Switched at Birth
Crash
*A/N when dialogue is in bold, the characters are signing to one another. When in italics, it is inner dialogue. When dialogue underlined, the characters are both speaking and signing.*
7:04 AM
Regina Vasquez stood in front of the sink in the Kennish's guest house like it was a normal day. Like nothing out of the ordinary were to happen. But as it does so often the universe proved Regina Vasquez wrong.
"Mom," said Daphne Vasquez trying to get her mother's attention.
"Daphne, you're up early. You do know it's Saturday, right?"
"Yes, I know. But I can't sleep. I had a weird dream."
"What was it about?"
"A cochlear implant," Daphne signed nervously
"Daphne, we've talked about this. Number one, it's too expensive and number two, they have to cut open your brain! You are not getting that surgery while under my roof."
"Number one it's not your roof. It's Kathryn and John's roof and speaking of Kathryn and John I'm sure they'd be happy to pay for something like that. And number two, it was just a dream. I've considered it once or twice. But it doesn't seem all that great."
"Promise me you won't go asking them to pay for anything?" asked Regina
"I promise."
Daphne walked back to her room to get dressed leaving her mother in the kitchen with a blank look on her face and a faraway look in her eyes.
10:42 PM
Kathryn Kennish had always felt blessed. When she married John, when she had and raised Toby, when she had Daphne, and when she raised Bay. Now she had two daughters, a son and a husband and was thinking the only think that'd make everything better was if she had a maid who worked for free.
She was completely caught off guard when she found out about the switch. Even more stunned when she found out Daphne was deaf and felt completely blindsided by the fact that Regina knew about the switch. It still made her uneasy that she was only a few yards away but Kathryn decided not to stir the water anymore than it had been.
She was in the middle of remembering a strange dream from the night before. Daphne had had some surgery that had caused her to be able to hear.
"Kathryn?" asked Daphne opening the wooden door in the kitchen.
"Daphne?" asked Kathryn as she turned to see her biological daughter.
"I was looking for my car keys. Have you seen them?"
"On the counter," Kathryn motioned to the marble countertop and watched Daphne retrieve them, then turned to leave.
"Daphne wait," cried Kathryn putting a hand on Daphne's shoulder. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure." Smiled Daphne
"Have you ever considered getting a cochlear implant?"
"She will not be having that procedure." Snapped Regina walking in on their conversation
Kathryn's head whipped around to look at Regina. Daphne followed Kathryn's gaze.
"Why were you talking about that procedure, Daphne? I thought I made it very clear that I do not want you to get the implant." Regina glared at Daphne who glared back trying to figure out why her mom was so resistant to the idea
"It was my fault, Regina. I brought it up." Kathryn admitted
"You brought this up again? After I told you drop it, you still bring it up? And in front of her no less?"
"It's her brain and her body! If she wants to hear and this implant will help I say we let her decide to get the implant"
"You don't get a say! I am her legal mother I will decide what is best for her until she turns 18!"
"No you won't! You'll keep deciding for her, as you always have!"
"What and you're just gonna let go of Bay? Do not treat me like the control freak, Kathryn, you are the control freak!"
"You guys stop it!" shouted Daphne stepping in between her angry mothers. She didn't know what either of them had been saying this whole time but she knew they were upset about something. "Fine, I won't get the implant!"
Daphne stormed out of the house leaving the two women standing there disgruntled and fuming.
12:38 AM
Daphne wasn't answering her phone and that was not like her. She always had it in her pocket on vibrate. She could only text but she want answering those either.
"We must have pissed her off more than we thought." Said Kathryn walking into the living room where Regina sat on the couch with her cell phone pressed tightly to her ear. It couldn't be Daphne, she can't call people.
"Ms. Vasquez, this is Dr. Harold Morris at Riverview Hospital. There's been an accident involving your daughter, Daphne."
Regina Vasquez's world had just been put in a jar, tipped upside down and shaken until her head spun.
"C-can you repeat Th-that?" she stuttered
"Regina, what's wrong? Is Daphne alright?" asked Kathryn
"Your daughter was in an auto accident about 45 minutes ago." Dr. Morris informed Regina
The phone fell to Regina's lap and onto the floor where it snapped shut.
"Regina? Is Daphne alright?" Kathryn knew the answer wasn't going to be good.
"Daphne was in a car accident." Sobbed Regina
Kathryn felt stricken. She and Regina both fell into each other's shaking arms crying hard.
"Please tell me you aren't all wacked out because of another cheesy soap opera." Said Toby walking in to the living room
"Toby, go get Bay and John: We have to get to the hospital." Kathryn replied
"Why? What's wrong?" asked Toby
"Just go!" snapped Regina
12:52
"Bay, open the door!" shouted Toby pounding on the bedroom door next to his sister's room.
"Jeez, Toby, where's the fire?" asked Bay sarcastically
"I think something happened to Daphne! Mom and Regina were downstairs crying and told me to come get you and Dad and that we have to get to the hospital."
Bay opened her mouth and then grabbed her jacket and purse and followed Toby towards their father's room.
1:00
"Whose car are we taking?" asked John running outside.
"Mine. It's not a gas guzzler." Stated Regina
Regina tossed the keys to John then squeezed into the back seat with Bay and Toby as Kathryn and John took the two front seats.
The car was filled with sobs and tears the entire 15 minute ride to the Hospital. Regina took out her cell phone and texted Melody and Emmet.
"Melody? Emmet?" she typed
"Yes, Regina, it's Melody. Why are you texting me at one in the morning?" was the response
"Daphne's been in a car accident." Regina typed back
It took a moment but Melody replied, "Where is she?"
