BK 4 - Chapter 47 - Adelma
Lisa held the paper Mindy handed her without looking at it. She couldn't believe they had found her birth mom. She thought she was born in a lab her entire life, and now the truth was in front of her, but she couldn't look at it.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Melanie asked, putting her arm over her shoulders. Lisa's tears started falling as she leaned against her mom.
"I don't know how to feel. Will you look at it with me?" Lisa asked, feeling like a little cub again.
"Yes, of course. Let's go into the other room. Do you want anyone else to come?" Melanie asked her.
"Jayce and Grandma Cat, will you come too?" Lisa looked at them, and they both jumped up and went to her side. When they got to the living room, they sat on the couch. Jayce had Lisa on his lap, sitting between Melanie and Cat.
"Okay, mom. Read what it says." Lisa said, holding her mom and grandmother's hands while Jayce rubbed her back.
"It says that a woman by the name of Adelma Merrill was found near death on the side of the road. She was taken to the local hospital, where she was treated. She survived, and after several weeks, she was taken to Sycamore Place." Everyone looked at Cat when she gasped.
"What is it, grandma?" Lisa asked.
"Sycamore Place is where they take patients with psychiatric disorders. It's supposed to be short-term. However, they're known for keeping people long-term. Does it say what she was taken there for?" Cat already had an idea why they would admit her to that horrid place.
"It says that she was telling people she got pregnant by a lion and someone cut her cub out of her. They believed she had been pregnant and the baby was cut from her, but not that the child was a lion. It also says that they tried to locate the baby, but there was no trace of her anywhere." Lisa almost laughed when she thought about how that would have sounded to people who didn't know about shifters.
"Does it say where she is now?" Lisa asked. She felt raw, but she needed to know. What happened after they discharged her? Surely, she wouldn't still be there after all these years.
"It says she was never discharged from Sycamore Place," Melanie said with sadness. She couldn't imagine how Adelma must have felt after having her baby ripped from her and then being locked up because people thought she was crazy.
"Where is this place, Grandma?" Lisa asked anxiously.
"It's not far from here in Elk Grove. It's late now, how about we go tomorrow? I'll call and make arrangements, okay?" Cat said. She didn't want to tell Lisa, but Sycamore Place wasn't a great facility, and they didn't like visitors. She was going to see what strings she could pull to get Adelma out of there.
"I can't believe she's only been a few miles away this whole time. Thank you, grandma. Jayce and I are going to go to the pool house. Tell everyone I said goodnight." Lisa replied. She felt numb. Tomorrow, she was going to see her birth mother. Would she feel anything for her? Would Adelma want to see her?
"Don't worry. You go get some rest." Melanie said, kissing her forehead and hugging her. Cat did the same before the couple left.
"Mom, what didn't you tell her?" Melanie asked once they were gone.
"That facility is horrible. I've heard horror stories about the condition of some patients there, but no matter what complaints were filed, it never gets closed down. I want to get Adelma out of there. I just hope she's still in decent condition. Being there for over twenty-one years can't be good for your mind or body." Cat replied as they re-joined the others. She started making phone calls right away.
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When they got to the pool house, Lisa walked up to their bedroom feeling like she was walking underwater. Her birth mom had been so close all this time. Jayce led her to the bathroom, stripped her out of her clothes, and helped her shower. Once they finished, he dried her and took her to bed. He didn't say anything; he just held her while Ali and Ace purred, trying to offer comfort.
"Do you think I'm crazy hoping she'll remember me even though she never saw me?" Lisa asked Jayce softly.
"No, that's not crazy. I heard somewhere that mothers always know their children even if they were separated at the baby's birth." He replied, kissing her forehead.
"What if she doesn't want anything to do with me? It's my fault she's there. If she hadn't been pregnant with me, she would have never been cut open, left for dead, and admitted to that facility. Do you think she'll blame me for being so close but only finding her now?" Lisa's mind was reeling. What if Adelma hated her? She suddenly felt like the little cub living in the cage again when no one wanted her, and other than Alex, she was all alone.
"If she doesn't want a relationship with her beautiful, strong daughter, that's her loss. You're not to blame for what those monsters did to her and you. Don't forget she lost a daughter, but you lost a mom. Your life wasn't easy either until you met your parents. If she doesn't want you in her life, then think of all the people who do. I've never met a more incredible family than yours." Jayce kissed Lisa gently, and she smiled.
"You're right. My family is pretty amazing." She said, lying her head on his chest. She felt better. Even if Adelma didn't want her, there were a lot of people that did.
