Poisoned Blood

<18>

We stop at the side of the road and Claire throws out the needle she used on doctor Jonson in a garbage can.
"No evidence" she said when she got back into the car.
Claire takes me home to dad. We step in. Dad sees me and runs right over and picks me up and spins me around and hugs me.
"No more poison, no more Doctor Jonson." I say. He just smiles and hugs me. Princess runs over and licks my hands. He lets me go and walks over to Claire.
"Claire, thank you, I don't know how to ever repay you for everything" He said, and shakes her hand.
"You don't need to repay me, I'm just glad your daughter and I are safe now" she said, with a warm smile.
"Claire... What are you going to do now?" I ask.
"I... I don't know. Go home I guess" she said quietly and sadly.
"Maybe we can get in touch somehow. Love you Carnee." She said, and was about to leave through the door, but dad stops her.
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Dad asks. She stops.
"Yes please," she said happily.
We had dinner, it seems that dad... Is starting to like Claire.  
We got Claire's phone number, me and dad saw her a lot still.
dad and Claire started dating. I'm happy for them, they both seemed real lonely, I know dad was. We always saw Claire and did lots of things with her. I love Claire. I'm glad all of us can be happy now. Even though we all still sometimes remember the past when me and Claire were trapped in the hospital. Those were dark times. We try not to talk about it or think about it, even though sometimes the topic is brought up. Most of my wounds healed, but I still have scars. Still have the scars on my wrists and belly.Claire and I made an article about what has happened to us, an article and Claire published a book about it. Even though we try to forget it.
A few months later Claire moved in with us. I'm fine with that. Dad loves her, I love her. Candy, her pug dog and Princess get along. We all get along. We were all happy. About a year later from leaving the hospital, Dad and Claire got married. It as a beautiful wedding. I was the flower girl. Claire belonged with us. She was who dad was looking for, that special someone.  Claire became my step-mom, even though she seems to be my real mother in my eyes, and that's all that counts, To me.We continue living our lives, happy and healthy, even with the dark past we try to forget, but sometimes is remembered. The memory of it will haunt us forever, but we won't let it ruin our lives. The hospital trauma has changed me, I'm different now. I'm stronger, braver, paranoid, and a little weaker. But it hasn't changed my personality much, a little bit in some ways, but not enough to make me a different person. I'm still the same, but with a dark past. But I'm not going to let it hold me back. I kept my sketchbook that was from the hospital. Hidden in my closet, with the dark past in it. I never take it out, it's just something I oddly kept, just in case, I wanted to remember. I don't know when I'd ever want to remember, but who knows.
We are a happy family. That's all that matters.
The cops did find Doctor Jonson's body. Claire, Dad and I needed to go to court to explain everything that happened. Mine and Claire's fingerprints were found in the room We told them our horrible story, even though none of us wanted to bring it up again. Dad, Claire and I were innocent. They would've given Doctor Jonson ten years in jail and would've put him in a mental hospital for lifetime, but he was dead. That's the way it probably should be. But now I don't have to worry about it, usually, I still have horrible dreams and thoughts about it once in a while. But he's dead and gone forever. But I still have the scars from his torturing, which will keep the memory in my mind forever. I know he's dead,
But sometimes I worry, I think he's going to come back again and poison me once more.

                     
                               -To be continued........