Miracle M.E.

Chapter 18

    The day after Hannah's big revelation, Allen started making phone calls and doing research on Bing. There were many places he had heard of in different states and in Texas proper. But there was also the matter of 'how much'. He knew Hannah couldn't afford nor wanted something super luxurious that cost an arm and a leg. The whole point was to find a place that would fit Hannah perfectly. Like with the different drugs and addiction as a whole, the addicts themselves were all of different mind, body, and spirit and therefore it was important to find a rehab place that suited each person's needs as much as their wants. On top of that, there were both inpatient and outpatient programs; it was the former that he needed to find for Hannah.

    It was midweek before he found the program that he knew would be perfect for Hannah. It was exactly what the doctor ordered and as if sent from her guardian angels themselves. Turned out that St. Bernadette's was involved in a 3 month inpatient program; located on the outskirts of Fort Worth. The building was in a private sector and owned its own park; that way the patients could enjoy the outdoors and nature without the prying eyes of others and tourists.

    He called St. Bernadette's and asked to speak with the Mother Superior. When he told her who he was and who he was calling on behalf of, she arranged a meeting with him as soon as possible. 2 days later, he drove to the parish and sat down in her office. The Mother Superior was shorter then Allen but her air of authority and honor made her feel and seem 10 feet tall. They started to compare notes. She didn't know much about what had happened to Hannah other than the fact that she was extremely ill with a non-curable disease. It was then that Allen told her about everything that had happened with Hannah since the death of Sister Grace.

    The Mother Superior was truly taken aback. She hadn't known about Hannah's cheating husband or her meth addiction. Allen went step by step telling her the last two years of Hannah's life; the bad, the ugly, and the horrific. She didn't know how bad Hannah's M.E. was and what it had done to her. Hannah had come to St. Bernadette's at the age of 5 and that is when she met her. Though not as close to her as Sister Grace was; the Mother Superior felt like Hannah was the parish's child. They all were mothers to her and she was their daughter. She had made them so proud over the years and to see her fall so far and hurt so much was very painful.

    After listening to everything that Allen had to say, she jotted down some notes knowing she had a lot of phone calls to make. She told Allen that she would be in touch by the end of that week. He left feeling satisfied that they were getting somewhere in finding Hannah the help she so desperately needed. True to her word, she called Allen while he was at the office. He picked up the phone on the second ring as soon as he saw St. Bernadette's number on his caller ID.

"Agent Roberts, I have made the necessary phone calls and we will foot the bill for the 90 day program for Hannah." Allen listened stunned.

"Wow, really? Are you sure it won't be too much trouble for you? If it's really pricey, we'll look elsewhere."

"No, not at all. It isn't pricey for us at all. We very seldom send our own to rehab especially children that grew up in the school and church who were orphaned. Hannah is family to St. Bernadette's. It only makes sense for us to help her out. Besides, it was in her parent's Will that we take care of her even into adulthood if need be. And that we shall. She considered Sister Grace her surrogate mother so it is the very least we could do." The Mother Superior said quietly.

"Hannah will be so pleased. Thank you so much, Mother Superior for everything." Allen said gratefully as the latter smiled on the other end of the line.

"It is time for Hannah to get her life back, don't you think?"

"Yes, I agree."

"One small step at a time. And with love and caring such as you have been giving her, I think she'll make it through this next difficult period in her life."