Lindsey wakes-up the next day with her knee throbbing and swollen. She rings the little brass bell Barbara gave her last night before she was put to bed.

Barbara comes walking into Lindsey bedroom and could tell she was in pain just from the look on her face. The doctor had informed her for the first few days. That the bandages around Lindsey’s knee were going to need to be changed and that she will feel intense pain during that time.

She walks into Lindsey’s bedroom with everything she would need to change the bandages. She had a glass of water for the pain pill Lindsey was going to need.

“How are you feeling this morning sweetie?” Barbara sets the tray down on the bed.

“In pain.” Lindsey was gritting her teeth from the pain she was feeling from her knee.

She had tears sliding down her cheek from her eyes. Her knee didn’t feel this bad when she first hurt it. She just wanted the pain to stop.

“Take this pain pill your doctor prescribed for you.” Barbara hands Lindsey the pain pill and the glass of water.

Lindsey pops the pain pill in her mouth and drinks some water to help it go down. She hands the glass back to Barbara.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Barbara places the glass back on the tray.

She was going to wait till the pain pill kicked in, before changing Lindsey’s bandages. She does take a quick look at the bandages. After a few minutes of waiting, she notices Lindsey's eyes start to sag.

After a few minutes, Lindsey starts feeling sleepy from the pain pill. She tries to concentrate and force herself to stay awake, but she couldn’t. She was feeling less pain from her knee.

Barbara moves quickly changing Lindsey’s bandages. The bandage was soaked with blood as she carefully took it off and cleaned the area. The doctor said that for the first few days that Lindsey’s knee would bleed a lot while her knee started healing.

Once Barbara was done changing the bandages. She tucks Lindsey’s back into bed and walks out of her bedroom. The action the school took against Christy Warren for bullying Lindsey. Were harsher than the actions her parents had taken against her. Her parents had been called to the school and told about her actions. They were willing to cover Lindsey’s medical cost.

The school gave Christy a week of out of school suspension and a week of in-school suspension. She would be barred from joining any clubs for the rest of the school year and must maintain a 3.0-grade point average in all her classes.

What her parents did to her was worse. She was to stand on a street corner near the school during her suspension wearing a sign claiming to be a bully and serve community time. Her parents didn’t raise their daughter to be a bully and didn’t tolerate that type of action. Her personal devices like her cellphone and iPods would be taken from her. Any social interaction she had on the web would be monitored closely.

Barbara couldn’t believe it when she heard what they were making their daughter do. It was kind of embarrassing to a child’s ego to do what they were doing, but if Lindsey was the bullying type or stole something. She might use the same treatment.

Around noon, she checks on Lindsey and notices she was still out of it. She walks into her bedroom and checks on her. While she was gone to get Lindsey school assignments and her saxophone from her school locker. Lindsey must have woken up because she was cuddled up with her battered Serbian Husky plushy. Lindsey had told her that she has had that plushy since she was a baby. She called it Shadow and he has always been the one thing constant in her life.

Barbara notices Lindsey music notebook and looks through it. She flips through it and notices that Lindsey was a busy person writing songs. Some were completed, and others only had a few notes to them, while others were still being worked on. Lindsey had made side notes in the margins of what she was thinking about the piece or what category they would fall under and would sound better in.

Barbara looks down at Lindsey as she slept. She couldn’t believe how talented she was. She knew Lindsey was extremely smart and talented. She should had been in seventh grade but had been skipped to ninth grade and was taking AP courses in five of her eight subjects.

Barbara puts her music notebook back where she picked it up from and heads into the living room to finish some work. Around 2:00 pm. She hears Lindsey’s ring the brass bell. She gets up and heads into her bedroom.

When she walks in, she notices Lindsey sitting on the edge of her bed. She had the crutches near her.

“Need to go to the bathroom?” Barbara walks over to Lindsey.

“Yes, ma’am.” Lindsey still felt tired and sluggish.

“Here, let me help you.” Barbara helps Lindsey to stand up and carefully help her limp to the bathroom.

The doctor told her she couldn’t put any weight on her leg and had put a brace on her leg to immobilize it. Barbara carefully helps Lindsey to the bathroom and steps outside to give her some privacy.

“You okay in there, Lindsey?”

Lindsey was thankful she was sitting down to pee. She didn’t think she could have done it standing up.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m okay.” She was thankful she had gotten to the bathroom when she did. Her bladder was ready to burst.

She finishes up in the bathroom, using the sink for support. She opens the door and notices Barbara waiting for her.

“Are you hungry, kiddo?” Barbara figures Lindsey might be hungry.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Come on. Let’s get you into the living room and get you settled in. I’ll go fix us some lunch once your settle.” Barbara helps Lindsey to the sofa and prop up her leg.

Once Lindsey was nice and comfortable, Barbara heads into the kitchen and begins fixing them some lunch. Lindsey saw her backpack and saxophone sitting in the living room. She figures Barbara went up to her school to get her things while she was asleep.

She pulls her backpack up on her lap and pulls out an old mp3 player. She had acquired it before she came to live with Barbara. She had bought it at a thrift store and it still worked. It had some music already stored on it when she bought it.

The music was mostly, classical, country and some old-style blues. Most of the artist she had no idea who they were, but she liked what they played She pulls her cheap dollar store headphones out. She puts her backpack back down on the floor and listens to some music while Barbara makes them some lunch.

Barbara fixes them some chicken sandwiches for lunch with potato salad on the side. When she walks back into the living room, she spots Lindsey listening to some music. She had asked Lindsey what type of mp3 player she had. She knew it was an old one from the design of it.

Lindsey spots Barbara carrying a tray into the living room and shuts her mp3 player off. She sits up straighter, so she could eat without getting any on herself. She accepts the plate Barbara fixed for her.

“Here you go.” Barbara hands Lindsey her plate.

She pulls the living room table close to the sofa. That way Lindsey could set her plate on it if she wants to. She places her drink on the living room table after placing it on a coaster.

“Thank you.” Lindsey’s stomach growls when the scent of the chicken hits her nose.

“You’re welcome.” Barbara sits down next Lindsey.

The two of them eat their lunch. Barbara looks over towards Lindsey.

“I look through your music notebook. You’re talented. How long have you been writing music?”

“I started in fifth grade, but the different foster homes I was sent too. Some of them encouraged me to write, while others didn’t understand me.” Lindsey takes a bite of her sandwiches.

“It’s a shame the other foster families you went to didn’t see your potential. I think you do need to interact with other people. That way you’ll have a life outside of music.” Barbara has been thinking about it.

“What do you recommend?” Lindsey wouldn’t mind trying something else when her knee heals.

“Well, since your knee will still be a healing. I was going to recommend maybe ballet, dance or gymnastics. However, since you need time to heal. How about if I sign you up for swim lessons? I know you already take them at school, but this will give you a chance to exercise your legs as well.” Barbara knew a few people who taught swimming.

“Could I take singing lessons instead?” Lindsey thought that might help her.

“How about this? I’ll sign you up for both. I know a lady that teaches opera and gives singing lessons. You’ll like her.” Amanda was a good friend of Barbara’s.

“Can I still try out on Saturday?” Lindsey wanted to try out for the band.

“We’ll see how your knee is in a few days before I give you permission.” Barbara didn’t want Lindsey to hurt herself further.

They finished lunch and Lindsey just takes some Aleve for the pain in her knee. She stays in the living room with Barbara and works on a song in her notebook.