Thanks for baring with me and the change of stories! I just got a lot of feedback for this particular shot and had some ideas for a story that would be longer than the one shot.
Here is chapter 2! Thanks for reading! Ya'll are rockstars!
Stef exhaled as she ended the call with Lena. Her brain was cluttered with so many thoughts that she didn't know what she should do first. The sounds of the giant machine made her decision for her as she ran over as close to the car as she was aloud and waited for the paramedics to free her daughter.
While she waited, she finally had a chance to take in the scene. Both cars were clearly wrecked, but as she looked over at the other van, she saw that no one was in it. Crinkling her forehead in confusion, she walked over towards the vacant van and looked around. The front door was open, but there was no trace of any human.
Before she could ask one of the officers where the other driver was, the machine stopped and she could hear cries from her daughter.
The blonde quickly made her way over towards the car where three paramedics were preparing to lift Mariana out of the car and onto a stretcher.
Nearing the girl, her heart broke when she saw the look of sheer terror and helplessness on her face.
"You're doing so well, my baby girl." Stef praised as tears filled her eyes.
"Mommy!" Mariana cried out, not caring that she probably sounded like a child.
"I'm right here, baby. I'm right here and I'm not leaving you." Stef promised and tried to get close enough so her daughter could see her without moving her head around in the neck brace that they just placed on her.
"I want Mama" The girl whimpered with fresh tears in her eyes.
Stef smoothed some of the hair away from her daughter's sticky forehead and sighed. "Mama is going to meet us at the hospital. She's with Jesus right now, ok, my love?" She asked gently as the paramedics began to pick up what they needed and roll her towards the ambulance.
Being temporarily out of her mother's sight, Mariana began to sob once more. "Mom! Please don't leave! Where are you? Mom!"
Stef hurried next to the stretcher as one of the paramedics addressed the distraught girl.
"Your mom is right here, sweetie. We're just gonna get you into the ambulance and your mom can hold you hand as soon as we get everything settled in, ok?"
Mariana's response was only a whimper, but the tears continued to silently fall as she was pushed into the vehicle.
Stef quickly jumped into the ambulance and took a seat next to her daughter's head. She reached over and held onto the Latina's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Mari." She whispered as she bent down and kissed the fingers.
"I love you, mommy." Came the reply.
Stef exhaled deeply as the back doors were closed and the ambulance began to move. She was just praying that Lena would make it to the hospital safely, and that Jesus was going to be alright when she got there.
"Jesus Adams Foster?" Lena spoke quickly and with authority as soon as she and the other three children made it into the waiting room.
The room had become all too familiar to the children, as they had been there too many times for their liking- but they quickly sat down in the chairs, knowing they needed to wait for Lena to take care of formalities before they should ask questions.
"No. He was in a car accident. My wife was at the scene and she called me and told me he was being taken here." Lena tried to explain, though her emotions were getting the best of her. "Can you please just tell me if he is alright? Anything? Please?" Her voice cracked as a sob slipped out.
"Ma'am I'm sorry all I can tell you right now is that he is in surgery but I promise to keep you updated." The nurse replied with a sad smile. "I truly am sorry." She added before turning to answer an incoming call.
Huffing in frustration and panic, Lena carded her fingers through her hair as she turned around and faced her three other children who had been extremely cooperative and helpful since she got off the phone with Stef. She could see the terror in their eyes and body language and she knew she needed to pull herself together to be there for her children.
"They're gonna be ok." She stated as she walked over to the teens and sat down next to Jude.
"Did mom say what..." Brandon began to say before Lena shook her head.
"She couldn't talk long. But I'm hoping that means she just needed to be there for Mariana. And that she's alright as well." She added the last part for her own sanity. She couldn't even begin to imagine if she lost any of her children.
"They're both fighters." Brandon spoke up once again, trying to diffuse the anxiety in the room. "I mean Jesus can really throw a good punch when he wants to." He added with a smile, remembering all of the physical fights they got into when they were kids.
Lena chuckled at the thought. "You're right, B. They sure are fighters."
"Mari, baby look at mommy." Stef said for what felt like the hundredth time in the ambulance. Once they were all settled in and the vehicle began to move, the two paramedics in the back with Stef and her daughter began to hook her up to machines to monitor her and start an IV.
Every so often, Mariana would begin to close her eyes, and, not knowing the extent of her injuries, the paramedics began to instruct her to keep her eyes open. Stef quickly took over this task when the teen responded better to her mother's voice.
"Mariana. Come on." Stef said again when her eyes remained closed.
Slowly, the Latina opened her eyes and was met by the face of the blonde. "Hi, my love!" Stef said with a teary-eyed smile as she reached over to brush some of the hair away from her daughter's eyes. "You're doing such a good job!" She praised, hoping to keep the girl's attention until they reached the hospital.
Slowly, the girl's eyes began to flutter closed and once more, Stef took her hand and squeezed it gently as she spoke. "No, Mariana baby open you eyes. Come on, baby." She pleaded.