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The next morning, Lisa, Jayce, Melanie, Saxon, Cat, and Trey were going to Sycamore Place. Cat had made some calls and had a way that ensured they could visit Adelma, although getting her out of the facility may prove rather difficult. It would all depend on her condition when they got there. Cat had a plan but didn't want to say anything unless they needed it.
Lisa felt depressed as soon as they pulled into the parking lot of what she had decided to call Sycamore Dump. The building was four stories high, dark grey, and looked like it hadn't been updated in at least fifty years. She hoped it wasn't a sign of Adelma's condition. She wanted to call her birth mother by her first name until she saw how it went today.
"Alright, when we get in there, let me do the talking," Cat said, looking at the others. Everyone nodded and followed her to the front door. They had to ring a bell, and after almost ten minutes and multiple rings later, someone finally opened the door. The woman who greeted them looked almost like the building with grey scrubs and grey hair.
"What can I do for you?" The woman asked, looking at them with confusion.
"Hello, ma'am; my name is Caterina Galloway. We're here to see Adelma Merrill." Cat said with a kind smile. The woman, who looked like she hadn't smiled in years, gave Cat a small grin.
"I'm Shirley. We don't typically allow visitors unless it's been scheduled." She said, glancing at the others.
"It's nice to meet you, Shirley. If you look, you should see this is a scheduled visit. I made the call myself yesterday." Cat replied with another smile.
"Just a minute." Shirley shut and locked the door. A minute later, she came back and looked confused.
"You're right, you're scheduled. That's strange. I swear I didn't see anyone's name there a minute ago." Lisa saw her Grandpa Thatcher on the roof and hid her giggle. He was the fastest vampire she knew. He winked at her and moved back so no one else would see him. "Please follow me."
The group followed Shirley into the facility and immediately felt sick. The smell of urine and filth was overwhelming. They could hear screaming from different directions but not close. When they reached a desk with nurses, they stared at the group in shock.
"Who are they?" One of the nurses asked, eyeing Jayce in a way Lisa didn't appreciate.
"They're here for a visit. They were in the book for a scheduled visit." Shirley answered as they continued past the nurses. Lisa glared at the one staring at her mate. She heard whispering as they continued down the hall. The facility gave her the creeps. She couldn't imagine how Adelma felt after being there for over two decades.
When they reached a set of double doors, Shirley used a keypad to enter a code. Lisa memorized it, knowing it may come in handy later. The sight that greeted them when the doors opened was like something out of an old film.
*"I thought they outlawed places like this,"* Melanie mindlinked Cat.
*"They did, but a few sneak in under the radar by pretending to be skilled nursing facilities. They'll have a small portion for the skilled patients, and the rest they use as a psychiatric facility. It's supposed to be used for short-term psych, not long-term."* Cat replied. She felt like crying, seeing the conditions of some of the patients they passed.
Several patients were in old wheelchairs, screaming and running their fingernails on the walls like they were trying to dig their way out. A few more were lying on the floor, rolling around and yelling. One was pulling his hair and running into the wall. Most were walking around talking to themselves or screaming at things that weren't there. Cat didn't see any nurses or anyone else in the area to assist the patients. When they reached another set of double doors, Shirley entered the same code and led them through. This area was quieter.
"This is our solitary ward. Adelma is back here. When you're ready to leave, there's a button hidden near the top of the door on the right side. Push it, and I'll be back as quickly as possible. I'll check on you if I don't hear anything in thirty minutes. Good luck." Lisa looked at Shirley in confusion. What did she mean by good luck?
When they walked into the room, it was all pale grey. The floor, walls, ceiling, and even the bed and bedding were grey. It was very depressing. Lisa gasped when she saw the woman sitting in a chair in the corner. Adelma was only in her mid-forties, but she looked at least twenty years older.
Adelma's hair was mostly grey with only a few hints of blonde. Her blue eyes looked murky, and she had large bags under her eyes. She was looking at the group that had come into her room, but Lisa didn't feel like she was seeing them. Adelma's skin seemed stretched over her bones tightly as though she hadn't been fed well in a long time. She looked fragile and sick. She didn't move or say anything as they stared at her. Lisa looked at Cat, who took her hand. They slowly walked over to Adelma, who still didn't look directly at them.
"Adelma? My name is Lisa, and this is my Grandma Cat. We came to visit you." Lisa almost screamed when, without looking at her, Adelma moved her hand and grabbed her tighter than she thought she was capable of. She slowly turned her head and looked Lisa in the eyes. Everyone felt a chill down their spine when she spoke in a low, raspy voice.
"We need to get the hell out of here, or they're going to kill us all."
