Read Online Rejoice by Karen Kingsbury - Free Book Online

narrowed her eyes and stared at Ashley as though she were desperate for a moment of lucidity. “No cooking?”
    “Not today.”
    “Fine, then.” Helen made a loud moaning sound. “If she’s not the cook, it must be the old bird beside me.”
    Irvel looked around as if Helen was perhaps thinking of someone who hadn’t yet been introduced to the group. When she realized Helen was talking to her, she made a polite bit of laughter. “No dear, my name isn’t Birdie; it’s Irvel. But sometimes when Hank brings the boys over, they call me Birdie.” Confusion clouded her eyes. “Or maybe it’s Irvie.” Her face broke into a smile. “Yes, that’s it. Irvie.”
    “Well, Birdie, are you the cook or not?” Helen pointed at Irvel and then shifted her finger to Ashley. “Tell me that, will you?”
    “Dear . . .” Irvel tapped again. “I’m not the cook; I’m the eater.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Maybe you’re the cook.”
    “What?” Helen thought about that for a moment. “Listen . . .” She scowled again. “I don’t care if you’re the cook, but I have an announcement.” She punctuated each word with her fist against the table. “My . . . oatmeal . . . is . . . cold.”
    “Well!” Irvel raised an eyebrow at Helen. “Excuse me.” She looked to Ashley for support. “Maybe this woman should go home. Hank doesn’t like me keeping company with violent people.”
    Ashley was about to offer to warm up Helen’s oatmeal when the phone rang. She held up a finger to Helen and reached for the cordless receiver. “Hello?”
    “Hi, honey; it’s Dad.” He sounded better than he had last time they talked. “I’ve got good news and bad news.”
    The conversation at the breakfast table grew louder. Ashley moved into the next room and covered her ear. “What is it?” She held her breath. Please, God, let the good news be about Hayley. “Good news first, okay?”
    “Okay. Hayley woke up about an hour ago.” Her father’s voice cracked. He cleared his throat and waited. “Sorry.” He breathed out. “It’s just . . . I wasn’t sure if she’d ever . . .”
    “She’s awake?” Ashley paced toward the television and back to the dining-room entrance. They had all known Hayley might stay in the coma for weeks, months, even. Now, only five days after the accident, this was amazing news. “She’s out of her coma?”
    “Yes.” Her father made a noise that was half laugh, half delirious relief. “Brooke wants us to visit her. The doctor says it’s important to surround her with familiar voices.”
    “Why . . .” Ashley heard something change in her father’s tone. “Why familiar voices? What about familiar faces?”
    For several seconds her father said nothing, and Ashley realized what was happening. He was too choked up to speak.
    Ashley dropped to the nearest chair and anchored her elbows on her knees. “Dad?”
    “Because of the bad news.” His voice was tight, racked with emotion. “They’ve worried about this from the beginning, but now they know for sure.”
    “What?” Her heart beat harder than before.
    “Honey . . . Hayley’s blind.”

Chapter Six
    For five straight days Brooke had begged God to let Hayley live, let her wake up. She had no doubt that the nightmare would end the moment her younger daughter opened those pale blue eyes.
    But now that Hayley had been awake for ten hours, Brooke was beginning to understand. The nightmare wasn’t over; it had only begun. The child in the bed who looked like Hayley was nothing like the little girl Brooke had bid good-bye that sunny Saturday afternoon. The differences were terrifying, and sometimes Brooke could barely stand to be in the room with her.
    It wasn’t the fact that her daughter had so much ground to make up before she’d be well again. Rather it was this: The child in the bed was no longer Hayley. Not her expression, not her personality, nothing even remotely familiar in her face. And