Well, here is the sequel to Playing House. I hope you all enjoy it as much as you enjoyed the first installment of this story. Personally, I think it is written better than Playing House.
Jade and Tori West are outside playing with their son, Hunter, and their daughter, Sophie. Sophie splashes and giggles in a kiddie pool while Hunter kicks a soccer ball back and forth with Jade. Tori sits beside the pool and watches the ten month play with her toys.
"That was a good kick Hunter!" Jade encourages. Tori's hand leaves Sophie's back and she claps with a shouted cheer for the boy. Sophie giggles and mimics her mother's movements and it sends her off balance but Tori catches her before she has the chance to fall. Hunter grins ear to ear and runs around the backyard before stopping and looking back at Jade. He turns around slowly and coughs before suddenly losing focus and falling back onto his butt.
"Are you okay?" Tori sits up straighter and focuses on the young boy.
"Baby?" Jade runs to his side. His nose starts to bleed.
"I don't feel good." He says before passing out.
"Hunter!" Tori stands and lifts Sophie into her arms.
"Oh God!" Jade hooks her arms under Hunter's knees and neck.
"We have to take him to the hospital." She hurries into the house to get her keys. Tori carries Sophie in after Jade. She changes the infant quickly and loads her into the car seat in the back of the car. Hunter is slumped against the window and his nose has started bleeding again so Tori slides in beside him and holds a tissue to his nose.
When they arrive at the hospital Hunter is taken back immediately and Jade follows after him. Tori stays in the waiting room with Sophie and tries not to bite all of her fingernails off as she waits. Jade comes back fifteen minutes later.
"They don't know what it is, they're running tests now but they say we won't know anything for a while. Why don't you take Sophie home and I'll call you if anything comes up." Jade gives her a chaste kiss and Sophie slumbers in her mother's arms.
"Okay, but call me the second you find anything out." Tori says seriously. Jade nods sadly and sits down on one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs.
Tori is trying, and failing, to work on a song when her cell phone rings. She stands up so fast that her chair slides backwards and falls over. Her hand wraps around the phone and she presses send as she pulls it to her ear.
"Hello." Her voice is faint.
"Tori, they've figured out what is wrong with him." Jade sounds frantic.
"What is it?"
"I don't know, I asked for them to wait to tell me until you get here." She says. Tori grabs her keys and hurries up to Sophie's room.
"I'm on my way."
"Be careful," Jade says. "I love you."
"I love you too." Tori hangs up and shoves her pearphone into her pocket. She lifts Sophie out of her crib and walks quickly down the stairs. It is pouring when she steps outside and she shields the infant in her arms the best she can as she buckles her into the car seat. She is soaked by the time she gets in the driver's side. It takes all of her will power to stay at a safe speed instead of driving like a maniac to the hospital where her son's fate lies.
The rain picks up harder as Tori dashes into the emergency room with Sophie clutched to her chest. Jade stands against a wall, her hand over her heart as she waits for Tori.
"Jade!" Tori is breathless and Jade wraps her arms tightly around Tori and the baby in her arms.
"I'm so scared." She tells her.
"I know, I am too." Tori agrees and Jade leads her through several hallways and into the children's ward. They enter a room where Hunter sits propped up by several pillows. He looks very weak and there are dark purple bags under his eyes.
"Momma?" He questions softly.
"I'm here baby." Tori hurries over to Hunter and sits down beside him on the bed that makes him look much too small.
"I hurt." He says weakly and wraps his thin arms around her midsection. Jade holds Sophie at the foot of the bed.
"Where?" Tori asks.
"All over." He responds and his arms fall away from her.
"It's going to be okay." Tori reassures him as she kisses the top of his head. A doctor walks in shortly after and Tori stands up. He takes them out into the hallway and Jade hands Sophie back over to Tori.
"We have done several tests and we have discovered what is wrong with Hunter." He begins.
"Just tell us," Jade says.
"Your son has acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, most commonly known as,"
"AIDS." Jade interrupts him.
"Yes," He nods. "However, this is extremely rare, because you are not HIV positive." He gestures to Jade.
"Then how did he get it?" She asks angrily. "How in the hell did my son get this?"
"We can not be sure, but the theory is; the father." He answers.
"Can that even be transferred from father to child?" Tori asks. The doctor shakes his head.
"Not usually, no, but we have discovered several other cases where mothers are not HIV positive and yet they have children who are." He sighs.
"I am very sorry, as of yet, there is no cure for AIDS, but there are treatments that will help." He holds out a clipboard. "We would like to hold him here for a few days and start him on the three most common medicines." He continues.
"Will they make him better?" Tori inquires.
"We will have to wait and see." The doctor says in a tone of finality. Jade grinds her teeth.
"I just want my son healthy." She says and turns to go back into the room where Hunter is calling for her.
"We will do all that we can for Hunter." The doctor tells Tori. She nods her head slowly and turns around.
"Be sure that you do." She replies and follows Jade into the room.
The rain plummets to the Earth as Tori and Jade sit on the hospital bed of their son and they try to sooth the sickly boy's fears while they sing him a lullaby from when he was a baby. Sophie sleeps through the storm outside, and the one in room C121 where two women's hearts shatter.