"Downtown at Riverview hospital,"
"I'll get Emmet and we'll be there in fifteen minutes. Regina, it's going to be okay. Daphne's strong and she'll be fine."
"God, I hope you're right."
1:17
"I'm looking for Doctor Harold Morris." Regina told the receptionist
"Paging Dr. Morris to Trauma 1, Doctor Harold Morris to Trauma 1." Said the receptionist into a white phone on the counter. The Kennishes and Regina heard it echo through the halls. "Ma'am I believe he's in surgery, is there a patient you are here to see?"
"Yes. Daphne Vasquez, she's 16, she's deaf, and she was in an auto accident."
"Okay," the receptionist typed on a keyboard in front of a small black screen. "It says here that Daphne Vasquez is in surgery for a mild head trauma."
"Who's performing the surgery?" asked Regina, sobbing
"Doctor Morris," replied the receptionist
"Thank you" said Regina turning to everyone else, their eyes as red and puffy as she guessed hers were. "I guess we'll just have to wait."
Everyone walked to the waiting area.
1:26
Emmett and Melody walked in to Riverview hospital. Emmett felt as though he was the one in a car accident. Melody's main focus was to find Regina. She waved to her friend. Regina hadn't seen the gesture and was startled when Melody sat in the chair across from her.
"How is she?" signed Melody
"We don't know." Regina informs her. Melody pulls her crying friend into a tight hug.
Emmett immediately walks over to Bay and sits in the chair next to her. "How is she? Have you seen her yet?"
"No. we haven't been able to do anything but wait." Bay begins crying again and leans against Emmett, whose frame is also shaking.
"Wilke, get to Riverview Hospital, now. Daphne's hurt." Types Toby
"How and when?"
"About an hour ago, Idk, Just get here!"
"I'm on it." Wilke texted back
"John, what could we have done to deserve this? We lose Daphne, only to get her back for a few months, just to lose her again? I don't understand." Sobbed Kathryn
"I doubt the universe is conspiring against us. Now I know Regina and Daphne have a special bond because Regina raised her, but you, Kathryn, are her mother. That has to count for something. So we need to stay strong and send her everything we've got." John tells Kathryn, trying to be strong himself.
"Are you the family of Daphne Vasquez?" asks a strong male voice
"Yes. Is she alright?"Asks Regina jumping to her feet, Melody and Emmett turn to Bay who is signing what she can for them to follow.
"Well, it's not as bad as you might think. The worst she's suffered is a mild concussion and a broken rib. They are already treated and healing as we speak. But there's one more thing you should know. She's fractured three bones in her right wrist and fore arm. Since she's deaf and no doubt signs, communication will be difficult." Dr. Morris finished removing his surgical cap and ringing it in his hands
"Can we see her?" Regina persists
"Immediate family only." He states
Regina turns to John and Kathryn. Kathryn locks eyes with Regina for a moment and nods. Regina turns back to the man in scrubs. "Where's her room?"
Before he can answer, Bay stands up and says, "I want to see her."
Regina smiles, "Okay."
"She's in room 105." He turns and looks over his shoulder, "Kelly, can you take these two to room 105?"
A nurse approaches Bay and Regina and motions for them to follow her.
1:59
Wilke steps off of the elevator and towards Toby who stands by a vending machine, staring blankly through the glass without really seeing it. Wilke isn't surprised a bit when Toby jumps a mile as the taller boy puts a hand on his friends' shoulder.
"Is she okay?" asks Wilke
"No. She's got a concussion and a broken rib and a fractured wrist. Bay and Regina went to see her. We can't yet because we're not 'immediate family' or something. How do you determine family? I mean, I'm not related to Bay and she's my sister. I'm not related to you and you're my brother. Now Regina and Bay aren't related to Daphne and they get to see her first. I'm not jealous it's just… a bit messed up." Toby finished ranting and Wilke stood there listening without a comment for once in his life.
Back in the waiting room Kathryn is almost asleep on John's shoulder when a thought strikes her. "John, this is the hospital where the girls were born!"
John glances around and realizes his wife is right. He remembers walking in with Toby after getting a call that his wife was in labor.
Flashback
John Kennish rushes into the hospital with his son Toby who grasps his hand tightly.
"Daddy, where's Mommy?" asks Toby clutching his teddy bear,
"She's in a room with doctors because Bay is being born, remember?" John says to Toby who frowns
"Where is Bay?" asked Toby
John and Toby made their way to the plastic chairs in the brightly painted maternity ward. He and Kathryn had tried to explain it to Toby, but since he was only a toddler, it was difficult. "Bay isn't here yet. The doctors are bringing her."
"But you said mommy had her. If mommy has her why are the doctors bringing her?" Toby asked. John smiled; he had quite a smart little boy.
"I'll tell you later okay, Toby?" smiled John
"Okay. I'm hungry." Whined Toby
John glanced around. Mostly there were just other fathers, but he saw a vending machine a few feet away. He reached for his wallet and turned to his son. "Okay do you see that machine over there?" –Toby nodded- "Here's a dollar. Go buy something for yourself okay?"
"Okay. I'm going to leave here." Toby climbed off the chair and put his little teddy in his place then ran off the machine.
John watched his little boy as a tan woman and a woman that appeared to be her mother went by with a few doctors. The woman was clearly in labor and her mother was obviously excited. She said something in Spanish. John only caught small words like "Mom" or "baby" and then a name in English, "Daphne Paloma Vasquez".
End Flashback
"John?" asked Kathryn "Are you okay?"
John realized he'd been staring off into the distance and focused on his wife's bleary eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking."
"Daphne will be fine." Repeated Kathryn
John didn't know if she was comforting him or herself. He merely nodded.
End Chapter One. Review! Negative or positive accepted. Need 10 reviews if you want more.
