Call if you need anything.”

Nina turned and walked away. Tyrone was noticeably embarrassed. So he turned to Maria, who was standing a few feet away.

“It's obvious she's upset. You're the nanny, right?”

Maria nodded. “Yes.”

“Good. Please give Nina this phone number later on. I want to be there for her and the family, in case they need something.”

Maria took the wrinkled piece of paper with Tyrone's cell phone number scribbled on it.

Nina's chilling encounter with Tyrone forced her to remember the traumatic crash all over again. Within seconds, she replayed in her mind every moment inside of the SUV: the terrifying screams; Val's voice urging her to save Chrissy; Precious calling her name; Chrissy's hand disappearing beneath the surface of the water. Her memory of the accident was distressingly clear.

Nina's tense moment was interrupted by the tug on her dress by her daughter.

“Mommy, I want to go home.”

“Okay, baby. We're going home in a few minutes.”

T
HE MOOD AT THE
D
ENNISON HOUSEHOLD
was much like you would expect after a loss as tragic as this. A few of the family's closest friends and relatives were congregating in the living room. Barbara was in the kitchen fixing a pot of coffee and trying her best to maintain control of the somber environment.

Nina gave Precious a snack and then took the child to her bedroom.

“Sweetheart, I want you to play with your toys for awhile. Mommy is going to go and talk to Daddy.”

“Can I come?”

“No, baby, I have to talk to Daddy alone. When I'm finished, I'll come back in here and talk to you.”

Nina exited the room and then walked downstairs toward her bedroom where she knew she'd find her husband. Larry was sitting in the lounge chair located in the far corner of the room. He held a picture of Chrissy in one hand and her favorite teddy bear in the other. It was the same teddy bear she'd gravitated toward the first day he'd brought them to their new house.

“Do you feel like talking?” Nina asked, not really sure what else to say.

Larry stared at the picture. Tears rolled down his face as he strengthened his grip on the teddy bear. “Tell me what happened to my baby.”

“Larry, I told you what happened.”

“Tell me again.”

Nina paused for a moment. Deep down she knew that she should probably tell Larry that she had a decision to make and she chose to save her own child. But there's no way he'd understand her choice. How could he? The odds had been stacked against Chrissy since her birth. The odds had become more stacked against her when they were all trapped in that car. At that moment, she needed more help than ever before and her request for assistance was ignored. Nina felt that her decision to save her own child was no different than that of any mother placed in the same position. Still, the odds of her grief-stricken husband understanding and sympathizing with the quagmire she faced were minuscule at best.

“We were driving down the road that leads to this community. It was raining real hard, and I was having difficulty seeing the road. Suddenly, a car appeared, and I swerved to avoid hitting it. The car spun out of control and went through the barrier. We landed in the lake on top of a tree that stuck out of the water.

“I was knocked unconscious for a moment, I'm not sure how long. Val's arm was broken, and the girls were in the backseat moaning and crying. I was trying to climb into the backseat to get the girls, but I was trapped by a branch that came through the front windshield. That's how I hurt my arm.”

Nina paused for a moment to gauge Larry's mood. He stared at her intently, seemingly hanging on her every word. Nina swallowed the little spit that remained in her parched mouth and continued.

“The truck started to sink into the water, and we were all starting
to drown. I was able to open my door. Precious was sitting behind me, and she was able to get out of her seat. I think her ability to swim helped her. Before I knew it, she was in my arms. Chrissy and Val were on the other side of the car. I tried to grab Chrissy but, all of a sudden, I felt myself being pulled away. When I finally got pulled to shore by the man who saved us, I looked up and saw another man dragging Val to the shore. The last man that came out of the water was carrying Chrissy. She seemed a little limp, but I couldn't tell if she was alive.”

“She looked limp?”

“Yeah, her body looked a little limp. There were people all around. Things were happening fast.”

“There's something you said that has me confused. How did Precious get out of the car and end up in your arms? I saw the truck. The rear passenger door was smashed badly; how did she get out?”

Nina was stumped. She'd practiced her story to the point that it sounded more like an alibi. She could recite her version of what happened in her sleep, but Larry's question was unexpected and left her searching for a response.

Nina could see that Larry's question wasn't rhetorical. He expected an answer. She was about to try and offer an explanation, but was saved by a knock at the door. Nina's savior was the person who had been the biggest protester to her marriage to Larry: Barbara.

Barbara had once again been eavesdropping outside the door. After hearing Nina's initial explanation of the circumstances surrounding the crash, she shared her brother's confusion. No matter how hard she tried, she could not figure out how Precious was able to unfasten her seat belt while underwater and get out of a badly smashed door.

“Larry, can I get you anything? Oh, hi, Nina; I didn't know you were in here.”

“No, Barbara, I'm fine,” Larry replied.

“Nina, can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Barbara asked reluctantly.

“No, thank you. I'd appreciate it if you'd check in on Precious. She's in her bedroom. Let her know I'll be there in a second.”

“Okay,” Barbara responded.

Nina used the distraction as an opportunity to change the subject. Larry had her on the hot seat, and she was getting close to her breaking point.

“Baby, you really need to eat something. Would you like me to ask the guests to leave?”