Teacher's Aide (A Norman Reedus Love Story) ✔

Chapter 25 **Norman's POV**

I was standing in my classroom this morning, class wasn't supposed to start for another fifteen minutes so I didn't have a single student in my room, when in walked a worried looking Liz. She wasn't in my classes today so I didn't understand why she was in here. "Norman," she said, "did Stephanie ever make it to your house last night? She was heading over to your place and was supposed to call me afterwards." "No Liz," I said shaking my head, "I didn't even know she was coming over. Everything okay Liz?" "No," she said shaking her head, "I'm worried, she's not at school today and her parents kicked her out of the house last night." "Why'd they kick her out," I asked looking at her confused. "That's something for her to explain," Liz said, "but right now I'm really worried. I don't know where she is."
At that moment, my need to find her and make sure she was alright kicked in and I grabbed my coat as I walked to the classroom door. "Where are you going," Liz asked from behind me. "I'm going to tell the principle that I'm going to need a sub for the day," I said looking back at her, "then we're going to go find Stephanie." She quickly nodded and followed me out of the classroom. We split ways, her heading straight for the parking lot while I headed into the main office to have a word with the principle. It wasn't a complete lie when I told them I had a family emergency that I had to take care of. I look at Stephanie like she is family. After they set up someone to go into my classes for me to teach while I was away taking care of the issue at hand, I quickly made a dash to my truck where Liz was standing by the passenger door looking around like crazy while waiting.
I unlocked the doors and we both climbed in. "Okay so there's two different ways to get to my house," I said as I started the truck and looked over at Liz, "the way from here at the school and the way from her house. You're sure she was heading to my place from her parents' home?" "Yeah," Liz said nodding as I pulled out of the parking lot, "she was in her car getting ready to head to you when I called her. Norman I'm really worried about her." "Don't worry we'll find her Liz," I said as I pulled out of the school and headed to my house first then began backtracking from there to her parents' place. The ride was quiet as we searched for any signs of what might have happened to her. I was hoping for the best but I was also expecting the worst after the weather we had last night. We kept our eyes glued to the road, not wanting to miss anything.
"Oh my God Norman," Liz said causing me to look to her as she pointed out ahead of me, "skid marks. And that guard rail, look at it." "Oh no," I said as I came to a stop and jumped out of the truck, leaving it running as I made my way to the edge of the road. When I looked over, there sat Stephanie's car, looking like it had been crushed even though it was sitting on its wheels. "Liz call for an ambulance," I shouted back at her before I began making my decent down into the gully, "now!" I didn't wait for a reply as I continued to make my way down until I was standing by the door on the driver side. Peering in, I spotted Stephanie unconscious in the driver seat with her seat belt still fastened. "Oh God," I said as I opened the door and placed my hand on her neck feeling for a pulse, "Stephanie baby open your eyes. C'mon sweetheart open those pretty green eyes for me."
"The ambulance is on its way," I heard Liz shout from up above, "is she okay?" "She has a pulse," I called back as I looked up to her on the edge of the road, "I'm scared to pull her out. I don't want to hurt her more than she already is." "Everything's going to be okay Norman," she called back just as I could hear the sirens in the distance. I stood back as the paramedics made their way to the car, and carefully pulled Stephanie out from it. "That seat belt saved her life," one of the men said to me as we followed them back up to the road, "if she wasn't wearing it, she wouldn't be alive right now." I nodded as they placed her in the back of the ambulance. "Can I ride with her," Liz asked one of the guys, "she's my best friend and her parents just kicked her out of her house."
The guy nodded before she turned to me. "I'll meet you at the hospital," I said as she nodded. I turned and made my way back to my still running truck as the ambulance pulled off with my girl and her best friend in the back. The ambulance arrived before I did because I went and pulled Mingus out of school before heading to the hospital. When I arrived there, Liz was waiting in the waiting room with her head in her hands. "Anything," I asked and she lifted up her head to see me and my son beside me. "They took her back about twenty minutes ago or so," she said, "to make sure she didn't have any internal bleeding." I nodded then looked down as I placed my arm around Mingus. "I'm sorry that the first time you get to meet my son is when we're at the hospital," I said as she looked to the boy beside me, "but this is Mingus."
"Hi Mingus," she said smiling at him, "I've heard a lot about you from Stephanie." "Is she going to be okay," he asked causing her to look up at me. "We hope so buddy," I said and he looked up at me. "Norman there's something you need to know," she said, "but I'm not so sure that now is the best time to tell you." "What," I asked. She looked like she was about to answer but a doctor walked out and stopped her. "Are you friends of the girl that was brought in from a car accident," he asked. "Yes," Liz said before looking to me and Mingus, "I'm her best friend and this is my, um, my uncle and little cousin. They brought me here." "Well she's suffered a small concussion and a broken left wrist," he said looking to Liz, "but she should be fine. Were either of you aware that she was pregnant?"
"I was yes," Liz said while I was stunned speechless, "is the baby alright?" "Perfectly fine," he said smiling at Liz, "you can go back and see her. She sedated right now and probably won't wake up for another hour or so." "Thank you doctor," she said as he nodded and walked off. When she looked back at me, I was staring at her waiting for an answer. "Let her explain it all to you when she wakes up," Liz said shaking her head, "it'd be better for you both if she was the one to explain and not me. For now let's go see her." I nodded before wrapping my arm around Mingus' shoulders and pushing him towards the room Stephanie was in as she led the way down the halls. Stephanie was pregnant, with my baby, and they were both doing fine. I couldn't be happier, even if I did have to find out from her being in a car wreck.