Opening her eyes a tiny bit, the teen let out a sob. "I don't feel good, mommy." She stated and Stef could sense that the girl was about to vomit.
"It's ok, baby." She responded to the girl as one of the paramedics reached over to turn her on her side and the other one got a bucket out; both also understanding what was about to happen.
"I'm gonna throw up." Mariana stated as her body began to heave, causing her intense pain.
Tears poured out as she continued to vomit and her already bruised body shook. "Mommy" She barely spat out and Stef's heart broke for her child. All she could do was watch as her daughter sobbed for her help. She hated not being able to do anything.
"I know, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. But we're almost there. You're doing such a good job. Just a few more minutes." Stef reassured the girl as she wiped her mouth and planted a few soft kisses on her forehead.
As soon as the ambulance pulled into the hospital, the paramedics began shouting out stats and other information to the doctors who were there to meet them at the door. Stef followed quickly, but was stopped by a nurse from following them behind a set of large double doors.
"I'm sorry, ma'am but you'll have to wait in the waiting room. The doctors will come out with information when they can." She informed the mother and gently guided her towards the waiting area.
"Stef!" Lena's voice cut through the blonde's thoughts and she soon felt her wife's arms wrap around her. "How is she? How is my baby?" She asked with tears running down her face.
Stef was still taking time to process everything that had happened and remained silent.
Taking this as bad news, Lena grabbed ahold of her wife's arms and looked at her in the eyes. "Stef! What's happening?"
Blinking back to the present, she smiled sadly and spoke. "Sorry, I'm just... nothing. Uhhh she's ok... er I think. They wouldn't let me go with her. But they took her in huh they took her to the ummm they..." Stef's head was spinning with too many thoughts and she began to feel light headed.
"Mom! Sit down!" Brandon said suddenly. He had stood up to greet his mother when she first walked in and noticed she was swaying on her feet.
Lena looked at Brandon and then back to Stef and nodded. "Brandon't right. You should sit for a bit." She concluded as she led her wife down to the chairs.
"Here" Callie said, holding out a cup of water, which she had gone to get quickly before they got her sitting.
Stef looked up at her daughter and exhaled with a small smile. "Thanks, sweets."
She took hold of the cup and greedily drank the water, causing Lena to worry slightly. "Slow down, Stef. Take some breaths." She knew that being a responder to a car accident that her children were in had to be frightening, and not being able to be with both children was eating her up inside.
"Wait. Stef" Lena began realizing the missing person. "Where's Ana?"
Stef closed her eyes and looked down, shaking her head. Lena's hand flew up her her mouth and tears formed in her eyes. "What about the baby?" She asked and Stef merely shrugged her shoulders. It was no secret that neither mother particularly liked Ana, but she was having a child and beginning to turn her life back around, so they felt for her and for her hard work towards trying to get to know her children.
"They're gonna be ok." Was all Lena could muster up to say at the time being. And as she sat there with her wife and children, she prayed that she would be correct.
"For Mariana Adams Foster?"
All 5 family members shot up at the sound of the doctor's voice almost an hour later. They didn't do much of anything besides sit in silence for the entire duration of the waiting period.
"Yes. How is she?" Stef asked quickly, trying to remain calm for whatever answer that was going to come from the doctor.
"She sustained three broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a concussion. Along with some bruising and cuts around her face and shoulders." He began lightly, sensing the worry in all of the family members. "She will make a full recovery, however it will be a long road there. The ribs will take the longest and she needs to be monitored for her concussion."
Stef bit her lip to keep the tears at bay while Lena nodded her head.
"What about Jesus?" Brandon asked suddenly. Although the two fought endlessly, Brandon always took it upon himself to look after his younger siblings and although the news about his sister wasn't great, at least he knew what was happening with her.
The doctor looked over his charts before looking at the family. "He is with Dr. Anderson at the moment, but I'll try and reach him to see if he has an update." He replied.
"Thank you" Lena said with a small smile as she squeezed Brandon's arm in reassurance.
"Can we see Mariana?" Stef finally found her voice and asked.
Looking at the 5 people in front of him, he quickly made a decision. "Are you her..." He began before Stef cut him off.
"We're her mothers."
Nodding, he continued. "You two may go in, but I'm sorry no minors. She is in the ICU." He finished before giving the moms time to talk to their children before following him.
Stef and Lena exhaled deeply before turning to the three kids.
"Why don't you guys go get something to eat." Lena said as she pulled some money out of her purse and handed it to Brandon. "We won't be long."
Brandon took the money and nodded slightly, knowing that his moms needed to be with his siblings and that he needed to look after Callie and Jude.
"I love you, my babies." Stef said, kissing each child on the head and giving them a hug before Lena did the same.
Finally, the three children turned to find food that they most likely weren't going to eat, and the moms turned to go follow the doctor to their injured daughter.
One thing for sure was that this was going to be a long recovery.
